“We played a really tough team in a tough environment and had some chances that were saved by a very good goalkeeper and I think that was…the difference.” Andre Blake’s shot-stopping display was an unfortunately timed reminder for FCC supporters about his quality in goal. Blake, MLS’ 2022 goalkeeper of the year (his third time winning the award), denied FCC attackers multiple highlight reel saves over the course of the game’s ninety minutes. 

Ian Murphy came into the starting eleven for Geoff Cameron and Yuya Kubo dropped out of the matchday roster due to a family issue. Alejandro Bedoya for the Union, replaced by young midfielder Jack McGlynn. 

On the other side of the pitch, Philadelphia midfielder Alejandro Bedoya wasn’t healthy enough to return to match fitness. In his place, young midfielder Jack McGlynn got the start on the right side of the Union’s diamond midfield. 

The first half was a relatively even contest, though the Union probably had slightly better chances. Noonan said, “The first 45 minutes was a good playoff intensity, you know, hard fouls, there was…confrontations.” He continued, “It was scrappy, it wasn’t perfect. I think each team had a decent look.” Emotions were running high, Nick Hagglund and Matt Miazga both received yellow cards, which would have kept them out of FCC’s next round match if they had advanced. 

The second half looked to be more of the same. Both teams had chances but the Union found a breakthrough in the 59th minute. Following a chaotic sequence in FCC’s penalty area, Leon Flach was first to on a bouncing ball near the penalty spot and his half-volley beat Roman Celentano, giving Philadelphia the lead. Blake’s top-tier shot-stopping performance denied the Orange and Blue despite Noonan putting on as many attacking players as he could. When the final whistle blew, Brandon Vazquez, Brenner, Luciano Acosta, Dom Badji, and Sergio Santos were all on the field. 

The Union largely held FCC’s attacking trio of Brenner, Brandon Vazquez, and Luciano Acosta quiet. Philly’s pressure limited their time and space on the ball, leading to incomplete passes and poorly controlled touches. After the game, Noonan said of the Union, “They defend very well and so your time and space on the ball is going to be limited so your movements ahead of the ball and how clean you are with your touches, and the movement off the ball, all of it has to be sharp.” 

There were some sequences where the Orange and Blue had that sharpness in build-up play but the final ball just wasn’t there. And when it was, Blake was that last line of defense to keep the ball out of the net. 

Noonan touched on the season’s accomplishments, saying, “We were a playoff team. We won a playoff game on the road. We just saw a lot of growth from preseason until now. I think you see a strong character of that team in that locker room who are disappointed because they expected more.” 

Both Noonan and Nick Hagglund praised traveling supporters and the role they’ve played in the progression of the team. Noonan said, “We’re very fortunate to have the fan base that we do, that has stuck with our group and believed in this team this year. They were there the whole time and it was only better. The relationship that our group in particular has with this fan base is stronger than it was at the beginning of the year and you saw it today with those that are traveling.” He continued, “They have been instrumental in the growth of our group with their backing.” 

Hagglund echoed Noonan’s sentiments, “The fans of the city have always been behind this team…and that’s what I’m the most proud of the city for is just like how much they love our team, regardless of what’s happening. I’m just glad we got to give them a season where, you want to give great feelings, great vibes, great energy to our fans and reward them for coming out all the time.” 

And so FCC’s season comes to an end, certainly in a different place than supporters have been accustomed to in the club’s first few seasons in MLS. There’s a whole offseason to reflect on the strides the team has made under Chris Albright, Pat Noonan, and the rest of the coaching staff and where they’ll go next. 

But for now, even with the disappointing result tonight, it’s worth considering just how much different this season felt. Despite the loss, it feels like the Orange and Blue will be in this spot again. Hopefully next year, it’ll be at TQL Stadium and the 50/50s will go FCC’s way and we’ll be preparing for an Eastern Conference final game. With quickly the club’s fortunes have changed from last year to this year, I wouldn’t bet against it.

The post FC Cincinnati Drop To Philly After Great 2022 Run appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

The match started with some immediate nerves for FCC, as the side allowed multiple attempts in the team’s final third. FCC looked vulnerable on the wings. This didn’t seem to be a great start for the team, considering how leaky the defense was last week.

However, the FCC offensive attack improved its finishing ability compared to last week’s Chicago match.

That improvement was immediately apparent in the team’s first two chances, as Lucho Acosta and Brenner tallied a goal apiece in the sixth and eighth minute, respectively. Brandon Vazquez played a key role in the first goal, with him tallying the assist.

Following these two goals, there was a bit of a lull in intense pressure from both sides. There was much jostling for possession, with D.C. definitely growing into the match.

FCC wasn’t done with its finishing, however, as Vazquez continued to show he’s a complete forward, with his passing opening the shot for Brenner, who slotted the ball into the net.

The next phase of the match saw D.C. get some of its best attack of the game. D.C. gave FCC a lot of trouble, which made the side have to crowd into the box and defend. This allowed Ravel Morrison to get a ton of space on top of the box, where he had the ball and rocketed it into the back of the net way outside the area.

D.C. wasn’t done attacking, either, as the side continued its pressure on the FCC penalty area. It showed some decent composure and patience to get some very good chances, and it’s incredibly obvious that the team’s young players have a lot of potential.

But, it was not to be on the final matchday for D.C. Brenner, vastly against the run of play, got the ball thanks to Vazquez and shot the ball into the top corner to get another hat trick this season.

The second half saw D.C. come out and almost immediately, again, put pressure on FCC, but this time the young side was able to score. Kristian Fletcher received the ball on the edge of the ball with space and took a great shot that sailed into the net.

Following the goal, FCC definitely felt it needed to show more and started to put more pressure on D.C. That showed up almost instantly with Vazquez getting his first goal of the match thanks to a small pass from Brenner.

The rest of the match saw neither side do much of anything. There was some decent shot creation from them, but neither was able to put the ball into the net.

