FC Cincinnati face Santos Laguna tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET from TQL Stadium. The match will air on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. The match will carry over the radio on iHeart Media ESPN 1530 in English and – for the first time – in Spanish on La Mega 97.7 FM.
For more information surrounding the events before and during Friday’s game, visit the Matchday Guide.
Take a look at Friday’s Leagues Cup Lineup Notes:
- Miles Robinson returns to FC Cincinnati’s lineup for the first time since July 13 against Charlotte FC. Robinson started in all four matches for the U.S. Men’s Olympic Soccer Team at the Paris Olympics over the last month.
- DeAndre Yedlin starts and will make his first appearance in this year’s Leagues Cup. Last season, he started all seven matches for Inter Miami CF en route to their Leagues Cup title. Tonight, Yedlin will captain the squad for the third time this season.
- Yedlin is one of three players on FC Cincinnati’s roster to have faced Santos Laguna previously in their careers. Yedlin did last at the age of 19, when he started and went the full 90 minutes in both Concacaf Champions League Semifinal matches for Seattle Sounders against Santos in April 2013.
- Corey Baird – who scored for Houston Dynamo against Santos Laguna in last season’s Leagues Cup and Luciano Acosta – who made three appearances against Santos when he starred for Atlas FC – are the other two FCC players who have faced Santos previously in their career. Both are available for selection off the bench.
- Ian Murphy is the only player to have started all six Leagues Cup matches for FC Cincinnati. He was one of six players to start all three matches last season in the inaugural edition of the expanded competition, and he both group stage matches.
- All Leagues Cup matches go directly to a penalty kick shootout after 90 minutes if the scoreline is tied. Goalkeeper Roman Celentano, starting his first-career Leagues Cup Knockout Stage match, is 1-0 in shootouts with FC Cincinnati (2023 MLS Cup Playoffs Rounds One, Game 2 at RBNY).
- 23 players will suit up tonight as part of the expanded rosters for Leagues Cup in comparison to MLS Regular Season play.
- Three of the four substitutes who scored for FC Cincinnati in the club’s come-from-behind 4-2 win on Monday night against New York City FC start tonight. Yuya Kubo, Yamil Asad and Pavel Bucha return to Pat Noonan’s Starting XI.
- Friday will be Yuya Kubo’s 145th appearance with FC Cincinnati, as he approaches becoming the first player in club history to play in 150 games for the club, across all competitions.
- Chidozie Awaziem will make his second start for FC Cincinnati, starting centrally in the defense alongside Ian Murphy and Miles Robinson.
