More than a decade ago, I was a cub reporter covering high school sports in Indiana. That was 95 percent of the job, except when my boss let me indulge my overall sports obsession by covering a collegiate or pro sporting event.
One such occasion was 2011 Indiana Pacers media day. Two things will always stick with me from that experience. One, I’ve never felt smaller than when I shook David West’s hand. Two, Larry Bird’s “sometimes shit just don’t work out” answer to a local columnist inquiring as to why a potential acquisition didn’t happen over the offseason.
I often think about Bird’s disarming, folksy retort when there is an unexplainable phenomenon occurring within a team. Here are my thoughts on what could remedy suddenly slumping FC Cincinnati, which lacks overt flaws despite its malaise.
Two center backs are better than three
Suggesting that FCC should alter its three center back look (a 3-5-2 or 3-4-2-1 depending on your taste in tactics) for a four-in-the-back setup has been a popular suggestion among soccer nerds like myself. The potential switch to a 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1, or other four-in-the-back arrangement is not a potential solution head coach Pat Noonan is altogether unfamiliar with. Quite the opposite, in fact.
While he was an assistant with Philadelphia, head coach Jim Curtin employed a 4-4-2. Noonan’s original plan was to employ a similar formation for his first season in Cincinnati in 2022, but a 5-0 season-opening loss to Austin caused him to switch to a three-man back line in the next match. FCC has rarely moved off that formation since, though the local lads did run out a 4-2-3-1 against Toronto in March.
At present, the Orange and Blue do not have three starting caliber center backs. Usual starters Nick Hagglund (injury) and Miles Robinson (international duty) are unavailable indefinitely. Matt Miazga, 2023 MLS Defender of the Year, remains a few levels off top form following the major knee surgery that caused him to miss the second half of last season. Teenage Hadebe has not been sharp in 2025, and young Gilberto Flores has endured a few (understable) “welcome to MLS” moments in his rookie season.
The midfield needs more chill dudes
FC Cincinnati’s setup is dying for another midfielder who can help Pavel Bucha with ball progression, ball retention, and overall composure on the ball. Another midfielder would also keep Evander from feeling obligated to occasionally drop deep and aid in ball progression; he needs to be camping out in the final third, where he’s at his dangerous best (13 goal contributions in 15 league matches).
FCC’s No. 10 feeling obligated to retreat isn’t an unfamiliar problem for the coaching staff, as Lucho Acosta played similarly in 2021 (under the previous regime) and at times in 2022. Unsurprisingly, the Orange and Blue began to thrive when their most dangerous player spent more time in the final third of the pitch.
So who should see more time in the midfield?
Yuya Kubo, Dado Valenzuela, and an Acquired Player to be Named. When healthy, Kubo’s eye for the final pass—he was third on the team in passes leading to a shot in 2024—and ability to progressively carry the ball are boons for the squad. But after playing in 32 league tilts in 2024 (27 starts), he’s appeared in just nine of 17 MLS contests thus far, and zero since May 17. His offensive instincts override his defensive prowess too much to be a slam-dunk solution, but Kubo is the best option on the roster when healthy.
In a much smaller sample size than his teammates, Valenzuela is tops on the team in goal contributions per 90 minutes. He’s displayed an ability to develop quick chemistry with other attackers. But while he has certainly grown more into his lanky frame this year, the 20-year-old can be pushed off the ball easier than FCC’s other midfielders.
Adding an external option is a must for me. FC Cincinnati have two buyout spots and a pair of U-22 slots available. The league’s Secondary Transfer Window opens on July 24. The most likely route is a signing via MLS’s U-22 Initiative, which allows teams to ink a limited number of players 22 or younger to contracts that come at reduced budget charge while also not counting against the salary cap. FCC has two of these slots available.
Talented under-22 midfielders aren’t just lying around, though, and the club may think Valenzuela can fill this need with more reps. But the midfield requires another trustworthy body in that group, particularly as Bucha is on pace to lead the team in minutes (among outfield players) for the second straight season.
Alright, anything else?
Both the 3-5-2 and the four-in-the-back formations present issues with width, meaning patterns of play are more easily defended in the center portion of the pitch. Orellano, the only proper wing threat on the roster, struggled to link up with Kevin Denkey and Evander when playing with the attacking line this season. Evander prefers to hang in the middle third of the pitch.
Pushing the fullbacks up the flanks in possession can ease width concerns, but this tactic leaves FCC vulnerable on the counter—particularly without Robinson’s pace at center back. Miazga’s lack of burst and the constant shuffling along the back line have left the Orange and Blue’s recovery defense more vulnerable to shot-creating counters than any time I can recall in the Noonan era—maybe since early 2022.
That’s reassuring. Anything else to worry about?
As a “vibes guy,” I’m also wondering if there’s leftover weird energy from the chaotic preseason. A quick reminder of all the drama:
- The long-rumored Evander acquisition couldn’t be executed until Acosta was moved, which didn’t happen until a week prior to the first match.
- Orellano, reportedly seeking a pay raise, arrived late to preseason. Kubo’s reasons for being late are less certain, but he was nonetheless tardy.
- Because of this disarray, Denkey had limited time to develop chemistry with Evander and Orellano, and it showed through the first third of the season.
- Miazga and Hagglund’s injury recoveries removed any chance for the back line to develop rhythm and trust with each other and the midfield. The lack of chemistry has reared its ugly head while defending counter attacks and set pieces.
So, all is lost?
Not exactly. Despite its checkered play, FC Cincinnati remains second in the Eastern Conference, though its goal differential (plus-1) is more in line with teams lingering at or just off the East playoff cut line. This team can still out-talent its way to points, but if their uneven form continues the Orange and Blue will struggle to hold on to homefield advantage in the East playoffs.
With TQL Stadium hosting four Club World Cup group stage matches starting this weekend, FCC is on the road until July. First up is a trip to New England Saturday night, which is unbeaten over its past nine contests. The Revolution’s last loss was to FC Cincinnati on April 5.
We may look back on 2025 as a year where things just didn’t work out for FC Cincinnati, but there’s still ample time to adjust course.
Grant Freking writes FC Cincinnati coverage for Cincinnati Magazine. You can follow him on X at @GrantFreking.
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