After a 1-0 loss to Philadelphia extended Atlanta’s winless streak to eight matches, Atlanta head coach Ronny Deila went there and dropped the “soft” moniker on his squad. He isn’t without pedigree, of course, winning the 2021 MLS Cup with New York City and owning a pair of Scottish first division titles managing Celtic.
Still, I was flabbergasted that Deila went for one of coaching’s nuclear options, and barely one-third into the league season. But such was the state of panic in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Since then, Atlanta has developed some resolve, following up a 4-2 pounding of FC Cincinnati with a comeback victory over Orlando.
FCC Head Coach Pat Noonan didn’t reach Deila’s level of desperation at his post-game press conference following FCC’s 3-3 home draw vs. Lucho Acosta and Dallas last week, but his vibe was very much a mix of “disappointed dad” and fed-up supervisor. It sure sounded like some players were about to receive a soccer equivalent of a grounding, with others chewed out over their unacceptable TPS reports.
“It was a tale of two halves,” Noonan said. “We were excellent in the first half, and we were embarrassing in the second half. So it falls on me, because there were guys that had no idea how to manage a two-goal lead and manage the momentum we had coming out of the break. So there’ll be some good conversations around what we want this to look like moving forward and what we want to accomplish, because there were guys that were nowhere close in the second half.”
I thought FC Cincinnati would respond to Noonan’s lashing on Saturday against D.C. United, another Eastern Conference minnow, by delivering its first multi-goal win in nearly three months. Instead, the Orange and Blue were dealt a deserved 2-1 setback in their first home loss of the season. Over their past three contests, all against teams below the current playoff cut line, the Garys nabbed one measly point.
With FCC off until June 14, Noonan has two weeks to go full Woodward and Bernstein and get a handle on his most significant on-field crisis since 2022. That was when he and General Manager Chris Albright dragged this forlorn franchise out of its perennial position in the league’s basement to the playoffs during their first year together. Over the past two seasons, Noonan has had to correct blips in form, navigate injuries to star players, or find ways to prolong winning streaks. The 2025 campaign is none of those things.
This is a team-wide, season-long split from what Noonan and coaches envision for the squad and what transpires on the pitch. There have been brief spells or entire halves when FC Cincinnati has approached its potential—but never a full 90 minutes. Noonan has not wavered from his measured, yet critical, tone all season, even when the club went unbeaten in April.
The fact that the Orange and Blue sit second in the East and just five points off the Supporters’ Shield lead despite their wild consistencies speaks to the roster’s sheer talent. But that won’t last through the fall, and the club knows it. Whether the players or coaches can fix the crisis is another discussion.
So who’s not “getting it?” What is it about the makeup of the 2025 squad that isn’t picking up what Noonan and his staff are putting down? Beyond moving Luca Orellano to the wing, should the coaching staff bring in additional personnel and/or tactical adjustments? What upgrades should Albright be seeking when the Secondary Transfer Window opens on July 24?
I’ll explore FCC’s options and my recommendations in next week’s column.
Grant Freking writes FC Cincinnati coverage for Cincinnati Magazine. You can follow him on X at @GrantFreking.
Facebook Comments