The New York Red Bulls begin a two-match homestand as they host FC Cincinnati at Red Bull Arena.
New York were victorious against Atlanta United with goals by Lewis Morgan and John Tolkin powered the Red Bulls to a 2-1 victory with Josef Martinez grabbing a consolation late on.
The Orange and Blue didn't play in midweek and last took the field a week ago, also against Atlanta, which ended in a 2-2 draw thanks to a late equalizer by Andrew Gutman. Cincinnati is below the playoff line on goal difference.
Team news
The hosts will be without just two players: goalkeeper A.J. Marcucci, who has a shoulder injury and forward Serge Ngoma, dealing with a hamstring issue.
Ronald Mataritta continues to recover from ankle surgery while Kenneth Vermeer (torn pectoral muscle) and Beckham Sunderland (concussion protocol) are also out.
Sergio Santos is questionable with a leg injury.
Predicted lineups
New York Red Bulls: Coronel; Tolkin, Long, S. Nealis, Duncan; Yearwood, Amaya; Morgan, Casseres Jr., Luquinhas; Klimala
FC Cincinnati: Celentano; Murphy, Cameron, Hagglund; Barreal, Nwobodo, Acosta, Moreno, Powell; Brenner, Vázquez
Ones to watch
Lewis Morgan (New York Red Bulls)
His goal in midweek was the Scot's 11th in league play and 14th in all competitions and with his ability to play out wide in midfield, he's proven to be one of the most potent and dangerous offensive forces in the league.
Brandon Vazquez (FC Cincinnati)
Along with Brenner and Luciano Acosta, the trio are one of the highest-scoring in MLS, but it's Vazquez who tops the charts with nine goals and his strike against Atlanta last week made him the first player in club history to score in four straight games.
Previous meetings
The last matchup on July 9th resulted in a 1-1 draw as Cincinnati went down to nine men in the second half.
Brandon Vazquez opened the scoring for the Orange and Blue as he got in behind the New York defense and got on the end of a through ball from Luciano Acosta and scoring on the rebound after his initial shot was saved by Carlos Coronel.
Lewis Morgan pulled the Red Bulls even just shy of the half-hour mark as he beat Roman Celentano from the penalty spot.
Cincinnati midfielder Allan Cruz was shown a second yellow card in the 58th minute and sent off and Acosta was shown a straight red three minutes into second-half stoppage time.
How to watch
The match will be streamed nationally on ESPN+. In New York, coverage will be provided by the MSG Network. In Cincinnati, STAR 64 has all of the action.
Kickoff is set for 6pm Eastern time.