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.

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.

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.

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.

Charlotte (2W-1D-1L, 7 pts) returned home after a frustrating loss to Inter Miami on Sunday. Despite the referee sending off Miami’s goalkeeper with a straight red card before the end of the first half, Charlotte would still lose the contest 1-0. Luis Suárez assisted Tadeo Allende just 30 seconds into the second half. Before Miami, Charlotte was undefeated with a draw to Seattle and a solid win over Atlanta. They returned home highly motivated to get back on track. With five days to prepare, and playing at home, it would seem they had the definite advantage.  Would Bank of America Stadium remain the only undefeated Eastern Conference venue for FC Cincinnati?

first half

Yes—it was clear from the opening that this wouldn’t be a good night for the Orange and Blue. At just 38 seconds, a failed clearance by Flores (who fell to the ground in pain) bounced backward directly to the feet of Agyemang. Miles Robinson was able to track back and help avert disaster with Celentano. Agyemang knocked on the door again less than two minutes later resulting in Celentano’s first work of the night. At this point, dropping your whiskey shot into your Guinness and quickly drinking them both would have been the best advice.

FC Cincinnati would awaken and produce some solid moments. Evander would take a shot that sailed way over the bar, and he produced a decent corner delivery that was nullified. Decent possession and development out of the back and through the middle by FCC would time and again fall flat near the opposing box.  The teams would trade fireworks, Charlotte’s Zaha with a shot that missed just wide at the 13^th minute, and FCC with an opportunity a minute later when an Engel cross just missed the outstretched toe of Denkey in the six.

Evander and Denkey would both attempt technical passes near the top of the 18 to try and set up shots to no avail. Minutes later Zaha would be ready to strike, only to fail and turn the ball over to FCC, who would counter and produce a shot attempt of their own. The half would continue in this manner until the 26th minute, when Miles would be called on to defend a run by Agyemang. Boos rained down as many thought it was a clear penalty in the box. Miles would soon after exit the game after spending time on the ground holding his left leg, and Hadebe would come on.

The game continued with both teams scrapping. As the half entered the 45th minute, Agyemang would again find himself poised to strike, but Flores would grab him from behind and spin him around, sending him to the turf. Flores was fortunate to only get a yellow card for the infraction, as VAR did review it for a red. As the teams entered the locker room 0-0, it was clear that FC Cincinnati had been on the back foot, producing few real threats offensively.

second half

The second half would start optimistically, with a shot from Luca Orellano at the 47th minute. But moments later, after a corner kick defended by Charlotte, Bucha would make an errant header backward. Liel Abada picked it up and raced down the field chased by Flores and Yedlin to score confidently past Celetano, 1-0 Charlotte. Had you chosen to visit the fridge for a beverage to medicate your frustration, you would have likely missed another very clean goal by Agyemang just minutes later. Assisted deftly by Biel, the pass was well placed, and Flores was torched, 2-0 Charlotte.

The energy levels for both teams began to drop, more so for FC Cincinnati. Evander did find himself in position for a shot at the 62^nd minute but couldn’t get it by Kalina. While FC Cincinnati would find time in the opposing box often, they were unable to produce. Most attempts required an easy clearance by the Charlotte defense and Kalina. We would see a nice free kick from Evander bounce off the frame, but this would be the last gasp. Santos would relieve Kubo in the 73^rd minute.  Nwobodo would pick up a yellow for persistent infringement in the 78^th minute. With minutes to play, Corey Baird and Dado Valenzuela would come on for Engel and Nwobodo.

As if to put a sadistic bow on their journey of trials & misfortunes, Flores would be sent off with a second yellow in the 83^rd minute. Unless overturned, he will miss next Saturday’s home game against Atlanta. Dean Smith brought on fresh legs and Charlotte closed out the match.

postgame

After the game, Pat Noonan concluded for the second consecutive game that it was a “tough night.”  Focusing on “a bad five minutes and a mistake that led to the first goal,” Noonan noted that there were more than enough opportunities, and [getting] into good spots in the box.” On why those opportunities were not converted, he said, “We just didn’t have enough, I think creativity or precision on some of the moments where we were able to get shots off.”

