The New York Red Bulls continue their journey in the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs with a best-of-three Eastern Conference first-round series against FC Cincinnati with Game One at TQL Stadium.

A hat-trick by Elias Manoel, the first in Red Bulls playoff history and sixth in MLS postseason play powered New York past Charlotte FC 5-2 in the Wild Card game to earn a date with the Orange and Blue.

Cincinnati enjoyed their best season in franchise history, earning the Supporters Shield as the top team in the league with 69 points and were the only team with 20 wins.

Boasting the most points and victories, fewest defeats, second-best goal differential and fourth fewest goals conceded, the Orange and Blue are the clear favorites to win MLS Cup.

The winner of this series will face the winner of the series between fourth seed Philadelphia and fifth seed New England with the Union taking Game One 3-1 yesterday.

Team news

FC Cincinnati

London Aghedo (leg) and Steven Jimenez (lower leg fracture) have been ruled out while Santiago Arias and Nick Hagglund are both listed as questionable with leg injuries.

New York Red Bulls

Cory Burke (groin), Lewis Morgan (hip), Hassan Ndam (thigh) and Dante Vanzeir (back) are all sidelined.

Predicted lineups

FC Cincinnati: Celentano; Murphy, Miazga, Mosquera; Barreal, Moreno, Nwobodo, Gaddis; Acosta; Vazquez, Badji

New York Red Bulls: Coronel; Tolkin, S. Nealis, Reyes, Duncan; Yearwood, Amaya; Luquinhas, Fernandez; Manoel, Barlow

Ones to watch

Luciano Acosta (FC Cincinnati)

Following a breakout 2022 season when he helped lead the Orange and Blue to the conference semifinals, Acosta has positioned himself as the favorite for MVP with 17 goals and 14 assists.

Wherever he is on the field, the Argentine will be the key man for a stingy New York defense to stop.

Carlos Coronel (New York Red Bulls)

The New York goalkeeper has been a mainstay in the net, starting all 34 matches in league play while recording nine clean sheets but expects to be busy against a potent Cincinnati attack.

Previous meetings

The three prior matchups between Cincinnati and New York have seen the Orange and Blue win twice, including the US Open Cup Round of 16.

That was their first meeting with Cincinnati winning 5-3 in a penalty shootout, Yuya Kubo putting the Orange and Blue in front in the 42nd minute before Vanzeir leveled in second-half stoppage time.

Omir Fernandez put the Red Bulls in front with a 28th-minute goal from the penalty spot before Acosta did the same with ten minutes to play. Obinna Nwobodo won it after Coronel let the ball go through his legs.

Former Cincinnati midfielder Frankie Amaya and Manoel scored inside the opening 20 minutes in a 2-1 victory with Acosta again converting from the penalty spot for a severely rotated Orange and Blue side that was celebrating winning the Supporters Shield.

How to watch

The match will be televised nationally on Fox Sports 1 as well as streaming on Apple TV + with Kevin Egan serving as the play-by-play announcer and Kyndra de St. Aubin as the analyst.

Kickoff is set for 8pm Eastern time.