FC Cincinnati earned its first road win of the 2025 MLS season last Saturday night, an important victory not only on the calendar but for team morale as the season wears on. After a busy start to the 2025 season, where training opportunities were limited, The Orange and Blue had taken care of business for the most part at home but struggled mightily to score on the road.
While the 2-1 win in Nashville was won on two deadball actions, with one free kick and one penalty kick giving FCC the winning push, the development of offense was on clear display now that Pat Noonan and his squad have spent a more significant, and impactful, period of time on the training ground.
"I think in moments of our last couple games, specifically, we weren't running hard enough in front of goal, and too many guys wanted the ball to be played to their feet, to be played in front of defenders," Pat Noonan said after the victory in Nashville. "We didn't have enough guys either willing to run in front of goal, sacrificing themselves for opening up their teammates. So we covered that in the lead up to the game. I think that got better."
A key point in the buildup to the match, highlighted by Noonan during the pregame press conference, was getting opportunities closer to the target. FCC entered the game Saturday with the second furthest average shot distance at over 20 yards and was in the bottom third of the league in opposing third passing. However, on Saturday, progress was made despite the goals coming from set moments. FCC generated 13 passes into the opposing box, as many as their previous two matches combined and the most in a single game this season. The Orange and Blue also created 13 key passes (passes that directly lead to a shot), another season high.
"It's not about doing things in a reckless way, we have to be calculated in the timing, the positions and what's needed to help us create," Noonan continued after the Nashville SC victory. "I think there were certain moments where you saw it with Luca's run earlier on, with Kevin's run late…those were more calculated, well-timed runs that – even if they were to break down – I think our structure allowed us to be able to deal with some transition moments, which is important. You can't just have guys all running to goal with no real thought about what it looks like if the play breaks down. So, I was pleased with the improvements."
As FC Cincinnati continues to hit the training pitch and build in a more routine way, finding ways to continue to build cohesive offense with all of its parts will be a thing to watch for.
Baird on earning the PK
An example of the kind of run Noonan is looking for can be seen in the final moments of the match last weekend where Corey Baird makes a run to the box that ultimately wins FC Cincinnati a penalty kick. The run not only threatened the back line but opened up enough space to force NSC defender Walker Zimmerman into a difficult spot, so even if the ball hadn't been served to Baird, the space opened up could have been dangerous if the play went in another direction.
"When you have a guy like Evander, for me, I'm just trying to make runs off of him, cause he'll find you," Baird said on Saturday after the match. "When I'm making these runs, obviously you want the ball, but there are times that it really does open up gaps for other people. And so at times that running can be really selfless, and it's frustrating when you don't get it, but that's what helps the team. This time it did, so when you do it enough eventually it all comes back around to you."
Baird's name doesn't end up on the score sheet for the effort as Kévin Denkey stepped to the spot to score the penalty he won. Still, the contribution to scoring was noted by all and represents the kind of play and mentality FC Cincinnati is looking to build from.
"I think, as an attacking player, just being involved in buildups, the chances and those up to goals, stuff like that, is what you want," Baird continued. "Obviously you want the stats and all that looks good, but always playing a key part in the big chances and in the goals is what you want and I think if you're doing that you're going to get your own chances. They'll come around."
"That's what you expect from Corey. That's how he plays the game, and that's the teammate that he is," Pat Noonan said Thursday ahead of FCC's match with New England Revolution. "You want that from everybody all the time. An unselfish player that wants to impact the game for his team in a good way. So he won't get credit for anything on the score sheet, but the delivery from Evander is outstanding, his timing and his movement is very good, and it leads to Kévin being able to step up and make the penalty."
"The more you get of those types of players within your team and on the field, the better chance you have, because he goes about it the right way. I think that run was kind of indicative of it. He's trying to make the most of his minutes when he's on the field to help his team."
Preparing for Weather
Saturday's match with New England Revolution at TQL Stadium is expected to, at the very least, have weather in the area that could impact play. While the current forecast doesn't predict electricity in the air (beyond the obvious energy the fans at TQL Stadium bring and the quality on the pitch), rain is expected to come down for most, if not all, of the match.
Poor weather conditions and, more so, poor field conditions impact both sides, but being prepared for those possibilities is something to keep in mind. If the field is overly waterlogged or slick, being mindful of how that affects the game could be the difference.
For FC Cincinnati, Pat Noonan says they will use the time prematch to evaluate the situation and make any adjustments they may need in their final preparations.
"You look at the forecast and prepare, anticipate what could happen. But in this particular case, I haven't addressed it with the group," Noonan explained Thursday ahead of the match. "I don't want to put too much information in their head early on to have them thinking about that. I want them thinking about New England and us and how we can go play the game."
"If we need to make some adjustments based on our arrival and what we see, that's no different from any other game. So we'll just kind of see where we're at on game day."