FC Cincinnati is looking to close the opening part of the season with a strong finish, going to Charlotte, North Carolina, to take on Charlotte FC in the fourth match of the MLS season. The game represents the eighth of the 2025 competitive season thus far, all within 24 days. And while action will continue all summer, after this week FC Cincinnati the schedule will settle down temporarily as FCC will not have a double match week for two months.
After being eliminated in the Concacaf Champions Cup by Tigres UANL earlier this week, The Orange and Blue are looking to bounce back from that and earn their first road victory of the season. The loss in Mexico was in part attributed to the fatigue felt because of this grueling stretch of matches. Still, with a small break between the Tuesday and Saturday matches this week, FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan feels his team will be ready to bounce back in a strong way.
"We're moving on in the same way that we pretty much have for the last six games, and that's what's our days of recovery? We have an extra day, you know, although our travel day back here yesterday was a little bit challenging. So, you know, I would like to think over the course of three days, guys will be fresh and ready to go again," Noonan said Thursday from the Merch Health Training Center. "I would imagine there's still fatigue being built up, but these are professional athletes that take care of themselves and know how to turn it around. And I expect the same, and for us to be in a position where we're recovered and have the right intensity to go on the road and not have any excuses as to what's been a challenging start to the season."
Charlotte FC has always presented a tough challenge for FC Cincinnati, and The Orange and Blue have never won when playing at Charlotte.
"Defensively, a very difficult team to play against," Noonan said in praise of Charlotte FC on Thursday. "And then a dangerous transition team, I think they run behind well. So that's something that we're looking at. But there's a balance, when teams are dropped off, they can play through you if you don't get the right pressure to the ball," Pat Noonan explained. "They've got experience all over the field."
FC Cincinnati enters matchday 4 with a 2-1-0 record and six points, sitting alone in fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
FC CINCINNATI at Charlotte FC – Saturday, March 15, 2025 – 7:30 p.m. ET – Bank of America Stadium
HOW TO WATCH AND FOLLOW #CLTvCIN on SATURDAY, MARCH 15 (7:30 p.m. ET)
Watch/Stream (English/Spanish): MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
English Local Radio: iHeart Media ESPN 1530
Spanish Local Radio: La Mega 101.5 FM
FC Cincinnati Social Media: X/Twitter, Instagram and Facebook
FC Cincinnati Official Mobile App: iOS and Android
Fans are encouraged to watch the game at one of the club’s official Pub Partners, presented by Coors Light. The Pub Partner program includes over 60 bars and restaurants around Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, Middletown and Louisville. Pub Partners are the spot to go to watch the Orange and Blue in 2025 and feature watch parties, drink specials and convenient locations for fans to gather to watch FC Cincinnati.
Against Charlotte FC
Charlotte FC are the only Eastern Conference club which FC Cincinnati have never earned a road win against. The Orange and Blue are 0-1-2 in three prior meetings at Bank of America Stadium.
In 2024 FC Cincinnati earned a 1-1 draw when visiting Charlotte FC, with the lone goal coming in the 90+2 minute from Aaron Boupendza on an assist from DeAndre Yedlin. The return match at TQL Stadium saw FC Cincinnati fall 3-1 to Charlotte, with Miles Robinson taking a red card.
All time, the series between FCC and CLTFC is split at a perfectly balanced 2-2-2 record.
FC CINCINNATI NOTES
Taming the turf monster – FC Cincinnati are unbeaten in their last 10 matches on turf. Since April 2022, the Orange and Blue are 3-0-7 on turf. Prior to then, FCC (since 2019) were 1-6-1 in road matches on turf.
The club’s last MLS Regular Season loss on an artificial surface was the first meeting between the sides at Bank of America Stadium, a 2-0 Charlotte win.
Day 25 – Saturday marks Cincinnati’s eighth match in 25 days as the Orange and Blue began this year with MLS and Champions Cup play. The Orange and Blue hold a 3-2-2 record – identical to last season’s record through seven matches across all competitions. A difference is the MLS record, 2-1-0 (6 points) this year opposed to 1-0-2 (4 points) last year.
Strong on the road in ‘24 – FC Cincinnati are looking to regain the historic road form in league play which the club earned in 2024. At 11-4-2 in MLS road matches last year, the Orange and Blue were one of three clubs in the post-shootout era (2022 MTL & 2024 MIA), and one of five all-time, to win 11 road games in a single season.
Cincinnati have already tasted victory on the road once this season, a 4-1 triumph in Tegucigalpa in the Champions Cup Round One first leg on February 19.
The dynamic Designated Players – At least one of FC Cincinnati’s Designated Players Kévin Denkey and Evander have either scored or assisted 10 of the 11 goals scored in all competitions this season for the Orange and Blue. Each have five goal contributions on the season.
50 for Pavel – On Tuesday at Tigres, Pavel Bucha made his 50th appearance FC Cincinnati, becoming just the 23rd player since 2019 to make 50+ appearances for the club. He has appeared in all but two matches for FC Cincinnati since the start of the 2024 season, starting 48 of FC Cincinnati’s matches since he joined the club ahead of last year.
Two birthday celebrations – Two key players celebrated birthdays this week, with Pavel Bucha (27) celebrating his birthday on Tuesday while Miles Robinson (28) had his birthday on Friday.
SCOUTING Charlotte FC (1-1-1, 4 Points, T-6 in Eastern Conference)
Charlotte FC has been one of the more notable clubs this offseason but had a disappointing last match. After earning a tough road draw in Seattle and a win on opening day against rivals Atlanta United, Charlotte fell to Inter Miami 1-0 on the road in MathDay 3 despite playing with a man advantage for over a full half after goalkeeper Oscar Ustari took a red card in the 38th minute.
The big add of the offseason for Charlotte, though, was getting attacker Wilfried Zaha on loan from Turkish club Galatasaray to be their newest DP. An Ivory Coast international and legend in the Premier League with Crystal Palace comes to MLS at age 32 but has already made his quality known, scoring in his debut with the club.
"A comfort on the ball and an ability to take players on that's unique," FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan said of what makes Zaha such a quality player. "Physical presence. So he can make plays in different ways. He's certainly got the experience and he's, you know, getting acclimated with a new environment. But that's somebody that, in the final third, is so powerful, and can work to his left, can work to his right, good passer. We only have a small sample size of him with this group, but you know, I imagine he's only going to get better and better. So it'll be a good test for us."
Under Head Coach Dean Smith, who took over the role at the beginning of 2024, Charlotte has become one of the strongest defensive teams in MLS. Smith, who had previously managed in England at clubs like Aston Villa and Leicester City, has shaped his squad into a reliable and well-rounded defensive unit using a combination of formations that are centered around a four-at-the-back defensive structure. In each of the three games his side has played this season, he has used a slight variation, and in the most recent match against Inter Miami, they used a 4-4-2.
But regardless of which formation they use, Pat Noonan believes Charlotte have the players to be dynamic.
“An excellent goalkeeper in [Kristijan] Kalina to start their attacks, and [Tim] Ream, a very experienced member of that back line that we know. [Ashley] Westwood in the middle. So, you know, [Brandt] Bronico, there's guys that understand the game, competing, the league,” Noonan said of the Charlotte FC roster. “You know, young, fresh talent in [Liel] Abada and [Patrick] Agyemang. I mean, you know, [Nathan] Byrne, experienced player. I could go through the whole list of guys, I think, [Adilson] Malanda is an excellent center back. That since we've seen him in the last couple years, (he's) only gotten better. And I think that's why they're in every game. I think that's why they are able to compete and play against different styles of play and have success. And you know, we've always had challenging games in Charlotte, so I expect the same."