Noonan seemed eager to turn the page and look forward to an easier schedule. Given Robinson’s early exit and condition, Denkey’s struggle to contribute, and Evander’s continued integration into the offensive game plan, Noonan said the team was ready for “a small reset, to turn it around and try to find the right approach and confidence going into the next game.”

quick recap

FC Cincinnati at Charlotte FC
Date: March 15, 2025

Competition: MLS Regular Season

Venue: Bank of America Stadium | Charlotte, North Carolina
Attendance: 27,807

Kickoff: 7:40 p.m. ET

Weather: 68 degrees, cloudy

CLT – Liel Abada 48’, Patrick Agyemang (Biel, Malanda) 51’

CIN – None

LINEUPS

CIN: Roman Celentano, Lukas Engel (Corey Baird 81’), Gilberto Flores, Miles Robinson (C) (Teenage Hadebe 30’), DeAndre Yedlin, Pavel Bucha, Obinna Nwobodo (Gerardo Valenzuela 82’), Yuya Kubo (Sergio Santos 73’), Evander, Luca Orellano, Kévin Denkey

Substitutes not used: Evan Louro, Alvas Powell, Tah Brian Anunga

Head Coach: Pat Noonan

CLT: Kristijan Kahlina, Tim Ream, Andrew Privett, Adilson Malanda, Nathan Byrne, Brandt Bronico (Djibril Diani 78’), Ashley Westwood (C), Pep Biel (Idan Toklomati 85’), Wilfried Zaha, Liel Abada (Kerwin Vargas 72’), Patrick Agyemang (Eryk Williamson 85’)

Substitutes not used: David Bingham, Bill Tuiloma, Nicholas Scardina, Iuri Tavares, Nikola Petkovic

Head Coach: Dean Smith

discipline

CIN – Gilberto Flores (Yellow Card) 45’
CIN – Obinna Nwobodo (Yellow Card) 78’
CIN – Gilberto Flores (Second Yellow, Red Card) 83’

next match

MLS: vs. Atlanta United at TQL Stadium on Saturday, March 22 at 2:30p.m. ET; Apple TV+

The post FC Cincy fans can begin St. Pat’s early and earnestly appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

First half

From the opening kick, the famed home field advantage of Tigres became apparent. Additionally, it became evident that FCC’s strategy was to apply soft pressure, which allowed Tigres to dominate possession. Things got off to a nervy start, as only three minutes in Roman Celentano got in front of a rocket from Nicolas Ibanez. Despite the lack of a score, it set the tone for what we were going to see from the home side.

Over the next 15 minutes both sides had a couple of good chances, with nothing coming from any of them. Then, in the 18th minute, the magic of Luca Orellano was conjured. After a weaving run through three Tigres defenders, the Argentine laid a pass off to Evander who thumped a shot past Nahuel Guzman. With FCC now leading 2-1 on aggregate, and equalizing the away goal scenario, things were looking up.

The remainder of the first half featured a number of Tigres chances, but no goals.

Second half

The Orange and Blue XI remained unchanged coming out of the halftime break. But from the opening kick of the second half, the feeling of inevitability regarding a Tigres equalizer grew ever stronger. Multiple prime chances for Tigres went for naught, with the opening 15 minutes passing in quiet trepidation.

Just before the hour mark Pat Noonan made his first sub of the match, pulling Pavel Bucha for Yuya Kubo.

In the 62nd minute Deandre Yedlin earned a booking for a bad foul, with the resulting free kick spelling the beginning of the end. The initial effort resulted in a corner being earned for Tigres. That corner effort was originally cleared, however Tigres soon regained possession out wide. From there Juan Brunetta sent a picture perfect cross into the box, with Ozziel Herrera putting just enough of his head on the ball to steer it past Roman for the equalizer.

This goal in the 64th minute would open a eight minute window in which Tigres would score three goals, putting themselves ahead 4-2 on aggregate. All of the scores were beautiful, and truly spoke to Tigres’ skill and technical ability.

Postgame

While expectations were tempered coming into this fixture, the early goal had reignited hope that FCC would be able to make history. But the second half showed why no MLS side has ever come into Estadio Universitario and won outright.

