FC Cincinnati was unable to retain the services of left back Andrew Gutman following the 2020 season, and Gutman on Saturday reminded FCC what they missed out on.
Gutman scored the only goal of the match at TQL Stadium as New York Red Bulls defeated FC Cincinnati, 1-0, on Saturday before an announced crowd of 22,141.
"Obviously, playing at home, you don't want to lose games," interim FC Cincinnati head coach Tyrone Marshall said afterward. "I thought tonight, we came out with energy. We had a plan. We knew what New York was about – playing very direct, looking for second balls, knock down. Just kinda playing dirty. Not necessarily trying to play football and, for the most part, first half we were running it a little bit but then we settled the game down. Even look at the stats right here, possession, we had almost 60 percent possession, which we knew that we were going to have the ball more.
"In key moments, obviously we didn't make the right decisions, especially in the attacking third. Defensively, we had one lapse where we stepped out, ball got played behind and they score, and it just seems like it's a theme. You know, last game, transition defensively, things are breaking down.
"We need to continue to have the spirit in the locker room and I think the boys are trying, and we need to see if we can maintain that."
Gutman was one of the first players acquired during the 2019 MLS season by then-general manager Gerard Nijkamp. He would go on to appear in 29 matches as a key player over parts of two seasons with FC Cincinnati.
On-loan from Scottish powerhouse Celtic FC at the time, Nijkamp was unable to work out a deal to keep Gutman in Cincinnati ahead of the 2021 season.
Gutman ended up at the Red Bulls via trade as his MLS rights changed hands several times prior to the 2021 season, and he's again been an impactful player even as he's fought off injury trouble.
Saturday marked the 16th start of 2021 for Gutman, and his second goal of the campaign.
That goal condemned FC Cincinnati to a 4-15-8 record as the club remained in last place in MLS.
The Red Bulls, which have faint hope of making a run for an MLS Cup playoff berth, improved to 9-11-7 to stay afloat in the race for one of seven playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.
The match was FC Cincinnati's second of a week that started with Monday's announcement that now-former head coach Jaap Stam had been fired.
The contest also featured former FC Cincinnati player Frankie Amaya, the No. 1 selection in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft. Amaya started the match and went just 45 minutes before being replaced at the outset of the second half.
"I think it's more for (those) players on the other team. They're coming back to a team that they were at and they want to show that it was the right move for them," FC Cincinnati's Caleb Stanko said afterward. "I think for us, it was more 'how are we gonna beat Red Bull?' Not how are we gonna beat those two players."
Marshall made five changes to his starting lineup from Wednesday's match at Toronto FC, which he attributed mostly to the club's latest three-match week.
“I think it keeps everyone sharp," Stanko said of the lineup rotation. "Guys become complacent if you don't make changes, and Tyrone has made changes right away. It keeps everyone sharp, and it creates a competitive environment every day and that's how we're going to be successful.”
Going forward, Marshall said the players would have Sunday and Monday off leading into a full week of preparation for the Oct. 9 home clash with Philadelphia Union.
In the meantime, FC Cincinnati supporters will be keen to see if any personnel changes in the club's front office are finalized.
With vacancies in the general manager and head coaching positions, FCC is expected to soon finalize the hiring of Philadelphia Technical Director Chris Albright, according to multiple reports.
Following that, a search for the club's next permanent head coach should ratchet up.
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Welcome to Cincinnati.com's live coverage of FC Cincinnati versus New York Red Bulls at TQL Stadium. Refresh this page throughout the match for live updates and analysis, and follow Enquirer FC Cincinnati beat reporter Pat Brennan on Twitter for further analysis and updates (@PBrennanENQ).
In-match updates:
• FINAL: FC Cincinnati 0, New York Red Bulls 1.
• 74th minute – GOAL, New York Red Bulls (0-1): Andrew Gutman.
• Halftime: FC Cincinnati 0, New York Red Bulls 0.
• Match underway at 7:38 p.m.
Pre-match updates:
• FC Cincinnati starting XI: Przemysław Tytoń (GK), Nick Hagglund, Geoff Cameron, Tyler Blackett, Ronald Matarrita, Caleb Stanko, Haris Medunjanin, Isaac Atanga, Luciano Acosta, Yuya Kubo, Brenner Souza da Silva (Zico Bailey, Alvaro Barreal, Edgar Castillo, Allan Cruz, Calvin Harris, Kamohelo Mokotjo, Quimi Ordonez, Florian Valot, Kenneth Vermeer (GK)).
• After FC Cincinnati interim head coach Tyrone Marshall noted an emphasis on individual accountability, he made five changes to the starting lineup from the club's match Wednesday against Toronto FC. One of those involved a player on a yellow card accumulation suspension (Gustavo Vallecilla), but the other four were Marshall's decision.
