FC Cincinnati Make Trip North of the Border for First Rematch of 2026
MLS FC Cincinnati

FC Cincinnati Make Trip North of the Border for First Rematch of 2026

Published on April 9, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
FC Cincinnati News Release


FC Cincinnati are back on the road again, amidst a stretch of five road matches in seven games as they take on Toronto FC for the second time this season. The first time this MLS season that The Orange and Blue will rematch an opponent.

In the opening game of the series, just over a month ago, Toronto FC came away from TQL Stadium with a 1-0 win over FC Cincinnati. Now, on the return trip to BMO Field, FCC are looking not only to get a win back against a recent opponent but also to get itself back into the positive flow of performances after a challenging stretch.

"They got the better of us in the first game, but it's the schedule that we have. I know it's challenging for different teams for different reasons," FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan said Thursday ahead of traveling to Toronto. "Do you like having the same opponent within such a short period of time? No, I like, you know, before and after a window where teams look different, and it's new and fresh for either team. But that's not necessarily a complaint. It's more just a preference...so, we get to see them again, and they get to see us again quickly, and they got the better of us in the first round."

The last time these two sides faced off, Toronto entered on a two-game losing streak. Since then, TFC have gone undefeated and have looked like a refreshed squad. With new DP striker Josh Sargent now fully in the fold, FC Cincinnati will be looking to defeat a team with confidence and momentum.

"I think they've been strong defensively. I think they have stepped up to the ball collectively in a really good way. They have different ideas of how they use players outside backs, midfielders in the build up to create space and advantages, to to move the ball up the field," Noonan explained of Toronto's improvements. "I think the last couple games you can see the collective has been pretty strong and I think why you see the results going with it."

FC Cincinnati and Toronto FC kick off early Saturday afternoon, getting things underway at 1 p.m. to start the week's worth of MLS matches. With a 2-4-0 record, The Orange and Blue will be looking for their first road points of the season.

FC Cincinnati at Toronto FC - Saturday, April 11, 2026 - 1 p.m. ET - BMO Field

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History vs Toronto FC

FC Cincinnati holds a 9-5-1 record against Toronto through 15 regular season meetings. Prior to dropping a 1-0 result against Toronto earlier this year, the Orange and Blue were unbeaten against the Canadian side over the course of eight matches, winning seven. Forward Kévin Denkey has scored twice in three appearances against Toronto, which includes a match winner in a 1-0 result for the Orange and Blue the last time the teams played at BMO Field.

FC CINCINNATI NOTES

(Courtesy of *FC Cincinnati Communications*)

League Scorers - Pavel Bucha and Kyle Smith each scored their first league goals of the season last Saturday against Red Bull New York. For Bucha, it is the earliest in an MLS campaign that the midfielder has found the back of the net (five matches). After tallying four (2024) and three (2025) goals in his first two MLS seasons with the Orange and Blue, Bucha will look to set a new single season high. Smith is one of four players to score their first league goal for FC Cincinnati this season. Smith's 72nd minute strike was his fifth career MLS goal and first league goal since May 27, 2023, when he scored for Orlando City SC against Atlanta United FC in a 1-1 draw.

Cusp of League History - FC Cincinnati midfielder Evander enters Saturday with 42 career MLS goals, one goal shy of tying Wélton's (1996-2000: NE, LA, MIA) all-time MLS record of goals scored by a Brazilian-born player (43). Evander's goal total spans his time with FC Cincinnati and Portland Timbers.

Evander's 43 goal contributions for FC Cincinnati is also one away from tying Emmanuel Ledesma's 44 for the fourth-most in goal contributions.

Homegrown - Last week, FC Cincinnati announced the signing of FC Cincinnati 2 defender Andrei Chirila as a Homegrown Player on a contract through the 2028-29 Major League Soccer season, with an option through the 2029-30 season. Chirila, 17, becomes the third player in club history - following his brother Stefan Chirila and Ademar Chávez - to follow the player pathway from the FC Cincinnati Academy to an MLS NEXT Pro contract with FC Cincinnati 2 to then sign a first-team MLS contract.

The 6-foot-3-inch center back has already made three appearances on short-term loan with FCC, starting and going the full 90 minutes in each of his outings. Chirila becomes the tenth former FC Cincinnati Academy product to sign a first-team contract with the club (Sunderland, Ordoñez, Robledo, Jimenez, Pinto, Walters, Valenzuela, S. Chirila, Chávez), the ninth as a Homegrown Player.

Scouting Toronto FC (3-2-1, 10 Points, T5 Eastern Conference)

After a slow start to the 2026 season, Toronto FC are now undefeated in their last four and on a two game winning streak as the Canadian club settles in a new look roster full of American stars.

Recent additions of Walker Zimmerman, Djordje Mihailovic and Josh Sargent have been key to the early season success of TFC, with each scoring one goal and combining for three assists. It is Hungarian MLS veteran Daniel Salloi, though, who leads the team in goals scored with two.

After starting the 2026 season with three consecutive games on the road, TFC have been dominant at home - going undefeated and allowing just four goals while scoring six. In that time, Head Coach Robin Frasier has gone back and forth between two formations that have found them success. One of them was when TFC last played at FC Cincinnati just over a month ago, deploying a 3-4-3, the other has been a 4-2-3-1.

No matter the formation, Jonathan Osorio is there for Toronto FC. The captain, TFC Academy graduate and 14-year MLS veteran has started all six matches this season for The Reds and, in their most recent match, surpassed 400 appearances for the club across all competitions.

Osorio, a Toronto native, has also been a mainstay for the Canadian National Team, representing them 90 times including at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2024 Copa America.

Between the pipes for Toronto is 2022 MLS SuperDraft selection Luka Gavran. A second-round selection, the 25-year-old keeper has started all six matches for Toronto and made 14 saves on 23 shots on target.

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Major League Soccer Stories from April 9, 2026


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