Saturday was a reminder of the elevated standard of play FC Cincinnati can reach, even without reigning league MVP Lucho Acosta. Playing without its suspended skipper, FCC throttled Montreal 4-1, collecting a win for the first time ever in a match when Acosta was unavailable for selection. The hosts benefitted from an ace performance from MLS Player of the Matchday Luca Orellano, who scored twice, including a well-placed wedge from 70 yards out.
Two second-half stoppage time goals by Columbus in its victory over New York City prevented the Orange and Blue from having a perfect evening. The Crew salvaged two key points ahead of the season’s second Hell Is Real match on September 14, so FCC (second in East, 51 points) will be two points ahead of Columbus (which has two games in hand) when the Crew come to TQL Stadium in a week and a half. I’ll preview that match next week.
Saturday was an essential “get right” tilt for the hosts, who snapped a four-match league losing streak and, for the first time in four contests, failed to surrender the first game’s initial score. The local lads actually slapped four on Montreal before the visitors struck in the 81st minute, well after the match had been decided.
Again, Orellano was the star of the night, pumping in two goals while playing a full match at wingback for the first time since early July. The 24-year-old began by striking the right frame on a lovely free kick in the 24th minute. After Kevin Kelsy drew a foul outside of the penalty area not long into the second half, Orellano thrust a ball into the Montreal wall, only for it to deflect into the goal for a 2-0 lead. In the 36th minute, Kelsy notched his first goal since July 3 with a shot sent into a crowded Montreal penalty area finding paydirt.
Four minutes after his first goal, Orellano delivered a Goal of the Year contender. Spotting Montreal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois well outside of his perch after a Montreal foul in FCC’s half, the Argentine pinged the ball over him for a 3-0 lead.
“I noticed in the first half the goalkeeper had been playing a little farther out,” Orellano told reporters post-game. “So I knew I just had to wait for the right moment. It’s so quick, you can’t let the goalkeeper see you as you’re looking at the goal or maybe he’ll go back. So it really is just a moment of taking your opportunity.”
Sergio Santos, whose hair has disappointingly returned to its natural black hue, added a fourth goal in the 71st minute. FC Cincinnati outshot Montreal 16-5, including 6-3 on target, with the visitors’ first shot on target not coming until after the 80th minute. The Garys held nearly 58 percent of possession and were untroubled defensively. Against Montreal, a side flirting with the Eastern Conference basement, FCC did what it was supposed to do: dominate even without the services of Acosta and DeAndre Yedlin, each suspended for yellow card accumulation.
The night was not without drawbacks, though. Starting center backs Ian Murphy and Miles Robinson picked up cautions—Robinson’s yellow was questionable at best—meaning both players will miss Hell Is Real, Part Deux. Fortunately, General Manager Chris Albright added to the center back stable for the stretch run and beyond with the free agent acquisition of Teenage Hadebe.
Hadebe most recently appeared in 11 matches in the Turkish first division during the 2023-24 season but has ample MLS experience, appearing in 51 matches with Houston from 2021 to 2023. He’s a regular starter for the Zimbabwean international team, so the 28-year-old was unavailable over the weekend and will play the second of two Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers for his home country on September 10, four days before Hell Is Real.
Hadebe has big-game MLS experience—he played in the Western Conference and U.S. Open Cup title matches with Houston last year—but he’ll have to learn on the fly in Cincinnati, with just seven games remaining before the postseason. Hadebe is signed through 2025, too, so he adds cover for a team that expects to have the injured Matt Miazga ready for 2025 preseason training but could lose Robinson in free agency. Nick Hagglund’s future is also uncertain after another major season-ending injury.
Will the latest round of defensive absences remove any chance of FC Cincinnati completing a season sweep of Columbus? Tune in next week.
Grant Freking writes FC Cincinnati coverage for Cincinnati Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter at @GrantFreking.
Facebook Comments