At some point, the dam had to break at home. The way FC Cincinnati broke this stalemate felt like a sledgehammer to that dam.
After over 360 minutes of a home scoring drought. FC Cincinnati finally tore the cap off their supply with a momentum-shifting 2-1 win over Nashville SC. A late Brenner goal provided the early lead, but the squad needed an even later Evander golazo in the dying minutes to take all three points. While Nashville managed to equalize through Sam Surridge’s 21st goal of the season, the extra allotted time was just enough for the Orange & Blue to halt their home losing streak.
The win gives Cincinnati (17-4-9, 55 pts.) their fourth-straight visit to the postseason under Pat Noonan, while Nashville (15-5-10, 50 pts.) will have to wait another week for their own qualification.
“I’m happy for the players, I’m happy for the fans that we got to experience a much-needed win tonight on this field,” Pat Noonan addressed after the match. “That’s as simple as I could put it. It was needed.”
Cincinnati and Nashville both entered the match with recent rough spells. The Orange & Blue had suffered three straight home losses, all to the same 1-0 deficit. Nashville had lost four out of their last five and were on a four-match road losing streak.
FC Cincinnati was surprisingly without their usual goalkeeper, as Roman Celentano had picked up a leg injury during the international break with the U.S. men’s national team. Evan Louro started his second match of the regular season in his place.
Obinna Nwobodo (quad) and Brad Smith (leg) were also absent, but Miles Robinson returned to the lineup after missing the Philadelphia match two weeks ago. Kevin Denkey started on the bench after his stint with Togo in the international break, replaced by Ayoub Jabbari in the lineup. Midfielder Samuel Gidi also made his first appearance with Cincinnati, starting on the bench.
Nashville had a few surprise absences, with midfielder Alex Muyl and defender Jeyson Palacios both missing the match with an illness. Edvard Tagseth and Daniel Lovitz returned to the Starting XI as well.
First half
Despite the two-week layover, both teams appeared to be anxious and biding their time for offense. Cincinnati provided more of the opportunities at the final third, while Nashville was content to feed through Gaston Brugman and Edvard Tagseth in the midfield.
Both Hany Mukhtar and Surridge had tight-angle attempts that sailed just wide to start and end the first half, but the Cincinnati defense held firm.
Louro’s biggest save of the first half came in the 30th minute, as the goalkeeper denied Josh Bauer at close range to keep the score even.
Cincinnati’s drought continued through the first half, and it felt like fate itself was denying a goal. Brenner found himself free in the box in the 39th minute off a Luca Orellano cross, only to sky the attempt from close range.
The statistics were relatively identical after 45 minutes, but in the next 45 minutes…
Second half
…people needed to catch their breath for the final whistle. While the first half was strategic, the second half came with the strikes that defined the battle.
Nashville’s best attempt came in the 51st minute with a streaking Edvard Tagseth pounding a shot on goal. Louro’s leap to his right denied the effort, one of the reserve keeper’s three dynamic saves on the night.
“I know everyone trusts me,” Louro discussed regarding the next-man-up approach. “So now I trust myself to go out and do my job when I’m called upon.”
Denkey’s substitution into the match at halftime provided another solid glimpse at what this team could be on offense, but not before a few letdowns continued the streak. The Togolese striker’s best attempt amidst a flurry of shots came in the 61st minute. Off a cross from Dominik Marczuk, Denkey’s tap-in attempt, much like Brenner’s in the first half, popped high over the net.
Denkey’s next attempt on net in the 63rd minute tested Willis, but the goalkeeper lunged to his left for a brilliant fingertip save to keep it scoreless.
After almost four matches worth of inefficiency at home, Brenner’s first goal back with Cincinnati was a relief. In the 73rd minute, Denkey and Brenner crossed up the defense, allowing Evander to find the Portuguese forward in stride. Brenner’s first goal for Cincinnati on the season made for a wild shirtless celebration and set a 1-0 score.
