A good friend of mine poetically dubs this time of the year ‘Talking Season’. We all get a chance to tell the world how our midfielder signing is the key we have all been waiting for to unlock glory for our respective clubs. But on the eve of a fresh beginning for these clubs, it is a tradition here at Cincinnati Soccer Talk for our staff to make such claims and open ourselves to the howls of critics and the admiration of proselytes.
Here is how we foresee FC Cincinnati’s 2025 campaign going with the emphasis on the MLS Eastern Conference finish and cup competitions.
1st | Gracin Galbreath – @gra_cin on X
I expect FC Cincinnati to be very successful this season. They’ve added a proven DP no. 9, an MVP candidate as Lucho’s replacement, a more defensive left wing-back, and some depth. Considering how high they finished last year with a squad that was hardly cohesive and mangled by injuries, there will likely be improvement. I’m saying they’re going to finish first in the Eastern Conference. Columbus has lost some key players and Miami has aged more; only Atlanta looks like a challenger. Cincinnati looks like the only squad with the longevity to win it.
My prediction for awards is based entirely on how I think they’ll finish. I’d say Denkey is a serious candidate for the Golden Boot and or Newcomer of the Year. I’d imagine he will be the club’s best player in ′25. Evander may be in the conversation for MVP, but I don’t think he’ll win given it’s his first season here. Noonan will be an easy candidate for Coach of the Year.
As for trophies, I can see them winning the Supporters’ Shield. Without Lucho, they can reap the benefits of being more well-rounded. If there is any squad to break the semi-final curse and win any cup, it is this one. But I don’t think they will, as history has proven in ′18 and ′23.
2nd | Jeremy Lance – @JeremyLance on X
Regardless of any and all inbound signings, departing the Lucho era plunges the club into a level of uncertainty. Will Pat be able to implement a system that has the squad maintaining their high level of the past two seasons? Will Evander live up to the hype? Will Evander or Denkey be able to carry the club when the moment is needed? Who will put out a full-page ad professing their love and admiration for the fans and city?
For me, I think everything will work out. Pat rolled out nine million lineups in 2024 and we finished with the 5th best record in the league. He knows what he’s doing and now he has a squad that doesn’t have to revolve around one player. The back line got stronger, and if they remain healthy should spend 2025 suffocating opponents. We now have a striker who comes with all the skills and none of the baggage. All signs point to great things. I see the Orange and Blue finishing 2nd in the East. LET’S GET THAT CUP!
2nd | Josh Dye – @Aquanoggin on BlueSky
Call it a hot take, a bold prediction, hometown slappy behavior, whatever—I believe this starting lineup is the best that’s FCC has produced. The potential is elite. I think Evander could shape this offense into a more cohesive unit, something we’ve never seen from FCC without Lucho Acosta. The pressure is now on Noonan and the staff to implement their system. The defense will take some time to get healthy, but in the end, it will be a top three defense in almost every category.
I still have questions about the depth and that could prevent us from reaching certain goals, but this is a trophy winning roster. I’ll say they finish 2nd in the East and get the job done. MLS Cup Champions.
2nd | Jacob Holton – @jakeholton12 on X
The team that Chris Albright has put together for this season is probably the best starting 11 at the beginning of a season that FC Cincinnati has ever had. An attacking trident of Luco Orellano, Evander, and Kevin Denkey has the potential to be one of the best goal scoring teams in the entire MLS, including Miami. There will be less individual brilliance, but if those three gel together quickly, other teams are going to be in trouble. The backline should return to form with Matt Miazga coming back from injury and Miles Robinson and Teenage Hadebe returning. Pavel Bucha is entering his second season in MLS and will be paired with Obinna Nwobodo and Yuya Kubo through the middle. With this starting 11 it seems impossible for FCC to not win at least one trophy. I don’t see FCC putting a ton of focus on the CCC, or the Leagues Cup for that matter. This season feels like MLS Cup or bust. All that said, I think FCC finish 2nd in a very strong Eastern Conference. And in the end FCC will lift the first Championship in Cincinnati since the 1990 Cincinnati Reds.