Matchday 34 – D.C. United vs FC Cincinnati
Result: FC Cincinnati 5, D.C. United 2

BOX SCORE

FC Cincinnati Starting XI:

Roman Celentano (GK), Geoff Cameron, Matt Miazga, Nick Hagglund (Ian Murphy 70′), Álvaro Barreal (Ronald Matarrita 85′), Alvas Powell (Ray Gaddis 60′), Luciano Acosta, Júnior Moreno (Yuya Kubo 45′), Obinna Nwobodo, Brenner, Brandon Vázquez (Dominique Badji 85′)

Bench: Allan Cruz, Alec Kann, John Nelson, Quimi Ordonez

D.C. United Starting XI:

David Ochoa, Matai Akinmboni (Kimarni Smith 76′), Steve Birnbaum, Tony Alfaro, Chris Odoi-Atsem (Drew Skundrich 45′), Sofiane Djeffal, Ravel Morrison (Jackson Hopkins 76′), Christopher Durkin, Christian Benteke, Kristian Fletcher (Ola Kamara 60′), Theodore Ku-Dipietro (Nigel Robertha 60′)

Bench: Miguel Berry, Sami Guediri, Jon Kempin, Martín Rodríguez

Scoring Summary:

CIN– Lucho Acosta (Vazquez) 6′
CIN – Brenner (Acosta) 8′
CIN – Brenner (Vazquez) 24′
DCU – Ravel Morrison (Djeffal) 26’
CIN – Brenner (Vazquez) 37’
DCU – Kristian Fletcher (Nwobodo) 46’
CIN – Brandon Vazquez (Brenner) 53’

Discipline:

CIN – Junior Moreno 30’
DCU– Stephen Birnbaum 45+2′
CIN – Alvaro Barreal 61’

Next up:

at New York Red Bulls, time TBA

The post FC Cincinnati gets biggest win in club history to clinch playoffs appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

The first half opened with FCC controlling the ball and getting a couple of chances. Brenner and Brandon Vazquez both saw a glimpse at goal early, but neither were able to really test former FCC GK, Spencer Richey.

This continued for around the first 15 minutes, but after that point, Chicago also started to grow into the match. Following that point, the opposition even seemed to be playing better. They were getting in decent positions and were able to test the defense inside the box.

After about 30 minutes, however, FCC returned to the forefront and started to attack the Chicago goal. FCC had multiple chances that it probably should have gotten closer to the goal, or even scored. The team’s chance creation was alright, but its finishing skills and ability to turn those chances into shots were atrocious.

Now, the second half was where everything fell apart. After a little bit of attack from FCC, Chicago started to boss the home team and looked like the ones looking to clinch a playoff spot after swift attacking on counters.

Jhon Durán played the star for the match, as the youngster got the opening goal of the match. But, FCC didn’t appear to notice, as it played as nervous and scared as before, allowing Brian Gutierrez to double Chicago’s lead thanks to a great shot.

Following this barrage from Chicago, FCC looked to pick up the pace a tiny bit, but, of course, that didn’t bring any changes to the scoreline because the finishing was atrocious up to this point.

Durán wasn’t counted in this statement, as after a little bit of FCC attack, a Chicago counterattack that left the forward wide open led to him chipping Roman Celentano which easily fell into the net to go up 3 to 0.

Now, when the side was down 3 to 0, was when FCC really started to put on the pressure. Almost immediately following the team’s pressure, it tallied its first goal of the match thanks to a Lucho Acosta goal that maybe rightfully could have been called offsides.

After this goal, FCC continued its attack but was only able to get corner kicks, which the team is notoriously bad at in my opinion. But, Brandon Vazquez wasn’t done working. Obinna Nwobodo sent him the ball, where Vazquez then set it down and slotted the ball into the back of the net.

However, after this, the match basically went entirely how Chicago wanted. Chicago had the ball for the first half of stoppage time, and then halfway through, it appeared like Rafael Czichos initiated head contact on Alvaro Barreal. This started a fight, with Sergio Santos flying in and getting into it. But, Santos was the one to pick up a red card, while Czichos only got a yellow. This play basically ended the match, with Chicago laughing to three worthless points, while FCC now looking at other teams to help them in the standings.

Matchday 33 – FC Cincinnati vs Chicago Fire FC
Result: Chicago Fire FC 3, FC Cincinnati 2

BOX SCORE

FC Cincinnati Starting XI:

Roman Celentano (GK), Geoff Cameron (Dominique Badji 88′), Matt Miazga, Nick Hagglund (Ian Murphy 60′), Álvaro Barreal, Alvas Powell (Ronald Matarrita 72′), Luciano Acosta, Júnior Moreno (Yuya Kubo 60′), Obinna Nwobodo, Brenner (Sergio Santos 73′), Brandon Vázquez

Bench: Allan Cruz, Alec Kann, John Nelson, Raymon Gaddis

Chicago Fire FC Starting XI:

Zac MacMath (GK), Justen Glad, Marcelo Silva, Andrew Brody, Aaron Herrera, Pablo Ruiz (Scott Caldwell 78′), Jasper Löeffelsend (Braian Ojeda 45′), Diego Luna (Anderson Julio 65′), Maikel Chang (Justin Meram 65′), Jefferson Savarino, Sergio Córdova (Daniel Musovski 81′)

Spencer Richey (GK), Rafael Czichos, Carlos Terán, Jonathan Bornstein (Kendall Burks 90+8′), Boris Sekulic, Brian Gutierrez (Javier Casas 90′), Mauricio Pineda, Federico Navarro, Jhon Durán, Christopher Mueller, Stanislav Ivanov (Miguel Navarro 77′)

Bench: Sergio Oregel,Chris Brady, Alex Monis, Missael Rodriguez, Jhon Jairo Espinoza, Victor Bezerra

Scoring Summary:

CHI – Jhon Durán (Gutierrez) 56′
CHI – Chang (Mueller) 59′
CHI – Jhon Durán (Gutierrez) 75′
CIN – Lucho Acosta (Ronald Matarrita) 78’
CIN – Brandon Vazquez (Nwobodo) 76’

Discipline:

CIN – Nick Hagglund 27’
CHI – Mauricio Pineda 68′
CIN – Yuya Kubo 81’
CIN – Sergio Santos 90+5’
CIN –Rafael Czichos  90+5’
CIN – Miguel Navarro 90+9’

Next up:

at D.C. United, 2:30 p.m. Sunday, October 9

The post One of the Worst Performances at the Worst Time appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

Pat Noonan elected to go with his preferred starting XI replacing Ian Murphy for Geoff Cameron who was suspended for their last match in Salt Lake. Seattle gaffer Brian Schmetzer was forced to go with many changes in his group due to missing six starters and ten total players due to injuries, suspensions and international duty. Several players including Ethan Dobbelaere and Abdoulaye Cissoko had not featured in the XI since July.

