After an electric opening night of MLS action in Cincinnati, the FC Cincinnati defense has been recognized broadly and specifically for its contributions and domination in their 2-0 victory over Atlanta United FC.
The team as a whole earned the clean sheet. Miles Robinson was named Man of the Match for his overwhelming performance. Roman Celentano made three saves, Nick Hagglund scored the result-securing goal in the 90th minute with a header. The team allowed just 0.49 expected goals and, in some ways, made a statement in their opening-day victory.
Robinson, who wore the captain’s armband to open the season, earned particular praise from his head coach on Saturday evening, with Pat Noonan calling him the club's top performer on the night. The league as a whole then recognized his performance on Saturday by naming him to the first MLS Team of the Matchday on Monday morning.
“He was probably our top performer. He played at a very, very high level tonight. Getting so many plays right, a couple balls in behind. You're talking about one of the fastest attackers in the league with (Emmanuel) Latte Lath. He's a handful, and Miles put out, I don't want to say fires because some of those were just controlled moments that you have to anticipate plays and get your footwork and your timing right because you can't miss a step against an attacker like that,” Noonan said of the American defender. “He was outstanding. A couple of his blocks, the way he defended in front of goal was outstanding.”
Robinson logged over 10 kilometers on Saturday and made key blocks in important moments. But as Noonan mentions, a key element of Robinson’s performance was managing and anticipating the Atlanta attack and keeping them at bay. It was being such a high-quality fireman that no fires ever actually appeared.
“I think it was just the overall communication of it. We've been watching a lot of film, understanding our roles defensively. But overall, I think the defensive work came from all eleven players,” Robinson said after the game on where the quality of the defense stemmed from that night. “The front three were pressing great together. I think Roman made some big saves. So just all collectively, we did great.”
“That was a captain-like performance,” Noonan said of Robinson’s performance. “With the ball, continuing to try to get him in positions to find solutions to play forward and that part – for our entire back line – could have been better. But if that's not where you want it to be, then you want the defensive side to be strong. How he dealt with the balls from behind, how he won a lot of the aerial duels, positions for knockdowns, and then his overall presence, was pretty impressive.”
The defense then capped off its already strong defensive night with a goal to secure the victory. Bryan Ramirez, who made his TQL Stadium debut, served a corner kick into the box and onto the head of Nick Hagglund, who banged in the second goal of the night and the 11th goal of his MLS career.
Noonan said postgame that set pieces were an area they had focused on a lot during preseason, and the weekend performance as a whole in that area was promising, particularly highlighting the service the kick takers had provided as key to that.
The celebration on the goal, though, was unmistakable. After Hagglund’s finish, his teammates mobbed him and elevated the already ecstatic local crowd’s volume with cheers of their own. Defenders, who do try to keep tabs on how many goals they score compared to forwards, saw it as a win, but the team as a whole also recognized the moment for Hagglund and what it meant for both the player and the team.
“We've been working a lot on set pieces this preseason,” Miles Robinson said postgame. “How important they can be in terms of a win or a loss. So the fact that Nick bags that goal in front of the home crowd, that’s what you got to love as a teammate and as a player. I’m so happy for him, it was great.”
“I think that one meant a little bit more for Nick. He might not say it or show it. Maybe he will,” Noonan said, adding of the goal. “What it meant to him and his teammates and the energy of the crowd in that moment was special.”
Robinson, Hagglund and FC Cincinnati are back in this week with two games as the early part of the season continues. The Orange and Blue continue their Concacaf Champions Cup journey with their home match against O&M FC on Wednesday, February 25, at 7p.m. They continue MLS action next weekend with a trip to the Loons at Allianz Field against Minnesota United FC.
