FC Cincinnati midfielder Obinna Nwobodo has been named to the MLS Team of the Matchday for Matchday 3, the league announced Monday. Nwobodo earns a spot on the league’s weekly Best XI for the third time in his MLS career, and the second time this season.
Additionally, forward Brenner earned a spot on the Team of the Matchday’s bench.
Nwobodo’s high-energy, box-to-box midfield play was exemplified Saturday night when his tackle of Nicolás Lodeiro forced a turnover from Sounders Designated Player in their defensive third, setting up Luciano Acosta to find Junior Moreno and then Brenner, who finished off the game’s winning goal in the 63rd minute.
Nwobodo led the Orange and Blue Saturday night in tackles (4) and tackles won (3). This season, Nwobodo is in the 100th percentile for defensive action regains with 11.4 per 90 minutes, and he leads the league in defensive regains (37) and is third in pressure regains (23) amongst all central midfielders.
Brenner earns weekly league-wide recognition for the seventh time in his MLS career. The Brazilian striker’s first goal of the season and his club record sixth career game-winning goal led the Orange and Blue to a vital 1-0 win over visiting Seattle Sounders FC.
Brenner’s 19 regular season goals since June 2022 are the most in MLS over that span and two more than the next closest players (Philadelphia Union’s Daniel Gazdag & Nashville SC’s Hany Mukhtar, 17 each). Additionally, he surpassed 5,000 career MLS minutes on Saturday night.
Nwobodo and Brenner’s recognitions on the MLS Team of the Matchday are the second and third honors this season.
A full list of 2023 FC Cincinnati weekly honors:
2023 MLS Team of the Matchday Player Recognitions
- Obinna Nwobodo (Matchday 1, 3)
- Brenner (3-Bench)
The full team for Matchday 3 is listed below.
2023 MLS Team of the Matchday presented by Audi (Matchday 3)
F: Caleb Wiley (ATL), Dénis Bouanga (LAFC), Cristian Espinoza (SJ)
M: Chris Durkin (DC), Obinna Nwobodo (CIN), Timothy Tillman (LAFC), Owen Wolff (ATX)
D: Kyle Hiebert (STL), Andrés Reyes (RBNY), Miles Robinson (ATL)
GK: Jonathan Bond (LA)
Coach: Bradley Carnell (STL)
Bench: Drake Callender (MIA), Sebastien Ibeagha (DAL), Jon Gallagher (ATX), Aidan Morris (CLB), Keaton Parks (NYC), Jared Stroud (STL), Jacob Shaffelburg (NSH), Joaquín Torres (PHI), Brenner (CIN)
FC Cincinnati are back in action at Soldier Field to take on Chicago Fire FC this Saturday, March 18. Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. CT on Apple TV via MLS Season Pass and over the radio locally on ESPN 1530.
Visit HERE for FC Cincinnati’s 2023 home platform match schedule. The full 2023 regular season schedule can be viewed HERE. All matches will air live on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. The unprecedented subscription service featuring every MLS regular season, playoff and Leagues Cup match is available now.
All tickets, including Single Match Tickets, Full Season Tickets and Half Season “Orange” and “Blue” Ticket packages, can be purchased at fccincinnati.com/tickets or by calling (513) 977-5425 (KICK). For more information about Group Tickets and Premium hospitality options including suites and all-inclusive experiences, call (513) 763-1025.
FC Cincinnati is now also offering a Flex Plan. Fans can select one Leagues Cup match, in addition to two to five regular season matches. The Flex Plan provides ultimate flexibility with benefits including cost savings, no fees and presale access for additional events at TQL Stadium, including potential home playoff matches.
For up-to-the-minute information about FC Cincinnati, visit the team’s official website at fccincinnati.com, or follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FCCincinnati. Additionally, fans are encouraged to download the team’s official mobile app on the Apple App Store or Google Play for instant access to mobile tickets, team content and match notifications.
