After their first defeat in over a month-and-a-half, FC Cincinnati returns to action at TQL Stadium looking to start a new win streak to build from.
With Austin FC coming to TQL Stadium this weekend, FCC continues a streak of three consecutive home matches against Western Conference opponents. It has been three years since the last time FC Cincinnati faced off with Austin, travelling to face El Verde in 2022 for Head Coach Pat Noonan's first match leading the club, so an opportunity to reflect on the time that has passed.
"I haven't thought about the first game, even with our preparation against Austin this go around," Noonan admitted with a smile at his prematch press conference on Thursday. "So, yeah, tough start to the tenure, but we've, we've made progress. We're so many years removed from that, that the only thing I would, I guess, speak to is that the club, the team, has continued to improve and be in a better position than we were."
The last time FC Cincinnati faced Austin FC, FCC fell 5-0. The Orange and Blue rebounded and went on to make the playoffs for the first time in club history that season, and, to this day, only 4 players who were on the roster for that team remain with the club (Nick Hagglund, Yuya Kub, Alec Kann and Alvas Powell).
Another name from that match present, but now wearing the opposite kit, is Brandon Vazquez, who joined Austin from CF Monterrey this offseason. A 2023 Supporters' Shield champion with FCC, Vazquez is now a DP striker for El Verde and has been the core component of their offense.
"It'll be great to see him again," Noonan said with a smile. "He's such a good kid, good pro. He's grown so much already in his career and deserves all the success and attention that he gets."
Coming off the loss to New York City FC this weekend, Noonan highlighted that training has been good and confidence has been high. The intention, while accounting for Austin and the challenges they bring, is to continue to find answers for themselves and improve their performances. Regardless of their opponent.
"[We] understand their strengths, and what we can see," Noonan explained. "Then hopefully when we talk about just us and not even talking about the opponent, what do we need to do better? I think after a couple days of just talking through that, our group understands some of the areas that have to improve if we want to continue to move in the right direction and perform better."
Saturday at TQL Stadium will also be the first-ever AAPI Night as FC Cincinnati celebrates the Asian American & Pacific Islander community. In addition to pre-match celebrations, there will be a halftime performance and in-stadium activations. To learn more about AAPI Night, click here.
FC CINCINNATI vs Austin FC – Saturday, May 10, 2025 – 7:30 p.m. ET – TQL Stadium
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Against Austin FC
Three of Major League Soccer’s 30 clubs have never played a match in Cincinnati - Austin FC, FC Dallas and San Diego FC - and two of them are FC Cincinnati’s next two home matches starting Saturday night against Austin FC.
Aside from 2025 expansion side San Diego FC, FC Cincinnati have faced every other current MLS club at least twice, except for Austin FC and LA Galaxy. The Orange and Blue’s lone prior meeting with Los Verdes came in the 2022 MLS Season Opener, a 5-0 Austin win in Texas.
FC CINCINNATI NOTES
Bring on the West – Saturday marks the second of three consecutive home matches for FC Cincinnati against a Western Conference opponent, which started on April 26 in a 2-1 win over SKC.
Under Head Coach Pat Noonan, FC Cincinnati are 13-4-4 against Western Conference opponents in MLS Regular Season play. Saturday marks the second of six scheduled regular season matches against a western foe in 2025
Strong at Home – FC Cincinnati with a 4-0-1 record at TQL Stadium this season are one of two MLS clubs to have yet to lose a home match in 2025, the other being Seattle Sounders FC (3-0-2).
GWG – Kévin Denkey has already scored four game-winning
goals for FC Cincinnati in 10 MLS appearances. That is tied with four prior players in league history (Jozy Altidore, Jermain Defoe, Joe-Max Moore, Álex Pineda Chacón) for the most through a player’s first 10 appearances.
Welcome Back BV – Saturday will be the third match which former FC Cincinnati striker Brandon Vazquez will play against his former club, his second at TQL Stadium. Vazquez scored in both legs of last year’s Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 for Liga MX side CF Monterrey against FCC -both game-winning goals - on March 7, 2024 at TQL Stadium (1-0 win) and March 14, 2024 at Estadio BBVA (2-1 win).
Vazquez, a 2022 MLS Best XI and All-Star, remains towards the top of FCC all-time leader-boards in goals (2nd - 43), assists (3rd - 17) and games played (4th - 127). Vazquez joined FC Cincinnati ahead of the 2020 season and was transferred to Rayados in January 2024.
SCOUTING Austin FC (5-5-1, 16 Points, 6th in Western Conference)
Austin FC comes into TQL Stadium this weekend riding a win in the US Open Cup midweek, but needed some heroics from their new star DP to lift them over USL Championship side El Paso Locomotive after going down 2-0 at halftime.
Former FC Cincinnati striker, All-Star, and Supporters' Shield Champion Brandon Vazquez earned a late brace to lift his new team and avoided an upset in the early rounds of the tournament. Vazquez, now 26, joined Austin this offseason from CF Monterrey as a DP and has scored 2 goals in 10 matches for his club in league play in addition to those 2 in cup competition.
"It'll be great to see Brandon again. It was a joy working with him. He's such a good kid and a good pro. He's grown so much already in his career, and deserves all the success and attention that he gets, and so I'm sure it'll be a warm embrace for a lot of us when we see him again," FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan said of facing off with his former player. "As far as his skill set …his movement in the box has been really a strength of his for years, and his growth and how he moves in the box to finish off plays, I think he's more clinical.
"He puts himself continuously into good spots, because he's a relentless worker and runner, and he's hungry to score goals. I don't think it's any different now than when he was here, he just continues to be in good spots, to be in position to finish off plays, and then it's just a matter of going and doing that. I know we had a couple last night, so yeah, it'll be great to see him again."
Austin's offensive additions were the story of their offseason, bringing in Vazquez, Myrto Uzuni and Besard Sabovic. But it has been the defensive side of the ball that has stood out for El Verde this season. With 13 goals conceded this season, Austin has allowed the 4th fewest goals in the Western Conference. That said, five of those goals have come in the last two weeks, taking that once vaunted top line statistic far more to the middle of the pack.
"I think their structure has been consistent," Noonan explained as to why he thinks Austin's defense has been strong. "Their pressing ideas, their pressing moments, it looks like there's a clear understanding there, and that varies, or has varied game to game, depending on the opponent. So defensively, good stability there."
Spanish Head Coach Nico Estevez was named manager of Austin FC this offseason, moving across the state after managing FC Dallas from 2022 to 2024. Most often, the new manager has deployed a 4-4-2 formation but has sampled in 4-1-3-2 formations, and this week, against El Paso, utilized a 4-2-3-1 formation with Vazquez at the top.
