Evander has been the star of MLS All-Star week in Austin, Texas this week as FC Cincinnati’s star midfielder and favorite for the MVP continued to dazzle amongst his peers at the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge presented by AT&T. With 72 points in the Shooting Challenge, pushing MLS over the top of Liga MX to win the event, Evander set the record for most points earned in the challenge.
“I wasn't imagining that at all, like, I was just trying to win the challenge but I was happy that I broke the record,” Evander said in the mixed zone after the Skills Challenge. “I got so excited. It was a fun night.”
The Brazilian superstar for The Orange and Blue would then go on to win his portion of the Passing Challenge, defeating fellow Brazilian Rodrigo Dourado of Liga MX side Athletico San Luis by completing all five target passes in less than 30 seconds.
The cherry on the cake for Evander at the All-Star Game was that ahead of the marquee game on Wednesday night, the FCC number 10 was named Captain of the MLS All-Star team after winning the fan vote.
Evander's appointment as captain means that FC Cincinnati players have captained the All-Star team in each of the last three seasons. Now, with the game set and his duties clarified, Evander is looking to head into the match with the intention of having fun while competing for glory in Liga MX.
“Just enjoy, have fun and play a good game,” Evander said after the Skills Challenge on how he was looking to approach the match. “Of course, you want to win, but you know, having in mind that this is not like not playing for the league. We have our teams. We have to take care a little bit as well. But of course, you want to play and have fun.”
Additionally, at the All-Star festivities earlier in the week were FC Cincinnati Academy standouts Ademar Chavez and Andrei Chirila, who represented the East at the MLS NEXT All-Star game held on Monday night. Chavez, 16, played in the first 45 minutes and earned an assist on the first goal of the game – serving in a quality free kick to help the score. Chirila, also 16 and whose older brother Stefan was selected to this same game last year, came on for the second 45 and helped the Eastern Conference secure a 4-3 result to win the matchup against the Western Conference.
Back in Cincy…
Meanwhile, while All-Stars Evander and Miles Robinson represent the club at All-Star week, training continues as FC Cincinnati takes to the fields at Mercy Health Training Center to prepare for Inter Miami CF.
In a rare twist of the calendar, after playing The Herons just a week ago at TQL Stadium, FC Cincinnati head to South Florida for the return match and to close out the season series at Chase Stadium.
With an emotional week behind them, a week that started with disappointment and frustration and ended with two clean sheets and a spot at the top of the Supporters' Shield table, FCC is looking to stay steady again and continue their strong form. They’re also looking, according to Head Coach Pat Noonan, to use their veteran experience to carry them through the tough times and keep them level in the good times so they continue to improve, rather than follow the emotional swings.
“We know what we could expect from the group,” Noonan said after the match on Saturday. “That's where our group is. These guys are professional. They understand when we aren't at our best and how we can improve, and then they apply themselves in the ways that we need to improve in a good way. That allows us to get past disappointment and go and perform in a better way and get a better result and then not settle for that one good performance. Go and turn it around and do it again. So that's what you can expect of this group, because I think we have a lot of strong characters and good leaders, and they have a way about them that you just trust that we're going to get things right, and you can count on them even in the toughest moments. So that's what the last two games have looked like, and that's why I think we're talking in a different way."
Meteorology
Part of the trip to Fort Lauderdale, the home of Inter Miami CF’s Chase Stadium, will be accounting for the weather conditions after coming back from an already grueling week where they played Saturday at nearly 4700ft of elevation when they took on Real Salt Lake. However, given the weather in Cincinnati, it may not be much different from what a July summer night in South Florida will feel like.
With temperatures expected to be in the high to mid-80s in both cities, and humidity between 65 and 70 percent, things in Cincinnati are feeling a lot like South Florida right now.
That brutal weather, particularly for playing professional soccer, has helped FC Cincinnati prepare mentally for the challenges they may face. It even helped some overcome the potential challenges of playing at attitude over the weekend and could help level the playing field this weekend.
“I feel like, given the weather some of our games have had, I didn’t even notice the thin air here tonight,” midfielder Brian Anunga said Saturday after the match. “We’ve been playing every week in hot, humid weather so having a little less humidity was nice but really it didn’t feel any different.”
“That kind of helps us I think,” Anunga continued. “We’ve played in the worst of it, and we’ve learned how to manage and get through it. Now, when we go somewhere with its own challenges, it's not new, it’s just different. But we know how to handle it.”
Seven times in club history have FC Cincinnati kicked off with a game-time temperature of 90 degrees or higher, but if it exceeds the expected mid-80s forecast, it could make for a historically challenging game.
Development at Work
With Kévin Denkey out for a couple of weeks after sustaining an injury in Hell is Real, which is now approaching just over two weeks ago, Gerardo “Dado” Valenzuela has stepped in to fill some of those minutes and help the team at the striker position. Valenzuela scored the opening goal in a win against Miami last week and is currently building on a career year, having scored five goals this season.
Part of Valenzuela’s development, and breakout, as a young player has been his ability to score. However, it has also been his ability to fit within the team and do more than just be one thing, as he continues to improve his play in all phases.
“I don't think the conversations around Dado have changed too much as far as what we're seeing he's capable of,” FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan said last week about the young American midfielder and his contribution to the win over Inter Miami. “[Dado] does a really good job on his movement to find that first goal, and it was a good discipline effort from him defensively.
“With the ball, I think it's always around consistency with young players and in games and being able to play in different types of games,” Noonan continued. “Against a physical team, against a team that sits back, I think that's where the improvement can be for Dado. Just being able to adapt to different opponents and different structures to understand how to impact the game. But, you know, he's done a good job with the production aspect of it, that part has improved this year considerably. So we're pleased about that. I think I've said it before, it's other aspects of the game to know; your defensive responsibilities, to change speeds at the right time. It's not about sprinting all over the field, but understanding how to create space with the ball, for yourself, for your teammates, defensively, how to make play clear with pressing moments. So those are things we continue to work on."
Valenzuela was one of FC Cincinnati’s first academy products to graduate from the system and join the first team and is now a valued contributor. He is, in 17 appearances and 7 starts, third on the team in goal scoring in 2025.
