On to the next round
The season is off and running and the fixtures keep coming hot and heavy for FC Cincinnati. After a tough 4-1 loss in Philadelphia Saturday night, the Orange and Blue are coming back to TQL Stadium to continue their CONCACAF Champions Cup run. After dispatching Motagua in the round of 32, FCC now have a much harder opponent in the Mexican giant, Tigres UNAL. The teams are set, so let’s dive into both sides.
The visitors
Unlike FCC, Tigres are well into their season at this point in the year. Liga MX does their seasons a little differently. The league runs on two different seasons, Aperture (July-December) and Clausura (January-May). Tigres performed very well in the Aperture season finishing 3rd place and just one point behind 2nd place Toluca. In the current Clausura season, Tigres are in the exact same spot sitting 3rd in the table. In their last five matches Tigres have won three and lost two. With wins coming against Cruz Atlas, Cruz Azul, and Necaxa, and losses to León and Juárez. Safe to say that Tigres are a team in great form. Tigres employ a possession-based style of football. The main formation they have been using is a 4-2-3-1. They like to rely on their wingers to get up the sides of the pitch and get crosses into the box, which can create chaos or opportunities for headed goals from a striker or midfielder.
Players to watch for Tigres UNAL
Tigres has always been a hot bed for talented players, and not just players from Mexico. The Brazilian CB Joaquim Pereira is a force to be reckoned with. He’s 6’3″ and has plenty of pace and strength to keep up with all attackers. Dangerous on corner kicks, he wins a whopping 95 percent of all aerial duels, so FCC would be wise not to give up too many corners. Uruguayan midfielder Fernando Gorriarán is a do it all type player. Great at cutting off passing lanes and putting in a tackle on players, he’s also not afraid to join the attack as well. Juan Brunetta, a talented Argentinian midfielder, plays a bit further up the pitch so he can use his excellent passing ability to distribute to his teammates. If you give him the space and time, he can score the goals himself as well.
Tigres CCC round up
Tigres had a more adventurous round of 32 matchup in the CCC. They took on the Nicaraguan side Real Esteli FC. In a shocking upset, Tigres were beaten 1-0 in Nicaragua on Feb 5th. The second leg was no problem at all though. In just two minutes Tigres tied the aggregate score. They added two more goals in the 14th and 85th minute. So, while they were upset in shocking fashion in the first leg of the tie, in the end they really didn’t struggle with Real Esteli FC all that much.
FCC CCC first round reap
FCC had an easier time in their round of 32 with FC Motagua. The first leg took place in Honduras, and it was FCC’s first competitive match of the 2025 season. There were some nervy moments, and the score could have been much different, but FCC won 4-1. The second leg was a bit more of a boring affair. With the two-leg tie pretty much in hand, FCC rotated the squad and played some younger players. Motagua scored first, but FCC equalized through Kévin Denkey. The match finished 1-1, and FCC advanced with an aggregate score of 5-2.
FCC storylines
This match is coming at a bad time for the Orange and Blue. Having been beaten handily by Philadelphia on Saturday night by a score of 4-1, the team will be licking their wounds. The match on Tuesday night will also be FCC’s fifth match in 13 days, and with a squad that is not completely healthy it’s going to be a tall order. The two big transfers from this winter, Evander and Kévin Denkey, will look to continue their good form. Evander picked up his first goal for the club in Philly, and Denkey has already netted three goals. Luca Orellano might return to the squad during this match. He would be a welcome boon in tough matchup.
What to expect
This is shaping up to be an uphill battle for FCC—tired squad going up against an experienced and well-conditioned Tigres side well into their season. FCC do have a good enough roster to go toe to toe with the historic Mexican club, but how much will the fatigue factor into the results? FCC will want to erase the memory of Saturday night as quickly as possible and what better way to do that then beating Tigres and being in a great position to move to the next round in the second leg. It will be a very good test for both sides, and it should produce some dramatic football.
Match Info
Where: TQL Stadium
When: Tuesday, March 4th at 6:30 p.m.
Watch: FS2, Foxsports.com, FuboTV, VIX
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