With the madness of their last victory still fresh, the Orange & Blue took that one step beyond when they needed it.
FC Cincinnati dispelled the ghosts of the 2023 Leagues Cup letdown by surviving penalty kicks versus underdog Club Santos Laguna, 1-1 (6-5). It took a Luca Orellano goal to equalize from an earlier defensive mishap, and the squad won the PK round to advance to the next stage of the 2024 Leagues Cup.
Cincinnati were heavy favorites in this matchup, having won over Queretaro and New York City FC in their group stage. The last match against NYCFC saw FCC unlock its potential late in the evening, pushing four goals past the keeper in the final 20 minutes to win 4-2.
Los Verdiblancos of Santos Laguna advanced after gaining two points in their group but scored zero goals in their two official matches. The Mexican squad came in desperately seeking offensive momentum, as they had only scored once over their first four matches in the Liga MX Apertura. Santos Laguna ultimately advanced thanks to a 5-3 penalty-kick victory over Atlanta United.
With key members of the squad returning to practices this week, the promise of a strong Cincinnati Starting XI was high. DeAndre Yedlin returned to his right wingback position after a hip injury had shelved him. Miles Robinson slotted into the defending line after his stint with the U.S. men’s Olympic team. Lucho Acosta returned to the roster after missing both group-stage matches, but began the match on the bench.
The Santos Laguna starting lineup remained unchanged from their last match.
In the first ten minutes, FC Cincinnati was the team that looked uneasy. A scuffed pass by Chidozie Awaziem in the box coughed the ball up deep in Cincinnati territory. Antony Lozano pounced on the turnover and pushed his shot past Celentano to make it 1-0 early. The goal was the first from a Santos Laguna player that didn’t come from the penalty spot since the start of the Apertura season.
The Orange & Blue turned that frown upside down in minutes. Luca Orellano bounced his dribble past a defender in the 11th minute and fired a curler past goalkeeper Carlos Acevedo. His sixth goal across all competitions made it 1-1.
FC Cincinnati maintained ownership of the ball for much of the first half (56-44), but the opportunities did not turn into goals. The biggest opportunity came from Yuya Kubo’s penalty in the 36th minute after the Japanese forward was taken down in the box. However, Acevedo’s stretch to the right denied Kubo a conversion.
Both teams went into the locker room sharing a 1-1 score after 45 minutes.
Acosta made his presence felt with an early substitution in the second half, a welcome sight for much of the 18,014 in attendance. While the Argentinian midfielder had periods of rustiness, Acosta felt good about his return.
“It was tough to come back,” he said after the game. “I missed a lot of games, it’s been four games since I’ve played 90 minutes. I struggled a little bit, but I’m happy to come back.”
For much of the second half, FC Cincinnati were comfortable to take their time and set up for the advance. The back line of Robinson, Awaziem, and Ian Murphy clamped down, allowing only one additional shot on goal, while the number of overall shots heavily favored the Orange & Blue.
Cincinnati’s biggest opportunity came in the 83rd minute, as both Kubo and Sergio Santos had shots stymied by Acevedo. Overall, Cincinnati had a 20-9 advantage in shots and took five more shots on goal, but Acevedo’s six saves kept Santos Laguna in the match.
Both teams were unable to muster much afterward, sending the match straight to penalty kicks.
Despite Acevedo’s heroics on Kubo’s penalty kick in the first half, the goalkeeper was unable to keep out any of FC Cincinnati’s first five kicks. However, Celentano was equally unable to muster any defense, as Santos Laguna made all five of theirs as well.
In the sixth round, Sergio Santos was able to convert his attempt, while Aldo Lopez kicked his attempt over the bar to end the suspense. FC Cincinnati moves onto the next round after a harrowing Round of 32, while Santos Laguna returns home to Mexico.
“We move on,” Pat Noonan addressed after the match. “It was, I felt, a really strong performance. We put ourselves in a little hole to start the game, and I felt we rebounded in a really good way. We found the next goal and created some really good chances. We had the opportunity with the penalty to gain even more momentum–we missed out on that opportunity–but the guys really continued to play in a strong way, had plenty of chances to win the game in regulation, but I’m still pleased with the way they stepped up in the shootout and finished the job.”
The win on penalty kicks was karmic retribution for FC Cincinnati, as they were eliminated at this stage last year by Nashville SC. The next match is scheduled for Tuesday, August 13 against Philadelphia. The Union handled Montreal at home, 2-0, to advance.
“Both teams are familiar with each other,” Noonan spoke about Philadelphia and Cincinnati’s rivalry. “Philly’s in good form right now and getting healthy bodies. They’re winning games, and they look like themselves again. Our matchups are always pretty tight and chippy, similar to tonight. It’s a good challenge, and both sides understand what it’s going to look like and what it’s going to take to move on, so we’re looking forward to it.”
Leagues Cup Round of 32 – FC Cincinnati vs. Club Santos Laguna
TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Attendance: 18,014
Result: FC Cincinnati 1 (6), Club Santos Laguna 1 (5)
BOX SCORE
FC Cincinnati Starting XI (5-2-2-1):
Roman Celentano (GK); DeAndre Yedlin (c) (Corey Baird 87′), Miles Robinson, Chidozie Awaziem, Ian Murphy, Yamil Asad (Sergio Santos 67′); Obinna Nwobodo, Pavel Bucha; Gerardo Valenzuela (Luciano Acosta 58′), Luca Orellano, Yuya Kubo (Kevin Kelsy 87′).
Bench: Evan Louro, Paul Walters, Alvas Powell, Kipp Keller, Bret Halsey, Malik Pinto, London Aghedo, Stiven Jimenez.
Club Santos Laguna Starting XI (4-2-3-1):
Carlos Acevedo (GK – c); Diego Medina, Santiago Nuñez, Anderson Santamaria (Ismael Govea 68′), Bruno Amione; Salvador Mariscal, Santiago Naveda; Jordan Carrillo (Aldo Lopez 73′), Franco Fagundez (Jose Macias 73′), Ramiro Sordo (Francisco Villalba 89′); Antony Lozano (Emmanuel Echeverria 88′).
Bench: Santiago Muñoz, Vladimir Loroña, Luis Gutierrez, Hector Holgun, David Sanchez, Jonathan Perez, Tahiel Jimenez
Scoring Summary:
SAN – Antony Lozano 5′ (unassisted)
CIN – Luca Orellano 11′ (Bucha)
Penalty Kicks
Discipline:
YC – Santiago Nuñez 23’ (SAN, foul)
YC – Anderson Santamaria 34′ (SAN, foul)
Next up:
vs. Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, August 13th, TQL Stadium (Cincinnati, OH)
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