FC Cincinnati Looks Ahead to Vulnerable LAFC on Saturday

FC Cincinnati wrapped a busy week with a 2-2 draw in Nashville on Saturday evening, so let’s get straight into takeaways from the club’s stretch of three matches in eight days and also look ahead to Saturday’s showdown with talented but sputtering Los Angeles FC.

Missed opportunity in Music City

Following an assured midweek 2-1 victory over Minnesota, poor defending cost FCC in its draw at Nashville. Ramifications of the result were multifold. East- and Supporters’ Shield-leading Inter Miami (64 points) dropped points late in a 1-1 draw at New York City. The Orange and Blue would trail Leo Messi and the lads by four points, not six, had they found a third goal in Nashville. West leaders LA Galaxy (58 points) are now second in the Shield race.

Columbus held off Orlando in a seven-goal thriller in Ohio’s capital Saturday, moving the Crew into a deadlock with FC Cincinnati for second in the East. Remember: The Crew still have a league match in hand against FCC.

Head-shaking defending costly

Nashville was content to concede possession to the visitors, attempting—and I use that word loosely—to play on the counter. FCC held 67 percent possession, its highest share of the ball in 2024 and 10-15 percent more than I’d say the Orange and Blue prefer given their taste for devastation on the counter with Lucho Acosta, Luca Orellano, and Yuya Kubo.

The hosts scored on both of their attempts on goal, with Sam Surridge punching in a second-ball scramble in the fourth minute and heading in a corner kick in the 25th minute. The two scores often remind me what FC Cincinnati misses without Matt Miazga, their injured defensive captain and the reigning MLS Defender of the Year. His talents do not lie in pace or athleticism but leadership, technique, and the subtle organizational art of defending.

Orellano’s buy option a bargain

Orellano added two more scores to his collection of stunners this season. Saturday in Nashville, the lefty whipped in a free kick to level the match at two in the 52nd minute . That beauty followed the 24-year-old’s supreme effort —the one-touch layoff by Kubo was sublime, too—just prior to halftime in Minnesota, providing FCC with a two-goal lead at the break.

The Argentine has made an immediate impact during his first year in the Queen City, with nine goals and seven assists. Orellano’s buy option from his parent club in Brazil’s top division is a reported $3 million, an easy decision for FC Cincinnati’s front office this offseason.

LAFC limps into TQL Stadium

I’ve had Saturday’s matchup with LAFC circled since the start of the season. The two-time defending West champs have hit a rut since Leagues Cup ended, failing to nab a win in its last five matches. The defense has had quite the wobble of late, yielding eight goals over its past three matches, including a shocking four goals allowed in a 4-2 El Tráfico loss to LA Galaxy.

There’s plenty of star power on this squad to trouble FCC, though. Denis Bouanga, last season’s Golden Boot winner, is just two scores behind the league lead this year. Midfielder Mateusz Bogusz has 14 goals and six assists in his second season with the club. And over the summer LAFC imported Olivier Giroud, France’s all-time leading goal scorer, to lead its forward line.

While FC Cincinnati will enjoy a full week of rest, L.A. can add to its trophy case—which includes the 2022 MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield—with a victory over Sporting Kansas City tonight in the U.S. Open Cup final .

FCC fans are well-acquainted with the magic of the U.S. Open Cup. This year’s U.S. Open, however, featured a reorganized structure that included just eight senior MLS sides. One hopes that FC Cincinnati—or at least FC Cincinnati 2—will be able to participate again in the coming years.

Grant Freking writes FC Cincinnati coverage for Cincinnati Magazine . You can follow him on Twitter at @GrantFreking .

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