Pat Noonan spoke on the result, “Yeah, it was a tough night for us. You know, after [our] goal, they were in complete control. I think, far superior with the ball. You know, their confidence was there.”

Perhaps the confidence instilled from the early goal was ultimately FCC’s downfall. In the mixed zone following the match, Evander said, “After we scored the goal we stopped playing” (per Carter Chapley).

Quick Recap

FC Cincinnati at Tigres UANL
Date: March 11, 2025

Competition: Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16, Second Leg

Venue: Estadio Universitario | San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León, Mexico
Attendance: 27,992

Kickoff: 10:36 p.m. ET/8:36 p.m. CT

Weather: 72 degrees, clear

TIG – Ozziel Herrera (Brunetta) 64’, Juan Brunetta (Herrera) 69’, Nicolas Ibañez (Gorriarán) 72’

CIN – Evander (Orellano) 18’

LINEUPS

CIN: Roman Celentano, Lukas Engel, Teenage Hadebe, Miles Robinson (C), Gilberto Flores, DeAndre Yedlin (Alvas Powell 87’), Pavel Bucha (Yuya Kubo 58’), Obinna Nwobodo, Evander (Gerardo Valenzuela 87’), Luca Orellano (Sergio Santos 81’), Kévin Denkey (Corey Baird 81’)

Substitutes not used: Evan Louro, Paul Walters, Tah Brian Anunga

Head Coach: Pat Noonan

TIG: Nahuel Guzman, Joaquim Henrique, Juan Jose Purata, Jesús Angulo (C), Rafael Carioca, Juan Brunetta, Jesús Garza, Sebastián Córdova (Fernando Gorriarán 46’), Javier Aquino, Marcelo Flores (Ozziel Herrera 61’), Nicolas Ibañez (Bernardo Parra Camacho 89’)

Substitutes not used: Felipe Rodriguez, Fernando Tapia, Eduardo Tercero, Fernando Ordoñez, Raymundo Fulgencio, Vladimir Loroña, Osvaldo Rodríguez, Juan Pablo Vigón

Head Coach: Guido Pizarro

Discipline

CIN – DeAndre Yedlin (Yellow Card) 62’
CIN – Lukas Engel (Yellow Card) 83’

Next Match

MLS Regular Season: at Charlotte FC, 7:30 P.M. EDT March 15th; AppleTV+

The post A Tale of two halves: FC Cincinnati bounced from CONCACAF Champions Cup appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

FC Cincinnati (2-1-0, 6 pts) blanked Toronto FC (0-1-2, 1 pt) in a productive 2-0 victory at TQL Stadium Saturday night. Kévin Denkey scored his second MLS goal of the season, while Yuya Kubo opened his account late in the match to seal the win.

“I was really pleased with the individual performances and just the overall team performance,” head coach Pat Noonan mentioned after the match. “I thought we attacked in a good way despite not being able to find a goal early, and defensively, we were outstanding. So, very pleased for the group to have some guys step in, change the structure and perform really well. Everybody was up for it, and they deserved a win.”

Cincinnati came into their matchup with a three-match winless streak, drawing 1-1 against Tigres on Tuesday in CONCACAF Champions Cup competition. While the damage from the 4-1 loss at Philadelphia last weekend may have been still fresh, the squad arrived Saturday ready to continue their unbeaten stretch at home. Toronto FC had started the season with a draw but lost in their second road match against Orlando last week, 4-2.

Cincinnati rolled out a lineup with plenty of flexibility, using a four-man defense for the first time this season. Evander was on the bench after a bruise against Tigres, while Luca Orellano started his first match of the season. Obinna Nwobodo, Gilberto Flores, and DeAndre Yedlin also started on the bench, replaced by Corey Baird, Brian Atunga, and Alvas Powell. Dado Valenzuela made his first appearance of the season on the bench.

TFC started a lineup with a significant amount of rotation. Offseason loan pickup Ola Brynhildsen and former Arsenal player Zane Monlouis made their first starts for the Reds. Richie Laryea sat out due to injury, while designated player Lorenzo Insigne was left off the roster again.

