2024 Match Reports

Heavy is the Crown: FC Cincinnati deflates at home, loses 3-1 to Charlotte FC

Luca Orellano is pictured from a prior FCC match. Photo by Anders Saling.

The highest of highs became the lowest of lows in the span of seven days.

Days after its big 6-1 victory over Inter Miami, FC Cincinnati failed to build its lead atop the standings. The Orange and Blue gave up two first-half goals to Charlotte FC and couldn’t stem the bleeding in the second half, losing to the other Queen City, 3-1.

Cincinnati (15-3-5, 48 pts.) entered Saturday’s match overflowing with momentum, having won their past three matches. The most recent victory, a 6-1 win over Inter Miami CF, put the Orange and Blue in the driver’s seat for the Supporters’ Shield. However, they also entered with the midfield in some disarray—Obinna Nwobodo had to serve a yellow card suspension and Malik Pinto was still shelved with an ankle injury.

Head coach Pat Noonan approached the match with a Starting XI and formation resembling the Miami match. Yuya Kubo was pulled back to Nwobodo’s spot, and Kevin Kelsy started atop the formation.

Charlotte FC (10-5-8, 35 pts.) approached the face-off on a two-match losing streak, having lost to Houston and Miami. The Crown also had their own missing pieces—forward and lead scorer Patrick Agyemang was out due to a red card suspension and defender Junior Urso was out with a leg injury. Iuri Tavares started atop the 4-3-3 formation in place of Agyemang.

Over the first 25 minutes of the first half, it looked like Charlotte was the team that put up six last week.

In the 20th minute, Ashley Westwood aimed a right-footed cross at the right post and found an unmarked Tavares. The forward from Cape Verde scored his third of the season past Roman Celentano for an early 1-0 lead.

Before the crowd could even settle down, reality struck for a second time. Westwood again assisted in the 22nd minute, this time threading a pass beyond Ian Murphy to Liel Abada. The Israeli forward hit a one-timer past Celentano to make it 2-0 in the span of three minutes.

While a panic button could have been hit, the Orange and Blue kept a level head.

The dam finally broke for FCC in the first minute of extra time. Yamil Asad fed a tight pass into the Charlotte box with Acosta barely kept onside by the defending line. His left-footed curler was out of Kristijan Kahlina’s reach, making it 2-1 minutes before halftime.

Acosta’s goal was his 11th of the season.

The second half started with a sudden burst of momentum Cincinnati had been seeking. The Orange and Blue were awarded a penalty after a handball in the box in the 47th minute. However, Acosta’s attempt to Kahlina’s left was read correctly, and the Charlotte goalkeeper recorded his first PK save of the season.

Two minutes later, it appeared that Orellano had tied the match with a left-footed goal that froze Kahlina. However, lead referee Guido Gonzalez Jr. later waved it off due to a VAR check for offside.

With the momentum fizzling, Charlotte iced the match in the remaining portions of the second half. Kerwin Vargas took advantage of Cincinnati’s poor set-piece defense by punching a header off a corner kick at the goal in the 66th minute to make it 3-1.

The match would later be too far out of reach in the 72nd minute. Miles Robinson fouled Vargas on a breakaway and was given a red card for denying a goal-scoring opportunity. The Cincinnati defender will miss the next match against Chicago before heading to Paris for the Olympics.

Charlotte appeared to instantly capitalize on the next set piece to make it 4-1, only for VAR to also overturn that goal.

With no real answer near the end of the match, the biggest concern may be the health of Acosta, who had been visibly limping at the end of the game. He was removed without an available substitution, but news from Pat Noonan indicated that there were no apparently issues with any breaks in his foot.

The loss opens the door for Miami and Columbus to resume the chase of the top of the East, but at the moment Cincinnati remains in first place. The defeat to Charlotte is also the Orange and Blue’s fourth loss at home, while they have lost only once on the road. Charlotte’s victory puts them in sixth at the time of reporting.

FC Cincinnati finishes its three-match homestand with a Wednesday match against Chicago Fire, while Charlotte travels up I-71 to take on Columbus Crew.

Match #23 – FC Cincinnati vs. Charlotte FC

TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Attendance: 25,513
Result: FC Cincinnati 1, Charlotte FC 3

BOX SCORE

FC Cincinnati Starting XI (3-4-2-1):

Roman Celentano (GK); Alvas Powell (Gerardo Valenzuela 46′), Miles Robinson, Ian Murphy; DeAndre Yedlin, Pavel Bucha, Yuya Kubo (Kipp Keller 78′), Yamil Asad (Bret Halsey 74′); Luca Orellano (Corey Baird 86′), Luciano Acosta (c); Kevin Kelsy (Sergio Santos 46′).

Bench: Alec Kann, Aaron Boupendza, Isaiah Foster, London Aghedo.

Charlotte FC Starting XI (4-3-3):

Kristijan Kahlina (GK); Nathan Byrne, Adilson Malanda, Andrew Privett, Jere Uronen; Brandt Bronico, Ashley Westwood (c), Djibril Diani (Ben Bender 60′); Liel Abada (Nick Scardina 90+2′), Iuri Tavares (Brecht Dejaeghere 60′), Kerwin Vargas (Tyger Smalls 81′).

Bench: David Bingham, Bill Tuiloma, Joao Pedro, Nikola Petkovic, Jaylin Lindsey.

Scoring Summary:

CLT – Iuri Tavares 20′ (Westwood)
CLT – Liel Abada 22′ (Westwood)
CIN – Luciano Acosta 45+1′ (Asad)
CLT – Kerwin Vargas 66′ (Westwood)

Discipline:
YC – Djibril Diani 3’ (CLT, foul)
YC – Ashley Westwood 45+3’ (CLT, foul)
YC – Adilson Malanda 47′ (CLT, handball)
YC – Nathan Byrne 54’ (CLT, foul)
YC – Miles Robinson 59’ (CIN, foul)
RC – Miles Robinson 72’ (CIN, DOGSO)
YC – Luciano Acosta 87’ (CIN, dissent)
YC – Tyger Smalls 90+9’ (CLT, unsportsmanlike conduct)

Next up:
vs. Chicago Fire FC, 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 17th, TQL Stadium (Cincinnati, OH)

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