Conceding after building a lead has become a trend for FC Cincinnati. Players called the team's Hell Is Real loss a "reality check."
FC Cincinnati was flying. They had not lost a match since May and were set to face their rivals, the Columbus Crew, at home while sitting atop the MLS Supporters’ Shield standings.
Even before the game, a weather delay ensured the stands were packed as the Orange and Blue took the field for warm-ups, giving the team another boost.
And after going up 2-0 within five minutes via goals by midfielders Pavel Bucha and Evander, FC Cincinnati’s confidence seemed justified.
Until it wasn’t.
The Columbus Crew drew level before halftime before an own goal from Miles Robinson delivered the opposition a go-ahead score to build a lead they would only add to in the Orange and Blue’s 4-2 loss Saturday, July 12.
While statistically, the two sides weren’t far off in their chance creation – both putting six shots on frame and generating somewhat similar expected goals totals – conceding scores after building a lead has become a trend for FC Cincinnati.
“It could be a reality check for sure because we came into this game with a good amount of confidence,” said defender Lukas Engel. “We got a great start in about five minutes and we couldn't ask for more. And then (we concede) four goals … We should be very motivated, and we should be coming out there on Wednesday and have revenge.”
Conceding late goals has become trend for FC Cincinnati
In March, FC Cincinnati scored an 88th-minute own goal after taking a 2-1 lead against Atlanta United FC.
In May, the Orange and Blue conceded in stoppage time after securing a 3-2 lead in the 86th minute against FC Dallas.
And even in the Orange and Blue’s undefeated June, they gave up goals to all three teams they played after going ahead 2-0 or 3-0. Luckily for them, those scores were not as costly as Saturday's.
Coach Pat Noonan said FC Cincinnati started playing too direct against the Crew and lost their composure. But he also said they were “unfortunate” in a couple of moments defensively while failing to capitalize in the attack.
Noonan noted the Orange and Blue didn’t take “their foot off the gas,” but they lost their rhythm and failed to execute when they started playing more vertically.
“You got an early lead, and it’s easy to lose some of the focus to continue to try to push in certain ways that I think got away from how we prepared,” Noonan said. “That’s a conversation we’ll have to talk through and see where our play got away from us that allowed them back into the game.”
Learning to play with a lead
Robinson took the blame for the loss after scoring the own goal that gave the Crew a 3-2 lead, calling the loss a “reality check.” Engel rejected that notion, putting responsibility on the entire team.
The American said the team could work on how they play while they are ahead.
“We always concede when we are winning, and you don’t want to make that a habit,” Robinson said. “It's kind of just the mentality, maybe – ‘oh yeah, we're obviously better,’ if you're winning two-nil in 15 minutes. But it's not really that kind of mindset you have to have.
“You have to have the mindset that the game's not over. We haven't done anything yet until we find the final blows.”
FC Cincinnati has a quick turnaround to face Inter Miami CF on Wednesday, July 16. In another match against a squad in the Shield race, every point is vital.
“We can’t let the game drift away from us like that,” Engel said. “If we go out there on Wednesday and play like we did the first 25 minutes, we're going to win that game for sure, no doubt about that, but we need to manage the game better, and that's a key point we need to take away from this, that two up should never end in a 2-4 loss.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: FC Cincinnati experiences ‘reality check’ in Hell Is Real loss
Category: General Sports