2nd | Brian Biedenbach –@BrianBiedenbach on X
Two weeks ago, with much uncertainty surrounding the squad, I would have said the Orange and Blue would find their way into the playoffs as a 5th or 6th seed in the East. However, with the recent signings of Lukas Engel and Evander, each of whom brings something different to the squad than perhaps we’ve seen to date, I’m much more optimistic.
In their search for chemistry and developing partnerships due to the 11th hour signings, they may not start fast enough to make a push for the Supporters’ Shield, but they will find their way to a 2nd place finish in the East and make a run for the MLS Cup. By season’s end, this Queen City squad could even have their second league MVP and their first Golden Boot. Perhaps that sounds unrealistically optimistic, but this organization has proven, by the money they spent and the players they brought in, that they mean business and will not finish the 2025 season empty-handed.
Credit: FC Cincinnati
2nd | Geoff Tebbetts – @geofftebbetts on BlueSky
You guys should presume I’m correct more often than not. I picked us to win the Shield in 2023, and I picked us to finish 3rd in 2024. (Ignore my prediction of Quimi Ordoñez, Impact Player—no one can bat a thousand.)
Last season reminded us that we’ll always be out of reach from our ultimate objective, whether it is due to self-inflicted wounds or karmic missteps. I do think that the splashed cash is evidence that the front office is ready to play. Exchanging Lucho for Evander is a gutsy but necessary maneuver, and the move to pull in Denkey as the scoring machine should produce immediate dividends. More importantly, I see teams staying behind in the East by either pulling back to retool for 2026 (Columbus, Philadelphia, NYCFC) or doing more to make up for lost ground in 2024 (New England, Chicago, Atlanta).
It will be a pipe dream to get individual accolades on this team, but I do see Pat Noonan in the running for another Coach of the Year award. I also won’t go so far to predict another Supporters’ Shield for this team but give me a second-place finish in the East, another return to the Eastern Conference finals, and massive advancement to the Leagues Cup finals and CCC quarterfinals.
For a prediction more out of left field, I expect FCC2 to win the MLS Next Pro Cup—a mammoth accomplishment for the second team and academy to prepare for prime time.
2nd | Cliff Adams – @cliff-a on BlueSky
Albright is all in. New to our plight is the CONCACAF Champions Cup, and as FC Cincinnati prevailed over Motagua, they face an awaiting Tigres on March 3rd, with three more rounds beyond that point, increasing the workload during the earlier, colder months. The season start is not the kindest, with an immediate test in the cold against RBNY and an early look at Charlotte who will finish in playoff contention. April feels kinder, with New England, DC, Chicago and Sporting KC slated. And we’ll have played the first 10 games by the end of that month. If we post above 20 points in those competitions, our remaining season becomes somewhat protected from injuries and callups. I don’t see any cupcake teams, but would put Philly, Chicago, and DC United out of playoff contention this year in our conference. I do not see Orellano finishing the season with us. I have us finishing in the top three in the Eastern Conference, in the high 60s in points, with the Supporter’s Shield a possibility. We could make a deep run into the playoffs as well. It is officially a war of attrition.
Most importantly I will spend a lot of time in my seat at TQL, some of that time with the son and wife, some with good friends. I’ll arrive early and think about the week as I look out over the glorious pitch. I’ll experience a wide range of emotions. Some games I’ll adhere to my one-beer-per-goal rule. And most games, I’ll take the walk from the south end to the east and all the way around to the quiet outdoor overlook to the west to take in the sunset. I will let go of the worries of the day, be they cousins in hospice, family members in stage four cancer, or whatever challenges I’m facing. I will breathe in gratitude. And I will return to my seat and be thoroughly entertained, and a little unruly. That is certain.
3rd | Jason Ashcraft – @JaseTheAce41 on X
Predicting anything in Major League Soccer is a total crapshoot. Chris Albright took some big swings in the offseason with the acquisition of Kevin Denkey, the sale of Lucho Acosta to Dallas, and the purchase of Evander. But as seems to be a trend recently, there were issues with some players not arriving to camp on time and reports of a rocky relationship between the front office and the camp holdouts.