First half

Toronto FC opted to play back quite a bit, pulling their pressure and allowing Cincinnati more of the possession (66/34). Surprisingly, the hot foot in the first twenty minutes was Powell, who made multiple moves into the box and almost found a header in the 20th minute, only for Sean Johnson to outstretch him for the pass.

Kubo had the first of his attempts nullified halfway into the first half. The Japanese forward followed a bounce off the post with a goal in the 39th minute. However, the play was blown dead due to a foul on the leadup.

The offense found more rhythm in the last minutes of the first half, but without a breakthrough. Baird had the Orange & Blue’s best attempt in the 39th minute, following an Orellano shot with a free attempt, only for his rebound to hit the frame.

FCC handled all of the shots on frame in the first half (3-0), but were still scoreless at halftime.

Second half

Toronto’s only attempt on frame came early in the second half. Right back Kosi Thompson got a solid look atop the box, but Roman Celentano handled the shot. It was the only save Celentano needed to make all night.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 73rd minute. Evander’s pass into the box in the 69th minute glanced off Tyrese Spicer’s arm. After an extended VAR look, the referee awarded a penalty kick. Denkey slotted the shot past Johnson on a stutter step, giving FCC the early 1-0 lead.

Despite having two of his goals disallowed—the second on an offside call—Kubo finally got his reward, receiving a pass from Evander behind the defense in the 88th minute and scoring past Johnson’s right. Kubo’s first of the season closed the game at 2-0.

Noonan was pleased with the performance by the rotated players. “You’re always trying to set a new standard or maintain a good standard and tonight looked like what should be a standard for our group. You mentioned the new players. I think guys stepped in and really took their minutes well tonight.”

The second clean sheet of the young MLS season puts FC Cincinnati at third in the East, while Toronto is still looking for their first win.

The trip to Monterrey in the next leg of the matchup against Tigres looms large, but players understand their need to recover and perform. “Any game in Mexico is going to be tough,” Miles Robinson mentioned after the match. “It’s going to be a tough environment, and the fans are going to be loud and hostile. But that’s the type of game this team is built for, with players that enjoy a big game and big moments. Hopefully, we stay focused and stick to our game plan.”

Cincinnati faces Tigres in the away leg on Tuesday, then travels to Charlotte for the next MLS match on Saturday. Toronto begins their home schedule on Saturday against Chicago.

Major League Soccer, Match #3

FC Cincinnati vs. Toronto FC
TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Attendance: 23,088
Result: FC Cincinnati 2, Toronto FC 0

BOX SCORE

FC Cincinnati Starting XI (4-2-3-1):

Roman Celentano (GK); Alvas Powell, Miles Robinson (c), Teenage Hadebe (Gilberto Flores 60′), Lukas Engel (DeAndre Yedlin 60′); Brian Anunga, Pavel Bucha; Luca Orellano (Evander 60′), Yuya Kubo, Corey Baird (Obinna Nwobodo 84′); Kévin Denkey (Sergio Santos 74′).

Bench: Evan Louro, Stefan Chirila, Gerardo Valenzuela, Stiven Jimenez.

Toronto FC Starting XI (4-3-3):

Seasn Johnson (GK); Kosi Thompson, Zane Monlouis (Derrick Etienne 85′), Kevin Long, Nicksoen Gomis (Theo Corbeanu 74′); Jonathan Osorio (c), Debyi Flores (Alonso Coello 74′), Mattrew Longstaff; Ola Brynhildsen (Deandre Kerr 46′), Federico Bernardeschi, Tyrese Spicer (Lazar Stefanovic 74′).

Bench: Luka Gavran, Kobe Franklin, Markus Cimermancic, Reid Fisher.

