DC United (1W-3D-4L, 6 pts) played at a very intense level throughout the match. Although they gave a much stronger performance than the one they delivered just a week ago, it will be of no consolation to a team dealt their fourth straight defeat. They now sit above the winless Montreal and Toronto teams at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

first half

Both teams traded good chunks of time holding the ball forward and taking shots. FC Cincinnati would go first, as Engel almost sent a low, screaming ball under Barraza in the left corner at the turn of the first minute. Denkey had a one-on-one opportunity in the 13th minute that went just wide but was flagged offside anyway. Early on, FC Cincinnati felt like the better and stronger team. DC United almost contributed to their own demise, as just before the 15th an errant back pass from Bartlett to goalkeeper Barraza came close to the goal line. Barraza had to hustle back and sweep the ball away.

DC United persisted, as Denkey could be seen calling for the ball to no avail. While covering him well, they would win the ball with aggressive player challenges and swarming defense. But these attempts would all fail, with the best resulting in a free kick attempt deflected by the defensive wall.

Nick Hagglund had a massive game, likely a Man of the Match candidate. We saw great early effort as he would battle Benteke or chase down a ball and play it off Stroud out of bounds to reclaim possession. Both he and Robinson owned the defensive box. Anunga had a top-notch game as well.

DC began to fire away, with a shot from Benteke at the 22nd minute leading to two shots from Servfania off consecutive corner kicks. Denkey caught the back line napping and fired a shot that went high and wide as he was struck by MacNaughton, earning a free kick well outside the box. Denkey’s night was lightly peppered with offside calls.

Then, near the 28th minute, Robinson fired a long ball from the back up through the middle and toward the opposing box.  MacNaughton attempted to field it and pass to Bartlett, but Valenzuela intercepted the ball as Bartlett rolled to the ground. Dado proceeded one-on-one with MacNaughton, backing him up into the penalty box.  A dribble to the left, a dribble to the right, and Dado banged in his first of the year past two defenders and a diving Barraza!

With ten minutes remaining in the first half, the heat began to rise, with more aggressive challenges and contact, a series of physical aerial duels, and a few more words exchanged afterwards. FC Cincinnati would get a few more decent shots and cause Knowles to draw a yellow card as he struggled to deal with Orellano. But going into the locker room, the prevailing feeling was far from one of security.

second half

As Orellano earned a corner at the 45th and then again in the 46th minute, the Apple broadcast let us witness Hagglund, working hard, vying for position, dancing around Benteke with MacNaughton chasing, all arms extended. The game would be played mostly in DC’s half of the field for the next five minutes, but, despite a nice attempt by Dado at 52′, FC Cincinnati would not convert.

DC United got cooking in the 53rd minute, culminating in a headed attempt by Benteke close to goal. Strong team passing created another direct shot opportunity in the 56th by Benteke. The intensity continued to increase. DC United’s best opportunity came at minute 59, first as Benteke received the ball in the box with his back to goal, and then attempted a shot which was deflected out of the box.  Schnegg immediately delivered what looked like a cross but ended up a ball that Celentano needed to deflect out.

Santos would come on for Valenzuela in the 62nd, but no other changes would happen for another twenty minutes. As Celentano brought a ball down, Benteke would go to the ground with Hagglund. He stood up and had words for the referee, and the chippiness elevated  between the two teams, with a little shoving.

What followed was an excellent display of FC Cincinnati defensive play, beginning with the defense of a good free kick attempt. As the team tried to get Denkey involved, which resulted in Denkey losing possession and another missed shot attempt, the defense would have to get in position and get clearances. Robinson made a wonderful effort to dash back and steal a shot opportunity from Benteke. Eventually, Benteke returned and found himself one-on-one with Roman Celentano. Beneteke fired a powerful right-footed shot, but straight into Roman. The official raised the offside flag. From that point, DC would continue to turn up the heat and find more scoring opportunities, but ultimately never converted.

Noonan would bring on Brad Smith and Matt Miazga in the 84th to close out the match. This would be Miazga’s first minutes since a season-ending injury in the middle of last year’s campaign. Dominique Badji would come on in the 86th for DC United in an attempt to tie things up, but to no avail.

postgame

Gilberto Flores reflected in his post-game interview that concentration levels were high, and even though there are things to fix, it’s easier to do that when you win.  During the post-game press conference, Pat Noon reflected, “Not our strongest performance, but where we lacked in attacking…we made up for defensively.”

When asked how the game changed with DC United pressing more in the second half, Noonan attributed it to Cincinnati’s inability to keep the ball, and the lack of creativity and hold-up play. But he would praise Nick Hagglund’s effort, deeming it “one of Nick’s best performances in the jersey.”

Asked why Dado got the start, Noonan reflected on Valenzuela’s maturation, composure, and ability to anticipate and read the game. Noonan also said it was nice to see Miazga back and playing meaningful minutes. “His presence is important.” But ever the realist, he also offered, “We need to get more healthy bodies. How long can you survive going week-to-week missing four or five pieces?”

FC Cincinnati closes April with a match against Gregg Berhalter’s Chicago Fire, followed by Western Conference team Sporting Kansas City. They do so from the position of being tied for first atop the Eastern Conference, despite not having their full team available for many of their first games. Along with the three points, Cincinnati leaves DC with no additional injuries.

quick recap

FC Cincinnati at D.C. United
Date: April 12, 2025

Competition: MLS Regular Season

Venue: Audi Field | Washington, D.C.