The first ten minutes of the match was a messy affair with neither side registering a quality opportunity. Dobbelaere had the best chance for Seattle marching up the right side, but his dangerous cross was negated following an offside flag. FCC looked to be gaining control in the second 10′ gaining possession with an early 60-40 advantage. The turf seemed to give Acosta fits with the Argentine playmaker having the ball caught under his feet.

FCC’s magician did find a great opportunity in the 24th minute finding space and picking up his head in search of Brenner. Acosta’s pass seemed to come up an inch short as Seattle center back Cissoko was able to get his foot on the ball. However, the touch was not solid and the ball found its way to the Brazilian who, importantly, maintained his run had clear space for a 1v1 chance vs. Sounder keeper Stefan Frei. Like in many a case in 2022, Brenner kept his composure and finished a great far post shot to give the visitors the lead.

The hosts did not sit idly by down a goal. A cross by fullback Kelyn Rowe followed by ball sent in from the right scared FCC. Keeper Roman Celentano was up to Seattle’s best first half chance as the right sided cross found forward Will Bruin. The strikers header was directed toward the left post and down, but was stopped by a strong right hand from the rookie on a great reaction save.

FC Cincy and Seattle exchanged some half chances to end the first with a great run by Obi wasted by the visitors and a Dobbelaere floating cross nearly equalizing. The half was ended with a 1-0 scoreline to the visitors.

In his halftime interview head coach Pat Noonan was happy with the scoreline, but he did question the decision making out of the front three.

Both teams returned from the locker rooms with the same lineups but with things not changing either way, Schmetzer elected to make the first changes in the 55th minute. He would bring on USMNT midfielder Christian Roldan and attacker Léo Chú to get more bodies into the attack

The subs would go onto make an immediate impact with Seattle controlling the tempo of the match. Shortly after their entry the Sounders began trying to change the point of attack from side to side. A pinpoint pass from Rowe on the left flank in the 58th minute to a charging Fredy Montero on the right caught FCC off guard. Montero then quickly launched a powerful shot from distance that beat Celentano near post for the equalizer.

Moments later in the 60th a Roldan header was pushed wide by Celentano that could have put Seattle in the lead.

Noonan, realizing that the tide was changing brought on Sergio Santos for Brenner and Yuya Kubo for Moreno in the 66th minute. Santos immediately began to stretch the field and was sent a through ball by Acosta in the 69th minute. As the Brazilian was receiving the through ball on goal, Rowe plowed through the attacker denying what would have likely been a goal scoring opportunity. Rowe was given a straight red for his professional foul in a harsh decision that would favor FCC.

Following Rowe’s dismissal, the Orange & Blue were able to put Seattle under more pressure. Another chance for Santos was headed high in the 75th minute off an Acosta cross. A minute later Barreal sent in a cross that found Santos, who was able to direct a header at Vazquez in the box. The strikers first attempt was served at the middle of the goal and drew a great save from Frei. His second opportunity was cleared in what was a great opportunity for the visitors.

Later in the half FC Cincy was finding space over the top. Seattle needing three points was opening themselves up searching for the go ahead goal.

Cincinnati’s final opportunity came in the final seconds of stoppage time. FCC had a breakaway up the left hand side with Santos streaking at goal. The cross arrived to Santos’ foot, who unfortunately sent the ball over the frame. MLS logged that xG at nearly 0.71 on that chance at the death.

While FCC won the xG battle nearly 2.0 to 0.4, the three points was just out of reach. For most of the match the defense held their shape well and made clear cut chances difficult for the continental champions. In his post match interview Noonan seemed frustrated and that the attack could not get into a “controlled rhythm” to put away the match.

In a vacuum, one point in a midweek match in Seattle is a great result, however FCC will have wanted more. Two matches remain for Cincinnati and a win in one of those would likely clinch a spot in the 2022 Audi MLS Cup playoffs.

–

Matchday 32 – Seattle Sounders vs FC Cincinnati
Result: FC Cincinnati 1, Seattle Sounders 1

BOX SCORE

FC Cincinnati Starting XI:

Roman Celentano; Matt Miazga, Geoff Cameron, Nick Hagglund, Álvaro Barreal (John Nelson 90’+), Alvas Powell (Ray Gaddis 83′); Júnior Moreno (Yuya Kubo 67′), Luciano Acosta, Obinna Nwobodo; Brenner (Sergio Santos 67′), Brandon Vázquez (Dominique Badji, 83′)

Unused Substitutes: Alec Kann, Zico Bailey, Calvin Harris, Ian Murphy,

Seattle Sounders Starting XI:

Stefan Frei (GK); Kelyn Rowe, Abdoulaye Cissoko (Christian Roldan 55′) Jackson Ragen, Yeimar, Ethan Dobbelaere; Joshua Atencio (Jimmy Medranda 75′), Daniel Leyva (Léo Chú 55′), Fredy Montero, Albert Rusnak;  Wil Bruin (Dylan Teves 84′)

Unused Substitutes: Stefan Cleveland, Alfonso Ocampo-Chávez

Scoring Summary:

CIN – Brenner 24′
SEA– Montero (Rowe) 58′

Discipline:

CIN – Nick Hagglund 33‘, Obi Nwobodo 69′, Luciano Acosta 72′
SEA – Jackson Ragen 53‘, Kelyn Rowe RED 68′, Will Bruin 83′

Next up:

vs. Chicago Fire SC, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1st

The post FC Cincinnati Sound in Seattle appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

The match started at a deadlock between both sides, as neither really showed a need to immediately start going for it. It looked as if they were both tentative and waiting for the other to open up.

This continued for much of the beginning of the match, actually. FCC saw some long passes develop into some slight opportunities, while RSL had some decent midfield approaches, but overall, there was not much done by either side.

The match started to get going from both teams at almost the same time, as about 20 minutes into it, RSL got its best chances of the match so far, which were immediately followed by FCC getting some good looks near the box as well.

Some of the passing in the deep midfield area looked off, which FCC tried to get away from by giving it to wingbacks, Alvas Powell and Alvaro Barreal, who did a good job sending in good crosses.

RSL was the first to break the deadlock, thanks to some atrocious defending by FCC. RSL was awarded a throw-in in which Barreal and centerback Ian Murphy allowed Savarino to go unmarked at the endline. The attacker received the throw from touch and played a nifty cross to Maikel Chang in the box who easily hit it into the back of the net.

