A steady downpour opened from the skies in Cincinnati on Saturday night and didn't let up until the early hours of the morning on Sunday. And while the rain may have damped the grass on the pitch at TQL Stadium, it did nothing to dampen energy on the pitch and in the stands as FC Cincinnati – backed by a raucous attendance of 22,912 – downed the New England Revolution in a performance that had Head Coach Pat Noonan praising his squad for what he called "one of our best wins."
With five players out of the lineup for an assortment of injury and availability issues as well, The Orange and Blue earned a 1-0 victory thanks to a 65th-minute goal by Sergio Santos, where the Brazilian forward tapped in a pass from Pavel Bucha for the winner. Santos had come on just seven minutes earlier – subbing on for wingback Brad Smith, which in turn shifted Corey Baird from forward to defense – but the impact was felt immediately, and FCC was able to secure its winner and hang on for the final 25 minutes of the match.
"One of our best wins, if I'm being honest. Just the circumstances and some bodies that we're obviously missing from last week. It challenged us. We're obviously stretched thin, but clearly didn't affect the group because they were ready to play and got the clean sheet," Pat Noonan reiterated proudly from the press conference dais at TQL Stadium. "(We) created some good looks, had good discipline, good composure and deserved to win the game. I'm really, really proud of the performance."
With a short bench of just seven available substitutes to choose from (compared to the permitted nine), FC Cincinnati was able to earn three points despite the absence of significant star power. More direct to this particular game, though, was with the bench depth tested. As the night slogged on the available reserves for each position became thinner. With fewer players to choose from the outset, making adjustments late became more so a challenge in who is available, rather than making the optimal selection. Yet still, FC Cincinnati players stood up to answer the call and contribute to a win.
"I thought the reserves did a really good job," Noonan continued in praise of his squad. "They were thrown in there in a moment where the team needed them to defend the right way, to help us organize and then kill off the game when we didn't need to go to goal, and those little details matter. I think those guys did a good job."
"These types of wins for your group go a long way because you get contributions from guys that maybe hadn't had the opportunity before, and they're on the field experiencing a win when that final whistle blows. So, that's important for certain individuals."
Santos and defender Alvas Powell were the game's first substitutes and made an instant impact. Santos's goal obviously sealed the victory, but it was Powell's play in the back that helped take the air out of the game when the Revs were looking to spoil the fun. Santos, though, could not see the match out despite being a sub himself, falling to injury in the 84th minute and ending his night with 19 minutes played. So Noonan turned to youngsters Stefan Chirila and Gerardo "Dado" Valeunzela to see the game out, which they did excellently.
By the end of the night, despite using only four of the available five substitutions, FC Cincinnati was left only with a bench that contained Matt Miazga (who made his return to a matchday lineup for the first time since his season-ending surgery in June 2024), 17-year-old Stiven Jimenez, and goalkeeper Evan Louro. Noonan had utilized essentially all the tools at his disposal, asking players to play out of position or in multiple positions, and FCC still earned their result.
It was an understaffed effort, so to speak, but a complete one.
"You can hear Matt (Miazga) and Sergio and guys that are now off the field at the end of the game and how they recognize the importance of a win like we saw tonight," Noonan continued. "Two good results in a row. I would say one and a half good performances. Hopefully we can build on it."
The stand-out department Saturday night was the defense, keeping their third clean sheet at home in four regular season matches this season. Allowing just three shots on target all night and holding New England to just 46 percent possession, the depth tested defensive core routinely thwarted the visiting side.
Brian Anunga, starting in the defensive midfield, provided what his Head Coach described as "his best performance with our group." Moving up and down the field, Anunga defended in all three phases, including marking New England's star midfielder Carles Gil (shutting him down) and occasionally served as the highest point of pressure in the team's high press. Lukas Engel played at center back for the second time in three matches and continued to look like a natural in the moderately unfamiliar position to him. Gilberto Flores continued to look like one of the more reliable young defenders in the league despite being so new to the team and so young. And Nick Hagglund, for the first time since his return to action, put in a full 90-minute shift – a point of pride he was quick to note postgame.
"We did it! We made it," Hagglund said with a big smile and laugh from a nearly empty FC Cincinnati locker room. Despite having just put in his first full match performance and the rain continuing to fall, Hagglund made sure to climb into The Bailey post-match to sign every piece of merchandise put his way and pose for any picture asked of him, leaving him as the last of The Orange and Blue to return to the locker room. By the time he did, most of his teammates had already showered, changed, and departed for the evening.
"I'm happy with the performance. I was glad to make it to 90. At the 70 (minute mark) my body was really feeling it. But that's a part of it. I was really just pumped. I feel like this is the first game that feels like I did it. It was 45 (minutes) and 45 (minutes) and that didn't really feel like I'm out there. I wanted to do it full time. So I'm really proud of that, and really proud of the guys. I think there were a lot of missing pieces tonight, and I think everyone stepped up in a big way."
"I thought we were great at really being on the front foot from the beginning," Lukas Engel, who played center back and wingback on Saturday night, said. "On the defensive side I thought we were excellent. We won a few balls, got a few interceptions early and maybe that got them to drop a little bit off and try something else. So I thought it was a really good night."
By the night's end, though, despite a waterlogged pitch and plenty of soaked-through kits that will certainly need several turns in the team dryer, there was one secret left to be uncovered.
The rain wasn't a detriment, it was a bonus. So, while the pitch was a little slick, and perhaps the ball slid across the top of the grass just a little faster, FC Cincinnati players reveled in the opportunity to play in the watery wonderland that TQL Stadium became.
"I thought it was nice! It was good, I don't mind playing in the rain," Engel said with a slick smile postgame. "That's my type of weather."
"I love playing in the rain, to be honest. It's so fun. It's just like an extra little battle. Anything could happen," Hagglund concurred. "So for me, getting a clean sheet always feels good, but to do it in the rain is a bonus."
Some beyond Hagglund and Engle felt the need to hedge their feelings by saying things like 'I don't know how anyone else feels' or 'others may disagree with me,' but we're all mostly attuned to their thinking. The consensus was the pitch played well, and the rain made for an exciting atmosphere where over 22,000 people stood, cheered, sang and celebrated for all 90 minutes.
What comes next for FC Cincinnati is back-to-back road trips, where The Orange and Blue head to the District of Columbia and then Chicago, Illinois. With two solid wins under their belt in a fortnight and the confidence of a victory despite missing five regular contributors, momentum is starting to build, and performances are coming to match the results.
"We've talked a lot about being consistent and we need to see more of the performances like we saw tonight moving forward," Pat Noonan said in a summary of the night. "We want to continue to evolve and improve and have competition across the board with this group. A good win for everybody."
