FC Cincinnati (5W-1D-2L, 16 pts) visited Audi Field in Washington, D.C. and claimed all three points with their third straight victory. Following one-goal victories over Nashville and New England, FC Cincinnati would again present a depleted lineup as key players like Evander, Yuya Kubo, Teenage Hadebe, and Obinna Nwobodo were not available. Granting a starting opportunity to Dado Valenzuela, FC Cincinnati attempted a new combination up top with Denkey to hopefully unlock more scoring. Would the floodgates open? Matt Miazga found his way to the bench for the second straight match. Would we see him get an opportunity?
DC United (1W-3D-4L, 6 pts) played at a very intense level throughout the match. Although they gave a much stronger performance than the one they delivered just a week ago, it will be of no consolation to a team dealt their fourth straight defeat. They now sit above the winless Montreal and Toronto teams at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
first half
Both teams traded good chunks of time holding the ball forward and taking shots. FC Cincinnati would go first, as Engel almost sent a low, screaming ball under Barraza in the left corner at the turn of the first minute. Denkey had a one-on-one opportunity in the 13th minute that went just wide but was flagged offside anyway. Early on, FC Cincinnati felt like the better and stronger team. DC United almost contributed to their own demise, as just before the 15th an errant back pass from Bartlett to goalkeeper Barraza came close to the goal line. Barraza had to hustle back and sweep the ball away.
DC United persisted, as Denkey could be seen calling for the ball to no avail. While covering him well, they would win the ball with aggressive player challenges and swarming defense. But these attempts would all fail, with the best resulting in a free kick attempt deflected by the defensive wall.
Nick Hagglund had a massive game, likely a Man of the Match candidate. We saw great early effort as he would battle Benteke or chase down a ball and play it off Stroud out of bounds to reclaim possession. Both he and Robinson owned the defensive box. Anunga had a top-notch game as well.
DC began to fire away, with a shot from Benteke at the 22nd minute leading to two shots from Servfania off consecutive corner kicks. Denkey caught the back line napping and fired a shot that went high and wide as he was struck by MacNaughton, earning a free kick well outside the box. Denkey’s night was lightly peppered with offside calls.
Then, near the 28th minute, Robinson fired a long ball from the back up through the middle and toward the opposing box. MacNaughton attempted to field it and pass to Bartlett, but Valenzuela intercepted the ball as Bartlett rolled to the ground. Dado proceeded one-on-one with MacNaughton, backing him up into the penalty box. A dribble to the left, a dribble to the right, and Dado banged in his first of the year past two defenders and a diving Barraza!
With ten minutes remaining in the first half, the heat began to rise, with more aggressive challenges and contact, a series of physical aerial duels, and a few more words exchanged afterwards. FC Cincinnati would get a few more decent shots and cause Knowles to draw a yellow card as he struggled to deal with Orellano. But going into the locker room, the prevailing feeling was far from one of security.
second half
As Orellano earned a corner at the 45th and then again in the 46th minute, the Apple broadcast let us witness Hagglund, working hard, vying for position, dancing around Benteke with MacNaughton chasing, all arms extended. The game would be played mostly in DC’s half of the field for the next five minutes, but, despite a nice attempt by Dado at 52′, FC Cincinnati would not convert.
DC United got cooking in the 53rd minute, culminating in a headed attempt by Benteke close to goal. Strong team passing created another direct shot opportunity in the 56th by Benteke. The intensity continued to increase. DC United’s best opportunity came at minute 59, first as Benteke received the ball in the box with his back to goal, and then attempted a shot which was deflected out of the box. Schnegg immediately delivered what looked like a cross but ended up a ball that Celentano needed to deflect out.
Santos would come on for Valenzuela in the 62nd, but no other changes would happen for another twenty minutes. As Celentano brought a ball down, Benteke would go to the ground with Hagglund. He stood up and had words for the referee, and the chippiness elevated between the two teams, with a little shoving.