Kickoff: 7:40 p.m. ET

Weather: 49 degrees, cloudy

SCORING SUMMARY: 1-2-FT

DC: 0-0-0

CIN: 1-0-1

DC – None

CIN – Gerardo Valenzuela 28’

CIN: Roman Celentano, Lukas Engel (Brad Smith 83’), Gilberto Flores (Matt Miazga 84’), Nick Hagglund, Miles Robinson (C), DeAndre Yedlin, Pavel Bucha, Tah Brian Anunga, Luca Orellano, Gerardo Valenzuela (Sergio Santos 62’), Kévin Denkey

Substitutes not used: Evan Louro, Alvas Powell, Corey Baird, Stiven Jimenez

Head Coach: Pat Noonan

DC: Luis Barraza, Lucas Bartlett, Lukas MacNaughton (Dominique Badji 86’), Kye Rowles, David Schnegg, Brandon Servania, Hosei Kijima (Jacob Murrell 81’), Aaron Herrera, João Peglow (Randall Leal 86’), Jared Stroud (Gabriel Pirani 74’), Christian Benteke (C)

Substitutes not used: Kim Joon Hong, Rida Zouhir, Derek Dodson, Matti Peltola, Boris Enow

Head Coach: Troy Lesesne

STATS SUMMARY: DC/CIN

Shots: 15 / 12

Shots on Goal: 2 / 5

Saves: 4 / 2

Corner Kicks: 10 / 4

Fouls: 9 / 17

Offside: 5 / 3

Possession: 53 / 47

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

DC – Lukas MacNaughton (Yellow Card) 25’
DC – Kye Rowles (Yellow Card) 41’
CIN – Lukas Engel (Yellow Card) 50’
DC – David Schnegg (Yellow Card) 69’

OFFICIALS 

Referee: Ismir Pekmic

Ast. Referees: Cameron Blanchard, Gerardo-Kader Lebuis

Fourth Official: Luis Diego Arroyo
VAR: Carol Anne Chenard
AVAR: Claudiu Badea

next match

MLS: vs. Chicago at Soldier Field on Saturday, March 22 at 2:30p.m. ET; Apple TV+

The post FC Cincy fleeces three in DC appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

THE BLACK AND RED

DC United reworked much of their starting eleven to prepare for Troy Lesesne’s second full season as head coach. Notable additions include Peglow as a starting left-winger from the Polish Ekstraklasa, Kye Rowles as a starting center-back from the Scottish Premiership, and Kim Jun-Hong as a starting goalkeeper from the Korean K. League 1.

Lesesne was previously tenured as the interim head coach for the New York Red Bulls in 2023, where he faced FC Cincinnati in competitive matches like the Round One Best-of-3 Series. In 2024, his DC was winless against the Red Bulls, drawing away and losing at home.

In all but one of his seven matches against FC Cincinnati, his sides have settled for less possession. That is by design, as it allows a possession-based opponent to waste energy while they are pressed hard. This was especially true for his Red Bull side, but for DC, he has emphasized a somewhat possession-based style with efficiency.

None of their goals have come on the counter; all have come from either open play or set pieces, including penalties. Most of their attacks have come from the left side, which has been occupied by left-winger Peglow and left-back David Schnegg when overlapping.

DC’s most recent result was a demolition, losing 6-1 at the San Jose Earthquakes on the thirtieth anniversary of MLS’ inaugural match. As unbelievable as it sounds, they were on the end of an unlucky scoreline; they had 56% of possession and just as many shots on target (10) as their opponent. They were thwarted by heroic goalkeeping from the Quakes’ Daniel, who had nine saves.

Regardless, they aren’t in a good position. They sit 12th in the East, four points off a playoff spot, with just one win through their seven matches. Their defense is statistically the worst in the league with 17 goals conceded. It will be an uphill battle against Cincinnati, even if they have home-field advantage.

THE ORANGE AND BLUE

The Orange and Blue are looking to bounce back from a run of matches where they failed to look better than their opponent. They returned to winning ways last weekend against New England, looking more cohesive than they had in a while.

They have struggled to get the ball to Evander in dangerous positions, and therefore to create enough chances for Denkey to finish. The defense has been lackadaisical compared to what it has been, but they took a step in the right direction with their clean sheet against New England—their first since the home opener.

In spite of schedule congestion, a flurry of injuries, and the aforementioned lack of cohesion among the team, the Orange and Blue are on a three-match winning streak and sit tied for 3rd in the East with 13 points.

Evander is an unknown as he recovers from a tweak in his knee suffered against Nashville. Noonan said that Nwobodo will be a “game-time” decision, Kubo suffered a set-back and that will be managed, and Hadebe will be out with his return estimated to be a “couple weeks” away, all per Carter Chapley. Robinson will likely appear as he was fully participating in training.

DC’s defense will doubtlessly struggle against an attacking front that includes Denkey, Orellano, and Bucha. If the Orange and Blue are able to replicate those last 30 minutes against New England where they looked clinical, they will be in pole position to leave the capital with all three points.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Pavel Bucha is Cincinnati’s player to watch. He scored a brace in the last road trip to DC. Against New England, it was his pullback across the face of goal that led to Santos’ winner. He has been expected to provide more offensive support and has come through with three goals and two assists so far in ’25.

Christian Benteke is DC’s player to watch. His goal in that San Jose match adds to his tally of 5 goals that have him tied at second for the Golden Boot. He is a strong-bodied striker with the most imposing aerial prowess in the league; this will be a challenge for Cincinnati’s hodgepodge defense to overcome.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The field might be tilted in favor of Cincinnati, but there are factors that work against them. The quality of DC’s grass pitch has been criticized, and they are ill-prepared at dealing with sides that press hard. If anything, they will struggle to move the ball around amidst this.

DC is in desperate need of some sort of consolation win, as they try to avoid slipping further down the table. If they can use the pitch and pressure to their advantage, they have a chance.

With the team missing a few starters, Cincinnati must adjust to these unique factors, especially as they miss Evander to run the attack. That is a lesson they’ve been forced to learn in this still-young season; are they going to be up to this test?

