Following two straight victories, FC Cincinnati will look to continue gaining steam in the thick of the Supporters’ Shield race against Orlando City SC Saturday, June 28 at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida. But they might have to do it without a few pieces.
Coach Pat Noonan said the Orange and Blue left their mid-week contest against CF Montréal with a few injuries despite securing a 3-1 victory. He also noted that part of the starting squad could be rotated for the second match of the two-game week depending on recovery.
“We came out of it a little banged up,” Noonan said. “There’s a couple question marks, but certainly a good result in performance, but it came at a little expense and that’s the health of some of the guys.”
Rotated group expected for FC Cincinnati
One such player will be Obinna Nwobodo, who exited the game in the first half. Noonan said the midfielder will be out for a “little while,” but he did not know the full length of the injury. Brian Anunga replaced Nwobodo against the Canadian side.
Orlando City could also roll out a rotated squad after also playing during the week. Still, the matchup is critical for both sides, as the Lions would draw level with FC Cincinnati, which is tied for second in the Supporters’ Shield race on points, with a win.
Currently fifth in the Eastern Conference with 33 points, Orlando City has won two straight games, most recently a 4-2 victory against St. Louis City SC.
The Lions’ only All-Star, defender Alex Freeman, will be unavailable as he is with the United States Men’s National Team at the Concacaf Gold Cup, like FC Cincinnati defender Miles Robinson. But they still have plenty of talent capable of producing results, including MLS clean sheets tied leader, goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, and team-leading goal scorer, forward Martín Ojeda.
Noonan credited Ojeda for his patience in front of opposition’s back lines and how he gets the ball onto his preferred foot.
“They have a really good balance of how they can go and win games,” Noonan said of Orlando City. “(They are) good with the ball. They’re good in transition, they’re physical. They compete in a really good way. They manage games in an intelligent way, so, an all-around really strong group.”
Evander’s recent success
Both sides enter the contest with two match winning streaks. Evander, who scored two goals and logged an assist in FC Cincinnati’s previous match, could be pivotal again. The All-Star midfielder was active as the Orange and Blue were ruthless in the attack against CF Montréal, increasing his goal contributions count to 16 this season.
“The challenge is continuing to find ways to get him on the ball to impact the game,” Noonan said of Evander. “I thought our midfield movements (versus CF Montréal) were in sync and allowed us to, at times, have him be the free man and get him into spots to be able to receive and face goal without always having a defender on him.”
FC Cincinnati’s defense is thriving
Defensively, FC Cincinnati has only allowed one goal in the last two games, an essential factor for a team that has thrived in close matches, with just a plus-four goal differential this season.
Noonan credited defender Matt Miazga for his work against CF Montréal leading scorer, Prince Owusu. In that game, the Orange and Blue’s high line prevented the opposition from developing much in the attack for most of the game, while their defenders also used their physicality well to shut down many direct attempts.
“I thought for the most part, taking a side a stretch at the beginning and at the end of the game, we defended the ball in a good way,” Noonan said.
After the match, FC Cincinnati will return home for the first time since May to play Chicago Fire FC on July 5.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: FC Cincinnati looks to continue win streak versus Orlando City