Preview: FC Cincinnati Host Toronto FC in Sunday Night Soccer
MLS FC Cincinnati

Preview: FC Cincinnati Host Toronto FC in Sunday Night Soccer

Published on March 6, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
FC Cincinnati News Release


FC Cincinnati host Toronto FC for Sunday Night Soccer on March 8 at TQL Stadium. Kickoff for the Major League Soccer showcase match of the week is set for 7 p.m. and the match will air 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.

Limited tickets are available at FCCincinnati.com/Tickets or by calling 513-977-KICK. The first 10,000 fans through the gates will receive an Evander Bobblehead, presented by Kroger.

The Orange and Blue (1-1-0, 3 points) are unbeaten in eight consecutive matches dating back to 2022 against Toronto (0-2-0, 0 points). Seven of those eight matches were victories for FC Cincinnati.

HOW TO WATCH AND FOLLOW SUNDAY NIGHT SOCCER #CINvTOR on SUNDAY, MARCH 8 (7 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 TORONTO FC

FC Cincinnati lead the all-time series over Toronto FC, 9-4-1.

FC CINCINNATI NOTES

Success Against Toronto FC - Since joining Major League Soccer in 2019, FC Cincinnati have found significant success against Toronto FC, defeating the Reds more than any other opponent in MLS play.

FC Cincinnati hold an all-time 9-4-1 record against TFC, the club's most wins against any single club in club history, including FCC's USL era. That's despite the Reds winning each of the first three all-time meetings between the clubs in 2019 and 2020.

Under Head Coach Pat Noonan, Cincinnati are 7-0-1 against Toronto FC. Even prior to Noonan and his staff joining in 2022, over the last 11 matches between the sides dating back to 2021, FC Cincinnati are 9-1-1 against Toronto.

Against The Reds In Cincinnati -Amidst FC Cincinnati's form against Toronto FC, the Orange and Blue have never conceded a goal to Toronto at TQL Stadium, which opened in 2021. FCC have outscored TFC, 9-0, at TQL Stadium, holding a 4-0-1 record against the Reds in Cincinnati with one scoreless draw coming in 2024.

Patrick Mullins' 29th minute goal on October 11, 2020 at a closed-door Nippert Stadium amidst Covid-19 restrictions win was the Reds' last goal in the Queen City.

Déjà Vu - FC Cincinnati and Toronto FC meet in consecutive years on March 8. Last year on March 8, 2025, exactly one year before Sunday, FC Cincinnati defeated TFC 2-0 at TQL Stadium.

Scoring Against Toronto - Despite FC Cincinnati's successes against Toronto, only three players on FC Cincinnati's current roster have scored in their MLS careers against Toronto FC: Tom Barlow (3), Kévin Denkey (2) and Kyle Smith (1).

With Barlow and Smith in their first seasons with Cincinnati, Denkey, who scored in both matches last season against the Reds, is the only player to have previously scored for FCC against Toronto FC.

Tigres Await - The buildup to Sunday Night Soccer marked FC Cincinnati's first full-week buildup to a match in the early 2026 season. But the double matchweeks resume next week as FC Cincinnati next Thursday will host Mexican club Tigres UANL in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16.

The Orange and Blue seek revenge against Tigres, who knocked Cincy out in the same round last season in the competition, 4-2 on aggregate.

Welcome, Fabian! - On Thursday, FC Cincinnati acquired Polish goalkeeper Fabian Mrozek (pronunciation: FAH-beahn mh-ROW-zek) on loan from Liverpool FC of the English Premier League, pending receipt of his P-1 Visa. Mrozek, 22, joins the Orange and Blue on loan through the 2026 Major League Soccer season with an option to make the move a permanent transfer.

He joined the Liverpool Academy in August 2020 and has secured 19 clean sheets in 60 appearances for the club at the U18, U19 and U21 levels and also has featured six times on the bench for the first team.

Leagues Cup Schedule Announced - Also on Thursday, FC Cincinnati learned their opponents for Leagues Cup 2026. It will be three first-time matchups for the Orange and Blue as they host CF Pachuca (Aug. 4), Pumas (Aug. 7) and Atlas FC (Aug. 11) in Phase One play this summer.

SCOUTING TORONTO FC

Record: 0-2-0 (0 points)

Standings: 12th, Eastern Conference

Head Coach: Robin Fraser (Second Season)

Leading Scorer: 1 - Djordje Mihailovic, Derrick Etienne Jr.

Toronto are winless in their first two matches of 2026 and continue an extended road trip to start the season with their trip to TQL Stadium this Sunday. With renovations to their home stadium BMO Field underway in preparations for the FIFA World Cup this summer, Toronto FC has opened their season with a Western Conference road trip by first visiting FC Dallas and then Vancouver Whitecaps. In those matches, Toronto has conceded six goals and scored just twice.

FC Cincinnati swept Toronto in 2025 in Robin Fraser's first season in charge of the Reds. But like this season - when FCC will be finished with both matchups with Toronto by early April - the Orange and Blue were done seeing Toronto by May last year. But the Toronto in the second half of 2025 was vastly different than the early-season Toronto FC.

In July, Toronto parted ways with two of their top players in Federico Bernardeschi and Lorenzo Insigne and began anew. The big addition during 2025 was attacking midfielder Djorde Mihailovic, who joined the club midway through the year and notched eight goal contributions in just 10 matches. The American attacker has played all 180 minutes this season thus far and scored in the season opener.

The offseason addition that made the most noise this winter was former Nashville DP defender and captain Walker Zimmerman, who signed as a free agent with Toronto after six years in the music city and over 140 appearances for NSC.

The third of the American trio of notable squad additions was only announced earlier this week. Forward Josh Sargent was announced as the club's newest Designated Player after a league-high fee paid to Norwich City FC of the EFL Championship in England. Sargent, 26, has made over 150 appearances for the Canaries across five seasons in the Championship and the Premier League and scored 56 goals in that stretch. He has also been a regular U.S. Men's National Team selection, getting the call for the United States 29 times and scoring five times. He was selected for the USMNT at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and started twice before being made unavailable due to an injury. Sargent could make his club debut this weekend.

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 March 6, 2026


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