That said, if everyone can gel and stay healthy, I see no reason why FC Cincinnati can’t compete for another Supporters’ Shield. The talent is there as is the coaching. This being Major League Soccer, though, I think a realistic pick, and the one I’m sticking with, is that the Garys finish third in the Eastern Conference behind MLS’s version of the Kansas City Chiefs (Inter Miami) and a surprisingly good Charlotte squad.
3rd | Justin Blair – @_jeblair on X
This offseason FC Cincinnati pushed all their chips into winning a cup. The signing of Luca Orellano, Kevin Denkey, and Evander for a reported $31.2M in transfer fees signals to the MLS and beyond that FCC is hungry. With that I believe FCC will place a heavy emphasis on winning cup competitions above finishing top of the Eastern Conference table.
The pieces are certainly there for the Orange and Blue to assert their will, but I fear that the other clubs have made the necessary adjustments. Charlotte FC, Atlanta United, and Red Bull New York have all made a splash in the transfer market and are sure to build off their 2024 playoff finishes. Inter Miami, the ever-looming goliath, has also moved pieces around and has recovered during the off season. I can see FC Cincinnati finishing anywhere between third and fifth in the Eastern Conference this season. As I am eternally optimistic, I will deviate towards the higher of that range and land on a third-place finish.
As for cups, we all know that there are no guarantees in bracket formats. I think FCC has a favorable road in the CONCACAF Champions Cup with Tigres and LA Galaxy a mess in roster design versus philosophy. I can see FCC navigating their way to the semi-final, but I don’t think the roster will be gelled enough to dispose of the higher ranked clubs in the competition. In Leagues Cup, FCC has arguably one of the toughest roads in the competition with Monterrey and Chivas coming into TQL. I think this is where we see FCC in full glory. Several MLS clubs with be making summer window moves and Liga MX will be fresh off their mid-year pause. I believe FCC will win the Leagues Cup. Now with the final competition, the MLS Cup, who on earth truly knows here in February? FCC will be a favorite to win the cup but there are too many variables that are just not predictable. But this is a prediction article so I, like the club’s front office, will push all the chips in and say FC Cincinnati lifts the 2025 MLS Cup in front of a very silent Lumen Field.
4th | Jose Guerra – @L5Sourcerer on X
As we sit down in our living rooms, home offices, decks (heated ones if you’re in the north) and maybe even during our workouts, we continue to absorb the constant news about FCC roster changes. All types of permutations, scenarios, what-ifs, and dream lineups come and go through our minds. Which is why making predictions is sometimes a random exercise in luck. But who has not tried to figure out where we will end the season? So here are what I believe the awards and final position will be at the end of the 2025 season.
Despite the roster rotation we’ve had, I believe FCC has a shot at the following:
- Golden Boot – Kévin Denkey
- Comeback Player of the Year – Matt Miazga
- MLS Best XI – Luca Orellano
My big assumptions for these awards are that Denkey has plenty of plays sent his way, Miazga is back to form, and Luca focuses on playing.
In terms of position on the table, I think it will be 4th. Here are my reasons and assumptions:
- Assuming the backline is stable (i.e., no more season ending injuries), it will give the team some breathing room as the rest of the lineup gets used to the system and chemistry is built. But as we saw last year, depending on your backline to weather an entire season is not sustainable if scores are down.
- With Obi Nwobodo and Tan Anunga we may also have a strong midfield that disrupts play, giving the backline some relief from all those plays that plagued FCC last year on opponent breakaways, with some progression opportunities through Anunga while surely missing the Acosta factor.
- With no Acosta, our goal scoring opportunities may go down if the patterns from the previous two years continue. That means that a combination of Pavel Bucha, Yuya Kubo, and Evander will need to pick up some of the slack and maybe a change in system will help (but we will still miss Lucho magic).
- The frontline with Denkey and Orellano could be very effective, but they’ll need time to get used to each other and also create chemistry with the midfield.
- Lastly, there is what I call the “X” factor. Which teams in the Eastern Conference will be the surprise and push towards the top three to five positions? We see it every year so some team, or teams, will do it again this year.
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