It was a game to be decided on penalty kicks. While watching in real-time, it didn't feel that way for most of the night. But in hindsight, it seems like a penalty kick shootout was inevitable. The night would be decided by what happens from the spot 12-yards from goal, one way or the other.
FC Cincinnati was the stronger side for essentially all but one specific moment in the first half. Albeit a pretty catastrophic moment and one that FCC Head Coach Pat Noonan put next to no stock into as a long-term evaluation of the players involved, it was just one moment and one that FCC quickly moved on from thanks to a glorious strike from a distance to relevel the game.
But from there, the game was decided from the spot. The first time, it was Yuya Kubo who stepped up in the first half. But his attempt was saved despite the Japanese international, amidst a renaissance season, putting on a pacey shot. The take was decisive and assured; it took a correct and assertive guess from the Santos Laguna keeper to keep the shot out of the net. Fair play. Unfortunate but fair.
From there, looking back, it seemed inevitable that is where the game would be decided. Santos Laguna battened down the hatches with the draw on the scoreboard and played looking to avoid conceding rather than attacking goal. They played looking to get under FC Cincinnati's skin and waited in the tall grass to pounce on a moment rather than create one for themselves. Given the quality The Orange and Blue showed on the ball and on defense in the final 85+ minutes, it's hard to blame them for that tactic. But it's now easy to see how Santos got exactly what they wanted. A game decided from the spot, not the run of play.
"We move on, I thought it was a really strong performance. We put ourselves in a little hole to start the game but rebounded in a nice way," Pat Noonan said in his postgame press conference. "We had plenty of chances to, I think, win the game in regulation but still pleased with the way the guys stepped up in the penalty shootout and finished the job."
"That's uncharacteristic for anyone I would say," Noonan added on the mishandled ball from Chidozie Awaziem that led to the first and only goal for the visiting Santos Laguna. Noonan highlighted later that perhaps the mistake they will look at is not the actual play on the ball but what went into the decision to play it down the middle to Awaziem instead of going out wide. But in all, the moment did not have the Head Coach concerned or looking at a larger theme. "We have enough quality in our guys to handle that moment…he responded in a good way where it didn't really affect the rest of his play."
From there, FC Cincinnati dominated play and performed in the way that Noonan expected and hoped for, with more of his first-choice starting lineup available. For the first time since his arrival, FC Cincinnati was able to deploy the combo of Awaziem, Miles Robinson and Ian Murphy along the back line. Similarly, DeAndre Yedlin was available as a starter and for the first time in Leagues Cup, Pavel Bucha and Obinna Nwobodo started together in the midfield.
The band was back together save for, notably, the frontman Luciano Acosta. But even he was available off the bench and had a role to play in this game, eventually (more on that later). But Noonan highlighted how he expected a bump in performance from the players available to him, and a bump in performance came. That is the goal of Leagues Cup after all. Goal number one, made clear again postgame but evident from the overall philosophy of the team under Noonan is to win every game they're in and, by proxy, the tournament. But the smaller, or perhaps more specific, goal of these games has been to find the quality in performance FC Cincinnati had been playing with earlier this season.
That's only possible by playing more games, not less. So, with this win, FC Cincinnati guaranteed itself another game. Mission accomplished, in that sense.
The Orange and Blue would have rathered to win in regulation; that much is clear (and perhaps obvious). It's cleaner and simpler than the risky nature of PKs. It took a skied attempt from a Santos Laguna player to earn the win after six FC Cincinnati players converted their attempts with little drama. But Santos, after looking the opposite of goal dangerous for 89 minutes collectively, was now also just one failed conversion away from advancing.
It was highlighted going into the tournament that the potential lessons learned from the 2023 Leagues Cup (where FC Cincinnati bowed out in this exact circumstance when they lost in a penalty shootout in the Round of 32 to Nashville SC) was on how to handle the nature of going directly to a shootout rather than playing to a draw or having 30 minutes of extra time to sort things out. The gameplay and format of the tournament are not so radical as to shock or change the way FC Cincinnati plays. Still, that end-of-game wrinkle takes some getting used to. If not tactically, then mentally.
