Despite a flurry of good chances and strong defense, RSL conceded a late goal to Cincinnati and was unable to rebound.
You win some, and you lose some. That is the reality of sports. This loss was a rough one. RSL was again punished by careless turnovers and needs to address this issue soon. Leagues Cup is just around the corner, and RSL needs to be at their best. FC Cincinnati is a good team, though, and it should be noted that conceding just one goal against them is pretty good. Still, a loss is a loss, and the attack just couldn’t produce like the previous five games.
RSL started hot, and it looked like they were going to get an early goal. Cincinnati countered and had a few good looks of their own. RSL goalkeeper Rafael Cabral had a few good stops, and Roman Celentano of Cincinnati matched it with a few of his own. At halftime, the score was nil-nil.
RSL would come out hungry in the second half and get a few more chances. Again, Cincinnati would put pressure on RSL. Both teams would attack and push for the win. In the 87th minute, Luca Orellano would get a pass from Brian Anunga after a sloppy RSL giveaway. He would shoot from the top left side of the box and score, making it 1-0 Cincinnati.
RSL would continue to press and try to find a late equalizer, but they just couldn’t get the ball past Orellano. The final whistle blew, and RSL fell 1-0. It was a good defensive performance, and the midfield came to play, but RSL just couldn’t score. The attack, for the first time in a while, looked tired and lacked creativity. The Cincinnati goal was just a breakdown defensively, and RSL can fix that.
Three Takeaways from RSL’s loss to Cincinnati
- The attack needs help still: RSL did score in five straight, leading to an unbeaten streak. However, there are still questions that need answering as The Claret and Cobalt faced a better team in Cincinnati, who are possibly one of the best defenses RSL has faced this season. A big signing would do this club wonders.
- The backline is tired: RSL has limited depth in the backline. They need more depth in defense and can’t have defenders getting suspended.
- RSL needs to stay focused: RSL was distracted at times and made sloppy errors. One of those errors led to a Cincinnati goal, and RSL just didn’t have time to get back on level terms.
RSL was handed a tough loss. Sometimes these things happen. RSL has some things to work on in training this week before the Leagues Cup begins. Nonetheless, they are getting better and showing promise. Leagues Cup is a new start, and RSL should be hungry.
