FC Cincinnati hit the road this weekend and visit Charlotte, North Carolina this weekend for a matchup with Charlotte FC this weekend. After wins in each of their last two games, the Orange and Blue will be looking for their third win in a row and second win on the road this season!

Kickoff is set for 7:30p.m. ET on Apple TV in the so-called ‘the Queen City.’  Ahead of this game, let’s look at a few key stories to keep an eye on as The Orange and Blue look to earn all three points!

Goal scorers heating up

FC Cincinnati’s dynamic duo of goalscorers have started to find their form of late, with Kévin Denkey and Evander combining for nine goals in FC Cincinnati’s last four games. Denkey has earned two braces in that stretch, whereas Evander’s crowning moment was last weekend with a Hat Trick in Chicago to help earn the win.

The duo have been historic since joining FC Cincinnati, combining for 55 goals since arriving at the start of 2025 and already rank fourth and fifth in club history for goals scored across all competitions with 28 for Denkey and 27 for Evander.

After the hat trick, Evander is now up to five goals on the season after starting on a personally historic drought and not scoring until April 18. Denkey has been more consistent throughout the season, but had done more of his damage in Continental Competition rather than league play. Denkey scored four times in the Concacaf Champions Cup, but he has now brought his MLS total to six after this recent stretch – bringing his season long total to 10 goals in 12 games and 11 starts.

With them at helm, FC Cincinnati have had one of the stronger offenses in Major League Soccer this season, ranking third in goals scored league wide and first in the Eastern Conference with 22.

Keep XI on the field and go for a first

FC Cincinnati’s trip to Charlotte FC means at least one thing is certain, the Orange and Blue will be playing on an artificial surface for the first time this season. Bank of America Stadium, home of both Charlotte FC and the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, uses Vertex CORE from Canadian artificial surface maker FieldTurf, which purports to supply advanced durability and flexibility across multiple sports.

Regardless, playing on an artificial surface is always challenging for FC Cincinnati as the ball tends to bounce and move differently compared to the natural grass FCC use at TQL Stadium, Mercy Health Training Center and around MLS. All-time, FCC is 6-8-7 on artificial surfaces and have never outright won at Bank of America Stadium, owning a 0-2-2 record.

The trip to Charlotte has always been a challenge for FC Cincinnati, and while the turf is a factor to consider, FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan is looking for a more complete performance overall as the solution.

“There’s a lot (we have to do) because we haven't done much well at their place, and they've been very consistent in what they do, how they play and they're tough to play against on both sides of the ball,” Noonan said of finding success this weekend.

“As a starting point we look at the current group, too many red cards, playing down a man too often. I think the last three games against Charlotte… have been us having a man sent off home and away, so that was a theme in previous games, I'd like to see us finish the game 11 on 11,” the head coach continued. “But it's a tough place to play, and they're a very experienced team. When you have an experienced group, an experienced coach, I imagine they're not going to be too rattled, frustrated, with results. They'll be strong, they'll be ready to go.”

The Brick Wall of Celentano

Roman Celentano was key in FC Cincinnati’s victory over Chicago Fire FC, recording a career high eight saves in the 3-2 victory that included a penalty kick stop in stoppage time to keep the game level.

The 25-year-old keeper in his fifth year of action for the Orange and Blue has been excellent so far this season, making 43 saves already this season and is on pace to set career highs in stops. With his 43 saves, the Indiana University alum also currently ranks sixth in MLS in total saves.

“(That was) an important game for him based on the previous two where we saw a couple moments that we're not accustomed to seeing. That's the life of a goalkeeper, it's tough,” Noonan said of Celentano ahead of Saturday’s match. “When you're accustomed to consistency and a guy coming up in big moments, when it doesn't happen for a couple games, you wonder, how is this going to look now? And he showed his character.

“(Celentano) was the reason that we were even in a position to get three points,” Noonan continued of the performance versus Chicago Fire FC last week. “He's never one to make excuses, so I think he just tries to figure out how to make the most of it and does his best to help the guys in front of him, and I think we saw a really good version of that in the Chicago game.”

FC Cincinnati and Charlotte FC kick off at 7:30p.m. at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday night, finishing this quick two-game road swing before returning to TQL Stadium next week to take on Inter Miami CF on 513 Day!