MATCH INFO

WHERE: Audi Field

WHEN: 7:30

WATCH: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+

The post FC Cincinnati with a test away against DC United appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

First half

With Amir Daley back in the starting lineup for the first time since his preseason foot injury,
things were looking up for FCC 2—and the first half certainly reflected that optimism. Despite being starved for possession during an action-packed and foul-filled half, FCC 2 hung on to their 2–0 lead. There were stretches where FCC 2 went multiple minutes without touching the ball. When they did, NYCFC II pressed quickly and efficiently to regain possession. Despite having less than 25% possession in the first half, FCC 2 capitalized on their few chances and defended well to go into the break with the lead.

Second half

The second half saw NYCFC II come out with renewed energy, pressing high and keeping FCC 2 pinned in their own half. Despite being under intense pressure throughout the game, FCC 2 looked more composed and cohesive, as the week-long break between games seemingly improving their rhythm and team chemistry.

While the second half didn’t have as many standout moments, it featured constant pressure from NYCFC II. The stats tell the story—four corners and eight shots within the first 10 minutes of the half. The late equalizer by Maximo Carrizo, a 17-year-old who recently made his first-team debut, sent the game to penalties.

In the shootout, all players scored until the fourth round when Paul Walters made a crucial save on Evan Lim’s attempt. Brian Schaefer followed it up with a confident penalty to clinch the win for FCC 2.

Quick Recap

Match: FC Cincinnati 2 at New York City FC II
Date: April 9, 2025
Competition: MLS NEXT Pro Regular Season
Venue: Belson Stadium | Queens, New York
Kickoff: 7:36 p.m. ET
Weather: 43°F, Clear

Scoring Summary: NYC 2–2 CIN (FT)
NYCFC II – Seymour Reid (Carrizo) 71’, Maximo Carrizo (PK) 90+2’
FCC 2 – Tega Ikoba 13’, Kenji Mboma Dem 19’

Shootout Summary
FCC 2 – Mboma Dem (Goal), Mangione (Goal), S. Chirila (Goal), Chavez (Goal), Schaefer
(Goal)
NYCFC II – Reid (Goal), Elias (Goal), Tiao (Goal), Lim (Saved)

Lineups
NYCFC II: Alex Rando, Drew Baiera (Christopher Tiao 64’), Prince Amponsah, Max Murray,
Tayvon Gray, Peter Molinari, Collin McCamy (Evan Lim 67’), Piero Elias, Maximo Carrizo, Julien
Lacher, Seymour Reid
Subs Not Used: Pierce Infuso, Luka Sunjic, Eligio Guarino, Jonathan Lopez, Brennan Klein,
Sebastiano Musu, Jack Loura
Head Coach: Matthew Pilkington

FCC 2: Paul Walters, Andrei Chirila (Juan Machado 61’), Brian Schaefer, Noah Adnan, Yorkaeff
Caicedo (Will Kuisel 67’), Peter Mangione, Yamir Uculmana (Carson Locker 35’), Amir Daley (C)
(Monsuru Opeyemi 46’), Kenji Mboma Dem, Stefan Chirila, Tega Ikoba (Ademar Chavez 67’)
Subs Not Used: Nathan Crockford, Xhosa Manyana
Head Coach: Tyrone Marshall

Stat Summary: NYC / CIN
Shots: 14 / 8
Shots on Goal: 4 / 4
Corner Kicks: 7 / 3
Fouls: 13 / 17
Offside: 2 / 0

Misconduct Summary
CIN – Kenji Mboma Dem (Yellow Card) 37’
NYC – Max Murray (Yellow Card) 39’
NYC – Piero Elias (Yellow Card) 43’
Officials
Referee: Stephen Foster
Assistant Referees: Max Smith, Zeno Cho
Fourth Official: Kyle Averill

Next Match

MLS NEXT Pro: vs. Red Bulls New York II, April 20, 2025, 6:00pm, NKU Soccer Stadium; Watch: mlsnextpro.com

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FC Cincinnati (4-1-2, 13 pts.) kept the New England Revolution (1-1-4, 4 pts.) off the score sheet in a 1-0 victory at TQL Stadium Saturday night. Despite missing some key names, FCC maintained a solid defense throughout the evening and capitalized off a Sergio Santos goal for the win. The victory keeps Cincinnati undefeated at home this season.

“One of our best wins, if I’m being honest,” Pat Noonan admitted after the match. “Just the circumstances and some bodies that we’re obviously missing from last week—it challenged us. We’re obviously stretched thin, but [it] clearly didn’t affect the group because they were ready to play and got the clean sheet, created some good looks, had good discipline, good composure, and, deserved to win the game. I’m really, really proud of the performance tonight.”

Cincinnati paid a small price for their win at Nashville SC the past weekend, being unable to dress multiple players for this waterlogged match. Obinna Nwobodo was listed as officially out due to leg issues, while Teenage Hadebe is still working on green card issues. Evander (knee), Yuya Kubo (leg), and Miles Robinson (leg) were listed as questionable, but did not make the roster. New arrival Brad Smith started his first match for the Orange & Blue.

Surprisingly, center back Matt Miazga returned to the bench after missing 10 months due to a knee ligament injury last June. While he did not enter the match, Noonan noted that he was available for emergency play. “[Matt] had a really good week and passed some hurdles that had him feeling comfortable where tonight if we needed him maybe for five to ten minutes, we felt we could do that.”

While the Revolution were working on getting their full power back, they started a team almost unchanged from Saturday’s win over the New York Red Bulls. The only change was Brayan Ceballos starting for the injured Wyatt Omsburg. Forwards Leo Campana (hamstring) and Tomás Chancalay (knee) were not ready to return from injury.

First half

Through the first 45 minutes, New England had juicier opportunities. Twice, in the 24th and 31st minutes, goalkeeper Roman Celentano had the good fortune of solid pipework. Shots by Brayan Ceballos and Ignatius Ganago found the post, the second counting as a save by Celentano.

