Dado, defense propel FC Cincinnati to third straight victory
Damon Gumbert
“Well, certainly not our strongest performance,” Head Coach Pat Noonan said after Saturday’s 1-0 win against DC United. While the team was able to keep a clean sheet, and young Gerardo “Dado” Valenzuela put the Orange and Blue ahead on a fantastic goal, the consistently stoic Noonan would not let the team rest on their laurels.
It was a tale of two halves for FC Cincinnati. The Gary’s were able to overwhelm DC’s defense in the first half, commanding 56% possession and notching seven shots with five on target. In the 28’, Dado was able to stiff-arm one defender and dribble past two more on the way to score the lone goal of the match. It was a stunning display from the 20-year-old and drew some kind words from Noonan.
I’m happy he got the goal because that’s important for him and certainly for our team,” Noonan said. “Overall, if you were to say, how does he perform tonight, he got a plus rating because he scores the goal and he does some other things well that I hadn’t seen enough of, I would say prior.”
The second half was about survival for The FC. DC came out of the break rejuvenated while the FCC attack lacked consistency with the ball. United held the ball 71% of the second half, notching eight shots and outpassing Cincinnati 247 to 94. Sergio Santos subbed on for Dado in the 62’, an attempt to kick start the offense, but was virtually non-existent for much of the game.
“We couldn’t keep the ball. And they, I thought structure wise, were disciplined in both halves with getting pressure to the ball and being tough to break down. And like I said, we didn’t have a lot of creativity and good hold up play from our attacking group, and they kind of fed off of that and pinned us in.”
Luckily for Noonan and FC Cincinnati fans, the back line of Cincinnati was up to the task. Nick Hagglund had a career night, leading the defense in shutting down DC United striker Christian Benteke. Benteke managed to get off seven shots, but only one was on target. He also had five shots blocked and was called for four offsides penalties, more than the entire FC Cincinnati squad (3). Hagglund also led the Orange and Blue in accurate passes, with 88% (though a significant amount of these were likely passes to his fellow center backs).
“One of Nick’s best performances in the jersey” Noonan said about Hagglund’s night. The Cincinnati native put in his second full 90 of the season, only a few weeks after he made his 2025 debut coming off of a serious leg injury that put him on the season-ending injury list in 2024. The 32-year-old has solidified a defense that looked shaky early in the season and has also set an example for others.
Matt Miazga, who made his season debut after also missing most of the 2024 season with a devastating leg injury, spoke about what Nick’s return and form has given him hope about his return to the pitch. Miazga told FC Cincinnati’s Carter Chapley, “We were going through it, we were in the trenches, digging deep. I'm really proud of how he's come back and that gives me confidence. He's done really well and I want to emulate that.”
Hagglund wasn’t the only defender who had a huge night. Miles Robinson balled out, winning three tackles, blocking three shots, clearing the ball nine times, and intercepting three passes. Hagglund was the only player with more clearances on the night (Gilberto Flores tied Robinson with nine). Robinson’s effort was the real story and was underlined when he chased down a streaking Benteke in the 72’, getting between the striker and goalkeeper Roman Celentano and forcing the ball out of bounds for a corner kick. It was a highlight moment that likely saved the game for Cincinnati.
While the defense came to play Saturday night, the offense continues to be stuck in a rut. Luca Orellano, who signed a 5-year extension before the season, has still yet to make an impact on offense. The Argentinian took two shots, both on target, but only accumulated a .06 xG on the night. Fellow star player Kevin Denkey also had a bad night, only managing one shot that was not on target.
The offense is missing several key pieces, mainly MVP candidate Evander, as well as Yuya Kubo and Corey Baird, but the lack of goal-scoring from Denkey and Orellano can’t be overlooked. Orellano has yet to score or assist on a goal in MLS league play since rejoining the team in early March following a brief holdout during preseason and an injury to his leg soon after, although, he did have one assist in the second leg of the club’s CONCACAF Champions Cup loss to Tigres. Denkey has only scored one non-penalty goal for the Orange and Blue during the MLS Regular Season, a goal that came in the first match of the season against the New York Red Bulls. The two have only started alongside Evander twice this season, a 2-0 loss to Charlotte FC on March 15 and the aforementioned 3-1 loss to Tigres in Mexico.
It’s entirely possible that once the offense is fully healthy again, they will be able to start scoring goals more consistently. Noonan said the offense would be fine following their 2-2 draw with Atlanta United, but it doesn’t look that way from the outside. That doesn’t mean the team can’t make a run and contend for silverware. The 2023 Supporter’s Shield winning team was carried offensively by Lucho Acosta. The MVP winner led the team with 17 goals and 10 assists, with no other player breaking 10 goals or more than four assists. That team also allowed the third least amount of goals in the league that season.
2024’s FC Cincinnati squad scored one goal more than they did the previous year, with two players scoring 10 goals alongside Acosta’s 14. That team couldn’t keep other squads from scoring though, due to injuries that devastated the club’s backline. The 2023 squad won seven matches in the MLS regular season by a score of 1-0, in 2024 that only happened twice. It’s happened three times already in 2025 and could be something we see more of as the season unfolds. A strong defense has carried this club before, and with Miazga and Hagglund returning that could be the case again.
