Luca Orellano makes debut in CONCACAF draw with Tigres
Damon Gumbert
FC Cincinnati is one step closer to having their squad back healthy after Luca Orellano's 2025 season debut at TQL Stadium on Tuesday night. The star player arrived late to preseason camp due to a contract dispute with FC Cincinnati, but the club eventually locked down the Argentinian for 5 years.
Orellano, 24, subbed into the game in the 66’ to a raucous reception. His arrival spelled some late energy for a team looking for a spark. Unfortunately, the team was unable to score even with the Argentinian on the pitch and ended the match in a 1-1 tie with Liga MX giants Tigres.
He replaced Yuya Kubo, who has been struggling so far this season since he also arrived to preseason late. The Japanese army knife has totaled 130 minutes in two MLS regular season starts and has only taken one shot at goal, and that shot was not on target. In CONCACAF Champions Cup play, he has 186 minutes with five shots and only one on target.
The Argentinian returns to the lineup at the perfect time, with the team seemingly floundering on offense. Prior to Tuesday’s match, the club surpassed three shots on target only once, their initial CCC match against FC Motagua to open competitive play. The match with Tigres was also the third-highest amount of shots the team has taken this season with 12. Last season, Orellano led the team in shot attempts with 93 and 3.2 shots per 90 average.
Puff, Puff, Pass
When it comes to passing, Kubo isn’t the only FC Cincinnati star that is struggling. While Tuesday's matchup was far from the worst passing performance the team has had recently, it wasn’t a great day either. Obinna Nwobodo led the way, connecting on 97% of his passes and 100% of his long passes (albeit that was only one). Evander, Pavel Bucha, and Miles Robinson joined Nwobodo in the 90% range, with Teenage Hadebe sitting at a close 88%.
DeAndre Yedlin had the lowest passing percentage of all starters, coming in at 65% on the night. He was followed by Kubo (67%), Lukas Engel (73%) and Gilberto Flores (78%). Flores’ biggest problem was his long-ball passing. He connects on only four of his 11 attempts to push the ball upfield, often overshooting his target or being inaccurate with his pass. The most blatant point was on a free kick where Flores attempted to send the ball over to a wide-open Lukas Engel but sent the ball about 20 yards behind him and out of bounds.
As previously stated, this wasn’t the worst passing performance of the season for The FC, as a matter of fact, it was the second highest passing percentage the club has seen (84%). The club’s MLS season opening affair with the New York Red Bulls was the lowest of the season, only managing to secure 74% accurate passes.
And what the hell is Haku’s problem?
That was a reference to a throwaway line from a “Being The Elite” bit circa 2018. Cody Rhodes was asking what the wrestler Haku’s problem was after he and his two sons (Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa) beat the shit out of their entire group.
Cody also likes to tell a story about a match he had during his first stint with WWE. He was teaming with Wade Barrett and Ted DiBiase Jr. against Daniel Bryan, Sin Cara, and Ezekial Jackson. The match was supposed to go for a certain amount of time and everyone in the match was supposed to hit their spots that make them all look good. Part of the way through the match, Ted DiBiase Jr. is getting beat up by Daniel Bryan, as planned, and goes down after being hit with a dropkick in the corner. The referee slams his hand down twice, hesitates because DiBiase is supposed to kick out, and then slams his hand down the third time just as the kick-out happens. Cody tells the story about getting to the back and seeing Vince McMahon, sexual predator and then boss of WWE, red in the face about what happened. Right after Vince asks Cody what the hell happened, DiBiase comes through the curtain and says, “Where is that referee? He was trying to fuck on me.”
That’s how I feel about the refereeing during Tuesday’s matchup. The refereeing was atrocious: blown calls, missed fouls, lack of cards. Tigres committed 18 fouls in the match and received one yellow card. FC Cincinnati committed 13 fouls and received three yellow cards.
Teenage Hadebe collided heads with a Tigres player in the second half and came down clutching his head. Normally, the play would be immediately stopped due to a head injury. In this match, it wasn’t. Head Coach Pat Noonan was livid and screaming at the referee even after the play was stopped. Hadebe would be fine, but it’s about player safety and a professional referee should have seen that.
Nwobodo was given a yellow card mere moments after a Tigres player committed a similar foul on Sergio Santos and didn’t even get called for the foul, let alone carded for it. The replay on Fox Sports 2 showed that the Tigres player never made contact with Nwobodo and flopped to secure the foul.
A spirited battle between two top teams in their respective leagues was marred by one referee making bad calls.
But I digress
That doesn’t mean that the FCC shouldn’t have won this match. The chances were there, they just couldn’t convert. Hopefully, that’s just something that will get ironed out with time, as the new players fully integrate and the team gets healthier.
FC Cincinnati will see Tigres again when they travel to Monterrey for the second leg on Tuesday, Mar 11. If Cincinnati wins that match, they will advance to the quarter finals of the CCC. If Tigres can keep FCC from scoring a single goal, they would advance based on away goals being a tie-breaker. If the game ends in another 1-1 draw, the teams will go to penalties.
For now, they will have to focus on getting back on track in MLS play when Toronto FC comes to town on Saturday. Toronto is winless on the season but has managed to score four goals to Cincinnati’s two. The FC will need their offensive stars to step up if they want to keep pace in the race for the Supporters Shield.
That match kicks off at TQL Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Eastern. Tickets are still available or you can watch from home with Apple TV+ and MLS Season Pass or visit one of the club’s pub partners like Streetside Brewery in the East End.