Scoring summary:

CIN – Kévin Denkey 73′ (PK)
CIN – Yuya Kubo 88′ (Evander)

Discipline:

YC – Kosi Thompson 50′ (TOR, foul)
YC – Evander 66′ (CIN, foul)
YC – Alvas Powell 89’ (CIN, foul)

Next up:

Concacaf Champions Cup: vs. Tigres UANL, 10:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 11th, Estadio Universitario (San Nicolas de los Garza, Mexico); FS2 or ViX (Spanish)

MLS Regular Season: at Charlotte, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 15th; Apple TV+

The post Spring Forward: FC Cincinnati returns to form with 2-0 win over Toronto FC appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

Cincinnati advanced past FC Motagua with relative ease in the previous round, winning 5-2 on aggregate. A two-goal brace by Pavel Bucha in the away matchup and two goals by Kévin Denkey over both legs powered the Orange & Blue past their Honduran opponents.

On paper, the Round-of-16 matchup with Tigres UANL appeared both daunting and doable. After a 1-0 loss in Nicaragua, Los Auriazules (the “Golden-Blues”) delivered a stronger 3-0 home performance to get past Real Estelí in the last round.

However, Tigres have started their Liga MX Clausura half-season with a sudden sea change, sacking head coach Veljko Paunović after only nine months and a 6-1-3 start to the season. Guido Pizarro, who until Saturday served at defensive midfielder for UANL, was named head coach immediately after he announced his retirement from playing. The Argentinian defensive midfielder first joined the club in 2013 and had been its captain since returning from a year-long stint in Sevilla in 2018.

The FC Cincinnati roster looked stronger than it has all season. Bucha returned to the Starting XI after sitting out the first half against Philadelphia on Saturday, replacing Brian Anunga. Luca Orellano and Nick Hagglund also returned to the bench after missing last week due to an abundance of caution.

Tigres UANL started with three replacements from their 2-1 win over Necaxa on Saturday. Rafael Carioca occupied Pizarro’s open spot in the defending midfield location, while Sebastian Cordova and Juan Jose Purata—former center back for Atlanta United in 2022-23—also switched into the Starting XI.

First half

While Tigres earned a good chunk of possession throughout the first half from tight passing, the Orange & Blue struck first. In the third minute, DeAndre Yedlin fought through the defense on the right edge of the box, and the play continued through a foul. Denkey eventually found Bucha atop the box. His right-footed shot past goalkeeper Nahuel Guzman was his third goal of the tournament, making the score 1-0.

Although Tigres held back their own attempts, they capitalized on their first. In the 17th minute, Francisco Cordova lofted a cross from the edge of the box and found Nicolas Ibañez leaping above Teenage Hadebe. His header floated past Roman Celentano for the equalizer, his first goal in the CCC.

Cincinnati had their opportunity to regain the lead soon after in the 20th minute. A scramble in the box drew Guzman way out of position, allowing Bucha a crossing attempt in an unguarded goal. However, Denkey’s window closed sharply, and his free attempt spun wide of the frame.

While Cincinnati enjoyed more attempts overall in the first half (5/3), Tigres enjoyed more possession (54/46).

Second half

While possession was fairly split in the second half, FC Cincinnati continued to produce the better attempts. Both Denkey and Evander found space atop the box in the first ten minutes of the second half. However, Guzman was up to the challenge each time. Tigres preferred to absorb attacks and counter on the edges, taking only three attempts in the second half.

Orellano eventually made his presence felt after his substitution in the 65th minute. His best attempt was in the 76th minute when he fired a shot to Guzman’s right. The Argentinian goalkeeper made four saves on the night, and his outstretched dive kept the score knotted at 1-1.

Celentano was also up to the task at the end, making three saves over the match. His two saves in the 83rd and 84th minutes against Ibañez and Juan Brunetta proved essential to keep the score equal and give FC Cincinnati a puncher’s chance in Mexico next week.

In the end, while Tigres presented a more physical style of attack, head coach Pat Noonan was still positive about a result in the next leg. “For us to go in advance, we need to be better in front of goal. We had a couple moments to, you know, to score some good opportunities. I think if we defend that way, we’ll be in a good position.

“Even in the moments where I thought our pressure was broken, we recovered well and maybe conceded space, but I thought did a good job of not letting them into our box and into dangerous areas on a consistent basis. So, our transition on both sides of the ball I was pleased with when the game got open. So, we need that commitment again in the second leg to you know to be in a position to advance.”

