FC Cincinnati win streak on the line against Chicago Fire

Damon Gumbert

I’ve written about six or more openings to this article, and I’ve hated them all. Only one question in Thursday’s press conference from Pat Noonan was about the Chicago Fire specifically.

As much as I want to point to that and say that it’s a problem and that we’re not taking this game seriously, I honestly understand why. We’ve seen this match already this year, we’ve heard Pat talk about Gregg Berhalter and how he’s turned the team around, and how good the offense is; we know this story and don’t need to dwell on it any longer.

So let’s jump in and figure out how to feel about this match.

Last time on FC Cincinnati

FC Cincinnati walked out of Chicago with a 3-2 win on April 19. This was Matt Miazga’s first game back in the starting lineup after his devastating injury last season against San Jose. Sergio Santos assisted both Evander and Kevin Denkey's goals, with Evander making his a brace in the 71st minute.

Denkey received a yellow card in this game due to his tribute to Aaron Boupendza, who tragically died days before. Nick Hagglund continued his comeback in this match, making his third consecutive game playing a full 90’. Hagglund also suffered a season-ending injury in 2024 and had only made his return to the Cincinnati lineup a few matches before this stretch.

Since the last time these two teams have played, Chicago has been flying. While they did suffer a 7-2 loss against Nashville, they have outscored their opponents 25-20, including a 7-1 drubbing of DC United, a 3-1 victory over Orlando City, a 4-1 win over Charlotte, and a 3-1 win over New England. The Fire have only lost 4 games since they played FC Cincinnati in April.

The Orange and Blue have outscored their opponents 18-14, losing three matches over the same period. Their marquee wins were a 3-1 win over Montreal, and 2-1 wins over Sporting KC, Austin FC, and Orlando City. Hagglund suffered a severe injury that required a titanium plate to be surgically put in his chest following a brutal tackle in May. Miazga has been slow to come back, but is finally looking like himself again, playing a full 90’ twice last week, against Montreal and Orlando City.

What does it mean?

While it’s disingenuous to point to those results and say either team is better, it does show that there is something to be worried about with Chicago. The Fire have a three-headed offensive monster with Hugo Cuypers leading the way with 11 goals, while Philip Zinckernagel and Brian Gutierrez add eight and seven, respectively. FC Cincinnati’s offense has been lacking most of the season, with Dado Valenzuela (4) being the third highest goal scorer on the team behind Evander and Kevin Denkey (11 each).

The FC will need its defense, which is majorly banged up, to shut down the dynamic Chicago attack. While Miazga is fully healthy and back to his old form, Teenage Hadebe was out of practice for much of the week, only rejoining the team on Friday. Gilberto Flores also missed some practice time this week, so his status is also up in the air. Miles Robinson is still away with the US Men’s National Team, though we may not see him play until he returns to Cincinnati for Hell is Real. That likely means that Lukas Engel, Alvas Powell, and DeAndre Yedlin may see extensive time at center back in this match. Luca Orellano rejoined practice after suffering a knock last week, so he can slide into the left wingback position, leaving Engel able to transition to center back.

Even more concerning than the center back room is that Obinna Nwobodo will likely miss most of the rest of the season with a quadriceps injury that requires surgery. That leaves the midfield depth even more strained than it had been previously. Brian Anunga did a good job stepping in for the Orlando match, but his passing left a lot to be desired. Corey Baird may be an option to replace Obi, but his last performance in the midfield was nearly disastrous. Yuya Kubo would be the locked-on starter at the position with Obi out, but he is also nursing a recurring injury. Anunga and Pavel Bucha may be forced to play full 90’s for the foreseeable future.

A handful of FC Cincinnati 2 players were participants in practice this week, including midfielder Peter Mangione and defender Andrei Chirila. We could see some callups for the match on Saturday, but I would be surprised if any players from the 2nd team play significant minutes.

Conclusion

I don’t know if this is me reading into anything or maybe a projection of my internal feelings, but the vibe for this game feels off. Chicago may not be Columbus or Miami in importance or standings, but they are a formidable team and could give Cincinnati trouble. TQL Stadium isn’t the inpenetrable fortress that it was in 2023; teams have come in and manhandled FC Cincinnati at home. This could be a trap game, especially with those two aforementioned teams next on the schedule.

At the same time, the FCC is flying right now. They had a very strong week and are coming in riding a three-game win streak and a lot of rest over June. Evander looks to be playing his best soccer right now, Orellano got the monkey off his back when he scored against Montreal, and the defense has been up to the test in the past and looks to be again. It’s hard to bet against a team that is performing this way, and with this coaching staff able to get them prepared for the match. If Evander can continue his run of form, Orellano plays with a little less weight on his shoulders, and Denkey gets into the right spot, this could be a very good game for The FC.

I don’t have a prediction. I could see this being a 2-1 loss or win. Hope for the win, prepare for the loss.