FCC nearly responded following the goal. Brandon Vazquez was awarded a penalty in the box via a long vertical ball. However, the play would go to VAR which viewed the referees call as a clear and obvious error.

The orange and blue would not be waylaid for long, as shortly after the VAR reversal, Brenner equalized for FCC.  Powell received the ball on the right flank and sent a leading pass to the Brazilian. Brenner followed the path of the ball toward the goal and ripped a shot through Zac MacMath’s fingers and into the back of the net.

The half appeared over, but the FCC backline didn’t think so, as Matt Miazga mistouched a backpass to Roman Celentano. The keeper was forced into fouling an RSL player, leading to a penalty kick. Celentano stood tall following Miazga’s pass, and saved the penalty to send the match to halftime.

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The second half started similarly to the first, with neither side looking very open.

But, the referees would not have the half off, as there was another possible penalty that could have been awarded to FCC. The vistors launched a brake on the right hand side with Powell leading the attack. The wingback attempted an errant cutback inside and clipped heals with the RSL defender. However, after going to video review, the central official decided in favor of his original call that the play wasn’t deserving of a penalty kick.

While RSL was still getting some good chances, FCC was really starting to grow into the game and get some great opportunities that it should have capitalized on.

Brenner did just that, though, in the 77th minute thanks to some outstanding play from both Lucho Acosta and Brenner. Acosta did amazingly well to retain the ball throughout the midfield, and when he approached the box, played it to Brenner, who wonderfully turned it and shot it into the net.

Now, I think you’ve heard this story before. FCC scores late-ish to give us hope for them to win, but then blows it thanks to the team turtling.

However, that wasn’t how this match’s ending played out. FCC continued to press and attack, which did wonders to help waste some of the time. Sergio Santos in particular was great and keeping the ball and making sure to not get dispossessed.

But, the turtle did finally show up by the end and it was when RSL picked up some of its best chances. Celentano, however, played his part and made sure the ball never crossed the net of several occasions.

Thanks to his ending efforts, the match finished with FCC in the lead, giving the team three well-deserved points.

Matchday 31 – Real Salt Lake vs FC Cincinnati
Result: FC Cincinnati 2, Real Salt Lake 1

BOX SCORE

FC Cincinnati Starting XI:

Roman Celentano, Matt Miazga, Ian Murphy, Nick Hagglund, Álvaro Barreal (Rónald Matarrita 86′), Alvas Powell (Ray Gaddis 72′), Júnior Moreno (Yuya Kubo 67′), Luciano Acosta, Obinna Nwobodo, Brenner (Dominique Badji 86′), Brandon Vázquez (Sergio Santos 72′)

Bench: Allan Cruz, Alec Kann, Zico Bailey, John Nelson

Real Salt Lake Starting XI:

Zac MacMath (GK), Justen Glad, Marcelo Silva, Andrew Brody, Aaron Herrera, Pablo Ruiz (Scott Caldwell 78′), Jasper Löeffelsend (Braian Ojeda 45′), Diego Luna (Anderson Julio 65′), Maikel Chang (Justin Meram 65′), Jefferson Savarino, Sergio Córdova (Daniel Musovski 81′)

Bench: Bryan Oviedo, Tomas Gomez, Nick Besler, Rubio Rubín

Scoring Summary:

RSL– Chang (Savarino) 3′
CIN – Brenner (Powell) 44’
CIN – Brenner (Acosta) 76’  

Discipline:

CIN – Nick Hagglund 33’
COL – Jefferson Savarino 61′

Next up:

at Seattle Sounders FC, 10:00 p.m. Tuesday, September 27

The post Brenner pushes FCC to victory at Real Salt Lake appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

This one could be felt from miles away.

FC Cincinnati (10-12-8, 42 pts.) took their aggressions out on a rebuilding San Jose Earthquakes (7-9-13, 30 pts.) squad. The resulting 6-0 victory was FC Cincinnati’s largest victory ever as both a USL and MLS squad. It also puts the Orange and Blue into positive goal-differential territory, a vital statistic for playoff position tie breakers.

Saturday’s match began a string of three straight against Western Conference foes. FC Cincinnati’s only win against a Western foe was a 1-0 win at Minnesota United in May. While the team was shuffled quite a bit due to Luciano Acosta’s yellow-card suspension on Wednesday, the Starting XI returned to the same formation and composition as the win against Charlotte FC.

The ‘Quakes entered the match with a big 2-0 victory over Vancouver, but they had only bested one foe on the road—a 3-2 win at LA Galaxy in mid-July. The team kept their starting lineup unchanged from their last win.

FC Cincinnati started the half hot and with more of the possession. A good deal of the offense played through Alvas Powell on the right, presenting FCC with their best shot in the 12th minute. His looping cross to Brandon Vazquez was on point, only for the striker to head the ball into goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski’s hands.

Much of the last 20 minutes of the first half forced goalkeeper Roman Celentano to flash his leather. The ‘Quakes peppered Celentano with five shots on goal in ten minutes. Roman sprawled for a sharp free kick from Cristian Espinoza in the 28th minute, then slapped away three consecutive shots in the 38th minute. By this point, San Jose was dominating possession, forcing Cincinnati to clear the pressure.

“Obviously, every game, I’d like to keep the clean sheet, and that’s a big focus for me and the back line,” Celentano mentioned afterwards. “As we keep getting goals on the board, we just got to make sure we’re keeping our heads and not get too comfortable. I think the boys did a great job defending as a team tonight.”

At the last breath of the first half, the Orange and Blue finally broke the seal. San Jose caved from the press in the 45th minute, and the offense pin-balled the ball around the box before Acosta found Alvaro Barreal on his left. The Argentinean needed a stutter step to fire a left-footed shot past Marcinkowski. His fifth goal of the MLS season made the score 1-0.

While possession ultimately fell in San Jose’s advantage, the Cincinnati offense proved to be too stout to counter. Minutes after the restart for the second half, Vazquez received a set piece and popped a header toward the box. Matt Miazga could not receive the pass, but Brenner struck the free ball for his 10th of the year.

“The first half, there was the momentum for San Jose, and they played well,” Brenner noted through his interpreter after the match. “Nothing was changed (into the second half), just the mindset was the same to keep pushing and pushing.”

