Under Pat Noonan, FC Cincinnati have qualified for the playoffs the past three seasons largely due to a sound, well-drilled defense. Led by center back and MLS Defender of the Year Matt Miazga, the 2023 Supporters’ Shield winners owned one of the league’s most imposing goal prevention units. Despite last year’s playoff disappointment, the defense was top-three in the Eastern Conference in goals allowed.
But even accounting for the Orange and Blue’s defensive ethos, TQL Stadium has also hosted its fair share of offensive pyrotechnics. Just last season, FCC dispatched Philadelphia 4-3 in June and Inter Miami 6-1 in July. There was a 4-4 thriller vs. New York City FC in June 2022. And who can forget—and I’m sure many supporters conveniently have—the 6-3 boat-racing Nashville dropped on the local lads in October 2021.
High noon on Sunday bested them all, and it wasn’t FC Cincinnati partaking in the entertainment. In both teams’ Club World Cup opener, European power Bayern Munich thrashed semipro New Zealand outfit Auckland City 10-0. Considering Bayern outshot Auckland 31-1 (17-1 on target), Auckland goalkeeper Conor Tracey—a warehouse supervisor by day—did well to keep Harry Kane & Co. from dropping 15-20 goals.
The night before, nearly 900 miles away in Foxborough, Mass., FCC rediscovered its time-tested winning formula, suffocating New England in a 1-0 triumph. The Revolution entered unbeaten in nine contests and logged 563 passes—nearly 250 more than the Orange and Blue—and 18 crosses but managed just 0.5 expected goals.
“Despite not being better with the ball tonight, we defended in a really good way against a strong team, one of the best attacking players in our league with [Carles] Gil, and had to defend a lot of crosses,” Noonan said post-match. “And I thought they did that in an excellent way.”
Kevin Denkey’s 11th league goal of the season was enough to ensure Cincinnati’s third road clean sheet of 2025. After missing out on a brace by scuffing a few opportunities in the box, Denkey is just two scores behind Philly’s Tai Baribo for the MLS lead.
There was no formation change from Noonan—FCC lined up with its familiar three-center back arrangement—but there were a few twists. Lukas Engel started at left center back, revisiting an early-season arrangement, with Luca Orellano playing on the left wing. (Remember, no Nick Hagglund or Miles Robinson until at least July.) Kei Kamara made his first start at forward next to Denkey.
Most importantly, Matt Miazga went 90 minutes for the first time since May 29, 2024, an important benchmark for his continued recovery from the knee injury that ended his 2024 campaign last June. It’s not difficult to tie in FC Cincinnati’s potential ascension defensively with Miazga’s gradual reacquisition of form.
FCC’s June road show continues a week from tonight on June 25 in Montreal. The club formerly known as the Montreal Impact have yet to win at home in seven attempts this season and have just 11 points through 18 matches, the worst total in the Eastern Conference.
Grant Freking writes FC Cincinnati coverage for Cincinnati Magazine. You can follow him on X at @GrantFreking.
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