CINCINNATI — When the New England Revolution visit FC Cincinnati on Saturday, the clubs will be coming off very similar 2-1 wins last weekend, when both clubs scored go-ahead penalties in stoppage time.
Cincinnati forward Kevin Denkey scored in the first minute of stoppage time for Cincinnati at Nashville SC, while New England midfielder Carles Gil posted a brace, netting the winner in the seventh stoppage minute to defeat the visiting New York Red Bulls.
Cincinnati (3-2-1, 10 points) earned its first road win of the season, while New England (1-3-1, 4 points) recorded its first match victory in five tries.
The win was a critical one for the Orange and Blue, as they entered the match on an overall three-game winless streak (including CONCACAF competition), with little training time to build up endurance and tempo.
“I think in moments of our last couple games, specifically, we weren’t running hard enough in front of goal, and too many guys wanted the ball to be played to their feet, to be played in front of defenders,” said Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan, a first-round draft pick by New England in 2003. “We didn’t have enough guys either willing to run in front of goal, sacrificing themselves for opening up their teammates. So we covered that in the lead-up to the game. I think that got better.”
FCC improved their passing closer to goal against Nashville, generating 13 passes into the opposing box, as many as their previous two matches combined and the most in a single game this season.
“It’s not about doing things in a reckless way,” Noonan added. “We have to be calculated in the timing, the positions and what’s needed to help us create.”
Against the Red Bulls, Gil’s goals both came via set piece, which marked New England’s first two goals scored of the season that did not come by own goal. Gil converted on a first-half free kick and then put a penalty inside the left post in the 97th minute for New England’s first win of 2025.
“That’s what you need from your top player,” Revs head coach Caleb Porter said of Gil. “He got in great spots, and he was goal-dangerous. That’s the key. He can score goals, and he’s got quality.”
While the Orange and Blue have enjoyed success in their last three seasons in MLS, they have not fared well against the Revolution.
Since dropping the first-ever meeting in this series during Cincinnati’s expansion season in 2019, the Revs are 5-1-3 in the last nine MLS showdowns.
–Mike Petraglia, Field Level Media
