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MLS FC Cincinnati

Reinforcements on the Way as Orange and Blue Prepare for Top of the Table Clash with New England Revolution

June 26, 2023 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
FC Cincinnati News Release


Coming off of only the second loss of the season for FC Cincinnati (13-2-4, 43 points), the Orange and Blue prepare for the battle of the top two teams in MLS, welcoming second-place New England Revolution (10-3-6, 36 points) to TQL Stadium Saturday night.

Despite the result on Saturday, FC Cincinnati entered Matchweek 22 with a seven-point lead on both the Eastern Conference and the Supporters' Shield table. The seven-point gap between first-place FCC and second-place New England is currently the largest between any two teams next to each other in the standings.

The seven-point gap between first (FCC) and second (New England) is the same as the gap between the Revs and eighth (Atlanta United FC and Seattle Sounders FC) in Supporters' Shield standings.

New England is coming off a 2-1 win over Toronto FC. The home win was their third in a row and sixth consecutive unbeaten. It improved the Revs' home record to 7-0-3, making New England and Cincinnati the only teams in MLS to be unbeaten on home turf.

The Orange and Blue's cushion at the top not only applies to the first-place spot but also to the playoff race. With a 19-point difference above the playoff line between first place and 10th place, where Charlotte FC now stands at 24 points, FCC still sits comfortably in the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs race.

Yerson Mosquera returns to action

Colombian center back Yerson Mosquera is expected to return to Cincinnati Monday evening and return to training Wednesday after an unexpected absence delayed his return after International Duty. He will be eligible to play in Saturday's match against New England.

FC Cincinnati center back Yerson Mosquera is expected to return to Cincinnati later tonight after being held up in Toronto after International Duty.

Mosquera, 22, was held up in Toronto, Ontario, Canada processing paperwork after joining Colombia for two matches in Germany and Spain. "Los Cafeteros" went 2-0 on the trip, defeating Iraq and Germany, but Mosquera did not see time in either match.

The defender is currently with FC Cincinnati on loan from English Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers with his loan set to expire soon; however, FCC head coach Pat Noonan confirmed the club would be intending to extend Mosquera's loan through the rest of the season, and the extension is expected to formally be completed soon.

What they're saying

"The result isn't great in isolation, but there's probably little reason to worry overall for fans of Cincinnati. Pat Noonan's side was playing on short rest and against one of the only teams in the league that wasn't forced to play a midweek match in the run-up to this weekend's action. The reasons behind Saturday's loss were pretty straightforward: Cincy got punished for a handful of defensive lapses and didn't do well enough with the few chances it had."

- The Athletic Staff on FC Cincinnati's result in D.C. over the weekend.

"Saturday notwithstanding, Cincinnati has enjoyed a remarkable ascent after it won a combined 14 matches in its first three MLS seasons, then finished fifth in the Eastern Conference last year. This season, it has won all 10 home games, including 2-1 against D.C. on May 6, and hadn't lost since mid-April in St. Louis."

-Steven Goff of The Washington Post

That's Goals (International Edition)

Brandon Vazquez played the hero Saturday night for the U.S. Men's National Team, scoring an 88th-minute equalizing goal to snatch a stalemate from the jaws of defeat from Jamaica in the USMNT 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup opener at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.

Vazquez, 24, was subbed on in the 82nd minute for John Tolkin to provide an offensive boost. The American side faced a potential upset after allowing a 13th-minute goal to the visiting Jamaican team. He had an immediate impact, scoring five minutes later on a cross that landed at his feet after ricocheting off a Jamaican defender.

The goal was Vazquez's second international goal for the senior team, his first game on January 25, 2023 in a loss to Serbia.

INTERVIEW | Brandon Vazquez scores the equalizer for the USMNT against Jamaica

FCC defender Matt Miazga also played a role in the draw, earning the start for the USMNT and playing all 90 minutes of the match.

The USMNT will play their second group stage match Wednesday against preliminary round winner Saint Kitts and Nevis at CityPark in St. Louis, Missouri. The game will be streamable on FS1 and UniMas. Saint Kitts and Nevis, aka "The Sugar Boyz," dropped their opening match to Trinidad and Tobago 3-0.

Check out the FC Cincinnati Statistics



Major League Soccer Stories from June 26, 2023


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