I thought about staying in Croatia. I really did. The clear-blue water had me feeling like I was swimming in Paul Newman’s eyes. My 12-year-old self was certainly disgusted by all of the fresh seafood I was gobbling up. And just the overall Croatian “laganini” vibe is appealing.
Had I not been traveling during a global soccer international break and attended a Hajduk Split match, I might still be wandering the alleys of Dubrovnik. I did get a slick club T-shirt, though.
OK, enough about me. FC Cincinnati was off last weekend but played twice and made a few other headlines during my absence. My last post before the break noted the perilous nature of the Orange and Blue’s playoff streak. Things did not improve while I was away.
FCC followed up a respectable 2-2 road draw at Houston with a woeful 3-1 loss to Eastern Conference basement dweller Montreal. Kevin Denkey and Miles Robinson were absent on international duty, but Evander and ample regulars started and were available. There’s nothing redeemable about that showing in Canada.
The winless streak stands at six matches, sending the locals tumbling down the playoff order to 10th in the East, one spot out of playoff position. The good (or bad?) news is that Cincinnati has seven matches in 22 days to close the month. Plenty of time for an ascension—or to sink to a new 2026 low.
New faces
Winger David Doudera and defender Julian Malantini, the club’s lone late-transfer window additions, were both in the squad vs. Montreal, with the former debuting with 30-plus minutes off the bench.
Days after my last pre-break post, FC Cincinnati announced the signing of free-agent defender Tyrell Malacia, who had been on trial with the club. Malacia owns an impressive pedigree. He was playing in the Dutch first division with Feyenoord at 18 and saw action in the Champions League. He earned a transfer to Manchester United ahead of the 2022-23 season, playing in 39 matches in his debut season with the Red Devils.
Injuries derailed his career with United, though, notably a major knee injury that kept him out of action for a year and a half. Over the 2025-26 campaign, he played just 18 minutes across three top-flight matches.
The left-footed Dutchman is still just 27 and had no transfer fee attached. Still, the Cincinnati did have to send $200,000 in General Allocation Money to St. Louis to acquire an international slot for Malacia. Malacia is signed through June 2027—essentially, the 2027 MLS Sprint Season—with an option for the 2027-28 regular season.
The Malacia Rehab Project reminds me of Cincinnati inking former Atletico Madrid defender Santiago Arias to a contract ahead of the 2023 campaign. He also boasted significant European first-division and international experience before injury woes halting his career progression.
Arias enjoyed a strong 2023 at right wingback and parlayed that into a move into a bigger payday in the Brazilian first division. His creative spark went beyond the five goals-plus-assists he delivered, as he linked up well with Lucho Acosta and kept the eventual Supporters’ Shield winners from leaning too much on Acosta and Alvaro Barreal. (Man, what a baller Barreal was.)
Malacia profiles as a left wingback in the 3-5-2 setup, with Doudera at right wingback. Pavel Bucha, dependable but out of position at right wingback all season, moves back into his natural No. 8 role. If FC Cincinnati weren’t so thin talent-wise along the back line, you could talk yourself into a late-season surge with this new alignment.
With all three newcomers training and available for selection, we’ll get a chance to see the revamped lineup Saturday as FCC visits Atlanta, another Eastern Conference minnow.
Grant Freking is in his eighth year of FC Cincinnati coverage for Cincinnati Magazine.
