Denkey, Hagglund score in 2-0 win over Atlanta United
Damon Gumbert
Head Coach Pat Noonan began his presser after Saturday’s 2-0 win against Atlanta United by saying, “Good start, good start to the season.” The consistently stoic coach may have understated the victory.
This match was the first time FC Cincinnati has won a regular-season debut by multiple goals. This 2-0 victory follows a 0-4 win against the Dominican Republic side O&M FC earlier in the week. The six goals in two games are the most the club has scored over two games since July 2024, when the Orange and Blue defeated DC United 2-3 and then dominated Inter Miami 6-1 in the following match.
“Six goals in two games is good, but also the clean sheets are important,” Noonan said of the seemingly rejuvenated offense. “I think through 2 games you’ve seen a lot of good attacking actions and a group that’s in control of a lot of transition moments, as well.”
The offensive explosion has notably come with a sudden lack of Evander. The club’s leading goalscorer in 2025 did not net a goal in the 4-0 victory over O&M and left Saturday’s match in the 13th minute after feeling tightness in his Hamstring.
“It’s tough because we all know how important Evander is to our group, and the morale can take a hit in a moment like that. But I think the guys, one, got on with it in a good way, but two, they also know what was coming in to replace Evander. And no, we can’t replace him, but Dado has had an excellent preseason. And so, I think the confidence of the group, knowing that our depth was going to be able to step in and help us continue to perform, showed.”
The club was able to sub in Gerardo “Dado” Valenzuela, who seemed to impress his coach with his play. The 21-year-old homegrown player put in a 79-minute shift before getting subbed off in the 89th minute.
“I thought Dado… he had some really good moments, was active, and movement to find space was good…I thought Dado did a good job with the defensive side of the ball, as well. Solid performance from him, and I think the group’s reaction to a tough moment and being able to keep playing and get our focus where it needed to be was good.”
Possibly the most impactful part of his game was Dado’s ball placement when taking corner kicks. The 21-year-old nearly assisted Nick Hagglund early in the match, a moment that was a foreshadowing of a goal that would be scored later, when he sent in a corner kick and found the leaping Hagglund’s head, only narrowly missing the mark and sending the ball over the crossbar.
Kevin Denkey would open up the scoring in the 80’, receiving a pass in the box from Ender Echenique and juking out the goalkeeper, who fell in an attempt to block a shot that was not taken. Denkey, who was moving left, pushed the ball to the right corner and past an Atlanta defender who had come back to help. This was not Denkey’s first attempt at goal; a previous attempt was sent wide right and bounced off the post.
Atlanta’s best chance would come from Emmanuel Latte Lath, who headed a ball past Roman Celentano before colliding with the goalkeeper in the box. The ball was rolling towards the goal, but a streaking Miles Robinson slid and blocked the ball from passing the goal line, sending it flying towards Hagglund on the left side of the goal. Robinson had an insane night, making several defensive plays that helped protect the clean sheet.
“That was probably our top performer. He played at a very, very high level tonight,” Noonan said. “A couple of his blocks, the way he defended in front of the goal was outstanding. That was a captain-like performance, and with the ball, continuing to try to get him in positions to find solutions to play forward, and that part, for our entire back line, could have been better, but if that’s not where you want it to be, then you want the defensive side to be strong. How he dealt with the balls from behind, how he won a lot of the aerial duels, positions for knockdowns, and then his overall presence, was pretty impressive.”
Hagglund would finish off the match in the 89’, soaring up and heading in a Bryan Ramirez corner kick. The Cincinnati native then ran in front of the Bailey, mimicking pulling a sword from a sheath.
“I think that one meant a little bit more for Nick,” Noonan said about the goal and celebration. Hagglund confirmed as much in his post-game media availability, stating that there were many reasons for the celebration, including that a young fan suffering from cancer asked him to do that celebration.
The victory sets the tone for what could be a very good season for FC Cincinnati. Even with the injury to Evander, the team played exceptionally well and showed that they have the depth to survive injuries to their stars.
The FC will be back at TQL Stadium on Wednesday, Feb. 25, for the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup matchup with O&M FC. They will then travel to face Minnesota United in Minneapolis on Saturday, Feb. 28. Tickets are still available for Wednesday’s game, or you can view the match somewhere, either on TV or online. CONCACAF is a multi-national organization, but can’t figure out where they want their product to be shown. The Minnesota match will be on AppleTV+, where you no longer need MLS Season Pass to watch.
Or you can view the match at any of FC Cincinnati’s Pub Partners, including Streetside Brewery.
