FC Cincinnati came from behind and defeated Nashville SC, 2-1, Saturday night at GEODIS Park in Nashville. Substitute Kévin Denkey netted the game winner in stoppage time from the penalty spot to secure the road win.
FC Cincinnati (3-2-1, 10 points) picked up their first road win of the season and are undefeated (2-0-1) in three matches at GEODIS Park. The win snapped a three-game winning streak for Nashville (3-2-1, 10 points).
Josh Bauer scored first for Nashville in the 39th minute, but four minutes later Evander’s stunning free kick goal equalized for the Orange and Blue and sent the match level into halftime.
Two penalty kicks were issued in the second half, first just minutes into the second 45 for Nashville. But Roman Celentano saved his first in-match penalty since September 2022, diving to his left with a strong right hand to deny Hany Mukhtar.
Late into the match, Corey Baird’s header on a lobbed pass from Evander struck the arm of defender Walker Zimmerman, setting up the game-winning penalty kick taken by Denkey at 90’+1.
FC Cincinnati return to TQL Stadium next Saturday, April 5, and host New England Revolution with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. Tickets for the match are available at FCCincinnati.com/Tickets or by calling 513-977-KICK.
AS IT HAPPENED
NSH: Josh Bauer, GOAL – 39’ (1-0) – Midfielder Edvard Tagseth ran onto a ball played into the box and sent an off-balance cross into the middle of the area from the right side. A diving headed challenge from Nick Hagglund kept Sam Surridge from making an initial play, but Josh Bauer hit a bouncing clearance first time to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
CIN: Evander, GOAL – 43’ (1-1) – After drawing a foul from Walker Zimmerman, Evander, alongside Luca Orellano, lined up over a free kick from distance beyond the left corner of the Nashville penalty area. Evander would take the attempt, a right footed curler with pace and placement, which just clipped the Nashville wall before ending up hitting the top left corner of goal.
CIN: Roman Celentano, PENALTY SAVED – 49’ (1-1) – Roman Celentano saved his first in-match penalty since September 17, 2022 at Real Salt Lake, denying Hany Mukhtar on an incredible one-handed denial, going to his left.
CIN: Kévin Denkey, PENALTY GOAL – 90’+1 (1-2) – A Corey Baird headed effort from close range forced Zimmerman to take action, with the ball coming into contact with the defender’s arm. Kévin Denkey stepped to the spot and sent Joe Willis the wrong way with a stuttered run up.
GAME NOTES
- FC Cincinnati picked up their first road MLS win of the season and are undefeated (2-0-1) in three matches at Nashville’s GEODIS Park.
- FC Cincinnati won when conceding first for the 12th time in the club’s MLS era – the first time since October 19, 2024 at Philadelphia Union.
- Kévin Denkey has scored the game-winning goal in all four of FC Cincinnati's wins this season, including the Champions Cup win at FC Motagua.
- Denkey’s 90’+1 game-winning goal is the sixth game-winning goal in second-half stoppage time in the club’s MLS history.
- Denkey’s PK game-winning goal is the second game-winning goal to come from the penalty spot in the club’s MLS history (April 8, 2023 vs PHI – Acosta).
- Roman Celentano matched a career-high seven saves, including his first in-match penalty kick save since September 17, 2022 at Real Salt Lake.
- The PK save was Celentano’s third-career PK save (June 29, 2022 vs NYC).
- Evander netted a free kick goal for the second straight match and FC Cincinnati scored a free kick goal at Nashville SC for the second straight season (Luca Orellano: September 2024).
- FC Cincinnati improve to 3-3-3 in nine MLS matches against Nashville SC.
FC CINCINNATI GAME REPORT
FC Cincinnati at Nashville SC
Date: March 29, 2025
Competition: MLS Regular Season
Venue: GEODIS Park | Nashville, Tennessee
Attendance: 25,640
Kickoff: 8:40 p.m. ET/7:40 p.m. CT
Weather: 68 degrees, cloudy
SCORING SUMMARY: 1-2-FT
NSH: 1-0-1
CIN: 1-1-2
NSH – Josh Bauer 39’
CIN – Evander 43’, Kévin Denkey (PK) 90’+1
CIN: Roman Celentano, DeAndre Yedlin (Alvas Powell 80’) Gilberto Flores, Miles Robinson (C) (Corey Baird 79’), Nick Hagglund (Kévin Denkey 46’), Lukas Engel, Obinna Nwobodo (Tah Brian Anunga 59’), Pavel Bucha, Evander, Sergio Santos (Brad Smith 70’), Luca Orellano
Substitutes not used: Evan Louro, Gerardo Valenzuela, Stiven Jimenez
Head Coach: Pat Noonan
NSH: Joe Willis, Daniel Lovitz (Teal Bunbury 90’+2), Jack Maher, Walker Zimmerman (C), Josh Bauer (Andy Najar 67’), Patrick Yazbek (Gaston Brugman 81’), Alex Muyl (Jacob Shaffelburg 67’), Edvard Tagseth, Hany Mukhtar, Sam Surridge, Ahmed Qasem (Jonathan Perez 81’)
Substitutes not used: Brian Schwake, Jeisson Palacios, Matthew Corcoran, Taylor Washington
Head Coach: B.J. Callaghan
STATS SUMMARY: NSH/CIN
Shots: 15 / 18
Shots on Goal: 8 / 6
Saves: 4 / 7
Corner Kicks: 4 / 5
Fouls: 16 / 8
Offside: 0 / 2
Possession: 48.5 / 51.5
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
NSH – Edvard Tagseth (Yellow Card) 90’+2
OFFICIALS 
Referee: Drew Fischer
Ast. Referees: Brian Poeschel, Justin Howard
Fourth Official: Benjamin Meyer
VAR: Shawn Tehini
AVAR: Logan Brown
