FC Cincinnati got out of the gate in the 2025 Leagues Cup group stage with an impressive 3-1 victory against a long-standing Liga MX stalwart. However, they stumbled early against their next two competitors and never fully recovered, crashing before the knockout stage.
The next match will be a test to see if history repeats itself.
Cincinnati (1-0-0, 3 pts.) will try to distance themselves from a crowded MLS peloton atop the table, hosting Pumas UNAM (0-0-1, 0 pts.) at TQL Stadium on Friday night. The Orange & Blue recovered after an early goal to deposit three consecutive scores past Pachuca on Tuesday, winning 3-1 behind goals by Evander, Pavel Bucha, and Kenji Mboma Dem. However, they are amongst six MLS teams who have already won their first of three matches, a crowd soon to be joined by others on Thursday night.
If they wish to advance in the Leagues Cup, they will have to defeat a Pumas squad that is licking their wounds. The 2026 Clausura runners-up took it on the chin Tuesday night with a 3-0 loss to Charlotte FC and will be in need of an impressive win to recover in their own standings.
CLUB UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL, A.C.
Pumas UNAM have won seven top-division titles in Mexico, but that number puts the squad tied for seventh overall. Their last overall title came in the 2011 Clausura, and they have been runners-up three times since, including in the 2026 Clausura. Pumas finished atop the standings, only to lose in the Final Phase finals against Cruz Azul in May.
While the Pumas brand is one of the more recognizable names and logos from Liga MX, there may be an underlying opinion about their overall success in international competitions. Pumas were recently CONCACAF Champions League runners-up in 2022, but they have not won either the CCL or the CONCACAF Champions Cup since 1989, long before MLS had come into formation.
The 2025 Leagues Cup started well for Pumas with a PK win over Orlando and a regular time win over Atlanta. However, they bent to Inter Miami 3-1 in the third match and failed to make the knockout round. Their best finish was in the 2024 Leagues Cup, where they lost 4-0 to Seattle in the Round of 16.
Pumas’ 2026 Leagues Cup run has not started well. After an 82-minute lightning delay, UNAM were down 2-0 to Charlotte in the first 50 minutes before they could make a substitution. Pumas were unable to muster much offense, taking only two shots after the 60th minute.
Barring any rotation, Cincinnati will likely have veteran goalkeeper Keylor Navas to deal with. The Costa Rican keeper held seven clean sheets to lead the last Liga MX Clausura, but he has yet to have a shutout in this early Apertura season.
Pumas will likely start Juninho atop their formation at striker. The Brazilian forward has scored 11 goals in 28 matches since joining in December 2025, including a hat trick in his last Liga MX match, a 5-1 win over Juarez. MLS fans may also recognize ex-Vancouver Whitecap Pedro Vite and ex-Houston Dynamo star Coco Carrasquilla at midfield.
THE ORANGE & BLUE
While Pumas opted to keep much of their defense unrotated for the Charlotte match, Cincinnati rested some of their first-string players for much of their 3-1 win over Pachuca. However, some of the keys to that victory–namely midfielders Evander and Pavel Bucha–may be due for some rest if head coach Pat Noonan sees fit.
Evander may be hard to rest, as the Brazilian midfielder has been one of the hottest properties in MLS. After a quiet start to the season, in which he provided only two assists in his first nine appearances over all competitions, Evander has returned to his MVP-candidate form. In his last 12 appearances in MLS and Leagues Cup play, Evander has scored 11 goals and nine assists. His 21 combined goal contributions in MLS play put him atop the list, two more than Messi.
Considering the defense’s good work after giving up an early goal to Pachuca, Noonan may opt to keep certain parts of his back line intact. Andrei Chirila and Matt Miazga played well together at left-center and center back roles, giving Miles Robinson late substitution minutes. The three could see significant minutes again, considering Samuel Gidi came off due to injury late in the match.
While Tom Barlow and Ayoub Jabbari have excelled together atop the attack, Keven Denkey will likely see a start. The Togolese striker leads the team in all competitions this year with 15 goals, but he was reserved for only a late cameo against Pachuca. If there is any mileage on Nathan Silva and Ruben Duarte, Pumas’ dependable center-back combo, a rested Denkey may be able to exploit it.
Predicted lineup:
The outlook might be clearer to predict than the first matchup, unless Noonan opts to keep his squad ready for Tuesday’s match against Atlas. In all likelihood, Cincinnati will need at least a shootout win to keep themselves atop a lively MLS table. Cincinnati currently hold fourth place in the Leagues Cup standings with Columbus, but ten of the 18 MLS teams won their first matchup, and nine of them won by at least two goals.
Denkey and Mboma Dem will likely return to the starting lineup, but if Noonan decides to rest Evander and/or Bucha, we could see a heavy dose of Dado Valenzuela in the midfield again. Considering their good spells of play on Tuesday, we also might not rule out another roll with Evan Louro in net and both Bryan Ramirez and Ender Echenique on the edges.
Pumas will likely be throwing every bit of artillery at the Cincinnati defense, as they are already digging out of a deep hole and countering a -3 goal differential. We expect Juninho and Sebastian Cordova to return to the Starting XI, as both were subbed into the Charlotte match. Meanwhile, striker Robert Morales, who started for the Liga MX All-Stars last week, was left off the matchday roster entirely on Tuesday and could return to provide fresh legs.
Match Info
Where: TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
When: Friday, August 7th at 8 p.m.
Watch: Apple+
Listen: ESPN 1530 iHeart Radio w/ Tommy Gelehrter and Kevin McCloskey
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