The pendulum of a soccer match can be brutal to watch with margins of error so thin. But for FC Cincinnati Saturday night, the careful balance held in the dying moments for a 3-3 draw at San Diego FC.
The Orange and Blue came into the match on a short turnaround from their home defeat to Inter Miami 5-3 on Wednesday. They checked that sour collapse on their stowage as they traveled across the country for a first-time visit to recent expansion club San Diego. San Diego is in a sophomore slump season, but came into the match with an uplifting dismantling of Austin FC in a 5-0 Wednesday victory. Two extremes of the pendulum.
First Half
The match opened with FCC taking the early lead in the 11th minute. After managing the press and playing the ball in the back, Kyle Smith opened, finding Dado Valenzuela in the midfield who chested the ball down to Evander. Evander got his eyes up and played a through ball to Kenji Mboma Dem. Dem paced forward outside the defense and was angled enough to take and make a shot, beating SDFC goalkeeper Duran Ferree to the near post. Momentum in FCC’s favor.
The pendulum found its center in the 32nd minute as FCC allowed left back Kieran Sargeant acres of space to run down the left channel unmarked. Sargeant picked out an equal indifferently marked Marcus Ingvartsen in the middle of the 18-yard box. Ingvartsen made easy work slotting the ball low and fast past Roman Celentano inside the left upright. The balance was restored and both sides headed into the locker rooms tied 1-1 at the half.
Second Half
Like the with the first, FCC were first to pounce in the second half. In the 50th minute, halftime substitute Tom Barlow was at the right place at the right time. A corner delivered by Evander made its way over and around the scrum and found Barlow a mere three yards in front of the face of goal unmarked. He directed the ball with ease into the open net.
SDFC would have their answer in the 66th minute when Amahl Pellegrino simply out paced the FCC highline in the counter attack. Facing a one-vs-one against Celentano, Pellegrino picked out his shot and sent it into the net. Balance restored.
With an onslaught of attacking opportunities by SDFC, the pendulum appeared to have shown its favor when in the sixth minute of stoppage time Ingvartsen picked up his brace. The opportunity started on the counterattack as SDFC picked off an uncharacteristically poor cross by Evander hoping to play numbers on the attack. The sudden change allowed the home side an opportunity to strike with FCC backpedaling. Ingvartsen’s first-touch shot on a through ball into the 18-yard box was pure and left the stadium in pandemonium.
Faced with the gravity of the situation, FCC ensured that the pendulum would find its balance. On the restart of play, Samuel Gidi elected to forgo ball progression and picked out Ayoub Jabbari in a long lob pass from midfield to the 18-yard box. Jabbari’s strength and length allowed him to head the ball to the foot of Barlow who tapped it in. Barlow picked up his first brace with FC Cincinnati.
Illation to silence—the swings of the pendulum can be overwhelming but one thing holds, it will always find its center. FC Cincinnati pick up a hard earned point with a 3-3 draw.
Quick Recap
FC CINCINNATI GAME REPORT
FC Cincinnati at San Diego FC
Date: May 16, 2026
Competition: MLS Regular Season
Venue: Snapdragon Stadium | San Diego, California
Kickoff: 9:40 p.m. ET/6:40 p.m. PT
Weather: 66 degrees, cloudy
SCORING SUMMARY: 1-2-FT
SD: 1-2-3
CIN: 1-2-3
SD – Marcus Ingvartsen (Sargeant, Valakari) 32’, Amahl Pellegrino (Soma, McVey) 66’, Marcus Ingvartsen (Saidi) 90’+6
CIN – Kenji Mboma Dem (Evander) 11’, Tom Barlow (Evander) 50’, Tom Barlow (Jabbari, Gidi) 90’+8
LINEUPS
CIN: Roman Celentano, Kenji Mboma Dem (Bryan Ramirez 73’), Miles Robinson (Kyle Smith 46’), Matt Miazga, Nick Hagglund (Obinna Nwobodo 73’), Pavel Bucha, Samuel Gidi, Tah Brian Anunga, Evander, Gerardo Valenzuela (Tom Barlow 46’), Kévin Denkey (Ayoub Jabbari 90’+1)
Substitutes not used: Evan Louro, Gilberto Flores, Ayoub Lajhar, Ender Echenique
Head Coach: Pat Noonan
SD: Duran Ferree, Kieran Sargeant (Oscar Verhoeven 46’), Manu Duah, Christopher McVey, Luca Bombino, Onni Valakari, David Vazquez (Alex Mighten 69’), Anibal Godoy (C) (Pedro Soma 46’), Amahl Pellegrino (Alejandro Alvarado 78’), Anders Dreyer, Marcus Ingvartsen (Anisse Saidi 90’+1)
Substitutes not used: CJ Dos Santos, Lewis Morgan, Bryan Zamble, Ian Pilcher
Head Coach: Mikey Varas
STATS SUMMARY: SD/CIN
Shots: 17 / 8
Shots on Goal: 5 / 6
Saves: 3 / 2
Corner Kicks: 7 / 2
Fouls: 8 / 9
Offside: 1 / 0
Possession: 58.6 / 41.4
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
CIN – Miles Robinson (Yellow Card) 24’
SD – David Vazquez (Yellow Card) 54’
CIN – Obinna Nwobodo (Yellow Card) 87’
CIN – Tom Barlow (Yellow Card) 90’
OFFICIALS
Referee: Timothy Ford
Ast. Referees: Jeremy Kieso, Eduardo Jeff
Fourth Official: Ricardo Fierro
VAR: Ramy Touchan
AVAR: Joshua Patlak
Next Match
MLS Regular Season: vs. Orlando, May 23 at 7:30pm, TQL Stadium; Apple TV
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