FC Cincinnati Host Atlanta United FC in Afternoon Match at TQL Stadium

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MLS FC Cincinnati

FC Cincinnati Host Atlanta United FC in Afternoon Match at TQL Stadium

March 20, 2025 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
FC Cincinnati News Release


FC Cincinnati and Atlanta United FC kick off weekend MLS action on Saturday, March 22, at TQL Stadium at 2:30 p.m. ET. Saturday's match, and all MLS regular season matches, can be streamed on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

Fans can also listen to the official radio homes of FC Cincinnati, iHeart ESPN 1530 in English and in Spanish on La Mega Cincinnati 101.5 FM.

HOW TO WATCH AND FOLLOW #CINvATL on SATURDAY, MARCH 22 (2:30 p.m. ET)

Watch/Stream (English/Spanish): MLS Season Pass on Apple TV

English Local Radio: iHeart Media: ESPN 1530

Spanish Local Radio: La Mega 101.5 FM

FC Cincinnati Social Media: X/Twitter, Instagram and Facebook

FC Cincinnati Official Mobile App: iOS and Android

FC CINCINNATI NOTES

CONTINUE THE RUN - FC Cincinnati are unbeaten against Atlanta United FC under Head Coach Pat Noonan. Since the start of the 2022 season, the Orange and Blue are 3-0-3 against the Five Stripes. FC Cincinnati swept Atlanta last season, winning 2-1 in come-from-behind fashion at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in April, followed by a midweek 1-0 win in May at TQL Stadium. Kevin Kelsy's 7th minute goal was all that was needed in the win.

A RARE AFTERNOON IN THE QUEEN CITY - Saturday will mark a rare afternoon kickoff (4 p.m. or prior) for FC Cincinnati. It will be just FCC's 11th home match in the Queen City with an early kickoff in the club's MLS era. FCC hold a 2-4-4 record at home in such games. That of course excludes July 28, 2023 when FCC and Chivas resumed the final half hour of play in Leagues Cup 2023 at 2 p.m. after severe weather halted play in the 60th minute the night prior.

FINALLY SOME TIME - Excluding the season opener at FC Motagua in the Concacaf Champions Cup, Saturday marks the first match FC Cincinnati have played this season on a full week of rest. The Orange and Blue had began the season with eight matches in 25 days with MLS and Champions Cup play, going 3-3-2 in that stretch. The Orange and Blue will focus solely on MLS Regular Season play until Leagues Cup action begins in late July. It will be nearly two months - on Wednesday, May 14 at Toronto FC - before Cincinnati will have to play a midweek match in addition to a weekend fixture.

AWAY ABROAD - As FC Cincinnati and Atlanta United take the field, two Orange and Blue players are with their respective national teams during the March FIFA International Window. Kévin Denkey joined the Togo National Team for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers while Stefan Chirila is with the U-18 Romanian National Team for a training camp.

HOME COOKING - FC Cincinnati seek a 3-0-0 home start in MLS play and seek to become the first team to accomplish that in 2025. Only two other MLS clubs are 2-0-0 at home and host a match in

Matchday 5 (Charlotte FC, Vancouver Whitecaps FC), both of whom play later Saturday. Cincy have once before started 3-0-0 at home in MLS, in 2023 when the club started 10-0-0 - tied for the longest single-season home in streak in MLS history and tied for the third-longest home win streak in MLS history.

CAPTAIN MILES - Miles Robinson has worn the captain's armband in all eight matches so far this season. He signed with FC Cincinnati ahead of the 2024 season after spending the entirety of his prior seven-year MLS career with Atlanta United. With Atlanta, Robinson made 123 MLS regular season appearances - 111 starts - scoring three goals and two assists. He earned two MLS Best XI honors (2019, 2021), one All-Star honor (2021) and won two titles, including MLS Cup 2018.

G'DAY, BRAD! - Last Friday, FC Cincinnati signed Australian wingback Brad Smith, who brings to Cincinnati over 200 professional appearances, over half of which have come in MLS - most recently spending the past two seasons with Houston Dynamo FC. In addition to 10 Premier League appearances with Liverpool and Bournemouth earlier in his career, he has also earned 23 caps for the Australia National Team.

SCOUTING ATLANTA UNITED FC (1-2-1, 4 Points, T-11 in Eastern Conference)

Atlanta United spent the offseason retooling its roster and splashing cash in the transfer market, bringing in two new DP's and trading for a DP from DC United as they looked to catapult themselves back to the top of the Eastern Conference. But with so much change Atlanta has not gotten the results they have hoped for.

In their first four matches of 2025, Atlanta went 1-2-1, playing three games at home and losing their lone road match. After winning their opening day match versus CF Montreal, Atlanta has not won since, taking on Charlotte FC, New York Red Bulls and Inter Miami CF.

Of the newcomers to the squad this season, some are new, and one is a returning star who is back after a stint overseas. The returner, Miguel Almiron, is back with Atlanta United after six seasons and over 180 appearances with Newcastle United. The winger was an MLS Cup winner with Atlanta in his first stint, won Newcomer of the Year, and was a two-time MLS All-Star and Best XI member during his stint from 2016 to 2019 with Atlanta.

The other notable addition came in the form of striker Emmanuel Latte Lath, who joined Atlanta from English Championship side Middlesbrough on what was reported to be a record incoming fee for an MLS club, eclipsing the fee FC Cincinnati reportedly paid for Kévin Denkey earlier in the window. The Ivory Coast native striker was teammates with FCC defender Lukas Engel at Boro.

"I just talked to him this morning, actually, he's a great player," Engel said of his former teammate on Thursday in preparation for the match. "Everyone that knows him knows that he's a great player, he's fast, he's versatile, he's pretty much got everything you want from a number nine, which is why we need to be on our best on Saturday if we want to stop him. He can score, left, right, (with his) head, wherever he is. He's a great player, but I believe that we will be able to stop on Saturday."

"Very active. He's got good pace. He's his hold up play. You see in the last couple of games, looking at him obviously, more closely, does a good job of moving off the line and getting his teammates involved," FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan said of Latte Lath. "Runs down balls into the channel, in front of goal. I think he's got a good feel for how when crosses are going to come in and even picking up knock downs if he's not getting on the end of a pass himself. So just a really good feel for chance creation around goal, and you know that'll be something that you can't lose focus, or his whereabouts, in and around goal."

Part of the challenge for Saturday afternoon's match at TQL Stadium for both teams, though, will be the International Window calling up players from both teams to their international teams, leaving the clubs without some of their stars. FC Cincinnati will be without Denkey as he joins Togo for World Cup qualifying, and Stefan Chirila will be with the Romanian U18 squad, Atlanta United will be without 8 players (Luis Abram, Stian Gregersen, Miguel Almiron, Bartosz Slisz, Jay Fortune, Noah Cobb, Efrain Morales, Luke Brennan) with an additional two players being called from their second team. The call-ups leave questions on how Atlanta could line up or utilize reserves later in the match.

"They're missing some key pieces too. If you look at the starting group from their first league games, you know, with Gregerson and Slisz and Almiron, kind of the starting group, but they lose a lot of depth with guys that would come in with, Cobb, Abram, Fortune. I think I'm missing one, but, both teams, I think, are hit with some key pieces that will be out. But I think both teams have good depth that can put strong elevens out there," Pat Noonan said of the match. "Things can change based on personnel missing, but they've been pretty consistent in their play and in their structure through, you know, their league games. So, it will be a good challenge for us."

Atlanta United, under the management of Ronny Delia, have used a 4-2-3-1 formation.

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 and Facebook 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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