FC Cincinnati continued to get good fortune and better looks at the goal. The Video Assistant Referee halted play in the 70th minute, as Acosta had gone down from a foul by San Jose’s defender Rodriguez in the box. Referee Ismir Pekmic pointed to the penalty spot, and Acosta buried his eight goal of the year to make it 3-0.

The feel-good moment came in the 77th minute. Brenner threaded a pass into the box for Yuya Kubo, who first-timed the pass past Marcinkowski to make it 4-0. The goal was Kubo’s first of the year and his first since October 2020.

Ultimately, the evening belonged to FC Cincinnati’s Brazilian striker. Brenner’s strike in the 90th minute and converted penalty in stoppage time gave him his second hat trick of the 2022 season. This time, his three-peat gave FC Cincinnati a resounding 6-0 victory.

Brenner grinned when asked what he would do with tonight’s game ball. “At my mother’s house, she’s waiting for my first hat-trick ball (against New York City). At her house, she has something for memories of me. That’s where she’s going to put this.”

The win puts FC Cincinnati squarely in the playoff picture, currently in sixth place in the East with four matches left. The win also finally vanquished FC Cincinnati’s past ghosts—they are assured of not ending the season in last place.

Pat Noonan addressed the team’s response to FC Cincinnati’s midweek 1-1 draw in his press conference. “What we expected was a strong response to a poor performance. The point was good, but we didn’t perform well. I think (tonight) is the sign of a team that’s continuing to mature and grow and find ways to improve and respond in a strong way. We got a really good performance and a very important three points.”

FC Cincinnati now heads to Utah to play Real Salt Lake next Saturday. San Jose continues their road trip with a mid-week contest against Colorado.

Game 30 – FC Cincinnati vs. San Jose Earthquakes
TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Attendance: 22,557
Result: FC Cincinnati 6, San Jose Earthquakes 0

BOX SCORE

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

Roman Celentano (GK); Nick Hagglund, Geoff Cameron, Matt Miazga (Ian Murphy 73’); Alvas Powell, Obinna Nwobodo, Luciano Acosta (c) (Yuya Kubo 73’), Junior Moreno (Dom Badji 83’), Alvaro Barreal (Ronald Matarrita 78’); Brandon Vazquez (Sergio Santos 78’), Brenner.

Bench: Alex Kann, Allan Cruz, Ray Gaddis, John Nelson..

San Jose Earthquakes Starting XI (4-2-3-1):

JT Marcinkowski; Tommy Thompson (Paul Marie 82’), Rodrigues, Nathan, Tanner Beason; Eric Remedi, Jackson Yueill (c) (Niko Tsakiris 73’); Cristian Espinoza (Shea Salinas 72’), Jamiro Monteiro (Jack Skahan 82’), Cade Cowell; Jeremy Ebobisse (Ben Kikanovic 73’).

Bench: Matt Bersano, Oskar Agren, Jan Gregus, Judson.

Scoring Summary:
CIN – Alvaro Barreal 45’ (Acosta)
CIN – Brenner 47’ (Vazquez)
CIN – Luciano Acosta 71’ (PK)
CIN – Yuya Kubo 77’ (Brenner)
CIN – Brenner 90’ (unassisted)
CIN – Brenner 90+5’ (PK)

Discipline:
YC – Jamiro Monteiro 8’ (SJ, foul)
YC – Nathan 46’ (SJ, foul)
YC – Geoff Cameron 57’ (CIN, foul)
YC – Brenner 90’ (CIN, excessive celebration)

Next up:
at Real Salt Lake, 9:30 p.m. Saturday, September 17th, Rio Tinto Stadium (Sandy, UT)

The post Stunningly Seismic: FC Cincinnati sinks San Jose’s shaky defense, 6-0 appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

FC Cincinnati (9-11-8, 38 pts.) entered the match needing a vital six-pointer against a playoff contender. Charlotte FC (10-2-17, 32 pts.) managed to make it competitive over 90 minutes but was ultimately not able to rattle the defense.

For the first time in many matches, FC Cincinnati had a solidly healthy lineup. Midfielder Obinna Nwobodo reentered the Starting XI after serving a yellow-card suspension. That was the only real change in the roster—left back Ronald Matarrita had returned to practice months after ankle surgery but was held out of the lineup as a precaution.

Charlotte’s lineup was shaken up to present a boost from the bench. Forward Karol Swiderski, who punished FC Cincinnati with a brace in a 2-0 home win earlier in the season, sat on the bench to start. Defenders Jaylin Lindsey and Christian Fuchs were both held out of the lineup and did not enter the game.

The first 30 minutes of the first half did not produce much offense or drama, only buckets of rain. Charlotte owned more of the possession, only for their advances to be clipped short. The deepest threat came from a 23rd minute free kick and rebound that was blocked both times by Nwobodo.

The proverbial floodgates finally opened for FC Cincinnati late in the first half. In the 38th minute, Nick Hagglund got a knee on Luciano Acosta’s corner kick to skirt a shot past goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina. Hagglund’s first goal of the year gave the Orange and Blue a 1-0 lead they would hold until halftime.

Hagglund, who promised to cut his hair for charity after the match, praised the set piece’s formation and execution. “It feels so good, it’s been too long. Me and Matt (Miazga) have had some success working off each other. I went near post, and the gap opened up for me. Just put my body on the line and got whatever I could get. I was close enough to the goal where anything could put it in.”

While FC Cincinnati struggled to get possession in the first 45 minutes (42% to Charlotte’s 58%), the flow of offense swung in their favor at the end of the half. FCC managed only one shot in the first 30 minutes. The team took seven shots in the final 15, including the game winner.

The pressure to win a vital three points was visible in Charlotte’s frantic play to start the second half. Forward Kamil Jozwiak had Charlotte’s two lone shots on goal in the 53rd and 65th minute, but goalkeeper Roman Celentano claimed both for his two saves in the evening.

While Charlotte managed 10 shots in the second half, six were blocked by the defending back line, who arguably played their best game of the season. Defenders Matt Miazga, Geoff Cameron, and Alvaro Barreal claimed seven of Cincinnati’s 10 blocks to preserve FC Cincinnati’s fifth clean sheet of the season.

