FC Cincinnati are back at home for the final two games of the 2026 regular season and enter Saturday afternoon’s matchup against Philadelphia Union with a chance to clinch a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs. With a win, FCC would punch their ticket to the postseason and secure a place among the nine teams in the Eastern Conference to advance.
Kickoff on Halloween is set for 2 p.m.
A win on Saturday would extend the club’s streak to five playoff appearances in a row and would make them one of just four teams in the league to make the playoffs every year in that stretch. A draw against Philadelphia would also affirm their place, and FCC could qualify no matter the result if enough goes their way on the penultimate match day. Still, FCC’s destiny is in their own hands Saturday afternoon.
“Everything's in our own hands to finish the season with two home games and against two strong opponents and try to move up the table and secure a playoff position,” FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan said Friday ahead of the match with Philadelphia. “Let's go perform and win a game. I think the rhythm of the group, the way that the games are being played, the results have certainly been positive over the three-game stretch.”
The Orange and Blue enter this game riding a high of results and performances of late, and, should they continue that stretch of form, are beginning to hit their stride at the right time. Undefeated in their last three games, FC Cincinnati have shown an improved defensive prowess and grit in their play that bodes well for postseason action. They also set a club record in their midweek game against Inter Miami CF, scoring for the 65th and 66th time in MLS action this season, more than any other season in club history. The challenge all season has been connecting strong defensive play with the potent attack they have always had, so if FCC can do that now for the final two games of the season and into the playoffs, they will be peaking at the perfect time.
But there is still work to be done, of course, and the key to success is continuing their positive improvements, not resting on the work already done.
“We've been successful in creating goals and, while that can be a goal going into it, now you see the importance of the other side of the ball where we haven't been good enough defensively. So, doesn't guarantee you anything, but we've shown to be a strong attacking team that has been pretty consistent in scoring goals throughout the year and throughout all competitions. But, what we haven't done consistently enough is defending against the ball in a better way and preventing goals, so that part is disappointing and hasn't been close to the level that we need to be in a position that we expect to be,” Noonan said of the team's now record-setting offense, and where improvements still need to happen.
“The positive is we've been able to score goals and it's come from a variety of players, on top of the expected contributions from key pieces, but at this stage it's about defending better against the ball because that's the only chance you have of making a run in in the playoffs, if you're fortunate enough to get there,” Noonan continued. “You have to be able to defend well and I think that part's improving for us.”
With Philadelphia coming to town for the penultimate game of the season, they too are still fighting for something despite their playoff spot already being affirmed. With 47 points, they sit in sixth place, but after starting the season closer to last place than in the playoff line, they have had one of the best second-half comebacks in the league's recent memory. Still, FC Cincinnati have their eyes set on them, as The Orange and Blue are just four points back from Philly in the table, and a win on Saturday would make Decision Day even more interesting, as the two could flip spots in the standings.
“Towards the end of the year, everybody's playing for something. You'll have a couple teams eliminated, but they're typically matched up against somebody that's trying to improve their position. So there's very few circumstances where teams aren't playing for something and so, naturally, the games feel more like playoff games. So this isn't unusual,” Noonan said Friday. “Our games against D.C. felt important for obvious reasons, going back to the Columbus, the Atlanta games, the New England game, every game feels that way, based on what we're trying to accomplish. And now we have two more that are going to be similar. So, forget who we're playing, forget the type of game, playing style, every game feels like a playoff game because of where we're trying to get to, and that's for us a playoff position and then how high of a seed can we get.”
FC Cincinnati complete the 2026 regular season next weekend in their next and final game of the season, hosting Decision Day on November 7 with kickoff set for 4 p.m. against Eastern Conference leaders Nashville SC. And while a playoff spot can be clinched this weekend, every point still matters: not only can FCC reach and get out of the Wild Card game, but with enough results and points, they can still earn themselves a spot in Round One and the Best-of-3 series.
With the match on Halloween, all fans are encouraged to wear costumes while they cheer on The Orange and Blue. For more information, visit the Matchday Guide.
FC Cincinnati vs Philadelphia Union – Saturday, October 31, 2026 – 2 p.m. ET – TQL Stadium
Watch/Stream (English/Spanish): Apple TV
English Local Radio: ESPN 1530
Spanish Local Radio: La Mega 101.5 FM
History vs Philadelphia Union
The Orange and Blue have lost three straight against Philly after being swept in 2025 by
the Supporters’ Shield winners and suffering a 5-0 loss at Subaru Park in early September.
