FC Cincinnati Starts Three Match Home Stand with Loss.
CINCINNATI, OH - FC Cincinnati open a three match home stand with a loss to the New England Revolution, who clinched an MLS Cup Playoffs berth on Wednesday night.
Lineups
FC Cincinnati (3-5-2): 13 Louro; 24 Smith (99 Jabbari 81'), 6 Malatini (11 Gidi 46'), 15 Hadebe; 66 Echenique, 5 Nwobodo (C) (20 Bucha 46'), 22 Valenzuela, 27 Anunga, 3 Malacia (10 Evander 68'); 16 Barlow (17 Mboma Dem 46'), 9 Denkey
Head Coach: Pat Noonan
Unused Substitues: 18 Celentano, 4 Hagglund, 23 Douděra, 29 Ramírez
New England Revolution (4-2-3-1): 30 Turner; 12 Feingold (14 Yueill 74'), 22 Kohler, 66 Wynder, 23 Sands; 8 Polster, 21 Raines; 25 Miller (4 Beason 89'), 10 Gil (C), 16 Gazdag (41 Langoni 69'); 99 Turgeman (15 Baker 89')
Head Coach: Marko Mitrović
Unused Substitues: 33 Parisian, 7 Yow, 27 Harris, 65 Siqueira, 77 Fagúndez
Stats (CIN/NE)
Goals: 2/3
Possession (%): 59/41 Expected goals (xG): 1.92/1.67
Shots: 21/10
Shots on Target: 9/5
Fouls: 8/7
Scoring Summary
13' Cincinnati - Tom Barlow (Assist: Tyrell Malacia)
21' New England - Dor Turgeman (Assist: Peyton Miller)
43' New England - Joshua Wynder (Assist: Carles Gil)
51' New England - Dor Turgeman (Assist: Peyton Miller)
67' Cincinnati - Kévin Denkey (Assist: Tyrell Malacia)
FC Cincinnati's defensive woes continue as they concede three goals in a loss at home to the New England Revolution.
The Revolution's Peyton Miller was able to get on the end of a ball over the top by former Louisville City FC defender Joshua Wynder and cross the ball in to Dor Turgeman, who beat Evan Louro at the near post for the equalizer in the first half. The visitors would score a second before the halftime break, Carles Gil's corner kick service finding the head of the aforementioned Wynder, who scored his first MLS goal to give the Revolution the lead.
A ball through the lines early in the second half saw Turgeman score a second goal that was initially called offside but given as a goal after a VAR review.
FC Cincinnati have gone 18 league matches without recording a clean sheet, and sit 28th in MLS in goals conceded at 68, a season removed from conceding just 40 in 2025.
On the bright side
Kévin Denkey made it six goals in four matches after a goalless drought of six matches. His 17 goals on the season are tied for fourth most in all of MLS, only behind Philadelphia Union's Milan Iloski (18), FC Dallas' Petar Musa (19), and Inter Miami's Lionel Messi (23). Denkey was unavailable for Cincinnati's loss in Montréal during the international break.
FC Cincinnati, with 60 goals scored, rank fourth in all of MLS in goals scored, with only Vancouver Whitecaps (61), Nashville SC (63), and Inter Miami (70) ahead. Additionally, FC Cincinnati has a match in hand after their match against DC United was rescheduled to October 21st after a lengthy weather delay in early September.
Defensive Woes
FC Cincinnati's team statistics in some defensive metrics this season rank amongst the worst in all of MLS:
Goals Conceded: 68 (3rd Most in MLS)
Goals Prevented: -8.66 (Worst in MLS)
Red Cards: 7 (T-2nd Most in MLS)
Penalties Conceded: 10 (Most in MLS)
Clean Sheets: 2 (T-2nd Least in MLS)
Defensively, FC Cincinnati are on pace to concede 82 goals. The record for most goals conceded is 76 by San Jose in 2024, who beat the record previously held by the inagural season of FC Cincinnati in 2019, who conceded 75. That season, notably, saw a managerial carousel at the club starting with Alan Koch, replaced by interim Yoann Damet (who's St. Louis CITY SC side are currently unbeaten in 21 CONSECUTIVE matches across all competitions, an MLS record) and ultimately coached by Ron Jans from August onward.
Luckily for the Orange and Blue, Sporting Kansas City, already eliminated from playoff contention with five matches left to play, have conceded 72 goals and are on pace to concede an even worse 84 goals in their 2026 campaign. So, FC Cincinnati aren't alone in their defensive shortcomings.
Both goalkeeper options for FC Cincinnati have had shortcomings in their performances this season.
Roman Celentano has had a mixed season, including an early season injury and a stretch of poor performances in September, capped by a penalty conceding error in Montreal that led to him getting benched. Celentano recorded 2 clean sheets in 24 MLS starts in goal in 2026. Evan Louro has started just 4 matches in MLS play, and has -4.79 goals prevented in those four matches.
FC Cincinnati have a stretch of must-win matches to save their season and make the 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs. Playing host to the Columbus Crew who sit 13th in the East for a Sunday Night Soccer edition of Hell is Real, followed by a midweek fixture at home and weekend fixture on the road against 12th in the East DC United is an opportunity for Cincinnati to get wins they desperately need against teams below them in the table.
