Lionel Messi made his long-awaited appearance in Cincinnati, but it was FC Cincinnati who owned the night. In front of a packed house, the sixth sellout of the season at TQL Stadium, FCC rolled to a 3-0 win over Inter Miami CF behind goals from Dado Valenzuela and Evander, who struck twice in the second half.
Head coach Pat Noonan summed it up simply: “I’m very pleased with the performance. We were the better team. I thought our guys grew up, made a lot of big plays in the right moments.”
First Half
FC Cincinnati opened up the scoring first, as Dado Valenzuela tapped home a shot in the left corner off a beautiful ball from Luca Orellano. Valenzuela replaced Kevin Denkey for the night, who was out with a leg injury.
Noonan praised the team’s early energy and defensive shape, saying, “The team defense was really strong. You could see the communication, guys directing each other. That part of the game was player-led. No matter who you’re playing or when you’re playing, if you do it at a good level, you position yourself to get results.”
The rest of the half rolled by with no goals, sending it to half 1-0.
Second Half
Evander extended the lead to 2-0 in the opening minutes of the second half, firing home a left-footed shot into the corner.
Evander later cleaned up a rebound off the Inter Miami goalkeeper for his second goal of the night, which made it 3-0.
Noonan credited Evander’s timing and impact: “He had the impact on the game that we needed. He dealt with balls over the top, showed good speed, and gave us moments where he could collect and play. Sometimes you just need fresh legs, and he gave us that.”
FCC came out strong and had the better looks early. Matt Miazga set the tone defensively, locked in from the start, and not letting anyone by him. The hosts outshot Miami 4-1 on goal in the first half and kept their foot on the gas. Miami made a push to open the second half, but Cincinnati weathered the storm with key clearances and blocks. Noonan emphasized the importance of communication and execution: “I don’t think there’s been a lack of communication in other games. Maybe it’s what we’re saying, how we’re saying it, and in the right moment, that’s the difference.”
Unlike last week’s match against Columbus, FCC didn’t ease up; they kept pressing, stayed aggressive, and closed the door with a third goal. On managing the game with a lead, Noonan noted, “Tonight we showed a better way of playing with the lead, still being able to attack and find another goal. You trust your players in the moment, and tonight they responded.”
Luca Orellano’s assist stood out, and Noonan made sure to highlight his performance: “He didn’t force the issue, he let the game come to him. That pass for the goal came at the right moment, and he was able to get on his strong foot and find the shot.” Looking ahead to a busy stretch of matches, Noonan acknowledged the physical toll and the need for smart game management: “These conditions take a toll. You can’t have a game that’s open and in transition; it’s asking too much. You have to be confident, good with the ball in the right moments, and attack together.”
FC Cincinnati will now hit the road to take on Salt Lake on Saturday night at 9:30 PM ET.
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