In the premier Sunday Night Soccer match up, FC Cincinnati and Orlando City face off with two fanbases eyeing different prizes. For FC Cincinnati, they are hoping for a second Supporters Shield in three years, while Orlando City is looking at the playoff line and a gauntlet of a finishing schedule.
ORLANDO CITY
The Lions enter the Sunday match up having grabbed their first victory in a month thanks to a 95th minute winner by Duncan McGuire against fellow playoff contender Nashville. The 3-2 victory propelled the Orlando squad up to 51 points, eight points above the Eastern Conference playoff chasers, the New York Red Bulls. However, Orlando will be holding their breath as they have a 3-5-2 record against teams higher in the table than them and end the season with a gauntlet against FC Cincinnati, Columbus Crew, Vancouver Whitecaps, and Toronto FC.
LAST 5 MATCHES
W – 3-2 v Nashville SC
D – 1-1 @ DC United
L – 2-1 v LA Galaxy (Leagues Cup 3rd Place Game)
L – 3-1 v Inter Miami (Leagues Cup Semifinal)
L – 5-1 @ Nashville SC
THE ORANGE AND BLUE
FC Cincinnati comes back home after an impressive offensive display in Los Angeles. Winning 3-2 against the LA Galaxy, fans could see the offensive potential pick up. Brenner scored his second and third goals since returning to Cincinnati. Ender Echenique scored his first for the club, while Evander and Kevin Denkey each had assists as well as a big opportunity for a goal. While it was good to see the offense come alive, it should be noted that it came against the current Wooden Spoon leaders, and still only resulted in a one goal victory. (Although, maybe a one goal wins should be considered the default expectation)
PLAYERS TO WATCH
This is a great chance to see two MVP candidates face off. Orlando City’s playmaker Luis Muriel is 4th in MLS in goal contributions, with 25 total (16 G, 9 A). However, he is chasing his counterpart across the field, FC Cincinnati’s Evander, who ranks 3rd in MLS in 29 total goal contributions (17 G, 12 A). While they both chase Lionel Messi’s 37 Goal Contributions, each squad is run by their talisman.
WHAT TO EXPECT
This will be a tight fought game. When Cincinnati left Orlando in May, there was a feeling that Orlando left points on the field thanks to a late game goal and goal line miss. Since, then both teams have maneuvered through their schedules, and will think they have the missing piece to secure points.
Orlando were missing USMNT LB Alex Freeman and prolific goalscorer Duncan McGuire, while FCC were without USMNT CB Miles Robinson and Brenner hadn’t returned to the Queen City yet. There will be opportunities for both squads to find goals in this game, but with dwindling chances for results in the season, it will put a spotlight on the finishers in this marquee game of the week.
MATCH INFO
When: Sunday Sept. 28, 2025 @ 7 PM
Where: TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
How to Watch: MLS Season Pass on AppleTV
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