Ayoub Jabbari tapped in a rebound in the 70th minute, and that was all FC Cincinnati needed to clinch a playoff berth with a 1-0 home win over the Philadelphia Union on Saturday.
Cincinnati (12-11-10, 46 points) became the seventh team to lock up a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference after the sixth-place Union (13-12-8, 47 points) secured theirs on Wednesday.
FC Cincinnati extended their unbeaten streak to 3-0-1. Philadelphia, which had a franchise-record 15-match unbeaten run earlier this season, is now winless in four matches (0-2-2).
Roman Celentano anchored a strong defensive effort for Cincinnati by making six saves, five in the first half. Cincinnati controlled 56.9 percent of the possession, but Philadelphia had a 15-7 shot advantage and a 6-3 edge in shots on target in its loss.
The only goal of the game was initiated when Evander took a low shot on goal. Andre Blake got down to make the save, but the ball remained loose and Jabbari was already charging into the box. He got a right foot on it while falling away, and Blake had no chance at stopping it.
It was only Jabbari’s second goal of the season.
The Union earned three corner kicks during second-half stoppage time, but nothing came of them. Cavan Sullivan, Philadelphia’s teenage star, missed a shot high and wide left in the fifth minute, and FC Cincinnati hung on.
Celentano was forced into a number of saves from the jump. He saved a header by Bruno Damiani from the center of the box in the fifth minute. The other highlight-reel move came just after the 20-minute mark on a Union corner kick. Nathan Harriel was in perfect position at the far post, but Celentano swatted away his header with his right arm.
Damiani and Quinn Sullivan, Cavan’s brother, finished with three shots apiece for Philadelphia. Blake made two saves.
–Field Level Media