With Charlotte flexing much of their offense earlier in the second half, FC Cincinnati took the late advantage to salt the win away. In the 81st minute, midfielder Yuya Kubo challenged Nuno Santos deep in the Charlotte end to deflect a pass to Acosta. The Cincinnati captain laced a left-footed shot past the recoiling defense to make the score 2-0 and seal the win. The goal is Acosta’s seventh of the season.

Head Coach Pat Noonan noted that this game felt different after weeks of draws and late equalizers. “Early on in the week, it was ‘How are we going to respond?’, and I thought our first day of training back (after the Columbus draw) was outstanding. That kind of set the tone—this is the character of the group. They’re ready to get back to work and try to right the ship. A lot of credit to them for their response.”

This 2-0 victory was the first clean sheet for FC Cincinnati since their 1-0 win over Orlando in June, but according to Hagglund, the win is what counts.

“(I value) the clean sheet, but I value three points the most,” Hagglund mentioned in his interview. “If it’s a goal and we lose, it’s not worth it. A goal and we win—three points. But I love the clean sheet, and I love the feeling that the group is jelling and working together for 90 minutes.”

While the win was a net positive, FC Cincinnati might be without a vital cog for their next match. Acosta picked up a late yellow card in stoppage time and will miss the match against New York City FC on Wednesday.

FC Cincinnati moves ahead of the playoff line and sits in seventh place for at least one day. Charlotte FC’s loss keeps the expansion team in 12th place, six points behind the playoff line with five matches left.

Game 28 – FC Cincinnati vs. Charlotte FC
TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Attendance: 21,165
Result: FC Cincinnati 2, Charlotte FC 0

BOX SCORE

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

Roman Celentano (GK); Nick Hagglund, Geoff Cameron, Matt Miazga; Alvas Powell (Ray Gaddis 77’), Obinna Nwobodo, Luciano Acosta (c), Junior Moreno (Yuya Kubo 63’), Alvaro Barreal (John Nelson 89’); Brandon Vazquez (Dom Badji 89’), Brenner (Sergio Santos 77’).

Bench: Alex Kann, Allan Cruz, Zico Bailey, Ian Murphy.

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

Kristijan Kahlina (GK); Harrison Afful (Nathan Byrne 86’), Adilson Malanda, Anton Walkes, Joseph Mora; Brandt Bronico (c), Derrick Jones (Nuno Santos 68’), Ben Bender (Karol Swiderski 58’); Kerwin Vargas (Yordy Reyna 86’), Daniel Rios (Andre Shinyashiki 68’), Kamil Jozwiak.

Bench: George Marks, Christian Fuchs, Jaylin Lindsey, Quinn McNeill.

Scoring Summary:

CIN – Nick Hagglund 6’ (Acosta)
CIN – Luciano Acosta 53’ (Kubo)

Discipline:
YC – Alvaro Barreal 23’ (CIN, foul)
YC – Ben Bender 58’ (CLT, foul)
YC – Nuno Santos 80’ (CLT, foul)
YC – Yordy Reyna 88’ (CLT, foul)
YC – Luciano Acosta 90+2’ (CIN, not retreating)

Next up:
at New York City FC 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 7th, Citi Field (New York, NY)

The post Royal Flushing: FC Cincinnati slogs through the rain to beat Charlotte FC, 2-0 appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

However, the match didn’t start that way. It started with both sides looking aggressive. They didn’t seem to worry much about conceding, with both wanting to impose their will on the other.

FCC did, however, seem to be the more energetic team, with a lot more ideas and space to work in the midfield.

Lucho Acosta is fully back from his multi-game suspension and is MVP-worthy. The number of passes that open up an attack or spring forward a run is unreal. He has shown why FCC put its faith in him as the cornerstone of the franchise last season.

This is especially with the addition of in-form Brenner and Brandon Vazquez, the latter of which seems destined for time with a national team, whether that is the U.S., Mexico, or Qatar. Both of these players did splendidly in the first half of this match.

Vazquez, mostly, put on a clinic on how to play the straight no. 9 role. His hold-up play was great and allowed Barreal and Acosta to come forward, opening up the attack.

Brenner, on the other hand, showed the new striker style, helping to facilitate play, and play Acosta the ball where he would then give others the ball.

FCC has found a great striker partnership not just because the two have played well, but because they are so completely different, but somehow also mesh so well together.

Much of this first half was just attacking from FCC, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t some defending, because there was.

Obinna Nwobodo being out, I was worried Columbus would run riot on the FCC midfield, but Yuya Kubo did a good job in the first half congesting their attack and not allowing great runs to be completed.

As the first half continued, it started to feel like FCC was hitting a wall with its attack. The team was getting close but wasn’t doing enough to get that real chance. However, that did come eventually and Vazquez was on the end of it. But he didn’t slot it in the back of the net. He missed an absolute sitter, which seemed to deflate onlookers.

But a great striker forgets and moves on, and that’s what Vazquez did. In the 36th minute, Acosta picked up the ball in the middle of the field and saw Vazquez making a run. Acosta nutmegged the defender, with the ball then going to Vazquez, who continued his run and slotted the ball near post, which gave FCC the lead.

The remainder of the half was a lot of nervy Columbus attack, as it felt like the opposition was getting close to equalizing, but that didn’t end up happening.

The second half began very similarly to the first, with both sides continuing to want to attack in droves.

Columbus, however, certainly had much better spells compared to the first half. Lucas Zelerayan had the opportunity multiple times to set up a set-piece attack, but nothing came of them.

Then, in the 74th minute, Columbus looked to equalize thanks to a goal from Derrick Etienne, Jr. But, on further looks, he was easily offsides. It couldn’t be argued. However, VAR decided to not take a look at the play, and the goal stood even though it shouldn’t have. This play is one of the most egregious calls I’ve ever seen and throws everything PRO referees and VAR does in doubt.

Following this play, FCC and the whole stadium were mad at the referees and took it out on Columbus. That anger translated into intense pressure on the Columbus goal and eventually, a goal. Matt Miazga got the ball inside the box following a cross and hit it into the back of the net.

The rest of the match started to seem like a one-way road, with Columbus attacking the FCC goal, and FCC punting the ball away. But, that rhythm subsided for one small moment thanks to Sergio Santos, who played the ball to Dominique Badji that had a 1 v 1 against Room and didn’t convert, which gave Columbus the chance to equalize.