What followed was an excellent display of FC Cincinnati defensive play, beginning with the defense of a good free kick attempt. As the team tried to get Denkey involved, which resulted in Denkey losing possession and another missed shot attempt, the defense would have to get in position and get clearances. Robinson made a wonderful effort to dash back and steal a shot opportunity from Benteke. Eventually, Benteke returned and found himself one-on-one with Roman Celentano. Beneteke fired a powerful right-footed shot, but straight into Roman. The official raised the offside flag. From that point, DC would continue to turn up the heat and find more scoring opportunities, but ultimately never converted.
Noonan would bring on Brad Smith and Matt Miazga in the 84th to close out the match. This would be Miazga’s first minutes since a season-ending injury in the middle of last year’s campaign. Dominique Badji would come on in the 86th for DC United in an attempt to tie things up, but to no avail.
postgame
Gilberto Flores reflected in his post-game interview that concentration levels were high, and even though there are things to fix, it’s easier to do that when you win. During the post-game press conference, Pat Noon reflected, “Not our strongest performance, but where we lacked in attacking…we made up for defensively.”
When asked how the game changed with DC United pressing more in the second half, Noonan attributed it to Cincinnati’s inability to keep the ball, and the lack of creativity and hold-up play. But he would praise Nick Hagglund’s effort, deeming it “one of Nick’s best performances in the jersey.”
Asked why Dado got the start, Noonan reflected on Valenzuela’s maturation, composure, and ability to anticipate and read the game. Noonan also said it was nice to see Miazga back and playing meaningful minutes. “His presence is important.” But ever the realist, he also offered, “We need to get more healthy bodies. How long can you survive going week-to-week missing four or five pieces?”
FC Cincinnati closes April with a match against Gregg Berhalter’s Chicago Fire, followed by Western Conference team Sporting Kansas City. They do so from the position of being tied for first atop the Eastern Conference, despite not having their full team available for many of their first games. Along with the three points, Cincinnati leaves DC with no additional injuries.
quick recap
FC Cincinnati at D.C. United
Date: April 12, 2025
Competition: MLS Regular Season
Venue: Audi Field | Washington, D.C.
Kickoff: 7:40 p.m. ET
Weather: 49 degrees, cloudy
SCORING SUMMARY: 1-2-FT
DC: 0-0-0
CIN: 1-0-1
DC – None
CIN – Gerardo Valenzuela 28’
CIN: Roman Celentano, Lukas Engel (Brad Smith 83’), Gilberto Flores (Matt Miazga 84’), Nick Hagglund, Miles Robinson (C), DeAndre Yedlin, Pavel Bucha, Tah Brian Anunga, Luca Orellano, Gerardo Valenzuela (Sergio Santos 62’), Kévin Denkey
Substitutes not used: Evan Louro, Alvas Powell, Corey Baird, Stiven Jimenez
Head Coach: Pat Noonan
DC: Luis Barraza, Lucas Bartlett, Lukas MacNaughton (Dominique Badji 86’), Kye Rowles, David Schnegg, Brandon Servania, Hosei Kijima (Jacob Murrell 81’), Aaron Herrera, João Peglow (Randall Leal 86’), Jared Stroud (Gabriel Pirani 74’), Christian Benteke (C)
Substitutes not used: Kim Joon Hong, Rida Zouhir, Derek Dodson, Matti Peltola, Boris Enow
Head Coach: Troy Lesesne
STATS SUMMARY: DC/CIN
Shots: 15 / 12
Shots on Goal: 2 / 5
Saves: 4 / 2
Corner Kicks: 10 / 4
Fouls: 9 / 17
Offside: 5 / 3
Possession: 53 / 47
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
DC – Lukas MacNaughton (Yellow Card) 25’
DC – Kye Rowles (Yellow Card) 41’
CIN – Lukas Engel (Yellow Card) 50’
DC – David Schnegg (Yellow Card) 69’
OFFICIALS
Referee: Ismir Pekmic
Ast. Referees: Cameron Blanchard, Gerardo-Kader Lebuis
Fourth Official: Luis Diego Arroyo
VAR: Carol Anne Chenard
AVAR: Claudiu Badea
next match
MLS: vs. Chicago at Soldier Field on Saturday, March 22 at 2:30p.m. ET; Apple TV+
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