It was a busy week around FC Cincinnati, so let’s begin with the World Cup. Despite a 2026 season fraught with nagging leg injuries and iffy form, FC Cincinnati center back Miles Robinson was named to the U.S. Men’s National Team’s World Cup roster on Tuesday. He becomes the first active FCC player to make a World Cup roster.
Robinson’s journey with the national team has featured a number of highs (scoring the winner in the 2021 Gold Cup final, playing in the 2024 Olympics) and lows (rupturing his Achilles six months prior to the 2022 World Cup). Entering the 2026 campaign as the league’s highest-paid defender and the rare Designated Player center back, he started the season strong but has seen his availability and form fade in recent months.
Other contenders for World Cup roster spots were midfielder Pavel Bucha and winger Bryan Ramirez. Bucha was named to Czechia’s 29-man roster ahead of friendlies this week vs. Kosovo and next week vs. Guatemala. Ramirez, who has had his share of struggles during his first MLS season after an offseason transfer from the Ecuadorian top division, was not selected for Ecuador’s provisional squad ahead of its upcoming friendly vs. Saudi Arabia. Neither country had issued its final roster as of this writing.
Evander erupts
Let’s get straight to the point: Five goal contributions in a single match is absurd. Evander, who entered Saturday’s tilt vs. Orlando in impressive form, went full NBA Jam “he’s on fire” with two goals and three assists in a 6-2 thrashing of the visitors. The five combined goals and assists set a new club record. The Brazilian entered with seven goal contributions over his past four matches and became the ninth player in league history to record five combined goals and assists in a single contest.
“When he’s on the ball and in space, everyone comes to life,” said Head Coach Pat Noonan, who saw his team tally multiple goals for the eighth successive game.
FC Cincinnati enters the break top five in the league in goals (second), expected goals (fourth), and shots on target (fifth). Evander’s 15 goal contributions in league matches are tied for second behind (who else?) Lionel Messi, and his 41 key passes—the final pass that leads to a shot on target—are third in MLS.
Now what?
Now sitting seventh in the East with its goal differential down to -1, FC Cincinnati’s next match isn’t until July 22 vs. West-leading Vancouver. The players and coaches won’t just be sitting back and taking in the World Cup like the rest of us, though—Noonan and his coaching staff have plans for each player.
There’s an upcoming international window that features national teams that did not make the World Cup. For instance, Kévin Denkey will join Togo for a pair of matches next week.
FC Cincinnati 2 will keep playing during the break, and Noonan said that some of the younger FCC players will see action with the club’s MLS Next Pro side. The skipper didn’t name specific players, but Andrei Chirila, Ender Echenique, Gilberto Flores, Samuel Gidi, and Kenji Mboma Dem would all make sense as short-term FCC2 players.
I’ll also be on the lookout for comings and goings on the roster. Noonan hinted at potential roster changes in the lead-up to Orlando, and the secondary transfer window opens on July 13.
Programming note: With FC Cincinnati off, I’ll be shifting my weekly coverage to focus on the World Cup.
Grant Freking is in his eighth year of FC Cincinnati coverage for Cincinnati Magazine.
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