FC Cincinnati 2 travel to Matthews, North Carolina Sunday night to take on Crown Legacy FC in Matchweek 11 of the MLS NEXT Pro season. The Orange and Blue will look to bounce back from defeat against Columbus while Crown Legacy aim to extend their unbeaten run to four matches.
Kick off from Mecklenburg County Sportsplex is set for 7 p.m. ET with the match airing on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
FC CINCINNATI 2 at CROWN LEGACY FC – SUNDAY, MAY 25, 2025 – 7 P.M. ET – MECKLENBURG COUNTY SPORTSPLEX
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FC CINCINNATI 2/MATCHUP NOTES
Eastern Conference Quarterfinal rematch – Sunday’s match will be a rematch of the 2024 Eastern Conference Quarterfinal where Crown Legacy earned a 2-1 win over Cincinnati at Scudamore Field at NKU Soccer Stadium.
All three goals were scored in the final 11 minutes of the match with Stefan Chirila giving the Orange and Blue a 1-0 lead in the 79th minute before CLFC’s Will Paredes and Tyger Smalls helped the visitors advance.
Unfamiliar foes – That ECQF match against Crown Legacy was just the fourth all-time meeting between the two sides since CLFC joined the league in 2023. The Orange and Blue played Crown Legacy twice in 2023 and only once during the regular season in 2024.
Peter Mangione scored in the second minute of second half stoppage time to earn three points for FCC 2 in last year’s regular season meeting at Scudamore Field on May 4. The Orange and Blue will host Crown Legacy on August 11 for the second and final meeting of the season.
Dávila’s debut – FC Cincinnati 2 forward Andrés Dávila made his club debut against Columbus Crew 2 this past Sunday at Historic Crew Stadium. Dávila returned from an early season injury and played 22 minutes in a second half substitution appearance. Dávila joined the Orange and Blue from Colombian side Independiente Medellín in February.
Flip the script – Just five points separate Cincinnati from Crown Legacy in the Eastern Conference table, and a win Sunday night for the Orange and Blue could see them rise four spots in the table. And despite some gut-wrenching early season results, FCC 2 have been in matches with the chance to earn points. Four of the club’s five losses have been decided by just one goal.
Closing out the road trip – Cincinnati close a three-match road trip against Crown Legacy before returning home for two home matches on June 3 and June 8. Following the June 8 match against Toronto FC II, the Orange and Blue go back on the road for another three-match road trip which extends through July 6.
Scouting Crown Legacy FC
Record: 2-2-4 (12 points)
Standings: 9th, Eastern Conference
Last Three: 2-2 draw – SOW – at Atlanta United 2 | 4-2 win vs Inter Miami CF II | 2-1 win at Carolina Core FC
Head Coach: Gary Dicker
Leading Scorer: 2 – Jack Neely, Andrej Subotić
Crown Legacy FC enter the weekend unbeaten over their last three after earning two points against Atlanta United 2 on Monday night. After opening the campaign with three draws in four matches, Crown Legacy have won two of their last three and scored eight goals over that span. With their most recent result against Atlanta, CLFC moved to ninth in the Eastern Conference table on 12 points.
The Crown Legacy attack is starting to find a rhythm behind the team’s leading goal scorers in Jack Neely and Andrej Subotić who have both scored twice this season. Neely scored twice against Inter Miami CF II in route to a 4-2 win while Subotić has tallied in two of the last three.
Aron John returns for a second season with Crown Legacy after being named to MLS NEXT Pro’s Best XI in 2024. John scored the opener against Atlanta for his first of the year after scoring eight in 2024. He’s also tabbed two assists through seven matches this year after earning 10 a season ago.
And while the goals are starting to find the back of the net for Crown Legacy, the defense is still in search of their peak form. CLFC have yet to keep a clean sheet this season and have conceded two goals in each of their last two matches.
