FC Cincinnati Stick to Their Principles, Come out Victorious 3-1 in Montréal

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FC Cincinnati Stick to Their Principles, Come out Victorious 3-1 in Montréal

June 26, 2025 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
FC Cincinnati News Release


MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA - Evander earned a brace and Luca Orellano added his first goal of the 2025 regular season as FC Cincinnati dominated in Montréal, earning a 3-1 victory and securing three more points on the road.

After a 10-day break from action, only broken up by one match that precluded a 14-day break from match play resulting in effectively two games in over three weeks, FC Cincinnati came out strong and practically dominated play from kick off. There were some minor bumps along the way, some brief moments of missed connections that led to moments where the defense had to clean things up, but for the most part the FC Cincinnati offense controlled the match, and the defense swept away pressure whenever needed.

After a few opportunities were stopped thanks to quality goalkeeping, The Orange and Blue found its breakthrough right before halftime and never looked back. And unlike some other nights where one goal was all they needed, they added two more to assure the result.

"Really strong performance from the group," FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan said to open his postgame press conference from Stade Saputo. "Very pleased with certainly the attacking output and the chance creation. [We] scored some really nice goals and I thought for a majority of the game, defended really well.

"Certainly pleased with coming in here and performing in a good way."

The result on the road for FCC was perhaps the simplest reason for joy on Wednesday night. A road victory in any capacity is something to be proud of in MLS and the Cincy squad has now earned two back-to-back. But for this team, this season, results have more often than not been there. What this particular locker room may take away from the midweek matchup is that their performance was starkly improved. The things they spent time on over that extended break, bore out, and the confidence earned from this match serves as a proof of concept for what's to come - stick to the plan, and it all comes together.

"I think the difference is how after we got the lead, we didn't change how we were playing. Didn't sit off. I thought our pressure was really strong tonight, led by that front group," Noonan explained from his press conference, praising his side. "Consistency in the play for 90 minutes and not deviating from what we were preparing because of a one goal lead...we defended in a really good way as well."

There were several things highlighted over the break, a reset as some put it, that FC Cincinnati saw pay dividends for themselves. Defensive responsibility and structure was one that Noonan had highlighted entering the match as a point of emphasis, pointing towards how if the foundation of their approach is solid it uplifts all phases of play.

That happened. The FC Cincinnati press and defense created multiple opportunities for themselves and effectively kept CF Montréal away from goal for nearly 90 minutes.

Lukas Engel explained from the locker room that something he felt they spent a lot of time on during the "second preseason," as some other players described it, was getting their pressures right when pressing opponents.

That happened, too. The front line of the FCC defense led primarily by Kévin Denkey, Kei Kamara, Pavel Bucha and Evander hounded CF Montréal and forced the home side to try to play direct. Where the deeper lying defenders like Matt Miazga, Lukas Engel and Gilberto Flores tidied up balls in the air efficiently and effectively.

And the talked about wingback play, an aspect no one had shared in any great depth until postgame when Pat Noonan noted the interconnectivity of Luca Orellano, DeAndre Yedlin and Evander, which became most evident in the goal scoring efforts on the evening.

"We've just talked about wingback positioning and not being too comfortable being on the touch line," Noonan shared. "Finding ways to take up different positions in certain moments in the game. And I think when we were moving the ball right to left, Luca did a good job of understanding the positioning of Evander and Luca was kind of the free man and did a good job of receiving the ball in a more central position, which allowed him to not have to only play in isolation, one-v-one, he could combine with Evander. He could advance with the ball. He was connected with our front two to have options to play into them or behind."

The play on the wing was evident if only through its effectiveness. The Argentine and Brazilian attackers would interchange seamlessly along the left wing - sometimes Orellano would stay outside and play into Evander, but sometimes Evander would shade to the touch line with Orellano making an underlapping run through the middle and the two would connect that way. The combination kept CF Montréal out of sorts and created space in new ways for The Orange and Blue.

"Luca recognized that tonight in a lot of moments," Noonan said in praise of Orellano. "The closer that Luca is working with Evander, is working with Kévin (Denkey), Kei Kamara, whoever's up top, the ability to play out of pressure and then face goal with those players on the ball can be dangerous.

"So, yeah, it's just getting the spacing right and the connections a little bit stronger."

