The Orange and Blue earned an important victory over the weekend. Still, they turned the page quickly to their next challenge, a road matchup with the always-challenging D.C. United in the nation's capital in the midweek.
DCU, led by former New York Red Bulls manager Troy Lesene, brought that Red Bull-style grit and frustrating tactical play and escaped TQL Stadium with a scoreless draw earlier this season. But now, with growing confidence, FCC looks to continue its road domination and win a club-record ninth game on the road this season and its seventh consecutive road match.
Pat Noonan's squad has been dominant in road matches this year, showing the flash and firepower to win games with four goals when needed, as well as the grit and discipline to see out 1-0 victories like they did over the weekend. With 25 points on the road already, FCC could still set the modern away points record this season.
"I think over the last two years, winning games on the road and how you go about winning those games has helped our group to be consistent in expecting to win and understanding the different challenges that you're going to face and how you go about it," Noonan said Monday at Mercy Health Training Center. "We're not looking to drastically change how we play. We're not looking to sit in when we go on the road and absorb. But there's always going to be moments in the game – just like you saw in Dallas – for you know after that first 15 minutes where we needed to defend well."
"I think guys have, I don't wanna say embraced it, but recognize the importance of not being in control of games and knowing how to defend the box to stay in games to give you know guys like Lucho in our attack, opportunities to go make a play and change the momentum and change the outcome. So they expect to go on the road and win games and when you have that expectation I think you go into it in a good way."
The draw with D.C. United earlier this season came at a strange time for FCC, as the club tried to figure itself out to start the season while also traveling internationally for the Concacaf Champions Cup. In some ways, the matchup mirrors this trip to the District of Columbia. At the time, FCC was working to solve its offensive game with many new pieces at play, and this time, with the defense depth challenge, FCC is looking to continue its evaluation of defenders.
Across the field, though, DCU, in Pat Noonan's opinion, has embraced its strengths and continues to be a challenge in the ways they challenged FCC this March.
"I think (D.C. United is a team) that without the ball makes life very difficult," Noonan said. "I don't think that's changed from what we saw earlier in the year and I think they've gotten better in that regard."
The midweek match against D.C. United comes as the second game in a three-game-in-eight-day sequence for FC Cincinnati, with the third match of the week coming over the weekend at TQL Stadium at the top of the Eastern Conference standoff with Inter Miami CF. Noonan made clear Monday that while that game is obviously important, the one on Wednesday is equally important, and focusing on this one before Saturday night's tilt is the top priority.
"We haven't spoken about it because it's a quick turnaround from Dallas to DC," Noonan said. "(We are) looking at and assessing our guys, we're trying to figure out the best way to go about these games so we're fresh and we can look at the matchups and what makes the most sense… don't think the guys are bigger into the fact that on the back end of this road game is a game that most circles on the calendar. so if we are, we're in trouble on Wednesday."
FC Cincinnati at D.C. United – Wednesday, July 3, 2024 – 7:30 p.m. ET – Audi Field
Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
TV Talent (English, Apple): Callum Williams (PxP), Calen Carr (Analyst)
TV Talent (Spanish, Apple): Diego Pessolano (PXP), Daniel Chapela (Analysis)
Radio: ESPN 1530
Radio Talent: Tom Gelehrter (PXP), Ray Gaddis (Analyst)
All-time vs D.C. United
FC Cincinnati drew with D.C. United earlier this season and is looking for revenge in the visit to the nation's capital this week. After a scoreless nil-nil draw at TQL Stadium in the third MLS match of the season for The Orange and Blue, FC Cincinnati went on to win their next two and rocket back into form offensively.
All time, D.C. United owns the series between the two clubs with a 5-2-4 record against FCC, including a 3-0 victory in the most recent visit to Audi Field last season. Luciano Acosta has plenty of experience with his former club, scoring three times and gathering two assists in seven games against DC.
FC CINCINNATI NOTES
Winning Close – With 11 wins in games decided by one goal this season, FC Cincinnati are 25-5 (.834) since the start of 2023 in MLS Regular Season games decided by one goal. The next closest is 15 wins, held by New England. FCC is tied for the MLS record (since 2000/end of shootout era) for the most wins over two-straight seasons in one-goal games is 25 (New England Revolution - 2021/22)
Something About Nil-Nil – Since joining MLS in 2019, FC Cincinnati have played to 13 scoreless draws. Four of those have been against D.C. United, including the first meeting between the sides in 2024, on March 10 at TQL Stadium.
