There was a moment in the final few minutes of FC Cincinnati’s 1-0 victory over their Eastern Conference foes the Philadelphia Union where, blocking a blistering shot on target and stopping one of the better efforts their opponents had all game, Nick Hagglund was hit in the face from close range and went down for a moment.
Hagglund, who has started each of the last five games, going full 90’s all on short rest, needed an extra moment to get back to his feet. Which, who wouldn’t after taking that kind of blast right between the eyes? But after a few moments, and, in an apparent desire to make sure his family and fans weren’t worried for him, Hagglund leaped to his feet and immediately got back to work. He took Philadelphia’s best shot, ate it, and got right back to work.
Head Coach Pat Noonan said postgame he felt like that moment was a microcosm of the last few weeks of FC Cincinnati action. They’ve taken their licks, but they just keep finding ways to get it done.
FC Cincinnati ended a five week long stretch of playing every Saturday and Wednesday, stacking games, minutes and miles to close the 2026 season. It has been a grueling, physically and mentally demanding stretch, but they ended that stretch on a high note and have now confirmed their place in the 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs.
With a 1-0 victory, defeating Philadelphia Union on the back of a 70’ goal from Ayoub Jabbari and a staunch defensive effort to secure a clean sheet, FC Cincinnati punched their ticket to the playoffs for the fifth season in a row.
“As far as the result, that part is great. There's no two ways about it. We clinched a playoff spot for the fifth straight year, and while it might not have been where we would have liked to start the year, it's still very important and a great accomplishment for these players, for this club and fans,” Noonan said to open his postgame remarks.
“As far as the game, it was a difficult matchup, and you could tell it was a grind for the seventh game in (weeks), and to have to end it against an opponent like that, and the physical nature of it, the duels, the challenges that they present with the throw-ins, the set pieces, the corners and free kicks. It demanded a lot on the guys, and for them to have a clean sheet and compete in the way they did on a night where maybe it wasn't the best soccer, I couldn't be more pleased with that level of fight, which is what we need to finish out the season and then now, go into the postseason.”
Despite challenges and tribulations, FCC have earned their spot now and have done so by finding a new level of grit, defensive togetherness and team unity, earning points in each of their last four games and winning three of them.
The improved quality of the defense has been noticeable, particularly in defending in and around the box. So on a night where a strong Philadelphia side limited their offensive opportunities, the defense carried the game. Which meant when Jabbari scored to give FC Cincinnati the lead – following up a shot from Evander that was rebounded to him for a tap-in – that was all they needed to get the job done.
“When I saw Evander there, I could just smell the goal, so I knew to be ready,” Jabbari said postgame. “I didn’t expect him to get saved, but I wanted to make sure that the chance wasn’t lost and I’m just happy I could help the team get an important result.”
The defensive core was put under pressure all night, and it took a collective effort to get the job done on Saturday afternoon. The backline of Hagglund, Kyle Smith and Teenage Hadebe led the way, but Noonan lauded praise on everyone, namechecking specifically Kévin Denkey, Obi Nwobodo and Tom Barlow for their pressure and press higher up the field.
But at the end of a hard stretch of play, that has been complimented by success, it felt like the challenges and physicality Philly threw at them all night represented the year, with Hagglund at the core of it
“I haven't talked to him about how he's feeling, but the fact that he got up and finished the game tells you that he was in a good enough place to keep going. That’s kind of a microcosm of this period of time, with what he's endured because it's been asking a lot for somebody at this stage of his career and with short turnaround, and he knows,” Noonan said of Hagglund and his resilience after the match. “He said it a long time ago to me that while the minutes and starts weren't going his way, you're going to need me at some point, and I believe that to be true. And now, here we are with a depleted back line and what we've asked of Nick, Teenage (Hadebe), and Kyle (Smith) for extended minutes and starts. You know they're a big part of this win and why we're in the position we are over this period of time. So, an incredible night for him again.”
FC Cincinnati are peaking at the right time, and Saturday afternoon's victory is just another in a building resume of results that prove that. Wins over D.C. United were the start of it, a result away to Miami was next, and now, an outright victory over a team that has only lost twice since the World Cup and a bonafide MLS Cup contender, shows that FCC can compete at the highest levels.
That confidence is growing in the TQL Stadium crowds, who continue to bring the noise on gameday, and in the locker room.
“It feels that way,” Noonan said of the building belief in the squad. “You can always sense these things. I'm sure you're feeling it, the fans are feeling it, people from the outside. We know internally what we're capable of and what we haven't been doing at the level that we need to. And all year long, we've been able to produce goals, but we haven't been able to win enough 1-0 games, and we got that tonight. And I think the feeling, the energy, what the group now knows we need to do and feels we can do has been evident recently with how we're playing.
“And it's not always pretty,” Noonan continued. “But the guys have been able to adjust to different ways of defending against the opponent, preparing for the opponent and finding success. I like the energy of the group right now, and wins always help that, but I also just like the way we're going about it, and there are a lot of guys contributing and guys coming back into the mix, so I think that makes for a promising final week in preparation for Nashville.”
FC Cincinnati now enter the final day of the 2026 season knowing there will be, at least, one more game for them to play this year. But there is a lot on the table for them to still earn. A matchup with Supporters’ Shield winners Nashville SC represents an opportunity for a statement win. The Orange and Blue also need to secure their playoff seeding and, with a win on Decision Day, they can guarantee their place in the top seven seeds – avoiding the Wild Card round and a one game playoff for the right to play Nashville again in Round One. They can also, with some help, move as high as sixth in the East.
So while the ticket has been earned, there is still so much to play for, but now FC Cincinnati have a full week to prepare themselves.