The first goal of the night game in a different kind of way, but still relates to space and creativity created on the wing. On the connections and conversations built on the training ground. On DeAndre Yedlin connecting with Pavel Bucha to exploit the space behind the Montréal defense then cross it into an expecting Evander.

After running down the wing and retrieving a pass into space from Bucha, Yedlin rocketed a cross into the middle with a pace that only Evander could get to. A pace that even if the CF Montréal defensive line had read where it was going, they wouldn't have been able to react in time. Evander then takes a touch to control it and launches a volley to the back of the net, giving FCC its first goal of the night.

"We work together well," Evander said from the FC Cincinnati locker room after the match. "We have worked on understanding each other and I think we find each other well."

"So, I mean, yea, I kind of expected that pass a little softer," Evander explained with a hint of a laugh. "I knew we would be looking for each other there. And after I controlled it, the ball bounced and sat up in a perfect way where I knew I could get a good connection on the ball."

The second goal came again on wingback connections, with Orellano linking up with Evander to create a moment where both players' skills could take over.

"Luca's goal is an excellent inside dribble and getting the ball to Evander in the right moment, who can play on one touch and recognizes how to put Luca in on goal," Pat Noonan explained. "You see with the right timing of how we move off the ball, understanding how to attack space, just being active in the right moment to allow us to move to goal. That part, I think was better tonight, and it can be even better."

Orellano's goal, a crafty flicked on shot after getting into the space Noonan describes, finally got the young winger his first goal of the season. A long awaited reward for the hard work Orellano has put in and one his teammates and coaches were eager to celebrate.

"I think you can see everybody's reaction, including himself, just happy to see that first one go in," Noonan said. So hopefully, that carries over into the weekend and moving forward. But it was a long time coming, and he deserves it."

"We really wanted this for him," Evander added, having been the one to assist the goal. "Even though he hasn't scored, he has been an important player for us and is always trying to help the team. He is always trying to find ways to help us and make us better, so I am glad I can be the one to contribute to it, but I am mostly glad that he got it. Because he deserves it."

The Orange and Blue added a third goal late to effectively seal the deal. Lukas Engel, playing as a center-back, read the defense and drove forward with the ball into the box with little resistance. He then centered the ball for a waiting Evander, who slammed home his second of the night to make it 3-0.

But there was a spoiling moment for the night, a segment of about six minutes to close the game where the otherwise so hardly fought for clean sheet was lost in a flash.

"For a majority of the game we defended really well, [but] I think the last 5-10 minutes got away from us a little bit and gave them some life," Pat Noonan said. "Up until about the 85th minute, 90th minute, we defended in a really good way as well. So it's making sure that it's through extra time that you see out the game where hopefully you can walk off the field with a clean sheet. But it's still a very strong win."

"I thought we were defensively really strong as well," Engel continued. "All are a little bit pissed that we did not get the clean sheet. Me and Matt (Miazga) especially, I should have dealt with that better. But at the end of the day, we scored three goals and we won the game. So yeah, I think we can be happy overall."

A crossed in header from CF Montréal forward Prince Owusu snuck past FC Cincinnati and gave the home side some life. That life gave some hope and with that hope Montréal pushed for all they could in added time. No additional goal would come, but it made for a more dramatic closing six minutes than perhaps necessary.

"The team did really well, and it was huge for us, honestly, especially with the break we had in between the two games," Lukas Engel, who assisted on the final goal of the game, said of the performance. "We had a strong performance and saw the work we did on the training ground play out true. So I think we can be happy with that. The coaches put us in a really good position and we just need to follow that, but this win, the way it came to be, can be really good for us."

"Even with the close, this is something we can build on," Evander said earnestly. "We can walk away with the confidence of our performance, but also the reminder that there's always more that we can push for more."

FC Cincinnati got a break in the calendar at an opportune time, approached it looking for a reset, and feel like they got just that. And while there is plenty left in the regular season to go, there are signs suggesting that reset, that 'second preseason' was used well.

So, after a month of waiting between games, and getting 10 to 14 days between fixtures, the schedule turns over quickly in an ironic twist. FC Cincinnati head to Orlando, Florida on Saturday looking to prove themselves once again. And with the dog days of summer rapidly approaching, and temperatures expected to rise to a high of 90 degrees with 60 percent humidity - it's out of the fryer and into the frying pan for The Orange and Blue.

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