Evander scores brace, FC Cincinnati dominates Inter Miami 3-0
Damon Gumbert
Head Coach Pat Noonan said in his post-game presser, “It’s not easy to beat a team of that quality with the form that they’re in, and to score three and get a shutout, I’m very pleased about that.” And it’s no wonder he’s pleased, as FC Cincinnati rebounded from their resounding defeat to Columbus Crew on Saturday with a 3-0 victory over reigning Supporter’s Shield winners Inter Miami on Wednesday.
Miami came into the match on a bit of a tear, having won their last five MLS matches, including a standout 5-1 victory over Columbus on May 31. Not only was the club playing well, but Lionel Messi was having a moment in particular. The legend had compiled five straight MLS matches, scoring a brace entering Wednesday.
Cincinnati, on the other hand, was looking to put their previous match behind them as quickly as possible, with the pain of their Hell is Real collapse still fresh in the hearts of not only the fans, but likely the players as well.
“It obviously feels good,” goalkeeper Roman Celentano said of the win following Hell Is Real. “It’s nice that we had such a quick turnaround, so we could kind of just put the game in the past and kind of focus on what we needed to do.”
The turnaround was more than just the time between games, but the complete 180-degree difference of how this team looked in comparison to Saturday. Cincinnati’s defense, which struggled against the speed of Columbus, was able to contain all of Miami’s big weapons for most of the match. Lionel Messi was the only Miami player who was able to put a shot on target, having two of those. Luis Suarez was completely shut down and ineffective against Cincinnati’s defenders, taking only one shot, which was not on target.
Messi had a forgettable night with the ball, being dispossessed five times on the night, having his pocket picked multiple times by Pavel Bucha. The star player has played 90 minutes in 15 straight matches, including the FIFA Club World Cup. He may have needed some rest on this night, as he had the fewest distance traveled of any starting player on the pitch. The Argentinian had the most lost duels on the night with 7, had two of his five shots blocked, and only had a 71% in accurate passes.
When asked about how it felt to keep a clean sheet against a team like Miami, Celentano said, “It’s just about time, you know.” He continued, “I think it shows, you know, a turning point maybe for our team defensively and how locked in we need to be for a whole game.”
Noonan had similar thoughts about the clean sheet. “We have conceded goals late. And, like anything, you do something well, can you continue to do it well and not think that we’ve mastered it…hopefully we can carry a solid defensive performance into the weekend, or we're talking about something different. So like anything, you try to gain confidence and momentum in the things that you do well and find consistency with it.”
On the other side of the ball, Evander solidified himself in the MVP race by scoring a brace on the night. The Brazilian added his 14th and 15th goals of the season, putting him two behind Golden Boot leader Sam Surridge. Evander sits tied with Messi on goal contributions with 23, with both men still chasing Anders Dryer’s 26. Evander also set an FC Cincinnati record after scoring a goal in five straight games.
Cincinnati’s number 10 didn’t look his best at times on Wednesday. His first few attempts were sent flying into the stands of TQL Stadium, not really even close to the goal on a few shots. When the team needed him to finish, though, he finished, tapping in both goals.
Noonan broke down both goals in his post-game presser, applauding Evander’s ability to get into the right place and use his body to attack space and get an open shot on goal.
Dado Valenzuela, who grew up in the Inter Miami system before moving on to Cincinnati, was asked about who he thought should win the MVP trophy this season, “Evander,” he said with a laugh. “Of course, all day, Evander.” Valenzuela added a goal to his total as well and was asked if it was a special moment scoring against Miami. “Yeah, I mean, it’s mainly special because…I played for them and, yeah, you know, you always want to score against your old team.”
DeAndre Yedlin was also facing his former team, after being traded to Cincinnati last season from Miami. The USMNT veteran played 85 minutes, connecting on 76% of his passes and defensively stood out with one block, two clearances, and five recoveries. Noonan talked about Yedlin’s play after the match, saying, “You knew he was going to be up for it, but he’s always up for it. I think he can control his emotions in a way to go and perform. Yes, this is his former team, he’s got relationships and he wants to perform, but he didn’t try to do too much.”
“That was a typical DeAndre performance.”
The club will now turn its attention to Real Salt Lake as they head to Utah on Saturday. RSL is sitting one point out of the Western Conference playoff picture, sitting at 28 points on the season. Star midfielder Diego Luna is one to watch after his emergence with the USMNT during their Gold Cup run. Cincinnati keeps pace with Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference and in the Supporter’s Shield standings, maintaining their second overall position with only one point separating the two teams.
Joining the team in Utah will be the Cincy PostCast! Kevin, Grayson, and The Chief will be traveling to the Mormon capital of the world to cheer on FC Cincinnati in person for 2025’s Away Days. Historically, FC Cincinnati has lost every game that the gang has traveled to, so don’t get your hopes up about this game.
Check out The Post Cincy’s Tim Sears’ photos from Wednesday’s game below.
