Evander scored two goals and assisted on three others, including Kenji Mboma Dem’s eventual match-winner in the 52nd minute, sending FC Cincinnati into the World Cup break with a 6-2 rout of visiting Orlando City on Saturday evening.
Despite allowing a brace to Orlando’s Martin Ojeda, Cincinnati (5-5-5, 20 points) snapped a 0-1-2 slump in resounding fashion, winning for the first time since May 2.
Orlando (4-9-2, 14 points) saw its three-match unbeaten streak across all competitions (2-0-1) come to an end.
Cincinnati, which entered Saturday with the most goals scored in MLS (30), dominated an Orlando defense that had conceded a league-worst 38 times.
With the match tied at 2-2, Mboma Dem put Cincinnati ahead for good in the 52nd minute with his second goal of the night and fourth of the season. He rushed into the box and struck Evander’s pass first-time into the net to put Cincinnati ahead 3-2.
In the 58th minute, Evander completed his own double with his ninth goal of the season, confidently striding to the top of the box and lacing a low, driven effort past Orlando goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau to make it 4-2.
Kevin Denkey made it 5-2 in the 77th minute, bringing his season total to nine goals thanks to Evander’s third assist of the evening.
Tom Barlow capped the scoring in the first minute of second-half stoppage time with his fifth goal of the season.
After Ojeda opened the scoring for Orlando in the 16th minute, Cincinnati pulled ahead with two goals late in the period. Mboma Dem’s header past Crepeau off Evander’s corner kick tied the match at 1-1 in the 42nd minute. Evander then put Cincinnati ahead 2-1 in the third minute of first-half stoppage time off an assist from Pavel Bucha.
Cincinnati’s six goals were its most in an MLS regular-season match since a 6-1 win over Inter Miami on July 6, 2024. Orlando allowed six goals in a match for the second time this season, most recently in a 6-0 loss at Los Angeles FC on April 4.
Evander now has seven goals and five assists in his last five matches.
–Field Level Media
