FC Cincinnati will hope their improved defense comes to play when they face Chicago Fire FC for the second time in two weeks.
FC Cincinnati plays Chicago at Soldier Field, Saturday, May 2. Kickoff from the Windy City is set for 8:30 p.m. Cincy is 3-4-3 for 12 points, one of five teams tied with the record for seventh in the Major League Soccer Eastern Conference. Chicago, 5-2-2, has 17 points, third in the East.
Cincy is coming off a 2-0 home win over Red Bull New York, only its second MLS clean sheet of the season. That slowed down a trend in which they had conceded nearly four goals per game over the previous seven.
The teams met April 18 at TQL Stadium, which Cincy rallying from two goals down late to draw the Fire, 3-3. Cincinnati will look to win two straight for the first time this season.
“I think winning always has guys feeling, acting, maybe a little bit more upbeat, but it’s typically, how do you go about the performance and getting a result?” said FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan. “We defended a lot of moments fairly well. There was a couple box defending actions where I think they got dangerous crosses in where maybe we’re fortunate, but I think under the circumstances, those being the last few weeks of having to come back in games and being more on the front foot and getting the goals, that was a positive.”
Defending Chicago will be a big key
Chicago has scored 17 goals this year and allowed only eight, second in the Eastern Conference.
In the first game, Chicago star Hugo Cuypers carved up the Cincinnati defense. He scored two goals on difficult shots, and set up another by drawing a foul in the penalty box. He has eight goals this season and has scored in every game he’s played.
Dynamic Ivory Coast winger Jonathan Bamba starts on the left and has two goals and two assists. He missed the first game. Philip Zinckernagel is a veteran presence on the offense.
Cuypers is a key matchup for Cincinnati’s defense.
“So, smart players think fast and can catch people off guard, whether it’s a defender, whether it’s a goalkeeper, how he takes the second goal, the technique, wrapping it around a defender, starting it outside the post, so you really eliminate a goalkeeper’s chance to make a save,” Noonan said. “That’s high-level attacking play. If you give them an inch, and they have the creativity, and they’re close to goal, they can still make plays, and we saw that. So hopefully we can do a better job of limiting his space and his ability to make plays in this next matchup.”
Cincy will be healthier on defense
Cincinnati shut out the Red Bulls with a makeshift lineup in the back, starting 17-year old Andrei Chirila at center back with midfielders Samuel Gidi and Kyle Smith alongside him.
Noonan said April 30 that veteran center backs Matt Miazga and Nick Hagglund are on track to be available, while Miles Robinson, Obinna Nwobodo and Alvas Powell are not. He anticipates the latter three being back in training next week.
Chirila drew a lot of notice with his play, not only by helping with the clean sheet but his passing ability to start the offense. Gidi and Smith also seemed to spark crisper ball movement against RBNY with their midfielder skills. Chirila’s advanced metrics showed his offensive skills. He completed seven successful long passes against RBNY, the third most of any player in MLS on April 25. Chirila completed 85.7% of his total passes, had one clearance, and committed zero fouls.
“(Chirila), if he’s given another opportunity, for a young player is, are you still thinking about some of the good things in your last performance? Or are you already past that?” Noonan said. “And that’ll be the challenge for him with his next opportunity is being consistent with his play.”
Quick rematch with Chicago
The game is part of a quirky stretch to open the season, as Chicago is the third Eastern Conference team that the Orange and Blue will complete their two-game season series with in the first 11 games. Cincy had a loss and draw against Toronto, and a win and a loss against Red Bull New York. Cincinnati has played four other East teams once, and will face Charlotte, Miami and Orlando before the World Cup break, plus Western Conference foe San Diego.
As part of the schedule, they don’t face archrival Columbus until July 25. They don’t play Supporters’ Shield leaders Nashville until Aug. 29, or reigning Supporters’ Shield winners Philadelphia until September.
“What it does is it has you more familiar with them for the second match,” Noonan said. “But the same goes for them, so Chicago is going to have a pretty good idea of us and what they can expect. So, it’s not new, and it can be a positive or a negative, depending on how you learn from the first game and how you make adjustments for the second.”
The Orange and Blue are 7-4-4 in MLS regular season competition against Chicago. In their first meeting in 2017, they memorably beat the Fire in a penalty shootout in the 2017 U.S. Lamar Hunt Open Cup.
FC Cincinnati player notes
Kévin Denkey has now scored two goals in back-to-back matches and is the fourth player in FC Cincinnati history with back-to-back multi-goal games, joining Evander in 2025, and Brandon Vazquez and Brenner in 2022. He has six goals in MLS play and 10 overall, counting three against Tigres in the Concacaf Champions Cup and one against O&M FC.
Denkey was named to the MLS Team of the Matchday for Matchday 10 for his performance against Red Bull.
Pavel Bucha enters the weekend just one appearance shy of 100 for FC Cincinnati, across all competitions. Bucha has been a mainstay in the FC Cincinnati lineup since his arrival in MLS, appearing in 99 of a possible 104 matches. Bucha would become the 11th player in club history to make 100 appearances.
Bucha played at right wingback against RBNY, a spot he normally doesn’t start at, and played very well.
“Availability is important, which we’ve seen with Pavel,” Noonan said. “He’s been available. I think being a team player is important. He played out of a position that he’s accustomed to playing. The willingness to do what’s necessary for the team, that’s always been there with Pavel. So, you talk about availability, you talk about being a team player and versatility and understanding the game and being able to perform well, and Pavel has provided all those things.”
How to tune into FC Cincinnati vs Chicago Fire FC
Watch/Stream (English/Spanish): Apple TV
English Local Radio: ESPN 1530
Spanish Local Radio: La Mega 101.5 FM
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: FC Cincinnati hopes to build momentum at Chicago Fire FC
Reporting by James Weber, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
