FC Cincinnati beats Philadelphia to clinch MLS playoff berth

It hasn’t been a normal year for Pat Noonan’s FC Cincinnati squad, but the Orange and Blue clinched a spot in the Major League Soccer playoffs for the fifth straight season with a vintage Noonan-era performance Oct. 31.Cincinnati shut out Philadelphia Union 1-0 at TQL Stadium, improving to 12-11-10 for 46 points. Cincinnati locked up a playoff spot with the win and has reached the postseason all five years of Noonan's tenure. Philly remains at 47 points (13-12-8).“We clinch a playoff spot for the fifth straight year, and while it might not have been where we would have liked to start the year, it’s still very important and a great accomplishment for these players, for this club and fans,” Noonan said. “It demanded a lot on the guys, and for them to have a clean sheet and compete in the way they did on a night where maybe it wasn't the best soccer, I couldn't be more pleased with that level of fight, which is what we need to finish out the season and then now, go into the postseason.”Cincinnati took the lead on a goal by Ayoub Jabbari in the 70th minute and made it stand up, behind some clutch defense in the goal box and some tough plays by keeper Roman Celentano. The game was reminiscent of the way Cincinnati has won a lot of games in Noonan’s tenure, getting a lead and keeping it.“All year long, we've been able to produce goals and outscore teams, but we haven't been able to win enough 1-0 games, and we got that tonight,” Noonan said. “And I think the feeling, the energy, what the group now knows what we need to do. And it's not always pretty, but the guys have been able to adjust to different ways of defending against the opponent, preparing for the opponent and finding success. I like the energy of the group right now, and wins always help that, but I also just like the way we're going about it, and there are a lot of guys contributing and guys coming back into the mix.”Philly was shut out for the second time in a row and seventh time in MLS play.“I feel like our identity a couple of years ago was getting those 1-0, 2-0 wins and finding ways to do that,” said goalkeeper Roman Celentano. “So just doing that tonight against a really good Philly team and a team that punishes you for every mistake you make. I feel like it was a testament to the character and the mindset of the group.”FC Cincinnati’s playoff statusCincinnati is in seventh place in the Eastern Conference with 46 points and can pass Philadelphia for sixth next weekend. Columbus has 44 and Orlando 43. The eight and nine seeds play a single-game wild-card contest Nov. 18, with the eight seed hosting. The six and seven seeds go straight into the main draw and the best-of-three first-round series.Cincinnati avoids the wild-card game with a win against Nashville Nov 7. A draw will guarantee at least home-field in the wild-card game and they will need Columbus to lose or draw to stay in the top seven. A loss, and they will need more help on Decision Day.If Cincinnati reaches the main draw, Game 1 will be on the road between Nov. 20-24, Game 2 at TQL Stadium Nov. 27 or 28 and Game 3, if needed, on the road Dec. 1 or 2. The club will begin selling tickets for potential home playoff games on Nov. 2. For more information, visit FCCincinnati.com/Playoffs.Defense makes another standCincinnati posted its second clean sheet in three games after not having one in MLS games for six months.“I feel like the guys have been a lot better defensively, and it's a contagious mindset, you know?” Celentano said. “We haven't had a clean sheet for a while (until last week). So it felt like it’s just never going to happen. But now we have that mindset that we can do this. And now it's just a contagious mindset where we are a team that can grind out wins at this point.”Philly controlled the possession in the opportunities in the first half. Philly had 10 shots, five on goal. Cincinnati only had two shots.Philly ended with 15 shots, six on goal. Celentano made six saves. He had one really difficult one in the first half, blocking a header from point-blank range.In the second half, he made a couple of diving saves, and on multiple occasions had to deal with heavy traffic around him to punch the ball away on a crossing attempt.Veteran back line healthy and consistentFC Cincinnati has had a consistent back line of late. Veterans Nick Hagglund, Teenage Hadebe and Kyle Smith have been playing their best defense down the stretch.“When you have defenders that play together every game, you get more and more used to each other's spacing, communication, all this kind of stuff,” Celentano said. “So obviously that helps, but it also helps that these are experienced guys. They’re going to find a way to grind out a result and make decisions in certain moments.”Jabbari delivers the winnerAyoub Jabbari gave Cincinnati the goal they needed in the 70th minute. He pounced on a rebound near the right post after Andre Blake couldn’t smother a shot attempt by Evander. Ironically considering the tough saves the younger Celentano made, the longtime Philly veteran, in his 13th season with the Union, couldn’t control the ball after diving to block a shot by Evander that wasn’t a hard-hit strike.Jabbari got to the ball, and with Blake still on the ground, easily tapped it into the net for his third goal of the MLS season. It was his first since Aug. 1 vs. San Jose.Jabbari had just come on as a sub six minutes earlier.“Every time when I can help the team, it's good,” he said. “I'm so happy to help the team, especially this goal. Because of this goal we're going to the playoffs.”No one was given an assist on the play, but the goal capped a sequence with great ball movement by Cincinnati. Ender Echenique, who came in as a sub the same time as Jabbari, beat two defenders in the goal box and passed the ball to Pavel Bucha, who tapped it back to Obinna Nwobodo, who quickly tapped it forward to Evander. Evander fired his shot from the left side of the box.Cincinnati players get a much-needed restThe win caps a gauntlet of seven matches in 22 days, made more difficult by a makeup game with D.C. United in the middle. The seven matches followed up a deflating 3-1 loss at Montreal Sept. 26 and were always going to be a test of mental and physical strength.Cincinnati went 4-2-1 in that stretch, but it has tested them physically. Not only were starters missing to injury, but players missed starts and came off the bench, and Noonan reflected on how he had to use his substitions.Now the team will have a full week to prepare for Nashville and then at least 11 days and maybe more to regroup for their first playoff match.“I don't know how much we'll actually do for the next three or four days,” Noonan said. “Guys are hanging on by a thread, and this will be an important week of recovery. I think winning a game and clinching a playoff spot is going to make that recovery and that turnaround a little bit easier. Everybody grinds together, and so you get to share the joy of this specific moment together.”What’s next for FC Cincinnati?Cincinnati hosts Nashville SC 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7 on Decision Day at TQL Stadium. Nashville is the Supporters’ Shield champion and the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: FC Cincinnati beats Philadelphia to clinch MLS playoff berth