CHICAGO – Saturday was no walk in the park, but FC Cincinnati earned a decisive 3-1 victory at historic Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, giving FCC another road victory, extending their winning streak to four, and continuing to move up in the table; finding themselves at the top of the Eastern Conference with 19 points.
Matt Miazga made his return to the starting lineup after debuting one week ago in the final minutes of a victory over D.C. United, and with his return Miazga also took over captain duties. And in his maiden voyage as skipper of the starting 11, he helped lead The Orange and Blue to an emphatic victory with its offensive stars leading the way.
In his first game back from an injury – sustained against Nashville SC three weeks ago that forced him to miss the previous two matches – Evander earned himself a brace with a goal in each half; scoring the first and final goal for FCC to earn the winner. Kévin Denkey earned the middle goal of the three with a brilliant finish after Sergio Santos created a turnover and made the assist to give FC Cincinnati the lead.
It wasn’t as perfect a performance as FCC would have wished for. There were challenges and adversity to overcome -- some of which was self-inflicted. But with the light at the end of the tunnel shining lumens brighter by an order of magnitude every week, earning three points on the road makes everything easier; and it continues to build confidence as the team builds its cohesion.
“I thought Chicago was in control and much better (in the first half) and so to go into halftime at 2-1, we felt, certainly, as far as the scoreline we were fortunate. But I think in the second half, we were able to just have more composure with the ball,” Pat Noonan said to open his postmatch presser in the depths of Soldier Field on Saturday night. “So, I said to (the team) at halftime, ‘if we can't deal with pressure then the game is going to be challenging, because they're good with the ball, and they're moving us around, and we're not able to get into any attacking structure.’”
“So, I thought all of that was much improved in the second half and allowed us to be more decisive with how we attacked, and more decisive in how we were able to defend. But again, Chicago was very strong tonight, so we can't lose sight of that. We're very happy about the result.”
While there are still noted absences from the team at large in terms of availability, Saturday evening on the shore of Lake Michigan felt like the closest thing to a complete FC Cincinnati product the team has seen in (at the very least) 2025 and arguably nearly a year. Miazga’s return to the starting lineup likely played a significant role in that feeling, but it also represented a return to a more normal state with Evander and Denkey on the field together.
So, while yes, Obinna Nwobodo, Yuya Kubo and Teenage Hadebe all continue to work back from injury. And yes, Matt Miazga and Luca Orellano didn’t share the field for even a minute as Miazga exited at halftime (a predetermined decision) and Orellano (who picked up a knock before the game per Noonan) subbed on in the 53 minute, things feel like they are progressing forward. It feels like the warm glow at the end of the mine shaft is getting warmer, even if there is still plenty of work to be done.
“It's still too early,” Pat Noonan said before rattling off the list of mitigating circumstances in terms of availability. “We need, I think, more time training with a full group and more games to see what we're about, and what growth looks like for the team.
“But,” Noonan continued. “I’ll continue to say it… I'm excited to see what the coming weeks look like, if we can stay healthy.”
“I think we have a lot to work on and that's, I think, something that everybody's aware of. We are so far from a finished product, and to get results in the short term is always good for confidence. I'm excited to see what the coming weeks look like, if we can stay healthy.”
The return of Evander and in tandem the performance put forth by the attacking midfielder and his strike partner Kévin Denkey were, in some ways, cathartic. If not for the players themselves or the staff at FCC at large, then for the FC Cincinnati faithful who have been waiting for them to really break out. And while a full fledged breakout still could be in the works (perspective is always best served in hindsight) Saturday’s three goal performance was a highlight of how the offense can function – how dynamic it can be.
The first goal was fortunate in how it developed but took prowess and instinct to convert. After a Chicago Fire FC player was tripped up with the ref, the FCC offense countered. Evander found himself inside the box and his shot deflected over the charging keeper at just the right angle to clear the gloves and roll into the net.
The second and third goals were more emblematic of these players’ skill. A high press from Sergio Santos forced a turnover, which led to a quality pass and shot from inside the box to Denkey. The third goal saw Evander dance through the defense to find the perfect angle to slip a shot through and over the line.
“This shows that we are getting stronger,” Evander said postgame. “We are still missing a couple players. But I think once everyone is healthy, I think we can definitely show that we are one of the best teams in the league… I think this shows that even without some of our players we can match up with every team.”
“So, the three points tonight, it couldn't be better. I'm so, so happy and proud to be part of this group.”
After Evander scored his second goal of the night to give FCC a 3-1 lead it seemed like The Orange and Blue were looking at seeing out a game with a multi-goal lead. But in the final moments of regular time an unfortunate bit of chaos created a penalty kick opportunity for Chicago Fire after Miles Robinson was called for a foul. Chicago converted the PK, bringing the score to 3-2. So with five minutes to play in regular time and an eventual six minutes added to the end of the match, FCC put into the familiar territory of looking to see out a one-goal lead.
“That's something these guys have been pretty good about all year," Noonan explained.
“I think we feel comfortable, but we don't want to put ourselves in those situation if we don't need to,” DeAndre Yedlin added postgame of how the team feels in close games. “But sometimes it's just inevitable, it happens. So at the end of the day, a win is a win and doesn't matter if it's a one goal game or a four goal game, it’s three points all the same and we move up the table and that’s what we want.
“You try to take away the chaos of the end of a game when you're on the road and the team's throwing a lot at you," Noonan explained as to the stratgy late. "You know you're going to have to defend numbers forward. You know you're going to have to defend the box, and I thought we did that in a pretty good way.”
Denkey Pays Tribute
In the 42nd minute when Kévin Denkey bended his shot around and through the keeper for a goal, giving FC Cincinnati a lead they would never lose, the Orange and Blue newcomer made sure to add an important tribute to his celebration: honoring the passing of former FC Cincinnati forward and 2023 Supporters’ Shield winner Aaron Boupendza, who passed away earlier this week.
The celebration, unfortunately, resulted in Denkey being shown a yellow card – a caution that drew the ire of his teammates in the moment and in the aftermath given the context of the situation. But, given the sincerity of the moment, the choice to make the statement Denkey did was not only ok, but appreciated by his Head Coach and teammates.
“The rules are the rules, so what I'll say is, there's yellow cards that you can live with,” Pat Noonan said. “The message of him supporting a former FCC player. That's for the right reasons, but, you know, the rule is the rule, and he got the yellow card. So, you know, I think I'm okay with both, but obviously you don't want that to put the player and the team in a tough position.”
A moment of silence was held prior to the game for Boupendza and his tragic, untimely, death was recognized all over the league. In the late game of the day, LAFC vs Portland Timbers, fellow Gabonese player Denis Bounaga scored to equalize for LAFC and he too lifted his shirt to reveal a tribute to his countryman and national team teammate. Bounaga was not cautioned for his action and did not receive a yellow card, contributing to confusion and frustration in the viewing public. Many of whom found the punishment shown to Denkey for his good-faith action to be out-of-touch and overly harsh.
Denkey, who was unable for interview postgame, shared the following on his social media channels:
FC Cincinnati head home for one match next weekend, taking on Sporting Kansas City at TQL Stadium on Saturday in the early slate of games with kickoff set for 2:30 p.m.. The Orange and Blue will continue this grueling road heavy start to the season after that with a trip to NYCFC the following Sunday, May 4, at Citi Field in Queens, New York.
