FC Cincinnati’s victory over Atlanta United FC last Thursday was not only great for morale. It could be the driving force of the team advancing in the MLS is the Back Tournament.
The Orange and Blue rank third in the Group E standings behind Columbus Crew SC and New York Red Bulls. The latter is who the FCC is facing on Wednesday night, of course.
With the second-place team, and the top four third-place teams, guaranteed to qualify for the knockout stage, that sets Wednesday’s game as the biggest matchup for Group E.
Here are some scenarios you should be aware of before the start:
If FC Cincinnati wins …
They are in.
That means they will jump over New York and finish second in the group. There is a chance that Orange and Blue could win the group, but that would mean that the FCC will hit the Red Bulls and Columbus lose by a considerable margin.
Since the goal difference is the first tiebreaker to progress, the derby result almost solidifies Crew SC finishing first in Group E in this scenario.
If FC Cincinnati ties …
It would take four teams to earn points in their respective games for the FCC to no Advance one point against the Red Bulls.
Sporting Kansas City (3 points) and Chicago Fire (3 pts.) Must win or tie, while DC United (2 pts.) And Houston Dynamo (1 pt.) Must win to deny Cincinnati a place in knockout. round.
That is possible, but it is unlikely.
If FC Cincinnati loses …
Things start to get complicated with a loss. To move forward, Cincinnati would still need:
- Atlanta to no beat Columbus
- A tie between Houston and LA Galaxy
- Real Salt Lake would need to beat SKC by four more goals than New York beat Cincinnati
- Colorado to no beat Minnesota United
Soon…
A positive result should take Orange and Blue to the next round. A victory ensures it. If the FCC loses to Red Bulls, things start to get complicated.
The good news is that Cincinnati should have a better understanding of their destiny after the next three games in the tournament:
Tuesday night:
Atlanta vs. Columbiambus (8 pm)
Montreal against DC United. (10:30 pm)
Wednesday morning:
RSL vs. SKC (9 am)
