FC Cincinnati Head South for Saturday Night Match at Charlotte FC
MLS FC Cincinnati

FC Cincinnati Head South for Saturday Night Match at Charlotte FC

Published on May 7, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
FC Cincinnati News Release


FC Cincinnati seek a first win in club history at Charlotte FC when the two sides meet Saturday night at Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina. Kickoff on May 9 is set for 7:30 p.m. ET and the match airs globally on Apple TV. The Official English Radio home of FC Cincinnati, iHeart Media ESPN 1530 and the official Spanish Radio home - La Mega 101.5 FM - will broadcast the match.

The Orange and Blue (4-4-3, 15 points) bring a five-game unbeaten run and two-game winning streak into Saturday's match at Charlotte (4-5-2, 14 points). CLTFC have lost four straight matches in all competitions.

Just four matches separate FC Cincinnati and the two-month regular season pause for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Eastern Conference standings are congested, with the Orange and Blue and Charlotte being two of seven clubs separated by just five points.

Fans are encouraged to head to one of the club's official Pub Partners, presented by Coors Light. The Pub Partner program includes bars and restaurants around Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, Middletown and Louisville. Pub Partners are the spot to go to watch the Orange and Blue in 2026 and feature watch parties, drink specials and convenient locations for fans to gather to watch FC Cincinnati.

For a full list of Pub Partners and for more information on the program, visit FCCincinnati.com/Matchday/Pub-Partners.

HOW TO WATCH AND FOLLOW #CLTonCIN on SATURDAY, MAY 9 (7:30 p.m. ET)

Watch: Apple TV (English and Spanish)

English Local Radio: iHeart Media ESPN 1530

Spanish Local Radio: La Mega 101.5 FM

FC Cincinnati Social Media: X/Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

FC Cincinnati Official Mobile App: iOS | Android

FC CINCINNATI ALL-TIME AGAINST CHARLOTTE FC

Saturday marks the ninth all-time meeting between FC Cincinnati and Charlotte FC. Charlotte lead the series, 4-2-2.

FC CINCINNATI NOTES

The Battle of the Queen Cities - FC Cincinnati look to snap a four-match winless streak against Charlotte FC. The Orange and Blue have lost three consecutive matches against the Crown - and have been shown red and played down a man in each of the three losses.

Historic Winning - With a win Saturday night, FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan would become the fastest coach in the MLS post-shootout era (since 2000) to reach 75 regular season wins, besting the previous mark by Seattle's Brian Schmetzer (151 games to reach 75 wins). Saturday will be Noonan's 148th MLS match as coach of the Orange and Blue.

Cash Out At The Bank - FC Cincinnati have never beaten Charlotte FC on their home turf. CLTFC are the only Eastern Conference club which the Orange and Blue have never won away at. Eight other Western Conference clubs - including two road trips for Cincinnati later in 2026 at San Diego FC (May 16) and Houston Dynamo FC (Sept. 19) - present opportunities for maiden road victories for FC Cincinnati.

Turf Success - Since the start of the 2022 season, the Orange and Blue are 5-3-7 in MLS Regular Season matches played on artificial turf.

Climbing The Charts - FC Cincinnati Designated Players Kévin Denkey and Evander have combined for nine goals over the past four games for FC Cincinnati. Less than halfway through their second seasons for the club, Denkey (28 goals) and Evander (27 goals) both rank top-five in FC Cincinnati's all-time history, and they approach the 30-goal mark for the club.

Luciano Acosta (54), Brandon Vazquez (43) and Brenner (33) rank top-three in club history, respectively.

Dado's Assist Streak - Homegrown Gerardo 'Dado' Valenzuela has provided at least one assist in each of the past three games. An assist in his next appearance will match Luciano Acosta's club record of an assist in four-straight games from May 11-25, 2024 (at CLB, vs ATL, vs STL, at TOR).

Valenzuela currently holds the seventh three-match assist streak in FCC's MLS history.

S COUTING CHARLOTTE FC

Record: 4-5-2 (14 points)

Standings: 7th, Eastern Conference

Head Coach: Dean Smith (Third Season)

Leading Scorer: 5 - Pep Biel

Last Three Matches: 1-0 loss at New England Revolution (May 2) | 2-0 loss vs Atlanta United FC (U.S. Open Cup, April 28) | 4-2 loss vs Nashville SC (April 25)

Charlotte FC enter Saturday night with a four-match losing streak in all competitions, but return home to familiar confines. CLTFC are tied for the second-most wins at home (41) since entering the league in 2022 and the fourth-most points (139).

The strength of Charlotte starts at the back with Kristian Kahlina, who has been the man between the metal for CLTFC for five seasons now and has been one of the best keepers in MLS during that time. The Croatian keeper won the 2024 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and enters this match third in total saves this season despite Charlotte's total negative goal differential.

In the midfield, captain Ashley Westwood leads the team. He's made appearances in all 11 games this season with 10 starts and has played nearly every minute possible for Charlotte since arriving from Burnley in 2023. Team-leading goal scorer Pep Biel also plays in midfield; he's scored five times this season with an additional four assists.

Up front is a trio of attackers with varying experience at the highest levels. Kerwin Vergas and Idan Toklomati have both been key to the team's attack for multiple seasons, with the duo of forwards combining for five goals and two assists so far. The star of the group, though, is DP forward Wilfried Zaha, who, in addition to his contributions at the club level, will be hoping to lead the Ivory Coast at the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer.

Stay up-to-date and connected with FC Cincinnati! Select your schedule of choice to receive the latest match details, events and other relevant messages directly to your digital calendar. For up-to-the-minute information about FC Cincinnati, visit the team's official website at fccincinnati.com, or follow the team on X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok at @FCCincinnati. Additionally, fans are encouraged to download the team's official mobile app on iOS or Android for instant access to mobile tickets, team content and match notifications.

Check out the FC Cincinnati Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Major League Soccer Stories from May 7, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central