Welcome to the Classic Championship Game of the Day, where today we revisit one of the memorable games from the 2018 USL Championship Playoffs as No. 1 seed FC Cincinnati played host to the No. 5 seed New York Red Bulls II at Nippert Stadium.

Cincinnati was coming off what was at the time a record-setting regular season, where it accumulated 23 wins and 77 points to finish top of the Eastern Conference standings. Led by eventual Most Valuable Player Emmanuel Ledesma – who set a Championship record with 16 assists – the side reeled off a 23-game undefeated streak to close the season, a run that began with a victory on the road against New York. That said, FCC had almost been knocked out in its playoff opener the previous week, needing a penalty shootout to get past No. 8 seed Nashville SC.

The Red Bulls II, on the other hand, were back in their typical postseason form. The 2016 USL Championship Final winners had lost only once in their last 10 games of the regular season to solidify a playoff berth, and had won four consecutive games after taking a 1-0 win on the road against the Charleston Battery the previous weekend as Tom Barlow scored the lone goal of the game. Looking to reach the Eastern Conference Final for a third consecutive season, the Red Bulls II also had some solid attacking options including Jared Stroud – who notched 11 assists in the regular season – and captain Andrew Tinari, while the back line was anchored by USL 20 Under 20 selection Hassan Ndam.

The scene is set, so sit back, relax and enjoy a classic clash from the Championship’s history.