FC Cincinnati Head West for First Meeting with San Diego FC
MLS FC Cincinnati

FC Cincinnati Head West for First Meeting with San Diego FC

Published on May 15, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
FC Cincinnati News Release


FC Cincinnati will visit San Diego FC for the first ever meeting between the two clubs on Saturday, May 16. Kickoff from Snapdragon Stadium is set for 9:30 p.m. ET, with the match airing 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 (4-5-4, 16 points) look to bounce back from a back-and-forth battle with Inter Miami on Wednesday night, with Miami coming away victorious in a 5-3 scoreline.

San Diego 4-5-4 (16 points), who finished top of the Western Conference standings in their debut season in 2025, welcomes the Orange and Blue to Snapdragon Stadium as the two clubs jostle for playoff positioning in their respective conferences.

Just two matches remain for FC Cincinnati before Major League Soccer pauses game action nearly two months for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Following the matchup with San Diego, the Orange and Blue return home to host Orlando City SC next Saturday, May 23 at TQL Stadium.

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 #SDvCIN on SATURDAY, MAY 16 (9:30 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 NOTES

Maiden Voyage - Saturday marks the first ever meeting between FC Cincinnati and San Diego FC as the Orange and Blue make the cross-country trip to Snapdragon Stadium to meet the 2025 MLS expansion club.

Following Saturday's road tilt, FC Cincinnati will have played at least one road match at 28 of the 29 opposing MLS clubs, with the lone exception being Sporting Kansas City.

Back Out West - Under Head Coach Pat Noonan, FC Cincinnati are 17-5-5 against Western Conference opponents in MLS play.

Until a 1-0 loss at Minnesota United FC earlier this season on Matchday 2, FC Cincinnati had won six-straight road matches against Western Conference opponents, which stands as the longest interconference road win streak in MLS' post-shootout era. Cincinnati have won three straight matches in the Pacific Time zone (2024 at San Jose Earthquakes; 2025 at Portland Timbers, at LA Galaxy).

Seeking A Historic Win - 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 Sounders' Brian Schmetzer (151 games to reach 75 wins).

Saturday will be Noonan's 150th MLS match as coach of the Orange and Blue.

A Quick Turnaround - Following Wednesday's match against Inter Miami CF, Saturday marks a quick turnaround for FC Cincinnati. Since 2022 under Head Coach Pat Noonan, FCC are 22-11-10 in 43 matches playing a game just three days following another, across all competitions.

Climbing The Charts - FC Cincinnati Designated Players Evander and Kévin Denkey have scored 11 of the last 12 goals for the club, with Evander scoring six and Denkey accounting for five. In total, they have combined for 13 goals over the past six games for FC Cincinnati.

Less than halfway through their second seasons for the club, Denkey (30 goals) and Evander (29 goals) both rank top-five in FC Cincinnati's all-time history. They both approach Brenner (33 goals), who ranks third in the club's all-time history in goals scored.

100 Soon - In his next appearance, Matt Miazga will make his 100th career appearance for FC Cincinnati. FCC is already Miazga's most-tenured club by appearances in his distinguished career and he would become the 14th player in FCC's all-time history to make 100 appearances for the club (Kubo, Hagglund, Celentano, Powell, Acosta, Nwobodo, Vazquez, Barreal, Bone, Murphy, McLaughlin, Bucha, Santos).

A Reunion - Two stars in MLS, FC Cincinnati's Evander and San Diego FC's Anders Dreyer meet as opponents Saturday night. The duo were teammates together in Denmark with FC Midtjylland, where according to Transfermarkt. US, the duo appeared in 81 matches together between 2020 and 2022.

SCOUTING SAN DIEGO FC

Record: 4-5-4 (16 points) Standings: 10th, Western Conference

Head Coach: Mikey Varas (2nd season) Leading Scorer: 9 - Marcus Ingvartsen

Last Three Matches: 5-0 win vs Austin FC (May 13) | 1-1 draw at Seattle Sounders FC (May 9) | 2-2 draw vs Los Angeles FC (May 2)

San Diego FC enter Saturday night with an identical record to FC Cincinnati, 4-5-4. Like the Orange and Blue, San Diego also dealt with early-season schedule congestion due to participation in the Concacaf Champions Cup.

San Diego entered the midweek in a severe winless drought, having failed to win in league play since March 7. But coming into the night having not won in nine straight, they comprehensively took down Austin FC, 5-0.

Managed by Head Coach Mikey Varas, San Diego FC got off to a strong start in their inaugural season by finishing top of the Western Conference and fifth in the overall league table. This season has been a challenge for them as they look to replicate that success, but they enter this match undefeated in their last three. Varas, who was an Interim Head Coach with the U.S. Men's National Team prior to taking over San Diego.

On the attack, San Diego has shined. The aforementioned Anders Dryer was an MLS All-Star, Best XI selection and finalist for MLS MVP in 2025 and has continued his torrid pace in 2026. Fellow Danish International Marcus Ingvartsen leads the team with nine goals.

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.

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Major League Soccer Stories from May 15, 2026


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