Orellano was pleased to play his first minutes with the main team this season, but he understood that there was work left to do. “Obviously, we’re going to go there to win,” he stated through a translator. “Tonight’s a tough result to us. We preferred to have a win tonight, but we’re going to have to go out there and win the game in the second leg.”

FC Cincinnati transition back to league play with a home match against Toronto FC on Saturday. Tigres plays Querétaro in Liga MX competition on Friday. Cincinnati and Tigres play the away leg at Estadio Universitario next Tuesday.

CONCACAF Champions Cup, Round of 16, Match #1

FC Cincinnati vs. Tigres UANL
TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Attendance: 14,298
Result: FC Cincinnati 1, Tigres UANL 1

BOX SCORE

FC Cincinnati starting XI (5-3-2):

Roman Celentano (GK); DeAndre Yedlin (Sergio Santos 81′), Gilberto Flores, Miles Robinson (c), Teenage Hadebe, Lukas Engel; Pavel Bucha, Evander (Corey Baird 87′), Obinna Nwobodo; Yuya Kubo (Luca Orellano 65′), Kévin Denkey.

Bench: Evan Louro, Paul Walters, Alvas Powell, Nick Hagglund, Stefan Chirila, Brian Anunga, Kenji Mboma Dem, Stiven Jimenez, Peter Mangione.

Tigres UANL starting XI (5-3-2):

Nahuel Guzman (GK); Javier Aquino, Joaquim Henrique, Juan Jose Purata, Jesus Angulo (c), Jesus Garza; Juan Brunetta, Rafael Carioca (Bernardo Parra 89′), Marcelo Flores (Juan Pablo Vigon 78′); Francisco Cordova (Urtiel Antuna 65′), Nicolas Ibañez.

Bench: Felipe Rodriguez, Fernando Tapia, Eduardo Tercero, Eugenio Pizzuto, Fernando Ordoñez, Raymundo Fulgencio, Vladimir Loroña, Osvaldo Rodriguez.

Scoring summary:

CIN – Pavel Bucha 3′ (Denkey)
TIG – Nicolás Ibañez 17′ (Cordova)

Discipline:

YC – Kévin Denkey 54′ (CIN, foul)
YC – Teenage Hadebe 72′ (CIN, foul)
YC – Jesus Garza 79′ (TIG, foul)
YC – Obinna Nwobodo 88’ (CIN, foul)

Next up:

1. Toronto FC, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 8th, TQL Stadium (Cincinnati, OH)

The post Challenge Accepted: FC Cincinnati manage a 1-1 draw against Tigres UANL appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

First Half

FCC had a good blend of high-profile players and rotational players in the starting XI. Amir Daley, of FCC2, made his debut with the first team at right wing back, on his birthday of all days. Star signings Kevin Denkey and Evander headed up the attack. Motagua fielded a considerably strong lineup with the flashy Rodrigo Auzmendi, the lone goal scorer from the first match, heading up the attack. The first half is where we got to see the most action.

In the ninth minute, a throw in for Motagua led to a Yeison Mejia volley delivery into the box. Auzmendi beat Noah Adnan on his first step and was able to redirect the ball with a left-footed shot past Evan Louro into the net. The early goal may have raised concerns at the moment, but despite the 0-1 scoreline, FCC still had a comfortable lead on aggregate 4-2.

FCC would respond in the 19th minute. A fantastic press from Brian Anunga sprung a high-speed attack deep inside the Montagua defense. Corey Baird drove the ball forward before splitting the defense to Denkey. Denkey fooled the Motagua goalkeeper and elected for a near post shot. The ball caressed the net and just like that the match was level.

K E V I N pic.twitter.com/0bou2SN8bv

— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) February 27, 2025

Second Half 

The halftime break saw many substitutions by the Orange and Blue. Denkey, Evander, and Miles Robinson made way for Stefan Chirila, Yuya Kubo, and Gilberto Flores. Interestingly, new addition Flores took up the central defender position for FCC’s back three. Anunga received the captain’s armband from Robinson, demonstrating the leadership position he has earned in his short time with the club.

Unfortunately, in the 51st minute, Daley would go down with an injury. A challenge against Riky Zapata appeared to have ended in some sort of left shoulder injury. Daley had had a strong debut with several goal scoring chances created.

