FC Cincinnati and Orlando took the field Saturday evening on short rest following midweek clashes. It was a tough ask for the two sides, suiting up shortly after their first matches in 11 days. Between the intensely humid Florida heat, the three points separating them in the standings, and the winning identities forged by their successful-but-unsentimental head coaches, very little was left to distinguish between the two foes.
This was particularly true in what wound up being a Western saloon skirmish masquerading as a soccer match. FCC and Orlando combined for 27 fouls and six yellow cards as well as countless scraps, coming-togethers, testosterone-fueled shouting matches, and general shithousery. There was one critical difference, however: Evander da Silva Ferreira plays for Cincinnati. On Saturday night, that made all the difference.
Following a two-goal effort in a casual victory in Montreal on Wednesday, Evander bagged another brace in Saturday’s crucial road triumph against a fellow East contender. Entering Wednesday, Evander hadn’t scored in six successive league matches, but after four goals in four days the freshly minted All-Star finds himself tied for the team lead and second in MLS with 11 goals. Evander’s 18 overall goal contributions are third-best in the league.
Saturday’s initial score arrived after Dado Valenzuela was fouled 30 or so yards away from goal. Evander stood over the free kick with Lukas Engel. Engel feigned a kick, and then Evander fired into the vacant right inside corner of the goal, catching Pedro Gallese, one of the league’s top keepers, overcommitting on the left-hand side of the net. The moment of brilliance also stood out in a first half bereft of ideas from each side, with players battling through fatigue.
The eventual game-winner came in the 74th minute. Pavel Bucha’s straight line pass sent Kevin Denkey across midfield and toward goal, with just one Orlando player between him and the Gallese. Evander and Kei Kamara hustled to present Denkey with options on either side of him. Denkey went left to Evander, and his pass was good enough to allow Evander to collect the ball, deke the defender, and slot past Gallese.
On a night when FC Cincinnati were out-XG’d (expected goals) 1.9 to 0.6—I may need to petition MLS to alter its expected goals formula for the “Evander Factor”—and clung for life after conceding in the 87th minute, the Lucho Acosta Replacement delivered a second straight display that supporters became used to seeing from their former No. 10.
“He’s a special player,” Head Coach Pat Noonan said post-match of Evander. “You saw it on the free kick. He’s just doing things that others can’t do, and that gives us nice momentum.”
The Garys went to Orlando with a thin bench. Nick Hagglund is out indefinitely and Miles Robinson remains unavailable on international duty, so Gilberto Flores and Teenage Hadedge started alongside Matt Miazga at center back. Hadebe had to be subbed off in the second half and was unable to put any weight on his left leg. Alvas Powell, FCC’s seventh-choice center back, was inserted to see the game out. Obinna Nwobodo was unavailable after leaving the midweek match due to injury. Luca Orellano and Yuya Kubo, who returned Wednesday after a long injury layoff, were nicked up and left in Cincinnati.
Orellano scored his first goal of 2025 in Wednesday’s 3-1 thumping of Montreal, combining with Evander on a slick give-and-go move. In securing only its second multi-goal win of the season, FC Cincinnati exhibited its most inspiration and creativity going forward to date vs. Montreal. The renewed offensive energy reflected the intentional work put in during what amounted to a second preseason, with only two matches from June 1 through June 25.
Montreal also submitted a shift befitting its last-place standing in the East. Its defense, particularly in the second half … well, I saw more resistance out of the Bengals secondary in 2024. We’ll reserve further judgement on substantial offensive improvement until the lineup becomes a bit more whole and faces better competition.
Saturday’s home date with Chicago is FCC’s first contest at TQL Stadium since May 31. The Orange and Blue’s West End home was reserved for four Club World Cup group stage matches and a U.S. Women’s National Team match in June. Cincinnati has not prevailed at home since May 10.
Grant Freking writes FC Cincinnati coverage for Cincinnati Magazine. You can follow him on X at @GrantFreking.
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