After three league games, FC Cincinnati sits in fourth place in MLS’s Eastern Conference. New players like Evander and Kévin Denkey are bedding in well, contributing a combined 10 goal contributions in all competitions. However, some fans are nervous, pointing to some worrying signs that the team might not be as good as we hoped, including a 4-1 shellacking at the hands of the Philadelphia Union and getting bounced out of the CONCACAF Champions Cup after losing 3-1 on the road to Tigres UANL.
The Case for Worry
If you want to be worried about this edition of the Orange and Blue, there are signs that you should be. Even accounting for new players needing time to gel and a congested fixture list, there are a few things that Pat Noonan and the coaching staff might not be able to fix without the addition of some new players.
First, there is no replacement for Pavel Bucha on this roster. Bucha has been a revelation so far this year, stepping up his game by contributing more on the score sheet and in ball progression. He brings stability to the midfield both in and out of possession. In the lone match of the season to date where he didn’t start—the hefty defeat in Philadelphia—the team looked bereft of ideas on how to progress the ball or retain possession. Then, they seemed to collapse after Pat Noonan subbed him off in the second leg against Tigres, turning a 1-0 lead into a 3-1 deficit within 14 minutes of his departure.
In the Union match, Noonan elected to replace Bucha in the lineup with Tah Brian Anunga. In this case, Anunga struggled mightily to add anything in ball progression or retention, putting the team under more pressure defensively and proving that starting him and Obinna Nwobodo together will make ball progression more difficult. Against Tigres, Yuya Kubo subbed on for Bucha to add mobility and energy to a tiring midfield. However, Kubo’s lack of discipline defensively broke what had been a very structured defensive unit, showing that a lineup that includes him and Nwobodo as the defensive midfield block will make defending more difficult.
Second, the wide defender depth on this team is nonexistent. There are only three actual wide defenders on this roster: Lukas Engel, DeAndre Yedlin, and Alvas Powell. Outside of those players Noonan has relied on offensive pieces like Corey Baird, Luca Orellano, or Kubo to deputize. While none of these players is injured (yet), some of them have had their struggles.
Engel has had flashes of looking like the two-way wingback FCC has been missing. However, he was really poor in both matches that FCC lost. Against the Union, Engel completed just 67% of his passes and gave away possession on 33% of his touches. Against Tigres he looked tired, getting beaten time and again up the wing by Juan Brunetta and Javier Aquino. Yedlin and Powell have both had their struggles as well. However, with no depth in the wide areas of defense, Noonan can’t rotate players out of matches when necessary.
Why I’m Not Worried
The two cases for worry above are legitimate. I don’t think anyone wondering if these issues will hinder FC Cincinnati’s chances at earning silverware is overreacting. I could argue that both played a significant role in FCC having one less trophy to compete for by being eliminated from the CCC. However, by the end of the season, I don’t think either will be a major cause for concern.
I outlined how neither Anunga nor Kubo looked like a capable replacement for Bucha. This is not because neither are capable of starting in the midfield. Rather, the structure around them will have to change for them to be successful playing alongside Nwobodo. As the season progresses and the team is given more time to gel, I think that each of these players can replace Bucha in the lineup for certain kinds of matches. If Anunga starts next to Nwobodo, FCC will have to be willing to skip the midfield in ball progression and play directly into the front line. Denkey can hold the ball up as the team transitions, and in Kubo, Orellano, and Baird the team has enough speed to play into the channels and let them chase the game a bit. If Kubo starts next to Nwobodo, then the midfield won’t be able to sit in a structured block and defend for long periods of time. In this case, FCC has to be willing to get on the front foot, press aggressively, and defend more in transition. These kinds of tactical tweaks take time to develop. By the end of the season, FCC will be able to deploy either if Bucha is unable to start or play 90 minutes.
Finally, without adding a wide defender to the roster the depth in that position won’t get better. However, I think when Matt Miazga returns to the lineup this might be a moot point. With Miazga anchoring the back line, Pat Noonan will have the flexibility to play Miles Robinson on the left or right. Robinson is a fantastic 1v1 defender and an accomplished passer. Hiding the defensive flaws of an emergency wingback deputy like Kubo is much easier with a guy like Robinson playing behind him. Asking Engel or Yedlin to take a step back in possession when they seem to be struggling is much easier with a guy like Robinson helping to keep the ball moving along the back line. Add that to the fact that Miazga might be the best defender and the best ball-playing center back on the roster, and his reintroduction to the lineup could work wonders for easing our fears that FCC’s wide defenders can’t get the job done.
Take a Breath, It’s a Long Season
It feels like we have a lot of data on the 2025 version of FC Cincinnati because they’ve played seven competitive matches. However, one of those matches was played after Evander had only been on the roster for a couple of days, four of them were played without a key piece in Luca Orellano, and all of them were played over just 21 days—with the team not having much time to train between recovery sessions and match days.
Matt Miazga coming back into the fold and the team having more time to play meaningful minutes in different scenarios are two major things that will make FC Cincinnati better this season. Let’s not forget that they can still add up to three U-22 players, either in the primary transfer window (ending April 23rd) or in the secondary window (beginning July 24th).
I, for one, am not worried about this FC Cincinnati team … or maybe I am … just a little.
