Alonso Martinez scored in the 65th minute and Santiago Rodriguez converted a penalty kick 10 minutes later as New York City Football Club earned consecutive victories for the first time in nearly three months by holding on for a 3-2 victory over visiting FC Cincinnati on Wednesday night in Harrison, N.J.
NYCFC (13-11-8, 47 points) and has scored eight times in winning consecutive contests for the first time since June 28 to July 3 after surviving 16 minutes of stoppage time in the second half. Cincinnati (17-10-5, 56 points) fell to 2-6-2 in its past 10 MLS contests since a 6-1 rout of Inter Miami on July 6.
Martinez gave NYCFC a 2-0 lead at the end of a stellar counterattack that started when Rodriguez stole the ball from Luca Orellano. Rodriguez easily moved up the field and connected with a streaking Martinez, who slipped past defender Miles Robinson and finished it off with a right-footed shot from outside the box that landed in the upper right corner.
After sitting out Saturday’s 5-1 rout of the New York Red Bulls due to yellow-card accumulation, Rodriguez then scored on his fourth penalty kick in as many tries this season.
After Andres Perea drew a foul when he was tripped by Ian Murphy and following the video review, Rodriguez drilled a penalty kick into the upper right corner as goalkeeper Roman Celentano dove to his left.
Rodriguez’s goal came six minutes after Luciano Acosta scored on a penalty kick for Cincinnati following a handball by Thiago Martins.
Rodriguez’s goal also proved crucial when Tayvon Gray committed a costly giveaway by seeing the ball go off his leg, resulting in Corey Baird’s goal off a corner kick during a scramble in front of the net six minutes into second-half stoppage time.
Mitja Ilenic scored his first MLS goal in the 16th minute, marking the third straight match a NYCFC player registered his first career MLS goal.
New York goalkeeper Matt Freese made three saves, including a right palm save on Yuya Kubo in the 55th minute. Acosta stopped six shots.
Ilenic opened the scoring by faking out Kubo, taking four dribbles and blasted a right-footed shot from outside the box past Acosta.
–Field Level Media