“Great feelings for the goal, but even better feelings for the win,” Brenner spoke through an interpreter after the match. “It was really important for us to win at home. That was one of the best feelings that I’ve had scoring this goal tonight.
“Thank you for the assist!” he applauded Evander afterwards.
However, the defense was unable to keep the lead, as some later substitutions forced Cincinnati to restructure itself. Nashville finally struck in the 84th minute. Tyler Boyd found Surridge in the box for a right-footed tap-in that could not be deflected out by Louro. The English striker’s 21st of the season made the score 1-1.
Leave it to Cincinnati’s current MVP candidate to swipe all three points.
In the eighth minute of added time, Ender Echenique played give-and-go with Pavel Bucha in the box. The Venezuelan winger tapped a pass to Evander, who nailed a one-timer top shelf past Willis to send TQL Stadium in an uproar. Evander’s 17th goal of the season was just enough to slam the door shut and help FC Cincinnati clinch a playoff spot.
“I think we needed that tonight,” Evander addressed with the media. “Started winning the game and them tying the game—and we were all, like, ‘we cannot lose this game tonight.’ I think the fans deserve to enjoy the victory tonight, and I’m happy I could help this end of it.
“I’m really excited to play with Cincinnati in the playoffs. As I’ve said before, I think this season is going to be a season where we can achieve a lot of big things.”
Noonan expanded on what he saw on the final goal. “Based on form, based on results, and how late in the game, you know, we find the goal, and the energy in that moment is something that this building hasn’t experienced enough recently. So hopefully we can take a little bit of momentum from it and confidence from it and continue moving forward. But the timing of it and the guys sticking with it to find that (goal) is important to see.”
The win gives Cincinnati a tenuous grip on second place in the Eastern Conference with four games left to play. Philadelphia’s 7-0 loss to Vancouver opens up the possibility of the Orange & Blue still getting the top seed in the East. However, Charlotte FC’s ninth win in a row still creates a logjam atop the standings. Nashville falls to fourth, but is only four points ahead of the play-in game.
FC Cincinnati will next hit the road for a long West Coast trip to play Los Angeles Galaxy in Carson, CA. Nashville return home for a midweek matchup against Philadelphia Union in the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup.
Major League Soccer, Match #30
FC Cincinnati vs. Nashville SC
TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Attendance: 24,749
Result: FC Cincinnati 2, Nashville SC 1.
BOX SCORE
FC Cincinnati Starting XI (5-2-1-2):
Evan Louro (GK); Dominik Marczuk (Alvas Powell 79′), Miles Robinson, Matt Miazga (c) (Teenage Hadebe 80′), Lukas Engel (Ender Echenique 90+3′), Luca Orellano; Pavel Bucha, Brian Anunga (Samuel Gidi 83′); Evander; Brenner, Ayoub Jabbari (Kevin Denkey 46′).
Bench: Alec Kann, Nick Hagglund, Gerardo Valenzuela, Kei Kamara.
Nashville SC Starting XI (4-4-1-1):
Joe Willis (GK); Josh Bauer (Andy Najar 69′), Walker Zimmerman (C), Jack Maher, Daniel Lovitz; Jacob Shaffelburg (Tyler Boyd 69′), Edvard Tagseth (Patrick Yazbek 69′), Gaston Brugman, Jonathan Perez (Ahmed Qasem 17′, Teal Bunbury 90+2′); Hany Mukhtar; Sam Surridge.
Bench: Tate Schmitt, Matthew Corcoran, Christopher Applewhite, Brian Schwake.
Scoring summary:
CIN – Brenner 73′ (Evander)
NAS – Sam Surridge 84′ (Boyd)
CIN – Evander 90+8′ (Echenique)
Discipline:
YC – Pavel Bucha 48′ (CIN, foul)
YC – Brenner 74′ (CIN, excessive celebration)
Next up:
MLS Regular Season: at Los Angeles Galaxy, 10:30 pm, Saturday September 20th; Apple TV+
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