Match Preview: Queen City Derby comes to Cincinnati
Damon Gumbert
A week after dropping six goals on Inter Miami CF, FC Cincinnati will have their work cut out for them when they take on Charlotte FC this Saturday.
Charlotte touts the second-best goals allowed rate in MLS with only 23 allowed in 22 games.
Cincinnati barely survived their last encounter with Charlotte on March 30, walking away with 1 point after an Aaron Boupendza goal tied the match in the 90 + 2’.
Last Time on The Queen City Derby
The Orange and Blue had a different look then, still trying to find their identity after an off-season where they lost a significant amount of their starting lineup. Their starting lineup featured Luca Orellano playing left wingback, a move we’re unlikely to see again, Yuya Kubo starting for Obinna Nwobodo, who was coming off an injury, at defensive midfielder, and a dual striker setup of the Boupendza above and Corey Baird.
After an uneventful first half, Charlotte got on the board with a Djibril Diani penalty kick in the 60’. The FC struggled to find the back of the net, despite leading the match with 17 total shots, five on target. Goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina notched four saves in the game but was unable to stop the Boupendza goal off a DeAndre Yedlin assist.
Cincinnati dominated possession in the match, but their sloppy positioning led to four offside calls against their attacking line.
When asked what he thought of the Charlotte club, Head Coach Pat Noonan said, “From the game we played them at their place they have continued to improve, I think a very organized team, disciplined, defensively tough to break down.” He went on to acknowledge the issues FCC had with Charlotte in the first matchup. “They caused us a lot of problems in the first match up, so it’s something we’ve discussed, but they don’t give you a whole lot. They’re a very difficult team to play against.”
Oh, how times have changed
The Knifey Lion offense was listless early in the season. The starting striker combo of Baird and Boupendza totaled a combined three goals over the first ten matches of the MLS regular season. For comparison, Kevin Kelsy has played in 11 matches for the club since the May 11 match in Columbus and has scored five goals. Boupendza missed time following an altercation at a bar in downtown Cincinnati in May that left him with a broken jaw and Baird has been nursing a hip injury since the end of May.
The club seems to be done with Boupendza, who has only made two appearances for the club since making his return in mid-June. Baird was available for the match against Miami but did not get subbed into the game. Kubo, Gerardo “Dado” Valenzuela, Sergio Santos, and Kelsy have rotated at striker for the team since Boupendza and Baird’s injuries. Kubo sits in second on the team with nine goals, one behind Luciano Acosta for the team lead, Kelsy sits at five, Santos with two, and Dado scored his first goal last week against Miami. The offense has scored 10 goals in the last three matches, while a banged-up defense has only allowed three goals in that time.
What about the defense
With the recent season-ending injuries to Matt Miazga and Nick Hagglund, the defense has been stretched thin. Kipp Keller has stepped up big time, and the defense has seen a boost since Miles Robinson returned from his Copa America stint with the US Men’s National Team, but the depth at the center-back position has been tested.
Alvas Powell, who normally plays wingback or midfield, has been subbing in at center-back, much to my dismay. Yedlin has also moved over to cover the center-back position from time to time. In multiple games, the team has had a back line that has consisted of only one natural center-back and two players playing out of position.
This match could be the best time for the Orange and Blue to experiment though, as Charlotte has scored the second-fewest points of any team in the Eastern Conference. Their top scorer, Patrick Agyemang, will not play on Saturday after receiving a red card in the club match against Inter Miami on July 3.
The club will have to find a replacement for Miles Robinson, who will be joining the USMNT for the Olympics after the July 17 match against Chicago. The club recently added defender Nico Benalcazar to their first-team roster. Benalcazar made 11 appearances with FC Cincinnati 2 this season, scoring two goals for the MLS NEXT Pro team. Since joining the first team he has not seen the pitch during a game.
Another option could be to bring back Joey Akpunonu from loan to USL side Hartford Athletic. Akpunonu was the first round draft pick of FCC during the 2023 MLS SuperDraft. The center-back has started five of his nine matches for Hartford, totaling 475 minutes. The 6’3 22-year-old could add an extra aerial threat for the club if they were to bring him back, as he has won 10 of his 15 aerial duels while in the USL.
Lineup questions
Last week's match-up against Inter Miami saw Noonan implement a new formation, opting to put Orellano to the right of Acosta as an attacking midfielder and having Kubo as the lone striker. It was the first new formation the club had put out since early in the season when they were still figuring things out. It’s hard to say that the formation wasn’t successful, as Kubo scored two goals off of Orellano passes, and Acosta added a goal and two assists of his own.
Noonan said in his Thursday press conference, “Talented players typically make decisions look better than they are.” He went on to say, “There were things that we thought, in terms of the match up, that particular structure would help us have some success.”
Noonan also had some high praise for his attacking three, saying, “Luca and Lucho and Yuya, the three of them together made our decisions as a staff look better.”
The club may go with the same formation as last week but with minor tweaks. Nwobodo will miss Saturday’s match due to yellow card accumulation, meaning we could see Kubo return to the midfield to fill that gap, especially with Malik Pinto still working his way back from injury. That would leave the striker position open for the taking. Kelsy could fill that spot, though if the club wants to push the pace of the game they could start Santos with Orellano and Acosta. Santos would be able to keep up with the streaking Argentinians if it came to that.
Another option could see the club revert to their 5-2-1-2 formation, moving Orellano back to wing-back and playing two strikers. In that case, the logical choice would be to play Yedlin at center-back with Robinson and Ian Murphy, Orellano at right wing-back, Yamil Asad at left wing-back, Kubo in the middle next to Pavel Bucha, Acosta at attacking-mid behind Kelsy and either Valenzuela, Baird, or Santos.
Depth in the midfield will be the main problem. Due to injuries and suspensions, Bucha and Kubo will likely have to play all 90+ minutes. This is especially unfortunate for Kubo, who sits one yellow card away from a suspension himself. Kelsy and Orellano are both in the same position as Kubo, so playing either for the full game is flirting with disaster.
The formation that I would choose is the one above. Kubo will, unfortunately, be forced to the midfield due to the circumstances with Nwobodo’s suspension. Having Orellano further up front will significantly limit his chances of seeing a yellow card, and it will give the offense a boost against a very tough defensive backline. Keeping Kelsy on the bench also limits his chances of catching a suspension, and gives the offense a chance to stretch the field more with the speedy Santos.
I would start Keller over Powell at center-back because Alvas Powell should never play center-back. He has the speed and attacking mentality that fits better at the wing-back position. If one of the center-backs needs to come off I would move Yedlin over to cover, as he has shown he can be one of the best defenders in the league.
Only time will tell us what the coaching staff decides though. The match kicks off at TQL Stadium at 7:39 p.m. Saturday. If you’re not going to the match you can watch it on AppleTV+ with the MLS Season Pass or at any of the participating Pub Partners.
