ST. PAUL, Minnesota − FC Cincinnati’s dominance away from TQL Stadium continued against Minnesota United FC.
First half goals from Yuya Kubo and Luca Orellano put FC Cincinnati in front of Minnesota on Wednesday at Allianz Field, and FCC held on in the second half for a 2-1 victory.
Yuya Kubo scored the opening goal of the night in the 33rd minute. He poked a shot home after catching up to long ball into the box from center back Chidozie Awaziem. The goal was Kubo’s 10th of 2024 for FCC.
Minnesota managed to halve its deficit in the second half but FC Cincinnati was still able to see out the win, which improved its road record to 10-3-1, and its overall record to 17-8-4. The victory also allowed FCC to fend off Columbus Crew, which defeated Toronto FC and would have overtaken Cincinnati for second place in the Eastern Conference.
But for now, FC Cincinnati holds down second place, and even gained a little ground on league-leading Inter Miami CF, which dropped points in a 2-2 draw with Atlanta United.
Then, just before halftime, Luca Orellano used speed, finesse and a classy finish to score for 2-0 on a memorable individual effort. Kubo assisted on the goal, which was Orellano’s eighth of the regular-season.
Just after halftime, referee Drew Fischer used a field-side monitor review on recommendation from the video assistant referee (VAR) to award a penalty kick to Minnesota. On the ensuing kick, recently-acquired Minnesota designated player attack Kelvin Yeboah converted to make the score 2-1.
The goal was Yeboah’s fourth in four matches since joining Minnesota.
FC Cincinnati goalkeeper Roman Celentano made three saves. Other than the penalty kick he conceded, the best shot he saw was a late chance by MNUFC’s Teemu Pukki, who knocked a would-be game-tying goal off the crossbar and out of play.
Playing in front of Celentano was the club’s preferred back line combination, which included DeAndre Yedlin and Luca Orellano on the wings, and Chidozie Awaziem, Ian Murphy and Miles Robinson in the center back positions.
The Enquirer will update this report.
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ST. PAUL, Minnesota − Welcome to Cincinnati.com’s live coverage of FC Cincinnati at Minnesota United FC as the two club jockey for playoff position in the Eastern and Western conferences, respectively. Refresh this page throughout the 8:30 p.m. ET match for live updates and analysis.
FC Cincinnati is trying to close out its 10th road win of 2024. In 2023, the club was considered a strong road team with only a 7-3-7 record away from TQL Stadium.
In the words of Drew Fischer, FCC’s Luca Orellano was guilty of a “kicking offense” inside Cincinnati’s penalty area. The resulting penalty kick was dumped into the goal by Kelvin Yeboah, one of Minnesota’s recently acquired designated players.
FC Cincinnati’s lead is halved at 2-1.
Luca Orellano had a wonderful individual effort leading to a goal for 2-0. Speed. Finesse. Ball control. And the finish. This goal had it all. And the game might not be over for Minnesota but conceding a goal in that fashion going into halftime? It’s a back-breaker.
FC Cincinnati leads, 2-0.
A dangerous ball into the box from FC Cincinnati center back Chidozie Awaziem was weighted well enough that Yuya Kubo was able to get a shot off, and beat Minnesota goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair. The goal was Kubo’s 10th of the season.
FC Cincinnati leads, 1-0.
Not a ton of important action in the first couple minutes of the match, and with the MLS Season Pass broadcast audio from the match playing in the press box, now might be an important time to mention some of what’s being said about FC Cincinnati.
A lot of the conversation this week has centered on FCC not playing a consistent lineup game-over-game up to this point in the regular season. Andrew Wiebe first brought that to light live on Apple TV on Saturday night, and it’s a stat that’s really resonated with MLS observers. Some have suggested that reigning MLS Coach of the Year Pat Noonan is doing an even better job this year when you consider the lineup turnover, injuries and semi-regular suspensions issues he’s had to deal with.
It’s a beautiful night for soccer. It’s 82F at kickoff with temperatures falling to 75F by the end of the match, according to NOAA. It’s a good midweek crowd at Allianz Arena and there’s plenty of energy in the building. Let’s see how FC Cincinnati measures up against the No. 9 team in the Western Conference.
FC Cincinnati starting XI: Roman Celentano (GK), Chidozie Awaziem, Miles Robinson, Ian Murphy, DeAndre Yedlin, Obinna Nwobdo, Luciano Acosta, Pavel Bucha, Luca Orellano, Kevin Kelsy, Yuya Kubo.Cincinnati bench: Alvas Powell, Corey Baird, Kipp Keller, Teenage Hadebe, Sergio Santos, Gerardo Valenzuela, Malik Pinto, Yamil Asad, Evan Louro (GK).Minnesota United FC starting XI: Dayne St. Clair (GK), Rosales, Tapias, Michael Boxall, Diaz, Pereyra, Harvey, Dotson, Hlongwane, Robin Load, Yeboah.Minnesota bench: Smir, Padelford, Fragapane, Olywaseyi, Wil Trapp, Sang Bin, Markanich, Shashoua, Pukki.
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Publish date : 2024-09-18 15:40:00
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