During a Friday news conference, FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan did a double-take when asked to compare his club's home form over the last two seasons.
The 13 home wins of a year ago felt far enough away that it was almost hard to believe when compared against results in 2024.
FC Cincinnati's strength during the 2023 season came from TQL Stadium, its fortress and a venue that proved nearly impenetrable for opposing clubs.
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FCC posted a 13-2-2 record at home during its Supporters' Shield-winning campaign, and one loss and one tie proved to be dead-rubber matches after the Shield was already clinched.
This year, the club is 7-6-3 at TQL Stadium. At least until 2025, FCC has refused "fortress" status for its beloved home field. It's simply an acknowledgement that the club hasn't been good enough where it counts the most, which is at home.
Most MLS clubs that are eventually deemed great in a historical context do significant damage in the standings at home during the regular season, and then continue that in the postseason.
FC Cincinnati will attempt to catch fire in the playoffs absent overwhelming home form this year, but it can achieve one final boost at TQL Stadium when it hosts on Saturday fourth-seeded Orlando City SC (7:30 p.m.).
"It's better to play at home than on the road in the playoffs," Noonan said. "Whatever our result looks like tomorrow, we'll know that our home form didn't live up to the expectations, but once the playoffs start, the entirety of the regular season gets erased. Now, you're in a... you have to win games to advance, so playoffs are just going to look."
The latest on Orlando City
Orlando comes to TQL Stadium having won five of its last six matches, and currently in line for a top-four seed in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Facundo Torres is leading Orlando with 14 goals while Duncan McGuire, who was unable to secure a transfer abroad multiple times during the offseason before signing a contract extension with Orlando, has 10 goals on the campaign.
Last time out, Orlando dealt to the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday a 2-1 defeat, which solidified Orlando's playoff seeding while knocking the Union below the playoff line in the east.
The game: FC Cincinnati vs. Orlando City
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET | TQL Stadium, Cincinnati
Broadcast: Apple TV MLS Season Pass
Cincinnati.com prediction: FC Cincinnati 2, Orlando City 1
FC Cincinnati
Record (MLS): 17-10-5, 58 points; Third place in Eastern Conference
Goals for: 55 (Tied for No. 4 in east; tied for No. 9 in MLS)
Goals against: 44 (No. 3 in east; tied for No. 5 in MLS)
Head coach : Pat Noonan, third season as Cincinnati manager
Projected starting XI : Roman Celentano (GK), Alvas Powell, Miles Robinson, Ian Murphy, DeAndre Yedlin, Yamil Asad, Obinna Nwobodo, Pavel Bucha, Luciano Acosta, Luca Orellano, Kevin Kelsy.
Orlando City SC
Record (MLS): 14-11-7, 49 points; Fourth place in Eastern Conference
Goals for: 55 (Tied for No. 5 in east; tied for No. 10 in MLS)
Goals against: 47 (Tied for No. 6 in east; tied for No. 12 in MLS)
Head coach : Óscar Pareja
Projected starting XI : Pedro Gallese (GK), Kyle Smith, Rodrigo Schlegel, Robin Jansson, Rafael Santos, César Araújo, Wilder Cartagena, Facundo Torres, Martín Ojeda, Iván Angulo, Enrique.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: FC Cincinnati seeking one last spark at TQL Stadium before MLS cup playoffs
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