FC Cincinnati continue their stretch of road matches this weekend when they make the trip north to La Belle Provance to take on CF Montréal. The game is their second of three in a row on the road and another oppertunity to take points away from home.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Apple TV from Stade Saputo. Ahead of this international matchup, here are a few key stories to keep in mind as The Orange and Blue look to earn all three points on the road.
Gary never says die
FC Cincinnati have never given up on a match this season. So while results haven’t always gone their way, things certainly could be worse if not for that resilient attitude the team has shown in spades this season.
Last weekend's comeback against Houston to erase a two-goal deficit and earn a point on the road was a key example of that, as FCC continued to scratch and claw their way to results late.
The impressive late game stats don’t stop there. 21 of FC Cincinnati’s 33 points this season have come in matches in which FC Cincinnati trailed at some point in the match, and FC Cincinnati’s 16 points in matches when conceding the first goal lead MLS. Three times this season FC Cincinnati have scored a game-winning goal in stoppage time and in two of those games, Cincinnati were down to 10 men when scoring the go-ahead goal.
On five other occasions this season FC Cincinnati have equalized in stoppage time to earn a draw.
The Orange and Blue would rather be using that fight late to win games rather than equalize, or to defend leads rather than chase them. But either way, the squad is building confidence in games and never feel like there isn’t a match they can get more from.
Friends away and friends arriving
Saturday’s match in Montréal falls in one of the awkward windows of the season as the international match calendar intersects with the MLS schedule, making several players on both sides unavailable for this match.
For FC Cincinnati, the international window means that three key players will be absent as they represent their national sides. Miles Robinson (USA), Pavel Bucha (Czechia) and Kévin Denkey (Togo) will all be unavailable for selection on Saturday. That means The Orange and Blue will be missing three bang on starters who have combined for 5440 minutes played, 20 goals and 14 assists this season.
Then, in more positive and optimistic news, FC Cincinnati is hoping to have two reinforcements available to them this week.
Transfer window additions David Doudéra and Julián Malatini had their immigration appointments this Monday and, barring any unexpected interruptions, will be arriving in Cincinnati this week and available to play when they do. Doudéra, a midfielder and wingback, would help provide support on the right side of the field and Malatini, a center back, would add help to the backline.
French Canada awaits
The trip to Montréal this weekend brings possibility and opportunity to the doorstep of FC Cincinnati. Their French Canadian foes this weekend are in the midst of a five game losing streak, are just 3-5-5 at home this season and, with the international window running through this weekend MLS matches, will be missing 10 players from their roster due to international duty.
Those 10 absences represent over 6000 minutes played this season, and include key players like Samuel Petite, Efrain Morales, Wiki Carmona and Hennadii Synchuk. Combined, the 10 players have logged 12 goal contributions this season and made 73 starts.
With this international window gutting the depth of the CF Montréal side, they may have their focus elsewhere as despite their poor record, the team has qualified for the 2026 Canadian Championships to be played in October. With a match against Canadian Premier League side Forge FC set for the final at their home grounds, that is CFM’s best opportunity at a trophy in 2026 and would qualify them for the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup.
FC Cincinnati kick off against CF Montréal on Saturday night at Stade Saputo, with the action getting underway at 7:30 p.m. from Olympic Park in Montréal, Quebec, Canada. For more information on streaming and radio broadcast information, click here.
