After suffering a frustrating one-goal defeat at home to Toronto, where FC Cincinnati was unable to find the offensive formula and only managed to get Kévin Denkey one touch in the opponent’s 18, they will approach Thursday’s Concacaf Champions Cup match with Tigres looking to exorcise many demons. Tigres returns to the scene of last year’s crime, where they dispatched the Orange and Blue 3 – 1 and 4 – 2 on aggregate in the same competition. Noonan gave few answers in the noticeably abridged post-game press conference on Sunday.
Tigres
Tigres is 10 games into the Liga MX season, sitting 6th in the Clausura table with a record of 5W-1D-4L. They notched three points on Saturday against Monterrey with a stoppage-time goal from André-Pierre Gignac, their #10 striker. It was a heated contest that featured a yellow card for our old friend, Luca Orellano.
Their Last Five:
| Cruz Azul | L | 1 – 2 | Correa |
| Pachuca | L | 1 – 2 | Herrera |
| Club América | W | 4 – 1 | Brunetta 4′ (P), 90+1′
Angulo 23′ Correa 70′ |
| Puebla | L | 1 – 3 | Brunetta 68′ (P) |
| Monterrey | W | 1 – 0 | Gignac 90+2′ |
Players to Watch
Will we see the return of Matt Miazga to MLS action? Matt played the opening 45 minutes of the FC Cincinnati 2 loss to Philadelphia Union II on Sunday. Will we also see Evander start? On the opponent’s side, since joining the club, Ángel Correa has become the focal point of the attack. A goal scoring machine previously with Atlético Madrid, his ability to play as a second striker has added a level of mobility that was previously missing. Juan Brunetta, an attacking midfielder, is continuing his form from previous seasons as the creative heart of the squad, and one of the most dangerous set-piece specialists in the league. If Brunetta is the heart, the soul of the club is André-Pierre Gignac. At 40 years of age, Gignac has 366 appearances for Tigres since 2015, scoring 193 goals over that stretch. His latest goal? A 92nd minute winner against Monterrey this past Saturday as he came off the bench.
What to Expect
Both teams face weaker opponents in their respective league games Sunday, with FC Cincinnati facing New England, and Tigres facing bottom-dwelling Querétaro F.C. But does this competition hold more value for these squads than their respective league campaigns? Certainly, after Sunday’s disappointment and Noonan’s evident disgust, it would be reasonable for fans to see a more potent offensive product. But with a two-leg contest split by league games for each, and a tight turnaround for both to resume league matches the following Sunday, rotation, travel logistics, and game management will be a puzzle to solve. This all assumes that there will be no travel hiccups, no longer a foregone conclusion as the Jamaican side will be without 10 of their team members against the LA Galaxy due to visa denials. One thing is certain: the pressure is on FC Cincinnati to get Kévin Denkey the ball inside the opponent’s 18 where he can produce goals.
MATCH INFO
WHERE: TQL Stadium
WHEN: Thursday, Mar 12 8 PM EST
WEATHER: 50°F
WATCH: FS1, FS2, and the FOX Sports app
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