FC Cincinnati cant afford to look past Toronto FC
FC Cincinnati have a highly anticipated showdown this weekend at the rival Columbus Crew, who are tied with them atop the Eastern Conference. First, Cincinnati must head north of the border to face Toronto FC Wednesday night.
Cincinnati (8-3-1, 25 points) is coming off a 2-1 win at home against Austin FC on Saturday, bouncing back from a 1-0 defeat in its prior match at New York City FC.
After a lackluster offensive showing at NYCFC, snapping their five-match winning streak, FC Cincinnati were relentlessly assertive on offense against Austin FC, outshooting them 18-11, including 7-2 in shots on goal.
"(There was) certainly an improvement with how we move the ball and have better decisions, more composure, you know, trying to figure out how to play through (Austin FC's) press," Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan said. "We scored some really good goals when we needed to."
FC Cincinnati forward Evander scored his team-leading seventh goal of the season and had the assist on midfielder Gerardo Valenzuela's game-winning goal Saturday. Evander's performance earned him a spot on the MLS Team of the Matchday for the weekend, the 26-year-old's fourth such honor this season.
Toronto FC (2-6-4, 10 points) sits in 13th in the Eastern Conference, but they picked up three points in a 2-0 home win against D.C. United on Saturday. It was their first home win of the season.
Goalkeeper Sean Johnson and forward Lorenzo Insigne were both named to the MLS Team of the Matchday.
Johnson turned away all five of D.C.'s shots on goal for Toronto's fourth clean sheet of the season. Insigne scored in the 48th minute and then had an assist on an offensive sequence that led to an own goal.
"I thought (Insigne) was excellent," Toronto head coach Robin Fraser said. "Again, his intelligence and understanding of what's happening on the field offensively and defensively, I think, is underestimated."
FC Cincinnati earned three points in a 2-0 home win over Toronto FC on March 8. They are 8-4-1 against Toronto FC all-time.
On Tuesday, FC Cincinnati signed MLS legend Kei Kamara through 2025 with an option for 2026. The 40-year-old striker ranks No. 2 in MLS history with 147 regular-season goals and No. 4 with 445 appearances.
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