With an international break looming, FC Cincinnati hit the road for their final Western Conference match of the season, taking on the Houston Dynamo on Saturday night in Texas. This is just the second trip to Houston in FC Cincinnati’s MLS history, and the fourth match against the side, home or away. In three previous matches against the Dynamo, FC Cincinnati are undefeated, going 2-0-1, including a victory in the last matchup in 2023.

Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET on Apple TV from Shell Energy Stadium. Ahead of this duel, here are a few key stories to keep in mind as The Orange and Blue look to earn all three points on the road.

Players back in the mix

After serving their suspensions for a red card and yellow-card accumulation, respectively, FC Cincinnati midfielders Obinna Nwobodo and Evander are back in action for The Orange and Blue this weekend, adding both star quality and depth to the roster as they look to get all three points in Houston. 

Last weekend with those two absent, FC Cincinnati still managed to come from behind and earn a point. The performance that led to the draw was frustrating because many in the locker room felt there was more to get from that game, but it provided a platform to build on. 

“We are competitive, I'm disappointed with this game because we wanted to win, but on the other hand, when we see games that we have played recently, the confidence is not really there,” FCC forward Kévin Denkey said after the draw with Charlotte last weekend. “We are pushing, pushing, pushing, so there are things we can do better.”

“Not satisfied. Actually, quite disappointed about the result, how the game finished after those last few results we had, it was so much needed for us to finally win, and we were unable to do that,” Pavel Bucha also said. “And yeah, even though we had a good game in my opinion, three goals conceded is just too much. You cannot concede three goals and think about winning the game.”

“We definitely could have got the three points, but I mean, it's definitely an improvement from the last two games,” young defender Andrei Chirila added. “All we can do is just keep training, keep fighting, and keep pushing for the playoffs, now we're focused on the next game to get three points.”

“Not satisfied. Actually, quite disappointed about the result, how the game finished after those last few results we had, it was so much needed for us to finally win, and we were unable to do that,” Pavel Bucha also said. “And yeah, even though we had a good game in my opinion, three goals conceded is just too much. You cannot concede three goals and think about winning the game.”

Positives to Build On

The feelings since last weekend's contest haven’t changed much, even with the time and distance since the match. The feeling is still that they lost the opportunity to gain points, but there were positives to take away from the match. 

With players like Evander and Nwobodo out, FC Cincinnati had to adapt without them and learn without them. Noonan says he saw positive steps from other players in how they learned to step up in his absence, but not try to do too much to replicate him.

That improvement from the squad is now something FCC can carry over into this match, with both players available.

“We like life with Evander, and it's nice to have him back. So, he's an important piece. That conversation will not change and anytime you have key pieces, Obi [Nwobodo] was out as well,” FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan added ahead of the Houston game. “How does it look for guys in a role or a moment where you know you have to step up as a group, but without players thinking they need to be what Evander is, what Obi is? I thought we had guys that played their roles and did their jobs to the best of their ability. Was it perfect? No, because we conceded three goals, like I mentioned, and we drew the game. But there were certainly a lot of positives that the group should take away without two key pieces.”

“I think there were certain things we could take away (from the game),” defender Nick Hagglund added after last weekend's match. “I think the way we went about it…I think it's a night where you could say, ‘oh, you're without your best player. Like how you're gonna show up?’ And I think everyone showed up with the right mindset. People were in a lot of different positions, and on three days since Philadelphia, we didn't get that much practice to work. So I think we did a really good job for the circumstances, and I think there was confidence built in what we were doing tonight.”

Strong against the West

Under Head Coach Pat Noonan, FC Cincinnati are 19-5-7 against Western Conference opponents in MLS play, and have had a knack for being particularly strong against those sides no matter the venue.

This season, FC Cincinnati have been slightly more balanced against Western Conference sides, going 2-1-2 in those matches. The biggest drop, though, has come from their poor overall road record this season, which includes their Western Conference opponents. In their two previous trips to the West, FCC have not yet won, losing to Minnesota United at the start of the year and then snagging a draw in San Diego before the summer break. 

Noonan has been critical of the team's inconsistencies this season and has addressed their mental approach to road games. That said, the FCC Head Coach also thinks the performances haven't been all that different at home and on the road this season, and that the inconsistent play is a bigger overall problem than just going home and away. 

“I don't have that feeling that something is significantly different. I think it's consistent with our home play, like you saw in the Seattle game or the Charlotte game. I think it's just the consistency of our play, and more specifically defensively, that's limited us from winning more games,” Noonan explained. “And so, on the road, when we approach away games, it's not a huge shift in mentality and approach. We try to be consistent in how we want to play and how we want the game to look. We just haven't executed at a level that's positioned us to win more games. So, yeah, I wish I had a better feel or answer for it, but it's not something that's significantly different than our home performances. Some of those games we could have won. Majority of them we haven't. I think the difference is we've won more of those games that we haven't performed at our best at home.”

FC Cincinnati kick off against the Houston Dynamo on Saturday night at Shell Energy Stadium, with the action getting underway at 8:30 p.m. in Houston, Texas. For more information on streaming and radio broadcast information, click here.