Ten years in, and you would think our ability to prognosticate the future has gotten better.
We polled our most knowledgeable staffers on how well FC Cincinnati would push through the 2026 season. This week, we present their predictions on the team’s MVP, the team’s finish in the Eastern Conference standings, and who would eventually lift the silverware after the regular season and postseason if FC Cincinnati could not do it. Here is our presentations on how much we think we know on the subjects at hand.
MONDAY: FC Cincinnati’s MVP
WEDNESDAY: FC Cincinnati’s finish in the standings
FRIDAY: The Shield and MLS Cup winners
Photo from Megan Lee.
Jason Ashcraft – Co-host / Contributor
Provided he stays the entire season, my pick for the FC Cincinnati MVP will be Kevin Denkey. Despite not getting the service he needed last year, the Togolese striker still netted 16 goals. If he and the midfield can get on the same page (the biggest “if” of the preseason), then there’s no reason why Denkey couldn’t be in the hunt for the league’s Golden Boot.
Of course, with big-time European clubs reportedly willing to pay nearly double FCC’s purchase price, there’s a chance KD could be ending 2026 in Europe.
Justin Blair – Co-host / Contributor
I’ve tossed and turned on this topic for weeks now. My head says the typical response of the DPs Evander or Kevin Denkey, but with only a few days removed from Valentine’s Day, I got to go with my heart here. I think the team MVP for 2026 will be Obinna Nwobodo. Shocking, I know. I am once again picking the player that permanently kicked my ‘We need a 6’ soap box out from under me. But there is a credible reason to believe that ‘Obi’ will unlock something special for the orange and blue.
Before Nwobodo’s unfortunate injury against CF Montreal last June, he was clipping in impressive performances. Obi led the team with a 89.5 passing percentage. I get it that not many of those passes were progressive passes but they were accurate passes that led to FC Cincinnati’s ability to maintain possession especially in the midfield. This was an area that continues to plague FCC and my hope is that with a fully fit Nwobodo back in the starting eleven, they will right the wrongs and see the middle third of the pitch as a sanctuary rather than an abyss.
An important note will be how Pat Noonan decides to shape the formation. Nwobodo is the best true CDM that FCC has, but during his absence the team brought in Samuel Gidi. Gidi was impressive in his role as a duel 8 alongside Pavel Bucha. It will be interesting to see how Noonan manages the midfield, perhaps going with that 4-4-2 Diamond we all speculated he would bring over from the Philadelphia Union.
Photo from Rob Moore.
Josh Dye – Co-host / Contributor
We have seen how important the DPs on this team are to how they’ve want to operate, especially in the attack. But one of the biggest factors in the struggle of the attack last year was the lack of a threat from the wingbacks. Luca Orellano regressed and none of Lukas Engel, Deandre Yedlin, Yuya Kubo, or anyone else provided the passing, pace, or creativity the attack desperately needed.
Enter Ender Echenique.
The Venezuelan winger instantly provided a jolt into the attack, stretching the field vertically and opening an outlet that had been missing. With a half season under his belt and now a full preseason, I’m looking for Ender to continue to grow into the league and be that dynamic spark all season.
Jacob Holton – Contributor
I think for team MVP I am going in a different direction. I’m gonna go with Matt Miazga.
It’s a bit of an odd choice I’ll admit, but I think without Matt Miazga on the pitch the defense is just never as organized as when he is on the pitch. This pick will obviously hinge on him staying fit for the entire season, or at least being fit for any playoff run that FCC goes on. My feeling is that if Matt Miazga plays a full season, this defense is going to improve a lot and FCC will be a much hard team to eliminate from the playoffs.
Rupesh Sharma – Co-Host / Social Media
Kevin Denkey and Evander will be the straws that stir the drink, but I believe that the most valuable player on the team is and will be Pavel Bucha. Bucha is the type of midfielder who seems to elevate the level of the players around him. As long as Pavel is on the field, I am not worried who is playing the other midfield positions.
Photo from Megan Lee.
Gracin Galbreath – Contributor
I am going with the obvious pick for team MVP: Evander. I can’t see any other player, besides Denkey (if he does not make a big-money move to Europe this summer), Miles, or Miazga, winning the award.
Evander is simply too crucial to this team’s setup and how they play. Every goal or assist will be expected to go through him somehow. And now that he is heading into his second season, he will have gained a better understanding of his #10 role. With attack-minded wing-backs on either flank, he will be allowed more space to roam and do what he does best: look for space above the box to shoot or play an incisive pass. He pulled off an MVP-caliber season in 2025 even when the team’s setup and opposition press had somewhat prevented him from operating in those areas. Imagine what he could do in 2026? I think he will be much better, and this would guarantee his place as the team’s most valuable player for a second straight season.
Geoff Tebbetts – Host / Contributor
There are plenty of candidates for players to step up and exceed expectations this season. The team needs the likes of Matt Miazga to stay healthy and blemish-free down the stretch to lift any sort of cup. A secondary striker like Ayoub Jabbari or Tom Barlow needs to supplement the goals expected out of Kevin Denkey. Ender Echenique and Bryan Ramirez need to fill the gaps on the wings once occupied by Luca Orellano and Alvaro Barreal.
It still has to come down to the facilitator. There is a reason we gave Evander the #10 jersey.
I have no doubts that the Brazilian playmaker will put shots on target and have pinpoint accuracy on free kicks. With Orellano off to Monterrey, Evander will likely have more pressure to deliver on set pieces. From that added pressure, he’ll be called upon to distribute more, and perhaps that turns him from just a facilitator to a legitimate leader in the squad. From that leadership, that should translate to more postseason progress—he’s yet to record a goal or assist in five postseason appearances.
If Evander can round the corner and get more goals out of his teammates, he’s capable of finally getting that league MVP trophy for himself.
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