PREVIEW: MLS is back | Thomas Muller and Vancouver Travel to The Queen City

SHAWN BEHMER

Well, what a World Cup that was. From Germany getting eliminated in the round of 32, Cape Verde going on a generational run, to divine intervention from a certain political figure to suspend a red card ban (that may or may not have backfired) – this tournament had it all.

More importantly, we finally get to watch FC Cincinnati.

If you are new here – hey, hi, hello! Glad you can join. These previews are my worst attempts at keeping you informed ahead of the matches.

So, let’s get right into it – let’s talk some ball and preview this match against Vancouver.

Head-to-Head

The Vancouver Whitecaps just barely have the edge over The FC in the overall H2H record: 0-1-2 (0 wins, 1 loss and 2 draws). The only loss was a 2-1 defeat at Nippert Stadium in 2019. Additionally, the last time these teams played each other was back in 2023 at Vancouver and finished 1-1.

The FC is coming off a massive 3-1 win over Championship side Burnley in a midseason offseason preseason friendly. A victory like that definitely means The FC would be promoted to The EPL.

Meanwhile, Vancouver had a match against Chicago Fire on 7/16 postponed due to checks notes… fire.

As for The FC, they are conceding goals at a rate of 2.5/match which is on pace to shatter the current MLS record for most goals conceded. On the flip side, the offense has been clicking where they are scoring an average of 2.4 goals/match – just second to Inter Miami.

Unfortunately, Vancouver also scores an average 2.4 goals/match and concedes 0.9 goals/match. Yeah, not good, Bob.

Vancouver has like… the second best defense in the league and this will be the first major test for Pat Noonan and friends in MLS play this season.

Players to Watch

FC Cincinnati

• Miles Robinson: Will he play? Will the star DP CB show up and show out? Idk. What I do know is with The World Cup out of the way, the pressure is on for Miles to live up to his DP contract. As it stands, Miles Robinson is the highest paid defender in all of MLS. The second highest-paid player, Thiago Martins, earns a whopping $1,688,000 less than Miles in guaranteed compensation. The time is now for Miles to step up.

• Pavel Bucha: He shaved his head.

Vancouver Whitecaps

• Thomas Muller: Ah, Thomas Muller. The player who will not beat you in tight spaces. Or with his pace. Or his dribbling ability. He just beats you. The FC has been deploying a makeshift backline that has found some success, but can it prevent Thomas Muller from exploiting space? That is where Muller thrives – somehow getting into great positions to create dangerous chances. It is critical the defense stays disciplined in their positioning on and off the ball

• Brian White: Uh, so… he has 10 goals and 2 assists in just 14 matches. Yikes.

FC Cincinnati vs PRO Referees

Our PRO Referees assignment:

• REF: Jon Freemon
  AR1: Walt Heatherly
  AR2: Nick Balcer
  4TH: Filip Dujic
  VAR: David Barrie
  AVAR: John Krill

Jon Freemon has made 105 appearances and issued 458 yellow cards, averaging 4.4 yellow cards 0.2 red cards and 25.5 fouls per match.

FC Cincinnati Lineup Notes

Good news – no one from The FC is listed in the injury report! Everyone is ~allegedly~ available.

FC Cincinnati Predicted Lineup

Final thoughts

I am predicting a 3-2 loss. Hopefully I am proven wrong, but with this being the first match after the break, I expect both teams will have rust to shake off.

My expectations for this match are fairly low given where we’re at in the unique season. However, if The FC gets a result, I believe it will be a great sign for the rest of the year.

How to watch FC Cincinnati against Vancouver

FC Cincinnati hosts The Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday, July 22 at TQL Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. You can watch the match on Apple TV or by visiting our good friends at Streetside Brewery.

A special thank you to our supporters on Patreon and to our sponsors, E&L Roofing and Streetside Brewery for keeping the lights on.