Obinna Nwobodo was shown an early 16th minute red card that night which flipped the match
on its head in the remaining 74 minutes-plus of action.
FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan is 5-5-2 in all competitions against Philadelphia Union, where he previously served as assistant coach for four seasons prior to being named FCC’s manager ahead of the 2022 season.
FC CINCINNATI MATCH NOTES
(Courtesy of FC Cincinnati Communications)
Win and IN – FC Cincinnati have just two matches remaining in the 2026 MLS Regular Season as The Orange and Blue seek a berth in the MLS Cup Playoffs for a fifth consecutive season. FC Cincinnati can clinch a postseason berth this weekend, with the simplest way to clinch
being a win over Philadelphia Union on Saturday. The full scenarios are below:
- FC Cincinnati WIN vs. Philadelphia Union
OR
- FC Cincinnati DRAW vs. Philadelphia Union AND Toronto FC LOSS/DRAW at Atlanta United AND Red Bull New York LOSS/DRAW at Nashville SC AND New York City FC LOSS/DRAW vs. CF Montréal
OR
- Toronto FC LOSS/DRAW at Atlanta United AND Red Bull New York LOSS at Nashville SC AND New York City FC LOSS/DRAW vs. CF Montréal Only four clubs from MLS qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs each of the past four seasons (FC Cincinnati, LAFC, Orlando City SC, Real Salt Lake), with FCC and LAFC the only two among that group to have finished top-seven each season in their conference and avoid a Wild Card spot at any point.
The No. 10 – FC Cincinnati’s Evander assisted both goals in Wednesday’s 2-2 draw at Inter Miami CF. He ranks second in MLS with 31 goal contributions, only behind Lionel Messi. His MLS-leading 17 assists are just two shy of tying the club record for assists in an MLS season (19, Luciano Acosta in both 2022 and 2024). He is two goal contributions shy of tying his own co-led club record in the category (33, Luciano Acosta in 2024; Evander in 2025).
Jose’s Debut – José Martínez made his FC Cincinnati debut Wednesday at Inter Miami CF as a second-half stoppage time substitute. Martínez, who was signed on October 9 as a free agent, had spent five seasons with Philadelphia Union prior to his most recent stint with Brazilian Série A side Corinthians.
El Brujo made 108 MLS appearances – 100 starts – in his time with Philly as the Union made the playoffs in each of his four full seasons in Philadelphia, including winning the 2020 Supporters’ Shield and the Eastern Conference in 2022.
Spooky Season – Saturday marks FC Cincinnati’s second-ever match on Halloween. The first came on October 31, 2021, also against Philadelphia Union, up in Chester, Pennsylvania. The Union won, 2-0.
Scouting Philadelphia Union (13-11-8, 47 Points, 6th in the Eastern Conference, D-L-D-W-W)
After a disappointing start to the 2026 season, Philadelphia Union made a leadership change heading into the summer break for the FIFA World Cup. Sitting on just 10 points through 16 games, Ryan Richter took over as the interim head coach, and the Union looked like a new team coming back in July.
Richter and the Union went 15 games unbeaten out of the break, winning 12 games, and surged into the playoff picture. They now sit sixth in the table with 47 points and secured their spot in the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs with the draw against Nashville on Wednesday.
Richter, 37, has been with the Union for more than eight years, coaching at all levels from the Academy to MLS NEXT Pro to the MLS squad as both an assistant and now as interim head coach.
Milan Iloski, acquired from FC Nordsjælland in August 2025 after a loan spell with San Diego FC, sits third in the Audi Golden Boot race with 19 goals. He scored 31 goals in 54 appearances over the past two seasons, including a goal in the club’s last meeting on September 9 in Chester, Pa.
Breakout star Cavan Sullivan has been a key factor for Philly this season, with his increased role directly correlating with their rise in the table in the second half of the season. In 20 starts this season, Sullivan, 17, has seven goals and 14 assists.
Goalkeeper Andre Blake is Philadelphia's captain and has been a key player for The Union since becoming a starter in 2016, making over 300 appearances in his now 13-year Major League Soccer career. The Jamaican national team keeper has earned seven clean sheets this season and made 73 saves.
In their last match, Philadelphia took a point from a nil-nil draw against Nashville FC. On the road this season, the Union are 6-7-3.