With a good portion of their midfield unavailable, Cincinnati played much of their game through the edges. The weather made crosses difficult, but a lot of early play passed through DeAndre Yedlin and Smith.

The best opportunities came from a dual pair of attempts late in the half. Denkey’s spin in the box in the 41st minute and Orellano’s long attempt in the 44th minute both resulted in shots that shirted far of the left post.

While FCC enjoyed a majority of the possession (56%/44%), both teams were evenly matched going into halftime at 0-0.

Second half

In the second half, the Orange & Blue started to stitch together plays and enjoy more quality with their quantity. Cincinnati peppered goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic with six shots on goal in the second half, while the Revolution mustered only three on goal the entire 90 minutes.

The lone goal came on cooperative pressure around the net. In the 65th minute, Corey Baird forced a hard save to Ivacic’s left. Pavel Bucha gathered the rebound and connected with Santos in the six-yard box for a tap-in goal. The Brazilian striker’s first of the year gave Cincinnati the lead they would not relinquish.

While the Revolution had some opportunities in the second half, the back line played strong. Nick Hagglund played the full 90 minutes for the first time this season, and Gilberto Flores led the team with seven clearances and three tackles. Lukas Engel also filled at left center back again, playing 85 minutes in a different role.

“At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about—getting results,” Engel said after the match. “It wasn’t the prettiest game to watch from the outside, but we got three points, and that was the most important thing.”

Noonan praised the teamwork that picked up all three points. “These types of wins for your group go a long way because you get contributions from guys that maybe hadn’t had the opportunity before, and they’re on the field experiencing a win when that final whistle blows. So, that’s important for certain individuals, but then you can hear Matt (Miazga) and Sergio and guys that are now off the field at the end of the game and how they recognize the importance of a win like we saw tonight.”

The win pushes Cincinnati to fifth place, while New England slides down to 13th.

Cincinnati hits the road for their next two matches, facing D.C. United next Saturday. The Revolution travel to Georgia for a Saturday matinee against Atlanta United.

Major League Soccer, Match #7

FC Cincinnati vs. New England Revolution
TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Attendance: 22,912
Result: FC Cincinnati 1, New England Revolution 0

BOX SCORE

FC Cincinnati Starting XI (5-2-2-1):

Roman Celentano (GK); DeAndre Yedlin (c), Gilberto Flores, Nick Hagglund, Lukas Engel (Gerardo Valenzuela 85′), Brad Smith (Sergio Santos 58′, Stefan Chirila 84′); Pavel Bucha, Tah Brian Anunga; Luca Orellano, Corey Baird (Alvas Powell 78′); Kevin Denkey.

Bench: Evan Louro, Matt Miazga, Stiven Jimenez.

New England Revolution Starting XI (4-2-3-1):

Aljaz Ivacic (GK); Ilay Feingold, Brayan Ceballos, Mamadou Fofana, Peyton Miller; Matt Polster, Alhassan Yusuf; Luca Langoni (Luis Diaz 73′), Carles Gil (c), Ignatius Ganago; Maxi Urruti (Jackson Yueill 55′).

Bench: Alex Bono, Tanner Beason, Keegan Hughes, Brandon Bye, Jack Panayotou, Will Sands, Noel Buck.

Scoring summary:

CIN – Sergio Santos 65′ (Bucha)

Discipline:

YC – Kevin Denkey 14′ (CIN, poor sportsmanship)
YC – Luca Orellano 39′ (CIN, foul)
YC – Matt Polster 52’ (NE, poor sportsmanship)
YC – Peyton Miller 83′ (NE, foul)

Next up:

MLS Regular Season: at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m., Saturday April 12th; Apple TV+

The post All Hands On Deck: FC Cincinnati ride full-team effort for 1-0 win over New England appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

FC Cincinnati

Fresh off a thrilling 2-1 victory over Nashville SC, FC Cincinnati (3-2-1, 10 points) is riding high. Kévin Denkey, the hero of that match with a stoppage-time penalty, has been clutch this season, leading MLS with three game-winning goals.

Evander has been another standout, tallying four goals and an assist so far. His playmaking ability will be crucial in breaking down New England’s defense, especially with the possibility of facing a weakened backline due to injuries.

New England Revolution

The Revolution (1-3-1, 4 points) secured their first win of the season last weekend, edging out the New York Red Bulls 2-1. Carles Gil was instrumental, netting both goals, including a dramatic penalty in the seventh minute of stoppage time.

Historically, New England has been a thorn in Cincinnati’s side, boasting an unbeaten 4-0-1 record at TQL Stadium. However, with FC Cincinnati’s current form, tonight presents a golden opportunity to rewrite that narrative.

Key Matchup

Stopping Evander will be paramount for New England. His vision and precision passing can dismantle defenses, and with Denkey’s finishing prowess, the Revolution’s backline will have their hands full. On the flip side, FC Cincinnati must keep tabs on Gil, whose recent form suggests he’s a constant threat.

Prediction

Given FC Cincinnati’s momentum and home advantage, they have a solid chance to secure a victory. However, New England’s recent resurgence and historical dominance at TQL Stadium can’t be overlooked. Expect a closely contested match with both teams finding the net.

How to Watch

TV/Streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV

Radio: ESPN 1530 (English), La Mega 101.5 FM (Spanish)

In-Person: TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH

For those heading to the match, gates open at 6 p.m. ET.

The post FC Cincinnati vs. New England Revolution: Match Preview appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

The USMNT has been playing with its own core for a little under four years now; among these players are Matt Turner, Antonee Robinson, Sergino Dest, Yunus Musah, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Giovanni Reyna, Tim Weah, and Christian Pulisic. Together, they’ve competed in seven tournaments: all four editions of the Concacaf Nations League (NL), the Concacaf Men’s World Cup Qualifying (2021-22), the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the 2024 Copa America.

