FC Cincinnati lead CF Montreal by two goals twice in their Saturday night match at Stade Saputo. Yet, the 5-4 result ended in favor of Montreal.
In the first half, FCC took an unanswered 2-0 lead in the first 15 minutes of the match. Then, the team conceded two goals to bring the match to a 2-2 tie.
In the second half, momentum built again when Brenner scored less than one minute out of the locker room. It was Brenner's second goal of the match and gave FCC its second two-goal lead at 4-2.
“When you’re 4-2 up, you expect it’s going to be an easy game," head coach Jaap Stam said post game. Stam's comment was echoed throughout the entire post game press conference.
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“You score four goals then you need to keep that lead ... We cannot lose this game," Haris Medunjanin said.
“We had everything to win this game," Brenner added.
But then deja-vu struck. Montreal scored three unanswered goals in the second half to close this one out 5-4.
In the last two matches, FC Cincinnati has given up a two-goal lead three times. It happened twice against Montreal, and once in a heart-breaking 2-2 draw against the Columbus Crew at TQL Stadium last Friday.
The trend makes any FC Cincinnati lead look more deadly than promising, and frustration is growing as FCC leads continue to slip through the cracks.
“I think that’s the most frustrating because everybody felt good when we were 2-0 up, then we have a chance for 3-0 but the goalkeeper saved over there, I don’t know how he saved it but then they get one goal back and then we get scared, I don’t know why," Medunjanin said. "We need to keep the ball especially when we have the lead...We need to keep that ball but we didn’t do that, we gave them the ball and then they put pressure on us.”
So, what's so lethal about FC Cincinnati's two-goal advantages?
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The answer isn't an easy one. As an initial thought, Stam said his players have to play with more discipline throughout the entire 90 minute stretch.
“It’s got something to do with learning, it’s situations, as well about managing the players in the game who will do what they need to do. They need to be very demanding to each other and what you expect and what you need to do," Stam said. "We need to be disciplined in how you play."
FC Cincinnati played short-handed on Saturday. The depth of the bench could be summed up by the two goalkeepers listed and the absence of Geoff Cameron hurt the aggressiveness of the back line. Regardless, Stam said the team needs to manage each game with who's available and players need to step up into the roles they are needed at in each match.
“I think it’s also about disciple to play," Medunjanin said. "We need to defend as a team, sometimes we don’t do that.”
Another take on the trend focuses on the players' confidence and mindset. Both Medunjanin and Brenner noted the team loses confidence after conceding.
“If you go up two goals and then you lose that lead it’s something that goes into players’ minds and then sometimes the game changes," Stam said. "The only thing that I can say is as an individual at times we also need to get a lot better.”
However there is a silver lining. FC Cincinnati's four goals against Montreal was the most the team has ever scored in the MLS. Brenner said the team has been making improvements and it's only something they can learn from going forward.
"We scored four goals which is great but then we let five goals in which is unacceptable," Brenner said. "Right now it’s about viewing game play and preparing for Wednesday because we don’t have a lot of training left before Wednesday.”
FC Cincinnati will return home to host Atlanta on Wednesday.
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