Luciano Acosta continued his impressive scoring streak at home, finding the back of the net for the fifth consecutive match and also contributing an assist as FC Cincinnati secured a convincing 3-0 win over Toronto FC. This sets a new league record for Cincinnati, as they notched their 13th consecutive home win across all competitions, surpassing the previous record set by the San Jose Earthquakes.
Read More: Chhetri scores hattrick as India rout rivals Pakistan in SAFF Championship
Entering the match with a five-point lead in the race for the Supporter’s Shield, Cincinnati (13-1-4) further solidified their position at the top. This remarkable home form marked a significant improvement from their previous record of 13 wins, 31 draws, and 18 losses in 62 home matches.
Defender Santiago Arias opened the scoring for Cincinnati, netting his first-ever career goal in the 35th minute. The 31-year-old, making his 13th appearance and fifth start in his debut MLS season, found the back of the net unassisted, providing his team with a 1-0 lead at halftime.
Read More: Germany lose again as Colombia defeat European giants for first time
In the 54th minute, Luciano Acosta added an insurance goal, extending his impressive goal tally to nine for the season. Marco Angulo provided the assist for Acosta’s goal, bringing him within one goal of matching Brandon Vazquez’s club-record streak of scoring in consecutive home matches, which was set in the previous season.
Acosta showcased his versatility by also providing an assist in the 63rd minute, setting up Dominique Badji for his second goal of the campaign.
Goalkeeper Roman Celentano played a crucial role in preserving the clean sheet for Cincinnati, making four saves throughout the match. This marked Celantano’s eighth shutout of the season, placing him just one behind Stefan Frei of the Seattle Sounders for the league lead in this category.
Read More: India colts lose narrowly to Uzbekistan in AFC U-17 Asian Cup
For Toronto (3-6-10), Greg Ranjitsingh made his first appearance for the team and delivered an impressive performance, saving four shots. Ranjitsingh had previously made eight appearances, including three starts, for Minnesota United in 2020 and had two starts in three appearances for Orlando City in 2019.
Following this victory, Cincinnati improved their head-to-head record against Toronto to 5 wins, 1 loss, and 0 draws in their last six encounters, after initially losing the first three matches in the series.
Read More: France edge Greece 1-0 in Euro Championship qualifying game
Toronto has been struggling on the road, remaining winless in their last 12 away matches (0-7-4), and experiencing shutout losses in five of their last seven games. In their previous 34 away matches, Toronto has managed only two wins.
Toronto will travel to face the New England Revolution, while Cincinnati will face D.C. United in their upcoming game.