These players were once deemed America’s “Golden Generation,” the group that was finally poised to bring our nation—that had been woefully inept at soccer for decades—true glory, perhaps even a World Cup. But it has become clear that this group has not lived up to the name, nor even the hype of preceding USMNT generations.

What happened?

It started out promising. In the same summer, the USMT won the Gold Cup (2021) and the NL (2020-21) by beating arch-rivals Mexico in both finals. They won the next edition (2022-23) of the NL by defeating Canada. But then came a few blips in the system: a shocking defeat to Canada in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Gold Cup and a third-place finish in World Cup qualifiers which included a winless record against their foes up north. To make matters worse, their hitherto only victory against a country ranked in the top-20—excluding Mexico—was Iran in the 2022 World Cup.

At this point, doubt had long been placed on Gregg Berhalter. His job was hinging on the USMNT’s performance in the 2024 Copa America, which would be their last major tournament before hosting the World Cup in 2026. To make a long story short: they failed. Majorly. They got grouped despite playing Panama and Bolivia, averaging just one goal a match. And then, out went Berhalter.

Berhalter was able to make the Stars and Stripes the Kings of Concacaf, but he ultimately failed to make them competitive on a global stage. He accumulated the third most wins in USMNT manager history, but most of these were against continental or lower-ranked opposition. Sure, he earned the blame, but what about the core? There were clear signs that they, too, had stagnated.

After a shocking defeat to Panama in this year’s NL, and a failure to even win the third-place game against Canada, this problem is clearer than ever before.

Goalkeeper

Matt Turner earned his role as the starting goalkeeper on merits of what he did for New England in 2020 and 2021. Despite that, his move to Europe has been massively underwhelming. He played as a backup for Arsenal, never really earned a starting role at Nottingham, and has barely appeared for Crystal Palace. All in all, his minutes equate to playing 29 matches over the past three seasons. He has not seen a full season of playing time at the club level since 2021.

That is almost five years of not even playing consistently. Why was his role unquestioned even two years ago?

Many fans have noted his recent lackluster performances in between the sticks for the US. As an example, this positioning when Panama’s Cecilio Waterman scored the winner that knocked them out of the NL:

Video courtesy of Concacaf

Because of this, the door for starting goalkeeper has been blown wide open.

Defense

The USMNT has never had a consistent center-back room. It has always been a revolving door of quality MLS players  and those who constantly migrate between lower-tier European teams.

Graph made by author

A bar-graph of center-backs who have appeared in any of the last 7 tournaments, with the amount of matches they’ve played.

In the 20/21 NL, there were zero consistent pairings. In World Cup Qualifiers, there were more or less five center backs who were jumbled together. In the World Cup, Zimmerman/Ream were the preferred pairing with CCV backing them up. In the 22/23 NL, there were zero consistent pairings. In the 23/24 NL, again, zero.

The only “consistent” pairing has been Richards and Ream, starting all through the Copa and that fateful match against Panama under Poch for the 24/25 NL semi-final. But the problem with that? The former has not progressed as expected and the latter is 37 years old.

Tournaments are won with defense. Any match is, really. It is immensely worrying that the USMNT has yet to find a consistent center back pairing, despite the seven tournaments they’ve had prior to the 2026 World Cup to experiment.

As for full-back, it is clearer. Antonee Robinson has been arguably the best in the Premier League in his position and is the most in-form player in that core. His recent designation at U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year is well-deserved.

Sergino Dest has been starting right back. With two goals and six assists in 25 matches, he looked to finally find his place at PSV in 23/24—that is, before tearing his ACL and only returning two weeks ago. Regardless, his technical skills from that position have been indispensable for the US.

Midfield

Midfield was the most confident area of the field for this core; with McKennie, Adams, Musah, and Reyna there, many fans assumed they’d be lock-ins for this upcoming World Cup. For the latter, this wouldn’t be so; the other three will likely have their place.

• McKennie has found success abroad, maybe even stability at Juventus. He was a consistent starter under previous manager Thiago Motta, even captaining the Bianconeri on a few occasions.
• Adams returned from hamstring / back injuries to be one of the most underrated defensive mids in the Premier League for Bournemouth. If there is anyone who could possibly be a lock-in for this midfield, it will be him. Still though, there is concern about how injury prone he is—where could his career be now without these unfortunate woes?
• Musah captained a youth English squad that included Bellingham, Musiala, and Palmer. But he hasn’t progressed since the last World Cup and now warms the bench for Milan. He doesn’t fit the 6 or the 8, and under a Poch system that prefers a double pivot, he will have to compete with McKennie for a starting role in the midfield.
• Giovanni Reyna is the most disappointing prospect in this core. He has been given barely any minutes for Dortmund in the past three seasons and hardly got any in his failed loan to Nottingham. He was disciplined by Berhalter in the last World Cup for lack of effort at training and attitude problems. Since then, no manager has trusted him. This is not a coincidence.

So yes, a double pivot of McKennie/Musah and Adams is almost sure to start for the US at next summer’s World Cup. Still, you can’t count out the midfield depth in the player pool. More on that later. As for what was once Reyna’s spot at attacking mid: to be determined.

Attack

In like fashion to the center-back situation, there has never been a lock-in at striker. It  looks to be Folarin Balogun, who has five goals and four assists in roughly 1,000 minutes. Ricardo Pepi is also in the conversation with 13 goals and three assists in roughly 1,600 minutes.

Graph made by author

Visualizer of “GC every 90’” used to portray what a goal contribution every match looks like on this graph, the smaller the circle, the closer to this rate.

In fact, the above hierarchy chart shows Pepi having a better rate of goalscoring than Balogun, in even more matches played. Why hasn’t the English-born striker locked down his spot against an MLS graduate who “should” be lower on the depth chart?

Left-wing is an unknown. Pulisic was playing there before Poch noted that he would be his “Eriksen,” implying that he may be used as an attacking midfielder—furthermore, he plays at RW for Milan now.

