CARSON, Ca -- FC Cincinnati had a record setting night in the City of Angels this weekend. They became just the second team ever in Major League Soccer, and the first team in the post-shootout era, to win 18 games three seasons in a row. They became the seventh team in league history to win 10 games on the road in a season, and the first to do so in consecutive seasons. And Evander continued to etch his name into club history by tying the club record for assists in a single match with three.
But perhaps most importantly, or at the very least most pressingly, The Orange and Blue kept pace in the end of season race to the playoffs that is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in league history.
FC Cincinnati earned a 3-2 win over the LA Galaxy on Saturday night at Dignity Health Sports Park, fueled by the aforementioned trio of assists by Evander, a brace by Brenner, Ender Echenique’s first goal for the club and some key defending when they needed it most.
The performance in some ways reflected the score line. Yes FC Cincinnati got the win, and they did so with some of the prettiest, and most collaborative, passing and teamwork this team has had this season. But there were also elements that left Head Coach Pat Noonan concerned and focused on in the aftermath. Things that he said could not be overlooked even with the positive result at the end of the night and will need to be addressed.
“Far more, I think, entertaining than it probably should have been. Certainly a lot of that after the red card. But prior to the red card, we did a good job to get the lead in the game,” Noonan said Saturday night to open the press conference. “I think we just managed playing with the lead in a poor way where we got away from some of the things that brought us some early success and just tried to do too much.
“So hopefully another good lesson, like last week. We got to experience closing a game out and finding a goal. Today was a little bit more unique, and we just didn't manage it well."
Ender Echenique got the scoring started 10 minutes in on a well-timed dart to the box that Evander picked out with a line breaking pass. The young Venezuelan received the pass, took a touch to shield the ball from the defender, then put a strong shot to the near post that the LA keeper couldn’t handle.
But that’s where things got tricky.
In the immediate aftermath of the goal to take the lead, LA Galaxy upped their pressure and took the game to their visitors. LA pinned FC Cincinnati in their own box for several minutes at a time before they could respond and retake possession, and peppered keeper Evan Louro with shots.
FCC would continue to have chances here and there on a breakout, but once that fast break was done, the pressure and possession remained with LA. Noonan described that problem as self-inflicted.
“I think the game got opened up, and they hurt us in transition,” Noonan explained. “My frustration, with myself and with the group, is how we managed that stretch because for whatever reason, we felt like we needed to score every time we played forward…we managed the period of time after the goal poorly. It starts with one moment where you don't control the ball, and all of a sudden you're having to defend against a team that's, one, good with the ball, two, gets dangerous players in dangerous spots. And now you're having to defend close to goal in a way that becomes too desperate. And then that stretch carried over.”
Which makes the second goal scored, and the first of a duo by Brenner, particularly interesting. Going against the momentum of the game, FCC struck with surgical precision on a sequence of passes started by Kévin Denkey, who found Evander, who then slipped a pass through to Brenner, who found the back of the net.
“I am very happy, because the team worked hard in every minute of a difficult game,” Brenner said postgame. “We know we can still be better, but I am very happy I was able to score to help us win. But we will keep working together to get better for next time, but very very happy as well.”
The goal showcased how quickly FCC can strike, even without sustained pressure in the opponents third, but also just how dangerous they can be when playing a couple of simple passes.
“It shows you how we can strike quickly but it was too long of a stretch for me as far as managing the lead right after. We can be a little bit more patient,” Noonan said. “So those are things that stand out, despite some really good things that we saw today.”
Galaxy would get one back before the end of the first half, but the game state LA had would not last long.
In the 50th minute, LA Galaxy midfielder Isaiah Parente made a late sliding tackle into the feet of Echenique that earned him a yellow card. The problem was that in the first half Parente had already earned a card, so the yellow was now his second and was sent off. Meaning FC Cincinnati would play the final 40 minutes up a man.
Galaxy would get opportunities to equalize, but their output was significantly dampened and FC Cincinnati now had complete control of the match.
But that’s where problem number two started to emerge, or maybe a subheading of the overall concern Noonan expressed is a better way to put it.
Up a man, FC Cincinnati attacked goal relentlessly but could not find a finish until 38 minutes of up a man action had gone by. Even though FCC kept putting themselves into good situations, poor decision making, over complicating action and forced aggression left FC Cincinnati struggling. It took a simple, incisive pass from Evander to Brenner once again and an old-fashioned blast of a shot from inside the box to secure a third goal.
“I thought once we were up a man, we were forcing too many plays…that's when the game, I think, just got too chaotic and in such an unnecessary way,” Noonan explained, before expounding on the positives from the offense. “ In the last couple weeks we have been struggling at home to score. So when we were looking at those games, what stood out was how we were moving the goal, and at times, just a lack of urgency and poor timing. You see on those goals, when we get the change of speed right, when we get guys attacking the right space, whether it's for themselves or whether it's to open up their teammate, then you see goals created like that. So that's what I was pleased with, and that's where you want to be greedy and you want to see more of it, because they're capable, not just of getting into these positions, but making the final play. That's why we look for it, or are looking for it more consistently, with more purpose."
FCC would need that third goal as minutes later the Galaxy would respond with a goal of their own and bring the score to where it would eventually finish. But overall, Pat Noonan made clear after the match that the impatience and the force play in the attack made things harder on the defense as they couldn’t get the game to “calm” so they ended up defending goal dangerous efforts from LA.
One week ago, after a 2-1 win over Nashville, Noonan praised his side for some of the patience and composure his squad showed. This week, even with the same result, he felt like that was the place the team could improve.
Part of that concern stemmed from the implications those key points have on the rest of the year. With a playoff and trophy race that has razor thin margins this team has to be at their best or they could be punished for it. The positive side of this coin then is this could be a learning opportunity.
"When we play the game in a simple way and guys trust their teammates in certain moments and not try to over complicate things, I think we're a very good team, Noonan said as to what he wants the team to take away from tonight. “When we go away from that, I think that's where we struggle the most and we put a lot of unnecessary pressure on our group defensively to have to defend in space. If we can get that improved, I think we'll be a more well rounded team.”
The expectations are high for this FC Cincinnati team. They have lofty goals for themselves and thus can’t simply sit back and be happy with a result if there are things they need to improve on. With three games left in the regular season, not only does getting results matter, but time to work on things is running out.
But even still, FC Cincinnati came out of California victorious, and swept their visits to the West coast in 2025. Next up is Orlando City SC back home at TQL Stadium on Sunday, September 28, but until then it's back to the training pitch to sort some of these concerns out.