Columbus continued its attack throughout stoppage time, where there was also an egregious six minutes of added time. FCC looked to be about to hold out, but then the moment finally came for Columbus, as Roman Celentano decided to not get the ball and instead allowed it to bounce, giving Steven Moreira the chance volley it and score the equalizer. Then, because Columbus had scored, the game was allowed to end.

Matchday 27 – FC Cincinnati vs Columbus Crew SC
Result: FC Cincinnati 2, Columbus Crew SC 2

BOX SCORE

FC Cincinnati Starting XI:

Roman Celentano (GK), Geoff Cameron, Matt Miazga, Nick Hagglund, Álvaro Barreal (John Nelson 71′), Alvas Powell, Luciano Acosta (C)(Ray Gaddis 87′), Júnior Moreno, Yuya Kubo (Allan Cruz 71′), Brenner (Dominique Badji 82′), Brandon Vazquez (Sergio Santos 82′)

Bench: Alec Kann, Ian Murphy, Calvin Harris, Zico Bailey

Columbus Crew SC Starting XI:

Eloy Room (GK), Milos Degenek, Jonathan Mensah, William Sands (Mohamed Farsi 87′), Steven Moreira, Lucas Zelerayan, Darlington Nagbe, Aidan Morris (Erik Hurtado 87′), Cucho Hernandez, Kevin Molino (Derrick Etienne, Jr. 62′) Luis Diaz (Yaw Yeboah 79′)

Bench: Evan Bush, Josh Williams, James Igbekeme, Jalil Anibaba, Marlon Hairston

Scoring Summary:

CIN– Vazquez (Acosta) 36′
COL – Etienne, Jr. (Hernandez) 74’
CIN – Miazga 77’  
COL– Moreira 90+6′

Discipline:

CIN – Junior Moreno 43’
COL – Milos Degenek 47′

Next up:

Vs Charlotte FC, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, September 3

The post Controversy leads to Hell is Real draw appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

The match started with Atlanta controlling much of the match. The opposition did a great job coming out of the gate and putting FCC on the backfoot. Atlanta was very good at passing in transition and bringing the ball into the final third.

Much of the beginning of the match stayed this way, including a fourth-minute look at a possible handball from Matt Miazga. However, VAR never decided to take a look at the play.

Atlanta’s dominant possession continued with multiple rockets on goal, but they all seemed to hit the woodwork.

FCC finally started to grow into the match about 13 minutes into the match, as the attack got the ball in decent positions.

However, as soon as FCC got more into the match, Atlanta struck first to take the lead. FCC appeared to be allowing Atlanta to control the outer edge of the box. That came back to bite them, as Thiago Almada received the ball at the top of the box and hit a rocket that Celentano had no chance of saving.

Following the goal, FCC really started to ramp up the pressure, working towards an equalizer. FCC’s pressure on the Atlanta defense seemed to be disjointed at points, but the team’s strike partnership was beginning to get better.

This ramp-up in pressure ballooned until the 29th minute when FCC was able to break through and land the equalizing goal. The attack lost the ball in the final third but was able to win it back, Obinna Nwobodo picked up the ball and then played it to Brandon Vazquez who slotted it into the net for his 15th of the season.

FCC didn’t stop its attack with this equalizer and continued to search for the go-ahead goal. Atlanta did see some of the ball, but FCC really was the aggressor in this stretch of the match.

The aggressiveness compounded until the 42nd minute. FCC had a corner kick that was sent over the entire congregation of players in the box, which allowed Geoff Cameron to get to the ball. Cameron hit it back into the middle, where Brenner put a head on the ball which hit an Atlanta player and bounced into the goal.

This goal was given to Brenner, presumably because it would have been a goal even if there wasn’t a deflection.

After the goal, Atlanta started to put more pressure on FCC’s backline but didn’t have enough time to do anything with it.

The second half started in the opposite fashion, with FCC immediately coming out aggressive and nearly netting a goal. The following section of the match saw both sides control the ball somewhat and get some chances, with Atlanta growing into the game.

FCC, however, was the first team to flinch, as Gutman received the ball and tapped it in for that goal. But, shouts for a possible offside call on him. But, VAR never decided to send the center ref to get a second look at it, and the goal was allowed. Just a reminder, that Gutman’s arm and hands would be allowed to be offside but his shoulders, feet, or head would not be.

Immediately after the goal, FCC looked as if it would get the game-winner their best chance from Acosta’s shot that hit the post, but a couple of minutes after that, their chances basically dwindled to none. Atlanta had multiple chances to get that game-winner, but thankfully for FCC, that never came, and the match ended.

Coach Noonan felt the result was fair saying, “An unfortunate trend in the end and conceding the goal to drop a couple points. It was probably fair when you look at the way that game played out. Credit to Atlanta. They put us under a lot of pressure, certainly in the first half when we were careless with the ball. Some dangerous players that have the ability to attack 1v1 to get in the box. I thought we asked a lot of our defenders and Roman (Celentano) with too many of those moments where our lack of composure and just being careless on the ball didn’t allow us to really move forward as a group in a more connected way. The game was open at times, which is good on one end because it allowed us some space to attack them. But on the other side, there’s too much quality on their side with their team to be defending like that. Probably a fair result based on how we performed.”

Matchday 25 – FC Cincinnati vs Atlanta United FC
Result: FC Cincinnati 2, Atlanta United FC 2

BOX SCORE

FC Cincinnati Starting XI:

Roman Celentano (GK), Álvaro Barreal (John Nelson 75′), Matt Miazga (Tyler Blackett 66′), Geoff Cameron (Dominique Badji 89′), Nick Hagglund, Alvas Powell, Junior Moreno, Obinna Nwobodo, Luciano Acosta (C), Brenner, Brandon Vazquez

Bench: Alec Kann, Yuya Kubo, Ray Gaddis, Arquimedes Ordonez, Allan Cruz, Ian Murphy

Atlanta United FC Starting XI:

Rocco Rios Novo (GK), Alan Franco, Juan José Purata, Caleb Wiley (Dom Dwyer 69′), Ronald Hernández (Brooks Lennon 59′), Thiago Almada, Andrew Gutman (Aiden Mcfadden 86′), Santiago Sosa, Marcelino Moreno (Edwin Mosquera 69′), Luiz Araújo, Ronaldo Cisneros (Josef Martinez 59′)

Bench: Alex DeJohn, Dom Dwyer, Amar Sejdic, Franco Ibarra, Raul Gudino

Scoring Summary:

ATL – Almada (Araújo) 17′
CIN – Vazquez (Nwobodo) 29’
CIN – Brenner (Cameron) 42’  
ATL – Gutman (Martínez) 83′

Discipline:

CIN – Álvaro Barreal 14’
ATL – Caleb Wiley 27′
CIN– Matt Miazga 58’
CIN – Tyler Blackett 78′

Next up:

At New York Red Bulls, 6 p.m. Saturday, August 20

The post FCC squanders chance for win against Atlanta United FC appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

The match started with FCC immediately on the attack, almost netting a goal on the team’s first attempt. FCC continued this attacking speed for much of the beginning of the match. The team looked very good, with the passing, in particular, looking spot-on. Lucho Acosta seemed to be back to his former self in that department as he touched the ball on all three goals.