Tim Weah at right-wing is not a given, nor should it be. With just seven goals and five assists in 44 caps, his productivity is lower than you’d expect. This amounts to a goal contribution every 247 minutes, which isn’t terrible, but not enough to be a guaranteed starter.

________________________________________________________________________

With just this summer’s Gold Cup left  before the most highly anticipated tournament in the history of this national team, there is still not an established starting lineup nor even a core they’d be confident to build off of. Fans were right to blame Berhalter, but I ask once more, where is the accountability for this core?

The expectations for them were that they would be a “Golden Generation” and therefore near world-class. But only two—Pulisic and Antonee—come even close to that designation. The rest have either only recently proven themselves in Europe or are above average at best. You can make an argument that the only lock-ins are the aforementioned Pulisic and Antonee.

The post The USMNT is facing a crisis of identity: why? appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

On a perfect night for playing soccer in a beautiful stadium, with expectations sky high for the home team, FCC came from behind to win a thrilling but chaotic match. They continuously pressed high, forcing Nashville at times to rush their plays which resulted in FCC creating opportunities. At the same times, the Nashville Boys in Gold showed why they had won three straight games, creating opportunities either on fast breakaways or building up from their backline.

The Orange and Blue came into the game still without a full-strength squad. Nick Hagglund and Miles Robinson were being re-integrated into the team, the first because of his continuing recovery from last year’s season ending injury, the second due to coming back from illness. Yuya Kubo was unavailable due to an injury picked up in the previous game. Kévin Denkey was on the bench due to the 180 minutes he played with Togo and international travel.. And Matt Miazga is still not in match fitness form.

Nashville had their full complement of players, with their goalkeeper, backline, and front line already having played 5 straight games together with little rotation in their midfield. They scored eight goals and conceded only one in their previous three games. Their head coach, B.J. Callaghan, has instilled a more aggressive attacking style that was already producing results.

First Half

Both teams came out of the gate pressing and attacking. They showed a sense of urgency on the pitch that created early opportunities. For FCC, in the first minute of the game, Evander lofted a cross into the box for Orellano who, though in an uncomfortable position, managed a shot that Nashville goalkeeper Joe Willis easily stopped. On the other side of the pitch, Nashville had a clear opportunity when Ahmed Qasem crossed towards Hany Mukhtar who, with a wide-open net, shot just past the post.

The Orange and Blue were being aggressive in anticipating plays, closing down lanes, and creating opportunities on the wings as well as through the center. More numbers were seen inside the box as Noonan had instructed them during training sessions: “We didn’t have enough guys either willing to run in front of goal, sacrificing themselves for opening up their teammates, and so we covered that in the lead up to the game. I think that got better, but it’s not about doing [it] in a reckless way. We have to be calculated in the timing, the positions and what’s needed to help us create.”

But it was Nashville who struck first in minute 39. On a cross inside the box by Danish midfielder Edvard Sandvik Tagseth, Nick Hagglund attempted to clear the ball but it landed at the feet of Josh Bauer who didn’t hesitate as he shot on target. Roman Celentano managed to touch the ball, but the pace was too strong as it went into the upper left-hand corner of the net and Nashville opened the scoring for the night.

The feeling among some FCC fans in the stands was that the floodgates were about to open given Nashville’s strong performances in their last three games. FCC was not feeling that way as they kept pushing forward. Their efforts were rewarded when Evander was fouled outside the box on a progressive pass from Lukas Engel. Evander kicked the ball with pace and great positioning as it went into the upper right-hand corner of Joe Willis’ net in minute 43. The score was tied as the teams went into the dressing room a few minutes later.

Second Half

The second half saw Kévin Denkey come in and Nick Hagglund come out. This shifted FCC’s tactical lineup from a three center back  and two wing back  formation to a 2-2  formation in the backline. Noonan was sending a signal that he was going for the win.

But once again, it was Nashville who seemed to get an upper hand when in minute 47, Denkey seemed to pull down Nashville’s center back Walker Zimmerman inside FCC’s box for a penalty kick. Hany Mukhtar was selected to execute the PK. As he kicked the ball, Roman went to his left, guessing the direction correctly  and then lifted his right hand to push the ball over the crossbar. A fantastic save that drove the travelling FCC fans wild in the stands! But Roman was not done. In the ensuing corner kick because of this save, Roman came out and punched the ball out of the box. Nashville recovered, crossed the ball into the box and as their players surged towards it, Roman made two consecutive stops at point blank range from Nashville’s Alex Muyl and Sam Surridge.

The rest of the half settled into a back-and-forth movement between the two nets. Both teams made multiple changes, some forced due to injury, and others to gain tactical advantage. The game seemed destined to end in a tie when in the 88^th minute on a forward cross from Evander to Corey Baird, Walker Zimmerman was called for handball in the box. Dénkey took the kick with his now well-known stutter step and buried it in the lower right-hand corner of Willis’ net to give FCC the lead 2-1 with minutes left in the game.

Nashville still had two opportunities where they could have tied the score with long crosses into the box with open players that FCC was not marking.

As Pat Noonan said at the beginning of this post match conference, “Certainly, I’m pleased  for the group. That was a little bit of a wild one, too chaotic for my liking in how the game looked, and a lot of moving parts with our personnel. But that shows, I think, what this group is potentially capable of with coming off the field with a win. That was a challenging game. Credit to B.J. [Callaghan], to Nashville, they were strong tonight. If not for Roman [Celentano] and Evander, this is a different result. I think those two won us the game tonight. And while certainly everybody else put in a good shift, it was, I think, those two performances that allow us to feel the way we did.”

A hard-fought game with two sides that showed their quality during the 90 minutes, and with Roman Celentano being the Man of the Match!

