FC Cincinnati’s season early was at least in part defined by a certain goal drought that seemed to hover over the team like a gloomy cloud. It took Evander, FC Cincinnati’s 2025 MLS MVP finalist and talisman midfielder, 11 games to start 2026 before he scored his first goal.
Since then, though, he’s scored six times and sparked an undefeated run of six games, during which The Orange and Blue have collected 10 points.
“This is three games running where we're talking about this Evander,” FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan said after FCC’s draw with Charlotte FC last weekend, where Evander scored and directly contributed to another goal, marking his fourth game in five where he scored.
“That's been pretty consistent for a good stretch now, and it gets us some momentum with the free kick, which is something he was working on a lot over the last two weeks. That paid off in that moment…the way we get the second goal is a longer stretch of good movement on the ball, good decision making, and then that's him in a spot to do something special, which not many players are capable of. So we go into half in a really good way because of how he was able to impact the game.”
When a player as talented -- and maybe more so, as impactful -- as Evander goes without contributing, that vibe casts a shadow that goes far beyond just the one player. You can see it creep from one player to multiple as the team searches for the right combination of actions to get their offensive engine started. It’s not exactly clear where the line of demarcation in the start of the season comes to define a ‘slump,’ but at some point, it feels tangible.
Similarly, it’s hard to triangulate in the moment when a slump is officially broken and put in the past. With the benefit of retrospect, it can become clear, but right now, for FC Cincinnati and their number 10, that doesn’t matter. Evander is clearly off the snide and back to lighting up the league. Saturday night in Charlotte was only the most recent example.
Both of these efforts are examples of plays that are only possible thanks to the confidence and gumption of a player who is feeling himself and feeling dangerous. They’re also examples of plays that earlier this season just were not moving the same way. The free kick is a curling whip to the near post that flummoxes the goalkeeper and leads to an easy tap-in for Kévin Denkey. The goal he earns for himself is as pretty a painting as you can imagine, and, if taken incorrectly, either sails well over the bar or harmlessly into the keepers’ gloves.
But over the last few weeks, Evander has been walking taller. He’s walking with a swagger and a confidence that is far more reminiscent of the Evander FC Cincinnati fans got to know last season, when compared to the frustrated, desperate, sometimes lost-looking Evander we saw earlier this season.
Not only is Evander scoring, but his creation for others and his interplay all over the field has never been more fluid. While he only has one assist this season in MLS action and two across all competitions, he could have double that. He leads the team in Key Passes with 27 (which is defined as any pass that leads to a shot), and since scoring his first goal on April 18, he has accrued seven of those Key Passes in addition to his goals scored.
It’s present on the field, most specifically in matches, as you can feel the unstoppable feeling he plays with in real terms, but even in the limited picture available on the training ground, of late, you never see Evander without his signature smile. A clear sign of high vibes.
That aura is also clearly growing and rubbing off on his teammates. It’s clear how his teammates look to him when it’s time for fun, but when it’s time for work, they follow his lead as well. He has been called “the bridge” by teammates and coaches for a reason — he brings people from all walks of life together — and his connective spirit has brought the team together through this challenging time.
Which points to a new element in Evander’s game.
For the last three weeks, Evander hasn’t only been the catalyst on offense, he’s been team captain – a responsibility he has taken to heart and worked to prove he is worthy of.
“I feel very grateful because it just shows the trust that the coach and the players have in me, and I feel very, very happy with that,” Evander explained after a recent victory. “I'm the (kind of) guy that I’m always trying to find a way to help everybody on and off the pitch, and I think it's been working. And of course, we have our first and second captains in Matt (Miazga) and Miles (Robinson), but of course, when they are not around I can surely manage that.”
Every player goes through slumps; you don’t want them, but they’re part of the game, and how you overcome them is as important to success as what you do when you’re red hot. Evander pushed through and is now on the other side, much to the delight of all FC Cincinnati supporters.
Mboma Dem’s growing confidence
It feels somewhat obvious to suggest that with time and experience, you gain confidence and understanding in whatever you do. Everyone has started a new job, for example, and no matter how confident or proficient you are in your chosen field, you just don’t feel all that sure on your first day of work. Six weeks later, you may be ready to call all the shots, but it takes a little while to settle in, gain some confidence, and start performing at your best.
In professional sports, though, that grace isn’t always afforded. In soccer, even more so. You must be ready to perform whenever called on and need to produce…no matter how often you see the field.
FC Cincinnati forward Kenji Mboma Dem is learning right now just how valuable a few games of trust and opportunity can be.
The French attacker who came to FCC via the University of Dayton and the MLS SuperDraft has been proving himself of late, with each passing game feeling increasingly capable of helping the squad.
“I feel like what I'm able to do is I'm able to showcase it more, and I feel like even my teammates have more and more trust as we keep playing together,” Mboma Dem said after the club's match in Charlotte. “Even for me to take more risks, to do more to help the team out. I think I've been producing more runs in behind to threaten the black line, really get in front of goal. That's another thing that helps the team: with defenders, they start to follow me on those runs, and it opens space for others, so more and more I’m feeling like a threat for the opponent.”
Mboma Dem has now started the last three games for FCC, and while he hasn’t scored since his first in MLS – a stoppage-time equalizer in Toronto to earn a draw – his interplay with FCC’s stars has been noticed, and his overall impact on the offense is obvious.
“He's had some consistency in minutes and positioning. His game understanding and the responsibilities we’ve given him, he's done a really good job of taking that information and performing in a good way,” FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan said of the French forward.
“I think the last three, four weeks where he's been on the field, we've had a lot of consistency… he's been a bright spot as far as helping us control different aspects of the game. From playing under pressure, knowing how to move off the line, knowing how to help us switch play, how he links up in the midfield. I think that part's been really good. How he sets the line for for our pressure, working with Kevin, primarily, he's done a good job in those moments as well – creating a clear picture for how we're stepping up to the ball, so it's been a good stretch.”
When given opportunities, the former FC Cincinnati 2 forward has often proven he can contribute to successful sides… even if he’s not the star. Mboma Dem helped the UD Flyers win the Atlantic 10 Conference Championship and earn an NCAA tournament bid in 2023, leading the team in scoring with 9 goals and 3 assists, and earning First-Team All-Conference honors and Conference Tournament MVP honors. With FC Cincinnati 2, he has played 36 games across two seasons (2024 and 2025), scoring 14 goals with 10 assists and helping lead them to the club's first-ever MLS NEXT Pro playoff appearance in 2024.
Is the jump to MLS a big one? Yes. But in a short time, Mboma Dem has proven he can find ways to help teams win.