FC Cincinnati’s Luca Orellano was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob Ultra for Matchday 30 of the 2024 MLS season, the league announced Tuesday. Additionally, he was also named to the MLS Team of the Matchday for Matchday 30.
Orellano earned his second MLS Player of the Matchday honor of the season (Matchday 16) and the eighth Player of the Matchday recognition in FC Cincinnati history. He is the third player in club history to earn multiple Player of the Matchday honors in the same season, joining Luciano Acosta (twice in 2023) and Brenner (three times in 2022).
Orellano was dominant in FC Cincinnati’s 4-1 win over CF Montréal on Saturday, scoring twice in the victory. He netted his first goal in the 53rd minute on a free kick from just outside the box, a rocket which deflected off the Montréal wall and into the back of the net.
The 24-year-old then sent TQL Stadium into a frenzy with a goal of the year candidate. Inside Cincinnati’s defensive half, Orellano sized up a free kick and caught the Montréal defense off guard, blasting a shot over 60 yards over the retreating goalkeeper for his second goal of the night.
With seven goals and six assists, the Argentine is the fourth player in club history to produce at least six goals and six assists in a single season, joining Luciano Acosta (four times), Brandon Vázquez (2022) and Brenner (2022). Orellano is the seventh player in MLS since 2003 to score multiple direct free kick goals in the same game and the first since Lucas Zelarayán for the Columbus Crew on May 22, 2021.
Matchday / Year | Player |
17 / 2022 | Brenner |
30 / 2022 | Brenner |
34 / 2022 | Brenner |
14 / 2023 | Luciano Acosta |
34 / 2023 | Luciano Acosta |
16 / 2024 | Luca Orellano |
20 / 2024 | Yuya Kubo |
30 / 2024 | Luca Orellano |
Matchday | Player | Club |
Matchdays 1 and 2 | Christian Benteke | D.C. United |
Matchday 3 | Luis Suárez | Inter Miami CF |
Matchday 4 | Giorgos Giakoumakis | Atlanta United |
Matchday 5 | Luis Suárez | Inter Miami CF |
Matchday 6 | Lewis Morgan | New York Red Bulls |
Matchday 7 | Chicho Arango | Real Salt Lake |
Matchday 8 | Raúl Ruidíaz | Seattle Sounders FC |
Matchday 9 | Lionel Messi | Inter Miami CF |
Matchday 10 | Chicho Arango | Real Salt Lake |
Matchday 11 | Lionel Messi | Inter Miami CF |
Matchday 12 | Lionel Messi | Inter Miami CF |
Matchday 13 | Christian Benteke | D.C. United |
Matchday 14 | Denis Bouanga | Los Angeles Football Club |
Matchday 15 | Federico Bernardeschi | Toronto FC |
Matchday 16 | Luca Orellano | FC Cincinnati |
Matchday 17 | Saba Lobjanidze | Atlanta United |
Matchday 18 | Chicho Arango | Real Salt Lake |
Matchday 19 | Aljaž Ivačič | New England Revolution |
Matchday 20 | Yuya Kubo | FC Cincinnati |
Matchday 21 | Petar Musa | FC Dallas |
Matchday 22 | Cucho Hernández | Columbus Crew |
Matchday 23 | Brian White | Vancouver Whitecaps FC |
Matchday 24 | Hugo Cuypers | Chicago Fire FC |
Matchday 25 | Diego Luna | Real Salt Lake |
Matchday 26 | Ashley Westwood | Charlotte FC |
Matchday 27 | Tai Baribo | Philadelphia Union |
Matchday 28 | Dániel Gazdag | Philadelphia Union |
Matchday 29 | Luis Suárez | Inter Miami CF |
Matchday 30 | Luca Orellano | FC Cincinnati |
Orellano’s weekly Team of the Matchday honors is the 30th recognition for an FC Cincinnati player or coach on the weekly team this season, his fifth. A full list of 2024 FC Cincinnati matchday honors:
2024 FC Cincinnati MLS Team of the Matchday Player Recognitions
- Luciano Acosta (3, 5, 6-Bench, 10, 11, 12-Bench, 13, 14-Bench, 15, 20, 21, 25)
- Miles Robinson (3, 5-Bench, 14)
- Matt Miazga (6)
- DeAndre Yedlin (7-Bench)
- Corey Baird (11-Bench)
- Kevin Kelsy (14-Bench)
- Luca Orellano (16, 21, 23, 25-Bench, 30)
- Yuya Kubo (20, 25-Bench)
- Pavel Bucha (24)
2024 FC Cincinnati MLS Team of the Matchday Coach Recognitions
- Pat Noonan (13, 16, 25)
The full team for Matchday 30 is listed below.
2024 MLS Team of the Matchday presented by Audi (Matchday 30)
F: Rafael Navarro (COL), Luis Suárez (MIA), Bongokuhle Hlongwane (MIN)
M: Diego Rossi (CLB), Ajani Fortune (ATL), Pedro Vite (VAN), Facundo Torres (ORL)
D: Luca Orellano (CIN), Sergio Busquets (MIA), Juan Mosquera (POR)
GK: Andre Blake (PHI)
Coach: Phil Neville (POR)
Bench: Gavin Beavers (RSL), Franco Escobar (HOU), DeJuan Jones (CLB), Marcel Hartel (STL), Evander (POR), Ryan Gauld (VAN), Mikael Uhre (PHI), Dominique Badji (DC), Ezequiel Ponce (HOU)
FC Cincinnati return to action on Saturday, September 14 to host the Columbus Crew. Kickoff for the Hell is Real derby is set for 7:30 p.m. and limited tickets remain at FCCincinnati.com/Tickets or by calling (513) 977-5425 (KICK). The match will air on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
