MLS is Back: Jaap Stam doubles FC Cincinnati win total over last year

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Jul 23, 2020

FC Cincinnati is on a roll under new head coach Jaap Stam.

It won its second game in a row at the MLS is Back Tournament with a 2-0 win over the New York Red Bulls to advance to the round of 16.

The two wins are more than FC Cincinnati had won in the last year. It finished its first MLS season with one win in its last 14 games and opened the 2020 season with three losses, including a 4-0 defeat to Ohio rival Columbus in their MLS is Back opener.

FC Cincinnati took advantage of Red Bull defensive errors to win on a goal by Japanese attacked Yuya Kubo and an own goal.

Stam was hired as FC Cincinnati's fourth coach in 14 months -- young Frenchman Yoann Damet served as interim coach twice -- in the middle of the MLS shutdown, arriving after FC Cincinnati resumed individual training.

FC Cincinnati recovered from the opening loss to the Crew with a 1-0 win over 10-man Atlanta United on teenager Frankie Amaya's first MLS goal.

The two wins against Atlanta United and the Red Bulls knocked two of the strongest teams in the Eastern Conference out of the tournament and moved FC Cincinnati into a tie with Atlanta United for seventh place in the Eastern Conference season standings.

“Three points gives us confidence going to the next phase," said Stam. "If you’re looking at the table, [the win] gives us six points, which is very positive."