FC Cincinnati hosts Orlando City SC this weekend in the final home match of the regular season and The Orange and Blue are looking to continue building for a playoff run. In what has historically always been a defensive, low-scoring affair when these two sides meet, the Orange and Blue are looking to simplify things and play as a team to snap this mini-losing streak FCC is on.
In the last four playings of this matchup, a combined three goals were scored between the two teams, and clean sheets were common. FCC is looking to get back to its team-oriented attack to break down a team that Head Coach Pat Noonan describes as excellent on defense.
"Orlando defensively is very good about initial pressure when they're stepping up," Noonan said Friday morning at Mercy Health Training Center. "If the pressure's broken, I think they recover as well as anybody in the league to regain their shape and to be able to defend the ball with the right aggression."
Orlando City SC had a challenging start to the season but is closing the season as one of the hottest teams in the league, having won 10 of their last 14. The Florida club enters as the fourth seed in the East and could secure home-field advantage in the playoffs with a result.
"Every team goes through their own form, different peaks and dips in their form and they started off the season slow. But…just speaking on the last month or two, they've been as good as anybody in the league and as consistent with the results and the performances. They are as in form as any team."
FC Cincinnati could clinch their spot in the Concacaf Champions Cup on Saturday but need a win to do it. Given the disappointing results over the last week, the race has tightened significantly, with Seattle, Real Salt Lake and Houston chasing them. However, with one of the long-term goals of 2024 cinching that spot, achieving it now has become a point of emphasis.
"We mentioned it today," Pat Noonan said, referring to the team meeting that took place just prior to the press conference. "I think it's just three points that positions us to compete in the Champions Cup next year…it certainly puts us in a better position going into that final game to know what we need to do to get a berth."
FC Cincinnati vs Orlando City SC – Saturday, October 5, 2024 – 7:30 p.m. ET – TQL Stadium
Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
TV Talent (English, Apple): Jake Zivin (PxP), Taylor Twellman (Analyst)
TV Talent (Spanish, Apple): Diego Pessolano (PXP), Daniel Chapela (Analysis)
Radio (English): ESPN 1530
Radio (Spanish): La Mega 97.7 FM
Radio Talent (English): Tom Gelehrter (PXP), Kevin McCloskey (Analyst)
Radio Talent: (Spanish): Gustavo Luques (PXP), José Romero (Analyst)
Against Orlando City SC
FC Cincinnati went into Orlando City earlier this season and emerged with a 1-0 victory at Inter&Co Stadium thanks to a club-record quick goal from Luciano Acosta. Scoring 17 seconds into the match, FCC held strong for the next 89 minutes and 43 seconds to earn the clean sheet.
The meeting at TQL Stadium this weekend will be the 11th all-time between the two sides. The last time Orlando came to TQL Stadium, they defeated FC Cincinnati 1-0 in the final few weeks of the 2023 MLS regular season.
FC CINCINNATI NOTES
Fast Forward – In FC Cincinnati’s 1-0 win at Orlando City SC back in May, Luciano ‘Lucho’ Acosta scored the lone goal just 17 seconds in. It was the quickest goal in club history and also the 10th goal in MLS history scored at 17 seconds or sooner.
Close Calls – FC Cincinnati have lost consecutive one-goal games, but that’s a rarity for the Orange and Blue. FCC are 13-6 (.722) this season in games decided by one goal. No other club has more than 10 wins in such games this season (MIA, HOU).
This season’s 13 one-goal wins are tied for fourth-most in the MLS post-shootout era, and it comes one season after FCC’s 14 one-goal wins were the third-most in history behind the 2021 New England Revolution’s 18 wins.
Milestone in sight – Wednesday was the 100th MLS match for FCC since Head Coach Pat Noonan and his staff took charge ahead of the 2022 season. Noonan’s 174 points as manager are the second-most in MLS over that span (Wilfried Nancy, 179) and he is one win shy of 50 MLS wins (49-24-27).
Luciano Acosta also has a record in sight. With 19 assists this season Lucho is one away from setting the club record of 20, three away from 100 career assists, and (should he somehow find the time) seven away from the MLS single season record of 26 in one season.
Close Games – With 13 wins in games decided by one goal this season, FC Cincinnati are 27-8 (.771) since the start of 2023 in MLS Regular Season games decided by one goal. The next closest is 17 wins, held by New England. FCC have the MLS record (since 2000/end of shootout era) for the most wins over two-straight seasons in one-goal games - 26.
Check in with FCC 2 - In their third MLS NEXT Pro season, FC Cincinnati 2 are in second in the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference with 51 points and a 15-8-4 (2 SOW) record. The Orange and Blue will compete in the MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs for the first time this fall.
First-team Goalkeeper Paul Walters and midfielder Stiven Jimenez started in Sunday’s loss at NYCFC II. The Orange and Blue will play at TQL Stadium against Orlando City B on Sunday, October 6 for Decision Day.
Scouting Orlando City SC (14-11-7, 49 points, 4th in Eastern Conference, W-W-L-W-W)
After a dreadful start to the 2023 season, Orlando City SC stormed back into the regular season and earned themselves not only a playoff spot but also a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference.
After surviving early speculation of a change, Head Coach Oscar Pareja has led his team to play perhaps their best soccer of the season. Orlando enters this match as winners in five of their last six and has earned three points in nine of their last 12 matches. Pareja has been Head Coach since 2019 and was previously the top boss at FC Dallas and Colorado Rapids.
Orlando City SC has one of the deepest attacking groups in the league but is also well known for their ability to defend and see out matches, making for a dynamic combo. Uruguay native Facundo Torres leads the club this season with 12 goals in MLS. At the same time, in 2022, SuperDraft pick Duncan McGuire added nine of his own and earned a contract extension this summer because of it.
Orlando City SC most often deploys a 4-2-3-1 formation with captain Robin Jansson along the back line. Stability has been key in that defense as fullbacks Kevin Smith and Rafael Santos, along with CB Robert Schlegel, have each appeared in 26 or more matches this season.
Due to a complex and convoluted saga earlier this season, Orlando City also has a dominant DP attacker to pull off the bench in Luis Muriel. The Colombian forward has been brought on as a sub 18 times this season and has scored five goals and added seven assists.