Apart from a few chances by Chirila, Kubo, and Alvas Powell, the match really slowed down. Motagua needed to overcome a four-goal deficit to have hopes of advancing. FCC were perfectly comfortable with seeing the match out with the 1-1 scoreline.

Goals

CIN – Kévin Denkey (Baird) 19’

MOT – Rodrigo Auzmendi (Núñez) 9’

Lineups

CIN: Evan Louro, Bret Halsey, Alvas Powell, Miles Robinson (C) (Gilberto Flores 46’), Noah Adnan, Amir Daley (Teenage Hadebe 53’), Pavel Bucha (Kenji Mboma Dem 79’), Tah Brian Anunga, Evander (Yuya Kubo 46’), Corey Baird, Kévin Denkey (Stefan Chirila 46’)

Substitutes not used: Roman Celentano, Paul Walters, Nick Hagglund, Obinna Nwobodo, Lukas Engel, Stiven Jimenez, DeAndre Yedlin

MOT: Marlon Licona, Raúl Santos (C), Jonathan Núñez, Giancarlo Sacaza, Cristopher Meléndez, Luis Vega, Riky Zapata, Walter Martínez (Jorge Serrano 76’), Yeison Mejía (Carlos Mejia 46’), Héctor Castellanos (Denis Melendez 82’), Rodrigo Auzmendi (Diego Ledesma 89’)

Substitutes not used: Jonathan Rougier, John Turcios-Castillo, Rodrigo Gomez, Edwin Munguia, Jefryn Macias, Emilio Izaguirre, Mathias Vasquez

Discipline

CIN – Amir Daley (Yellow Card) 27’
MOT – Cristopher Meléndez (Yellow Card) 55’

Next Match

 MLS Regular Season: at Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m. Saturday March 1st; AppleTV+

CONCACAF Champions Cup: vs Tigres UANL, TBD Kickoff Tuesday March 4th; TBD Broadcast

The post FC Cincinnati advances on aggregate past FC Motagua appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

“Happy that the guys could find a goal and see the game out, but in a lot of ways what you expect,” head coach Pat Noonan mentioned afterwards. “New York made it very difficult on us and the ability to move the ball quickly was challenged tonight for both teams with just the dry surface, which is unfortunate just because of the temperatures, not be able to wet the field. But that’s part of it. You have to deal with the elements, and I thought the guys adjusted in a good way.”

The Orange & Blue (1-0-0, 3 pts.) entered the main MLS season after a 4-1 win on the road against FC Motagua in Honduras that started their CONCACAF Champions Cup quest. In that game, Pavel Bucha’s brace pushed FCC to victory, while debutantes Evander and Denkey scored their first official goals for Cincinnati.

FCC came into the coldest match ever at TQL Stadium with a surprising list of injuries. Matt Miazga (leg), Nick Hagglund (ankle), and Alec Kann (hip) are still working towards full health after their season-ending injuries from last year. Meanwhile, Luca Orellano, Sergio Santos, and Dado Valenzuela were all shelved due to leg issues.

Despite their loss to the LA Galaxy in the 2024 MLS Cup final, the Red Bulls (0-0-1, 0 pts.) came into their debut match without any CCC participation. However, New York also had their laundry list of injury concerns. New U22 transfer Wictor Bogacz sat with a back issue, while multiple bench players were rested due to knee injuries.

First Half

Cincinnati dictated much of the possession in the first 20 minutes, while New York opted to wait for chances. The Orange & Blue’s first legitimate chance came in the 16th minute when Denkey’s shot atop the box clanked off the post, only for the offside flag to fly.

As play slowed during the next 20 minutes, the Red Bulls had their own chances clang off the woodwork. During a scrum in the Cincinnati box, forward Lewis Morgan attempted a shot while on his side in the 41st minute, only for the FCC defense to clog the goal. Emil Forsberg’s follow-up hit off the top of the goal, but play was flagged due to Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting playing in an offside position.

The first half ended with Cincinnati’s best chance in extra time. Evander and DeAndre Yedlin played a give-and-go in the box, only for the final shot from Pavel Bucha to be blocked. The whistle at halftime kept the score blank.

