Following a 1-1 draw with Nashville SC at TQL Stadium, the Orange and Blue dropped the ensuing 5-4 penalty kick shootout to the visitors Friday night in the Leagues Cup Round of 32. With the shootout loss, Cincinnati’s run ended in the inaugural Leagues Cup tournament.
Nashville struck first off a corner kick, with Anibal Godoy scoring in the 64th minute off a rebound from a deflection from goalkeeper Alec Kann.
With Cincinnati mounting increasing pressure, the referee awarded the Orange and Blue in the 83rd minute after Brandon Vazquez was taken down inside the box by defender Jack Maher off a ball crossed in from the right side.
Two minutes later, Vazquez stepped up and converted his second-career penalty with FC Cincinnati, his fifth goal of the Leagues Cup competition to level the score, 1-1.
After the match was level following 90 minutes, the third penalty kick shootout of the season for FC Cincinnati ensued. Nashville emerged victorious, 5-4, converting all of their kicks with a save of Matt Miazga’s third kick for FCC proving the difference.
FC Cincinnati will return to MLS play on Sunday, August 20 for the return leg of Hell is Real at the Columbus Crew. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. and the match will broadcast nationally on Fox Sports 1 and MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Fans can also listen to the match locally on ESPN 1530.
FC CINCINNATI GAME REPORT
FC Cincinnati vs Nashville SC
Date: August 4, 2023
Competition: Leagues Cup 2023 Round of 32
Venue: TQL Stadium
Attendance: 19,911
Kickoff: 8:09 p.m. ET
Weather: 85 degrees, clear
SCORING SUMMARY: 1-2-F (PKs)
CIN: 0-1-1 (4)
NSH: 0-1-1 (5)
CIN – Brandon Vazquez (PK) 85’
NSH – Anibal Godoy 64’
PENALTY SHOOTOUT SUMMARY (KICK TAKEN)
CIN: Luciano Acosta (1) – Good
Brandon Vazquez (3) – Good
Matt Miazga (5) – Saved
Yuya Kubo (7) – Good
Álvaro Barreal (9) – Good
NSH: Hany Mukhtar (2) – Good
Fafà Picault (4) – Good
Anibal Godoy (6) – Good
Walker Zimmerman (8) – Good
Dax McCarty (10) – Good
GAME NOTES
• FC Cincinnati moved to 19-2-9 across all competitions this season … Friday marked the first time Cincinnati and Nashville met outside of MLS play, with the head-to-head standing now at 2-2-3.
• Friday marked the fourth game-deciding penalty kick shootout for FC Cincinnati since joining Major League Soccer … the club is 2-2 in those matches, 2-1 this season.
• Yuya Kubo became the fourth player in club history (Hagglund, Vazquez, Barreal) to make 100 appearances across all competitions for FC Cincinnati.
• Friday marked the sixth all-time game for FC Cincinnati on a Friday … the club is 1-2-3 in those games.
• FC Cincinnati are 8-3-4 in non-regular season competition since joining MLS.
• Brandon Vazquez scored his team-high fourth goal for FC Cincinnati against Nashville SC.
LINEUPS
CIN: Alec Kann, Álvaro Barreal, Ian Murphy (Nick Hagglund 90’), Matt Miazga, Yerson Mosquera, Alvas Powell (Bret Halsey 71’), Junior Moreno (Yuya Kubo 71’), Obinna Nwobodo, Luciano Acosta (C), Brandon Vazquez, Aaron Boupendza (Marco Angulo 80’)
Substitutes not used: Roman Celentano, Evan Louro, Joey Akpunonu, Arquimides Ordoñez, Malik Pinto, Ray Gaddis, London Aghedo, Ben Stitz
Head Coach: Pat Noonan
NSH: Joe Willis (Elliot Panicco 90+4’), Daniel Lovitz, Lukas MacNaughton (Jack Maher 77’), Dax McCarty, Fafà Picault, Shaq Moore, Walker Zimmerman (C), Sean Davis (Brian Anunga 77’), Joshua Bauer, Anibal Godoy, Hany Mukhtar
Substitutes not used: Ben Martino, Ethan Zubak, Laurence Wyke, Alex Muyl, Taylor Washington, Luke Haakenson
STATS SUMMARY: CIN/NSH
Shots: 13 / 8
Shots on Goal: 4 / 5
Saves: 4 / 3
Corner Kicks: 8 / 5
Fouls: 11 / 13
Offside: 1 / 2
Possession: 66.2 / 33.8
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
NSH – Lukas MacNaughton (Yellow Card) 59’
OFFICIALS
Referee: Nima Saghafi
Ast. Referees: William Arrieta, Kali Smith
Fourth Official: Pierre-luc Lauziere
VAR: Luis Enrique Santander Aguirre
AVAR: Fabio Tovar