SCORING SUMMARY: 1-2-FT

NSH: 1-0-1

CIN: 1-1-2

NSH – Josh Bauer 39’

CIN – Evander 34’, Kévin Denkey 90’+1 (PK)

CIN: Roman Celentano, DeAndre Yedlin (Alvas Powell 80’) Gilberto Flores, Miles Robinson (C) (Corey Baird 79’), Nick Hagglund (Kévin Denkey 46’), Lukas Engel, Obinna Nwobodo (Tah Brian Anunga 59’), Pavel Bucha, Evander, Sergio Santos (Brad Smith 70’), Luca Orellano

Substitutes not used: Evan Louro, Gerardo Valenzuela, Stiven Jimenez

Head Coach: Pat Noonan

NSH: Joe Willis, Daniel Lovitz (Teal Bunbury 90’+2), Jack Maher, Walker Zimmerman (C), Josh Bauer (Andy Najar 67’), Patrick Yazbek (Gaston Brugman 81’), Alex Muyl (Jacob Shaffelburg 67’), Edvard Tagseth, Hany Mukhtar, Sam Surridge, Ahmed Qasem (Jonathan Perez 81’)

Substitutes not used: Brian Schwake, Jeisson Palacios, Matthew Corcoran, Taylor Washington

Head Coach: B.J. Callaghan

STATS SUMMARY: NSH/CIN

Shots: 15 / 18

Shots on Goal: 8 / 6

Saves: 4 / 7

Corner Kicks: 4 / 5

Fouls: 16 / 8

Offside: 0 / 2

Possession: 48.5 / 51.5

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

NSH – Edvard Tagseth (Yellow Card) 90’+2

OFFICIALS 

Referee: Drew Fischer

Ast. Referees: Brian Poeschel, Justin Howard

Fourth Official: Benjamin Meyer
VAR: Shawn Tehini

AVAR: Logan Brown

NEXT MATCH

MLS Regular Season: vs. New England Revolution, 7:30 p.m. EDT April 5^th, TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH; AppleTV+

The post The Orange and Blue hit the right notes in Music City appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

Chicago Fire FC II got their first win of the season against Toronto FC II on March 13. Then they signed 15-year-old midfielder Brody Williams on March 20th. The Fire II may have more of an edge, but FCC 2 is ambitious for a win.

FCC 2 has been down on its luck lately. They haven’t found their rhythm, and don’t even have a goal this season. But this could be the spark FCC 2 needs to fight the Chicago Fire FC II. FCC 2 is hungry and a win on Sunday could satiate that hunger.

Series History

The past three meetings between these teams have held FCC 2 to a 1-3-4 record, with FCC 2 winning two games in penalty kicks. The most notable performance in these past three matchups is a stellar 5-0 victory at home, where FCC 2 dominated in almost every matchday stat, including red cards, with midfielder Amir Daley receiving the only red card given in the 83rd minute.

With this recent history, FCC 2 may be feeling confident, but it’s a matter of winning in regulation. The home-field advantage may make this a bit easier for the Orange and Blue.

Players to watch

Chicago Fire FC II

Trip Fleming (Midfielder):

Leading The Fire II with two goals and 180 minutes in two games, Fleming, who signed with the club in February of this year, is already making a name for himself. Fleming scored his first goal of his MLS Next Pro career in the team’s shutout against Toronto FC II in the 81st minute. Fleming also scored the lone goal in the season-opening loss against Huntsville City FC.

FC Cincinnati 2

Paul Walters (Goalkeeper):

Walters may only have one job, some may say, but saving four out of five shots on goal is an impressive stat for a team that’s yet to score a goal this season. FCC 2 is going to have to step it up on offense, or it will be a long season for the goalkeeper.

The post Preview: FC Cincinnati 2 looks to get their first win of the season against the Chicago Fire II appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

The road does not get easier for FCC (2-1-2) this Saturday. The team travels to the Music City for a showdown against Nashville SC (3-1-1), a squad who have rebounded from a disappointing 2024 campaign with a strong start this season. Whether you want to call it a “rivalry” or not, there has been no shortage of intensity in these matchups over the past few seasons. Throw in the fact that there’s some palpable mutual disdain between the two fanbases, and there will likely be a little extra electricity in the crowd at GEODIS Park.

All of this to say, if FC Cincinnati wants a win to end their woes on the road, they’ll have to survive an absolute battle to earn it.

TIDE TURNING FOR THE ORANGE AND BLUE?

It hasn’t been an easy start to the season for FC Cincinnati for a variety of reasons, but there’s a hint of optimism heading into Saturday’s matchup. The second half of last week’s 2-2 draw against Atlanta United was arguably the most polished the team has looked this season. A strong attack, sparked by a “takeover” performance from Evander, finally reminded us of the dominant offense FCC fans have come to expect in recent years. And while a couple of key mistakes on the back end resulted in dropped points, there were still signs of the team finally finding some chemistry.

That chemistry should also be bolstered with a more consistent lineup. Injuries, international call-ups, and a packed early-season schedule have forced Pat Noonan to roll out five vastly different starting XIs in each of FCC’s first five MLS matches this season. As reported by Laurel Pfahler this week, however, Noonan expects more consistency moving forward. This week, the lineup will get a boost from Kévin Denkey’s return from international duty, Miles Robinson’s return from illness, and Gilberto Flores’ return from suspension. While it seems FCC could be without Teenage Hadebe and Yuya Kubo this week, there are still enough pieces to roll out a somewhat normal XI against Nashville.

RED HOT IN MUSIC CITY

On the other side, it’s been a completely different situation for Nashville SC, who have been able to roll out virtually the same back line and forward combo in each of their five games this season. BJ Callaghan’s squad has ridden that chemistry to three consecutive wins, all by a margin of two goals or more. That includes an impressive 3-1 win on the road against current league leaders Philadelphia Union, making Nashville SC the only team to defeat the Zolos this season.

