After two weeks out of action due to a knock sustained in a match against Nashville SC, Evander made his return to the pitch for The Orange and Blue and announced his return with authority. By scoring a brace and helping FC Cincinnati earn a 3-2 win against the Chicago Fire, Evander not only helped catapult the team into the top spot of the Eastern Conference but also boosted himself into second in the Golden Boot race.

"Me, as a player, I just hate being off the field, missing two games, but this shows how strong we are as a group. The guys did amazing jobs," Evander said postgame on Saturday. "So coming on today, progressing from an injury, helping the team to three points tonight was like, it couldn't be better now. I'm so, so happy and proud to be part of this group."

"It was refreshing. You know, he's somebody with his movements, with his composure, with his vision (that) we've got to find ways to continue to play through him, because he opens up the game for us," FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan said of Evander's return to action and how that helps FC Cincinnati. "He was, for me, one of the bright spots in the first half, as far as somebody that was able to deal with the pressure. And on top of just how he connects our midfield line, our front line, how he shifts the opponent, that was a constant all night."

Evander fueled two goals in his return, adding a much-needed offensive punch through the middle of the field. In the previous two games that Evander had missed, FCC had scored a combined 2 goals but got wins in both matches. With his two goals against Chicago, Evander is now up to six in the season in MLS play and eight in total across all competitions. With the pair, Evander also became the 4th fastest player in MLS history to reach 30 career goals and 25 career assists, doing so in 62 games.

"(The first goal) we were fortunate, but he's still in good positions to make plays," Noonan continued, explaining how Evander was able to create his own chances so as to make it possible that a deflected shot went in over the keeper's head. "And then in the second half, you see a couple moments where he has the ball that he brings across, good timing of his movement, and then the goal how he's able to change his speed and be deceptive in getting past the defender, all those things, all those details are, are something that you can't teach all the time. It's just a feel for the game and a feel for the moment. And he has that."

Evander's return to action is, in the larger context, part of a trend of FC Cincinnati players returning to action – or nearing a return to action shortly – so as to fill out the squad in a more complete way. Evander's return, along with Nick Hagglund and Matt Miazga making their season debuts and others like Obinna Nwobodo returning to training after some time away due to injury, means that FC Cincinnati is nearing the most complete it's been in a very long time.

For FCC players in particular, being able to achieve what it has thus far with the complications to the squad they've had is a testament to their depth and resilience as a group. They've gone through challenges and overcome to the tune of 19 points. But it is also a sign of what's possible when they all come together and are available whenever that happens.

"We are getting stronger with guys coming back from injury, and still missing a couple players but I think once everyone is healthy, I think we can definitely show that we are one of the best teams in the league," Evander explained. "And I think we showed even without some of the players we can match up against every team. So I think once we get everyone healthy, we will be much better."

One Goal Games

While for much of the game on Saturday, particularly as the clock ticked up closer to 90 with a 3-1 lead, FC Cincinnati was looking to close out a multiple-goal lead with poise and professionalism. However, after a PK was called and converted against FCC, the switch to late-game defense felt far more familiar and forced FCC to defend a one-goal lead again.

Since the beginning of 2023, FC Cincinnati has been dominant in one-goal matches with a 33-8 record in such scorelines. In contrast, no other MLS club has as many as 20 one-goal wins in that time. But that kind of success is a two-sided coin. On the one hand, yes, a win is a win no matter the scoreline and yes, one-goal games are going to happen…to play so many tight scorelines is an added stress on the team (and fanbase) that you'd rather avoid. You'd rather win 4-0, sure, but having the poise to see out a 1-0 or 3-2 victory is equally important.

"I think we feel comfortable," DeAndre Yedlin said postgame after FCC saw out the 3-2 Chicago victory. "We don't want to put ourselves in that situation if we don't need to, sometimes it's just inevitable, and that's what's going to happen. But I think today we could have avoided it a bit. But at the end of the day, a win's a win and it doesn't matter if it's, you know, a one goal game or a four goal game, the wins the win and three points and we move up the board."

FC Cincinnati's defensive experience and prowess have been a stand-out quality for the club early in 2025 but have largely been a calling card of the club's success dating back to the start of 2022 when Head Coach Pat Noonan took over the club.

"I think we have a group that can adapt when the game's not playing out like we'd like to, or like we would like it to. Where we're not strong enough with the ball in the second half, and we're having to defend for long stretches." Noonan explained prior to the Chicago match, providing context on the club's success in one-goal games. "That's a mentality if, you know, if we don't have that over the last couple years, however long you know that stretch is, then I don't think that we win as many one-goal games as we have. So, a good mentality as a starting point, but then the ability to adapt to how the game's playing out and knowing that if we're not having success with the ball, and we're not able to create chances consistently and put teams under pressure, you have to understand how to defend in those moments.

"The idea is that we don't suffer that long, and we're not that poor with the ball, so we can continue to create and find another goal. But certainly pleased with the approach when the game's not going our way."

Chirila Stands Out

FC Cincinnati forward and FC Cincinnati Academy product Stefan Chirila continues to stand out as the young star was named MLS NEXT Pro Player of the Matchday for his performance this Sunday at NKU Soccer Stadium, where FC Cincinnati 2 defeated New York Red Bulls II 3-1.

The 18-year-old forward was an unused sub in the first-team match in Chicago the day before, so the club decided to have him start for the second team the following day in an effort to continue getting him match time.

In sending Chirila to play with the second team this weekend, the club continues to look for ways to give its young star opportunities to develop in matches. That philosophy extended beyond MLS NEXT Pro last week as FCC sent Chirila to play with the club's U18 team at the GA Cup in Bradenton, Florida.

As the premier Academy tournament on the annual calendar, the FC Cincinnati Academy sent its U18 and U16 teams to the event. With Chirila eligible as he falls within the age category, FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan explained last week as to why they chose to send him with the team, and why it was important for the player to attend.

"The importance of games. We've kind of had a plan laid out for a lot of our top young talents and the importance of playing games and getting minutes, and if we felt okay going into a certain stretch… and if Stefan wasn't going to be the first or second or third option off the bench, let's get him games," Noonan explained. "So that was the decision there, and he went and did a good job. So for players like Stef, at this stage in his career, minutes and games are the most important thing. So if it's not with the first team, there's a plan to continue to progress him and develop him with minutes elsewhere.

"That was, I think, the right decision, and he had a really good approach to it, and scored a goal and did a good job."

Chirila scored a goal against the NYCFC U18 Academy team in group stage play at the GA Cup, in a game he was joined by his brother Andrei Chirila, who started at center back for the U18 side despite being just 16 years old.