Winning Streak – FC Cincinnati have won six-straight matches away from home. With a win Wednesday, FCC would tie the MLS record of seven-straight road wins. Only five clubs ever have won as many as six-straight road matches, which includes the 1999 D.C. United club which won two shootouts in the MLS shootout era (pre-2000) en route to their co-MLS record seven-straight road wins.
Nothing Early – FC Cincinnati are the only MLS club which has not conceded a goal in the first 15 minutes of a match this season. The earliest goal allowed by FCC this year came on April 6 vs New York Red Bulls (Frankie Amaya, 19th minute).
Hey Now, You’re An All-Star – For the second-straight season, FC Cincinnati will have three All-Stars representing the club at the 2024 MLS All-Star Game. Luciano ‘Lucho’ Acosta earned his third-consecutive honor, while Miles Robinson and Luca Orellano earned the nod in their first seasons with FCC.
Scouting D.C. United (4-9-8, 20 points, 13th in Eastern Conference, T-L-L-L-T)
After a hot start to the season under new skipper Troy Lesesne, who came to the club after an interim stint with New York Red Bulls, D.C. United have struggled to have the season they hoped far and are on the brink of another year without playoff soccer.
DC United started the year off by collecting points in 11 of their first 14 matches, and while only four of those 11 results were wins, things were looking up for United. But recently, the results have fallen off. D.C. United have not secured a win since May 11 over Atlanta United and are currently on a nine-match winless streak with only three points to their name in that span.
Things will not get easier for them this week as they will be without noted International superstar, top scorer, and DP striker Christian Benteke as the Belgian star will be out on suspension after receiving his fifth yellow card and a red card in DC's match with Houston on June 22 and will be serving the second game of his two-game suspension on Wednesday night. Benteke leads DC in goals scored with 14 (second most in MLS as well) and leads MLS in aerial duels won with 265, a wide margin over second place's 120 duels won.
With the DP star unavailable, D.C. United will turn to the rest of the roster to make up for his efforts in the aggregate. No other goal scorer on the team has scored more than twice, but what DCU lacks in offense, they make up for in quality off the ball.
"I think they're a team that without the ball makes life very difficult," FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan said Monday of his midweek opponent. "I don't think that's changed from what we saw earlier in the year, but I think they've gotten better in that regard.
"(DC United) have had to deal with a lot of scenarios where they're playing a man down and they'll be missing key pieces as well in this game, which they had been for a stretch now with injuries and suspension," Noonan continued. "So that always affects a group and being able to have your strongest team out on the field consistently."
The MLS charter club has utilized an array of formations this season to adapt to their struggles and have largely not settled on one specific set up at this point in the season. Over the weekend, though, Lesesne deployed a familiar formation to FC Cincinnati enjoyers, using an adapted 5-3-2 (or 3-5-2) formation in a 2-2 draw with long-time rivals New York Red Bulls. In the shape, Polish DP midfielder Mateusz Klich centers the attack with Jarred Stroud (who scored in Saturday's game) and Martin Rodriguez on his flanks. For Rodriguez, it was only his second start of the season, but Stroud has been a staple in the lineup.
With Benteke out, Portuguese midfielder Pedro Santos wore the armband as captain on Saturday.
On the backline, Lucas Bartlett centers a trio, including Aaron Herrera and Matti Peltola, on his right and left, respectively. D.C. United has conceded the fourth most goals in the league this season, 38, and the tenth most penalty kicks, four (all of which have been converted).
Tyler Miller has started the last three games in net for D.C. United after Alex Bono started the first 18 of the season. Bono ranked sixth worst in goals conceded when Miller took over, but in Miller's stead, DC has conceded seven times in three matches, a worst per-game figure.
Without Benteke, DC will also be without Colombian forward Cristian Dájome, who received a red card in the 20-minute game on Saturday against the New York Red Bulls. Dájome has scored once but is part of the core forward group, playing 20 games and starting 18.