Nashville’s strength, as it’s always been, is their stinginess. Led by captain Walker Zimmerman and rising star Jack Maher, Nashville has conceded the third-fewest shots among Eastern Conference teams this season, and their three goals allowed are tied for second-fewest across the entire MLS. Up front, Nashville’s scoring has come by committee, with seven different players finding the scoresheet this season.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Last Saturday gave FC Cincinnati fans a glimpse of what Evander can do. We saw him “come off of the leash” a bit and become more involved in the play in different areas of the field while being unafraid to push and create chances via dribbling rather than  progressive passing. This led to his first brace in an FCC kit and several other quality chances. It will be interesting to see if Evander’s more aggressive style can open more chances for Denkey and Luca Orellano up front.

For Nashville, keep an eye on Edvard Tagseth. The Norwegian international has been a firecracker for his new team this season, excelling at controlling the pace of play in the midfield. He’s careful with the ball but also isn’t afraid to thread the needle and spring one of his attacking teammates down the pitch for a quality opportunity.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Communication and chemistry continue to be the biggest X factor in these early season matches. FC Cincinnati’s overall play has been solid this season; it’s just been those one or two breakdowns in key moments that have been their undoing.

Ideally, those are the kind of mishaps that go away with more practice and more lineup consistency, both of which should be happening shortly. Whether there is improvement by this Saturday remains to be seen.

Nashville’s not the flashiest team, but they’re incredibly disciplined and capable of pouncing on opponent’s mistakes. If Cincinnati can limit those and keep communication sharp, they have a squad that can win tough games like these on the road. If we see the type of miscommunications we saw in the previous road games against Charlotte, Tigres, and Philadelphia, it could be a long night.

The post FC Cincinnati looks to end road woes against surging Nashville SC squad appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

PREMATCH STORYLINES

The story coming into the match was all about the  the lineups. For FC Cincinnati starting striker Kévin Denkey and center back Teenage Hadabe were out on international duty. Captain Miles Robinson was out due to sickness and Gilberto Flores served a one-match suspension due to two yellow cards received against Charlotte FC. For Atlanta United, several key players in their defense were out either on international duty or due to injury. Most notably Designated Player Migual Almirón.

FAST START

Perhaps the two best opportunities of the first half came in the first seven minutes. Alexy Miranchuk collected the ball from Lukas Engel as he struggled with the ball between his legs. Miranchuk ripped a screaming blast from outside of the box. Roman Celentano was fortunate to have the ball strike the crossbar as it sailed over him.

In the seventh minute Evander struck a free kick attempt from just on the corner of the 18-yard box. Nick Hagglund got free under the cross and was able to put a head on the ball. But Brad Guzan was able to get a left paw on it—enough to redirect it from harm’s way.

ATLANTA STRIKE FIRST

The five stripes would be the ones to come out of the halftime break with answers to the stalemate. In the 50th minute a quick resumption of play from a throw-in saw Saba Lobjanidze running free to the touchline. Saba slightly paused his run and found Emmanuel Latte Lath in the middle of the box. Latte Lath shot on the first touch and slot it in the net past an outstretched Celentano.

FCC FLURRY

An earned freekick from the top of the box in the 70th minute saw FCC’s top man Evander standing over the ball. Evander struck the ball with pace, and it took a deflection off an Atlanta defender in the box. The deflection was enough to freeze Guzan, and the ball landed comfortably into the net.

Moments later in the 75th minute Obinna Nwobodo jumped an Atlanta throw-in to start the break. Pavel Bucha picked up the ball and drove it straight into the box. Bucha laid it off to Evander and the Brazilian showed his skilled right foot for a great goal.

The two goals for Evander were his first in front of the TQL Stadium faithful and his first brace in an orange and blue uniform.

POWELL’S BLUNDER

The match felt like it was destined to end in a 2-1 win for FCC but poor fate in the 88th minute would spoil the three points. Saba drove the ball up FCC’s left flank and delivered a low cross across the face of goal. Alvas Powell raced back to make the play but unfortunately for him his outstretched leg only directed the ball squarely into the goal.

Goals

CIN – Evander 70’, Evander (Bucha) 75’ 

ATL – Emmanuel Latte Lath (Lobjanidze) 50’, Alvas Powell (OG) 88’

LINEUPS

CIN: Roman Celentano, Lukas Engel, Nick Hagglund (Corey Baird 46’), Alvas Powell, Yuya Kubo (Tah Brian Anunga 81’), Obinna Nwobodo (Gerardo Valenzuela 90’), Pavel Bucha, DeAndre Yedlin (C), Evander, Luca Orellano, Sergio Santos (Brad Smith 61’)

Substitutes not used: Evan Louro, Noah Adnan, Kenji Mboma Dem, Stiven Jimenez

ATL: Brad Guzan (C), Pedro Amador, Derrick Williams, Matthew Edwards (Mateusz Klich 80’), Brooks Lennon, Tristan Muyumba (Cayman Togashi 41’), Will Reilly, Alexey Miranchuk, Xande Silva (Ronald Hernandez 71’), Emmanuel Latte Lath, Saba Lobjanidze

Substitutes not used: Jayden Hibbert, Josh Cohen, Ashton Gordon, Cooper Sanchez, Nyk Sessock, Rodrigo Neri

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

CIN – Lukas Engel (Yellow Card) 9’

CIN – Yuya Kubo (Yellow Card) 28’

ATL – Will Reilly (Yellow Card) 28’

CIN – DeAndre Yedlin (Yellow Card) 59’

ATL – Matthew Edwards (Yellow Card) 69’

ATL – Emmanuel Latte Lath (Yellow Card) 90’+1

Next Match:

MLS Regular Season: vs. Nashville SC, 8:30 p.m. EDT March 29th, Geodis Park Nashville TN; AppleTV+

The post FC Cincinnati splits points at home with Atlanta United appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.