Can FC Cincinnati build on its lead in the MLS standings vs. Charlotte?

CINCINNATI (ENQUIRER) - FC Cincinnati excelled at front-running in 2023, and now that it’s back atop the Major League Soccer standings, we’ll see if the 2024 team can be as effective at leading the Supporters’ Shield race.

After defeating Inter Miami CF on Saturday, 6-1, FC Cincinnati reclaimed the top spot in the race for the Shield for the first time since the early weeks of the season, narrowly supplanting Miami by a one-point margin, according to our media partners at The Cincinnati Enquirer.

The first of three opportunities for FCC to protect and grow its lead in the standings prior to the month-long break for the in-season Leagues Cup tournament arrives Saturday against Charlotte FC at TQL Stadium (7:30 p.m.).

Cincinnati’s rout of Miami was one of its best-ever nights in club history. Even though Miami was missing Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez to international duty during the Copa America, and other players to suspension, Miami had proved itself effective in the absence of its biggest stars. There was plenty of reason for FCC to be wary entering the game.

But Cincinnati left no doubt against a Miami side that, up to until last weekend, had dominated headlines across MLS. FCC led 4-1 by halftime and ceaselessly closed out the game in the second half. Even when accounting for Miami absence of high-profile players, FC Cincinnati exceeded expectations with the style and decisiveness it won with.

“It was one of those games where things were working for us and maybe not as much for Miami,” FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan said during a Thursday news conference. “So, when you win a game 6-1 against the top team, you need a lot of things to go your way and you need guys to step up and perform.”

In Charlotte, FC Cincinnati faces a team it tied, 1-1, on the road March 30. The circumstances of that match at Bank of America Stadium were much different than today. Those were the formative, and at times frustrating, stages of FCC’s development toward the first-place team with three All-Stars we see today.

“From the game that we played them at their place, they’ve continued to improve,” Noonan said. “I think, a very organized team disciplined. Defensively, tough to break down . . . if they’re under pressure, they’re a team that, when they play direct, has guys that are running channels, that are running off of some of that direct play, they move up the field well together.

“They caused us a lot of problems in the first matchup, and 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. So, we’re gonna have to be very patient when we have the ball and understanding that chance creation is hard to come by, and then defensively, at the times when we step up our pressure, understanding the difficulties that we’ll face, if they bypass our pressure and find those front four.”

FC Cincinnati hosts Charlotte and Chicago Fire on Wednesday. Then, the club closes out the pre-Leagues Cup portion of its schedule July 20 at New York Red Bulls.

FC Cincinnati’s first Leagues Cup group-stage match is Aug. 1 against Queretaro of Mexico’s Liga MX at 8 p.m. at TQL Stadium.

FCC is aiming to reach the Leagues Cup pause in the regular season in the best form possible so it can regroup for the stretch run from a position of strength. With transfer rumors and innuendo swirling, many hope the club will reinforce itself on the personnel front during the Leagues Cup break, which would also serve as a good window for introducing a new player to the team. Some rest would also be useful.

How much time off the players get − and data suggested the 2023 team seemed fall off after having several weeks between matches following its elimination from last year’s Leagues Cup − will depend on how deep FC Cincinnati lasts in the tournament.

Come the resumption of the MLS regular-season, FC Cincinnati will have a furious nine-match stretch to close out the regular season including matches at Inter Miami on Aug. 24, at home to Columbus Crew on Sept. 14, away to Minnesota United FC on Sept. 18 and home on Sept. 28 to Los Angeles FC, one of the Shield favorites.

When you look ahead and consider what FC Cincinnati still has to face down the stretch, it’s easy to understand the need for a strong finish ahead of Leagues Cup.

What to expect from Charlotte FC

Charlotte should be well-rested for Saturday’s visit to Cincinnati. The club was idle a week earlier and last played July 3 against Inter Miami, becoming the most recent club to suffer a late loss resulting from a Miami comeback.

Miami’s Benjamin Cremaschi, who will join FC Cincinnati’s Miles Robinson as a member of the U.S. men’s Olympic soccer team, scored the eventual game-winner in the 86th minute to break a 1-1 tie with Charlotte.

Adding frustration to the late loss against Miami was that Charlotte’s Patrick Agyemang was issued a red card deep in second-half added time. That deprives the club of Agyemang’s services against Cincinnati − he leads the team in both goals and assists with six and three − as he’ll be suspended.

Charlotte’s recipe for staying in playoff contention in the Eastern Conference up to this point has been its defense, which is the second-best in MLS with just 23 goals allowed. Attacking play has been a different story as the club’s 24 goals scored is the second-lowest amount in the league, and Agyemang accounts for 25% of that output.

Polish designated-player Karol Swiderski, who was a nuisance to FC Cincinnati in several outings for Charlotte, won’t be eligible to play in MLS again until July 20 when he returns from his loan at Italian side, Hellas Verona.

For now, Kerwin Vargas will likely have to shoulder much of the attack load as he’s Charlotte’s second-leading scorer with four tallies As the club’s website stated in an article previewing the Cincinnati game, Vargas is also “due a goal” as he last scored June 19. Vargas had an expected goals metric, or “Xg,” of .5 against Miami and took three shots in the contest.

Djibril Diani, a midfielder, attacked Cincinnati effectively and scored the opening goal when the clubs played to a 1-1 draw on March 30.

Charlotte is the only club in MLS to not allow a penalty-kick goal so far in 2024, and continued strong defending will be key at TQL Stadium. The club is expected to be without defender Scott Arfield as he is reportedly set for a transfer to Bolton Wanderers of England’s third tier.

FC Cincinnati

Record (MLS): 15-4-3, 48 points; First place in Eastern Conference

Goals for: 42 (No. 2 in east; No. 7 in MLS)

Goals against: 26 (No. 3 in east; Tied for No. 4 in MLS)

Head coach: Pat Noonan, third season as manager

Projected starting XI: Roman Celentano, goalkeeper; Yamil Asad, left wing back; Ian Murphy, center back; Miles Robinson, center back; Alvas Powell, center back; DeAndre Yedlin, right back; Luca Orellano, midfielder/forward; Pavel Bucha, midfielder; Luciano Acosta, midfielder; Kevin Kelsy, forward; Yuya Kubo, forward.

Charlotte FC

Record (MLS): 9-8-5, 32 points; Sixth place in Eastern Conference

Goals for: 24 (No. 13 in East; No. 28 in MLS)

Goals against: 23 (No. 2 in East; No. 2 in MLS)

Head coach: Dean Smith, first year as Charlotte FC manager

Projected starting XI: Kristijan Kahlina, goalkeeper; Nathan Byrne, right back; Adilson Malanda, center back; Andrew Privett, center back; Jere Uronen, left back; Ashley Westwood, midfielder; Djibril Diani, midfielder; Liel Abada, winger/forward; Brandt Bronico, midfielder; Kerwin Vargas, winger/forward; Patrick Agyemang, forward.

This story was written by our media partners at The Cincinnati Enquirer.