Possession was primarily split between both teams, but New York enjoyed more of the attack with six shots to Cincinnati’s one. Neither team had an effort on goal that counted.

Second Half

The firm halftime reset gave the Orange & Blue solid opportunities. Both Yuya Kubo and DeAndre Yedlin had opportunities on the same pass from Lukas Engel in the 56th minute, only to be a step behind in their sliding efforts.

The deciding goal came from distance in the 70th minute. Yedlin played a long pass from midfield to the New York box, allowing Denkey to beat his defender. The new Togolese striker played the high bounce and popped a header past goalkeeper Carlos Coronel for the game’s first and only goal.

“It was that time and space, and we locked eyes,” Yedlin said about the goal after the match. “[Denkey] is obviously quick and good at getting behind. We took that opportunity, especially on the dry field, and it makes it tough on the defense. Fortunately, it was a goal, and we got the win.”

Noonan admitted he missed the lead-up to the goal but spoke well on Denkey’s play. “You can see there are moments where, even when [Kevin’s] up against a physical center back or he has a midfielder closing in on him or he’s getting doubled, he has great footwork to get out of that pressure. That’s the difference of a transition moment and us defending or us moving up into the attack.

“There’s a lot more out there for him, and that’s pretty scary because he’s got a couple goals in the last two games, and he’s done a lot of good things. He knows he can be better, and that’s a good thing.”

Much of the second half saw Cincinnati locking into a solid defensive mode, but the team almost put the game away completely minutes later. In the 78th minute, Denkey fed a streaking Engel in the box, but the Danish left back’s shot just missed the left post.

New York’s best effort to equalize came off a Choupo-Moting shot outside the box in the 82nd minute, only for Roman Celentano to easily handle the attempt. Celentano made three saves for his 29th clean sheet of his MLS career.

“It wasn’t the easiest condition out there,” Celentano mentioned after the match. “Cold and dry field, all of these excuses—we could have come out here flat-footed, but I think we had a great mindset coming in, thinking that we needed to battle for these balls and find a way to get a goal, and these guys did. I’m proud of the group, and I think we have a lot to prove this year.”

FC Cincinnati quickly turn their attention towards finishing the home leg for the CONCACAF Champions Cup matchup against FC Motagua this Wednesday. The Red Bulls head back to New Jersey for their home opener against Nashville SC on Saturday.

Match #1

FC Cincinnati vs. New York Red Bulls
TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Attendance: 22,747
Result: FC Cincinnati 1, New York Red Bulls 0

BOX SCORE

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

Roman Celentano (GK); DeAndre Yedlin, Gilberto Flores (Alvas Powel 85′), Miles Robinson (c), Teenage Hadebe, Lukas Engel; Pavel Bucha (Stefan Chirila 90+5′), Obinna Nwobodo; Evander (Brian Anunga 72′); Yuya Kubo (Corey Baird 72′); Kevin Denkey.

Bench: Evan Louro, Bret Halsey, Noah Adnan, Stiven Jimenez.

New York Red Bulls Starting XI (4-4-2):

Carlos Coronel (GK); Noah Elie, Sean Nealis, Alexander Hack (Julain Hall 79′), Omar Valencia; Cameron Harper, Daniel Edelman (Wikelman Carmona 84′), Peter Stroud (Felipe Carballo 79′), Emil Forsberg (c); Eric Maxim Choup-Moting, Lewis Morgan.

Bench: Anthony Macucci, Dylan Nealis, Dennis Gjengaar, Tim Parker, Mohammed Sofo, Raheem Edwards.

Scoring Summary:

CIN – Kevin Denkey 70′ (Yedlin)

Discipline:

YC – Alexander Hack 59′ (RBNY, foul)
YC – Obinna Nwobodo 61’ (CIN, foul)
YC – Corey Baird 88′ (CIN, poor sportsmanship)

Next up:

vs. FC Motagua, 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, February 26th, TQL Stadium (Cincinnati, OH)

The post Cincinnati Chilly: FC Cincinnati fends off New York Red Bulls in cold home opener, 1-0 appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.