After three league games, FC Cincinnati sits in fourth place in MLS’s Eastern Conference. New players like Evander and Kévin Denkey are bedding in well, contributing a combined 10 goal contributions in all competitions. However, some fans are nervous, pointing to some worrying signs that the team might not be as good as we hoped, including a 4-1 shellacking at the hands of the Philadelphia Union and getting bounced out of the CONCACAF Champions Cup after losing 3-1 on the road to Tigres UANL.
The Case for Worry
If you want to be worried about this edition of the Orange and Blue, there are signs that you should be. Even accounting for new players needing time to gel and a congested fixture list, there are a few things that Pat Noonan and the coaching staff might not be able to fix without the addition of some new players.
First, there is no replacement for Pavel Bucha on this roster. Bucha has been a revelation so far this year, stepping up his game by contributing more on the score sheet and in ball progression. He brings stability to the midfield both in and out of possession. In the lone match of the season to date where he didn’t start—the hefty defeat in Philadelphia—the team looked bereft of ideas on how to progress the ball or retain possession. Then, they seemed to collapse after Pat Noonan subbed him off in the second leg against Tigres, turning a 1-0 lead into a 3-1 deficit within 14 minutes of his departure.
In the Union match, Noonan elected to replace Bucha in the lineup with Tah Brian Anunga. In this case, Anunga struggled mightily to add anything in ball progression or retention, putting the team under more pressure defensively and proving that starting him and Obinna Nwobodo together will make ball progression more difficult. Against Tigres, Yuya Kubo subbed on for Bucha to add mobility and energy to a tiring midfield. However, Kubo’s lack of discipline defensively broke what had been a very structured defensive unit, showing that a lineup that includes him and Nwobodo as the defensive midfield block will make defending more difficult.
Second, the wide defender depth on this team is nonexistent. There are only three actual wide defenders on this roster: Lukas Engel, DeAndre Yedlin, and Alvas Powell. Outside of those players Noonan has relied on offensive pieces like Corey Baird, Luca Orellano, or Kubo to deputize. While none of these players is injured (yet), some of them have had their struggles.
Engel has had flashes of looking like the two-way wingback FCC has been missing. However, he was really poor in both matches that FCC lost. Against the Union, Engel completed just 67% of his passes and gave away possession on 33% of his touches. Against Tigres he looked tired, getting beaten time and again up the wing by Juan Brunetta and Javier Aquino. Yedlin and Powell have both had their struggles as well. However, with no depth in the wide areas of defense, Noonan can’t rotate players out of matches when necessary.
Why I’m Not Worried
The two cases for worry above are legitimate. I don’t think anyone wondering if these issues will hinder FC Cincinnati’s chances at earning silverware is overreacting. I could argue that both played a significant role in FCC having one less trophy to compete for by being eliminated from the CCC. However, by the end of the season, I don’t think either will be a major cause for concern.
I outlined how neither Anunga nor Kubo looked like a capable replacement for Bucha. This is not because neither are capable of starting in the midfield. Rather, the structure around them will have to change for them to be successful playing alongside Nwobodo. As the season progresses and the team is given more time to gel, I think that each of these players can replace Bucha in the lineup for certain kinds of matches. If Anunga starts next to Nwobodo, FCC will have to be willing to skip the midfield in ball progression and play directly into the front line. Denkey can hold the ball up as the team transitions, and in Kubo, Orellano, and Baird the team has enough speed to play into the channels and let them chase the game a bit. If Kubo starts next to Nwobodo, then the midfield won’t be able to sit in a structured block and defend for long periods of time. In this case, FCC has to be willing to get on the front foot, press aggressively, and defend more in transition. These kinds of tactical tweaks take time to develop. By the end of the season, FCC will be able to deploy either if Bucha is unable to start or play 90 minutes.
Finally, without adding a wide defender to the roster the depth in that position won’t get better. However, I think when Matt Miazga returns to the lineup this might be a moot point. With Miazga anchoring the back line, Pat Noonan will have the flexibility to play Miles Robinson on the left or right. Robinson is a fantastic 1v1 defender and an accomplished passer. Hiding the defensive flaws of an emergency wingback deputy like Kubo is much easier with a guy like Robinson playing behind him. Asking Engel or Yedlin to take a step back in possession when they seem to be struggling is much easier with a guy like Robinson helping to keep the ball moving along the back line. Add that to the fact that Miazga might be the best defender and the best ball-playing center back on the roster, and his reintroduction to the lineup could work wonders for easing our fears that FCC’s wide defenders can’t get the job done.
Take a Breath, It’s a Long Season
It feels like we have a lot of data on the 2025 version of FC Cincinnati because they’ve played seven competitive matches. However, one of those matches was played after Evander had only been on the roster for a couple of days, four of them were played without a key piece in Luca Orellano, and all of them were played over just 21 days—with the team not having much time to train between recovery sessions and match days.
Matt Miazga coming back into the fold and the team having more time to play meaningful minutes in different scenarios are two major things that will make FC Cincinnati better this season. Let’s not forget that they can still add up to three U-22 players, either in the primary transfer window (ending April 23rd) or in the secondary window (beginning July 24th).
I, for one, am not worried about this FC Cincinnati team … or maybe I am … just a little.
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