After the beginning of the match, predictably, the Union grew into the match and started to see more of the ball. Philly did a good job bringing the ball forward and getting into some relatively advantageous positions. However, FCC did a good job getting in the way of the Union’s passing lanes, and didn’t allow them to get in places where the Union could really capitalize.

FCC easily had the best chances of the first half. Acosta, in particular, had a couple of attempts that should have been slotted into the back of the net, but he just wouldn’t actually shoot the ball. He continually tried to find the “perfect” shot where any shot would at least test the goalkeeper. Fans seemed anxious, including me, for one to be netted in the 1st half.

FCC appeared to tally the first goal of the match 36 minutes into the match thanks to a wonderful pass from Alvas Powell to Brenner. However, the Brazilian appeared to have the ball hit off his elbow, leading to VAR taking a look at the goal and waving it off.

The rest of the first half included much of what we have come to expect from FCC seeing out a half, that is almost giving up goals they shouldn’t and squandering performances. However, Philadelphia wasn’t able to put anything into the back of the net.

The second half started much like the first half did, with FCC attacking the Union goal in spades. This time, FCC was able to break through with a legitimate goal that VAR couldn’t say anything about.

Alvaro Barreal was on the left wing and carried the ball until he passed to Brandon Vazquez who was on the left side of the goal. Vazquez got the ball and then expertly flicked and placed the ball into the near post where Andre Blake could not stop it for the first goal of the match.

FCC wasn’t ready to stop its attack, however, as only eight minutes later, Brenner picked up the ball following an Acosta pass and slotted it into the left corner of the goal from the right side of the box.

Following FCC’s two goals, the Union predictably picked up the pace and pressure of its attack, seeing more of the ball inside FCC’s final third. The Orange and Blue, though, did an outstanding job not allowing the Union to get into great places for attempts at goal, other than FCC’s terrible fouls right outside the box. Cincy could have allowed multiple goals from free kicks but was lucky those free kicks were terrible from the Union.

At around the mid-point of the second half, Cincinnati started to see more of the ball and capitalized on that opportunity. Acosta was carrying the ball and played it to Barreal, who then danced forward, in the center of the box who shot it into the back of the net for the team’s third goal of the night, and what appeared to clinch the rout.

However, the Union still had something to say.

Following that goal, the Union brought on multiple new attacking players who brought them a lot of energy. This included Paxton Aaronson, who almost immediately got a goal to bring the Union closer to FCC.

The Union continued to attack the FCC goal and nearly brought the scoreline even closer to a draw. The Cincinnati defense didn’t do an outstanding job stopping these attempts from coming in but did enough to stop them from actually getting the ball into the goal. Roman Celentano had a couple of excellent plays to make sure it stayed outside the net too.

This attack continued for the rest of the match, but there was not enough time for the Union to get more goals, and FCC finished off the night with a win and moved into sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

FCC was fundamentally the better side for the whole night. Other than the final 15 minutes or so of the match, FCC saw more of the ball, got in better positions with the ball, and defended better for the entirety of the match.

After the match Coach Noonan said, “A really good win for our group against a very strong opponent in really good form. We did a lot of good things on the field tonight in terms of how we created some chances to get our goals. There was some really good movement and a good commitment to get to goal and put them under pressure. I was very pleased with how we went about getting the goals. Defensively, really pleased with the overall effort. It would’ve been nice to see us keep a clean sheet, be a little bit smarter about how we see out the game and concede that goal. But that’s really being nitpicky and critical of a moment where it allows belief at a 3-0 score line to allow your opponent back into the game. But I was pleased with how we saw those final 15 minutes out. And again, it was a strong performance and an important win at an important time.”

This was also without new FCC defender Matt Miazga, who will almost assuredly improve the team’s biggest weakness, replacing players like Geoff Cameron or Tyler Blackett and hopefully bring steadiness to the backline.

This win is a statement to the team itself that it can beat the best team in the East and should give FCC a lot of confidence going forward.

Matchday 24 – FC Cincinnati vs Philadelphia Union
Result: FC Cincinnati 3, Philadelphia Union 1

BOX SCORE

FC Cincinnati Starting XI:

Roman Celentano (GK), Álvaro Barreal (John Nelson 76′), Nick Hagglund, Geoff Cameron, Ian Murphy (Tyler Blackett 45′), Alvas Powell (Ray Gaddis 67′), Junior Moreno (Yuya Kubo 76′), Obinna Nwobodo, Luciano Acosta (C) (Haris Medunjanin 85′), Brenner, Brandon Vazquez

Bench: Alec Kann, Allan Cruz, Dominique Badji, Arquimides Ordonez  

Philadelphia Union Starting XI:

Andre Blake (GK), Jack Elliott, Jakob Glesnes, José Martínez, Kai Wagner, Olivier Mbaizo, Dániel Gazdag, Leon Flach (Jack McGlynn 59′), Alejandro Bedoya, Mikkel Uhre (Paxten Aaronson 77′), Julián Carranza (Cory Burke 59′)

Bench: Matthew Freese, Brandan Craig, Nathan Harriel, Quinn Sullivan, Matthew Real, Chris Donovan

Scoring Summary:

CIN – Vazquez (Barreal) 50′
CIN – Brenner (Acosta) 55’
CIN – Barreal (Acosta) 71’  
PHI – Aaronson 77’

Discipline:
CIN – Geoff Cameron 34’
CIN– Lucho Acosta 54’
CIN – Nick Hagglund 66′

Next up:

Home vs Atlanta United FC, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, August 13

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