In some ways, we saw those lessons play out. Noonan waited till near the end of the match to make his final move, making two substitutions to bring on players he would eventually select for PK takers. Chess enthusiasts would call this strategy an "endgame material advantage," saving your final moves for the big moments if you know those late-clock scenarios are coming. Corey Baird and Kevin Kelsy came on, with Baird coming on (technically) out of position as a wingback. Still, the lineup on the field was now, in some ways, optimized for success if it was needed.
Kelsy and Baird, along with Luciano Acosta, Luca Orellano, Sergio Santos and Pavel Bucha would all convert their PKs. Only Orellano and Bucha started the game of that six man panel. Orellano, who scored the equalizing goal in the 11 minute, told the gathered press at the Leagues Cup mixed zone after the game that sometimes the players with confidence decide who takes the penalty attempts; that if a player without confidence isn't ready, another with confidence is empowered by the collective to take that attempt. But in this case, it was Noonan who decided not only who would take the attempts but the order in which they would be taken, and the confidence in which Noonan assigned those roles filled the players with the gumption needed to step to the line with assurance.
"Pat said to us, in the huddle before penalties… it's about confidence," Orellano said. "Today I think I came into it really calmly. It was something we practiced and I walked up to it knowing that I was going to score a goal and that's what happened. (Practice), I think, it absolutely helps. Penalties obviously come down to not just the individual but also a little bit of luck. But I think the practice absolutely helps in those situations."
In this case, the lesson of refocusing the mindset quickly from a game to a shootout was clearly learned. FCC was composed and assured in their efforts. So now, the lesson Pat Noonan hopes his team learns is how to finish out a game in the 90 minutes afforded to them, even if the clock is ticking down to full-time. How do you use every second of the clock, even if the other side is clearly just running down the time?
"It's helped us to know how quickly you have to shift your focus to get into a penalty shootout. I certainly would like to see us do a better job of finishing a game where we don't have to get to a penalty shootout because we figured out how to find a goal late in the game when we needed one. Especially on our home field and when we were on the front foot," Noonan said. "Maybe that's the one thing we can improve on: managing a level score line while still trying to look for a goal and making sure you're not leaving yourself exposed by doing it in a reckless way.”
"I thought the moments were there to score a goal. But that's what we'll continue to take a look at. The game management aspect of ourselves and certainly the tournament."
The first penalty kick taker in the shootout was Luciano Acosta. The reigning MLS MVP came on in the 60 minutes and played his first game in the League Cup this season after being held out due to foot pain. Acosta, too, stepped to the spot and slotted away his penalty kick, but after the match, the FCC captain received some harsh criticism for himself and his performance.
"It was tough to come back… I've missed a lot of games. I think it's been four games since I've played 90 minutes. So I think I struggled a little bit but I'm happy to come back," Acosta said in the mixed zone. "It's good just to get games and it's good to win and move on. We'll keep fighting and keep going for more of this competition."
Acosta's return to the pitch did not go unnoticed. As the attacking midfielder ran to the coaches' box from the warm-up area near The Bailey, the crowd at TQL Stadium rose to its feet and cheered as their MVP readied to come into the game—a loving celebration of the captain. Acosta made sure to return the love to the crowd after the penalty kick he scored by showing a heart to the fans while donning a massive smile.
"The fans here, they've always shown me so much love on and off the field. But after so many games away, it's really good to hear them chanting and see the field and hear them changing my name.”
"I hope they were able to enjoy a little bit of my game tonight. But you know, they've always been so great with their energy. Every time I'm around."
FC Cincinnati is now into the Round of 16, and as a reward for winning, it will get a familiar opponent. Philadelphia Union took down CF Montréal 2-0 despite a red card, so Philly will come to Cincinnati for another knockout match. FCC and Philly have met in the last two MLS Cup Playoffs, which has fostered a history between the clubs, if not a rivalry.
The familiarity adds a layer of drama for fans and understanding for their opponent in players. Still, the overall mindset of winning games remains the same.
"I just love every game. It's football. It's a sport I've loved since I was a kid. Any chance I get to play it is always great. We've had some great competitions against Philly. I've had some great competition against other teams as well, but it'll be good to play against them and good to play another game," Acosta added.
"Every team in this competition thinks they can win it. All the other teams think they can win but we know we go forth with humility and with calmness. While everyone else goes into every game thinking they can win the competition, we will go in with our mentality and our energy, ready to play each game."
