Where Would FC Cincinnati Be Without Yuya Kubo?

S earching through Yuya Kubo’s game log over his four-plus years with FC Cincinnati requires knowledge of alphabet soup, soccer edition: attacking midfielder (AM), central midfielder (CM), defensive midfielder (DM), forward (FW), left wingback (LW), right wingback (RW). The range of positions played reflects his status as a selfless and versatile footballer.

The apex of Kubo’s Orange and Blue career arrived on Saturday night in San Jose. The 30-year-old, making his first appearance in a month, scored a hat trick in nine minutes as a second half substitute. The fourth-fastest hat trick in league history flipped a 2-1 deficit in the 72nd minute to a 4-2 victory for the visitors, FCC’s eighth win over its past nine contests.

Kubo’s scores in the 78th, 80th, and 87th minutes were all assisted by Lucho Acosta. Scoring comes naturally to Kubo, who hasn’t done much of that in the Queen City even though he was signed as a striker. Kubo entered 2024 with just four scores to his ledger but had notched 86 goals in 10 pro campaigns in Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and Japan prior to signing for Cincinnati in January 2020.

Former FCC General Manager Gerard Nijkamp recruited Kubo, who consistently displays the adaptability and professionalism often seen in trophy-winning organizations. Prior to the acquisition of DeAndre Yedlin in early March, Kubo was the starting right wingback. Since then, the majority of his minutes have been at forward, starting for the underperforming/injured Corey Baird and Aaron Boupendza.

In my eyes, though, Kubo’s most indispensable trait is ability to play defensive midfield. When Obinna Nwobodo went down late last season, it was Kubo who filled in and ensured that FCC’s defensive structure remained solid. He’s the lone player on the roster who could have come close to resembling Nwobodo.

Make no mistake about it, Acosta is the team’s most irreplaceable player. But having an all-round footballing talent like Kubo who plays where he’s asked at a high level is essential. The front office knows it, too, which is why last December General Manager Chris Albright inked Kubo to a contract extension through 2025 (with an option for 2026).

“Yuya’s ability on the ball, ground coverage, and positional versatility make him an integral part of our group,” Albright said at the time. “He’s also a player of high character and a great teammate, and we’re thrilled that he’ll be with us this coming season and beyond.”

Center of attention

Had Kubo not authored one of the moments of the season, the story of Saturday night would be Matt Miazga’s left leg injury. The reigning MLS Defender of Year slid into a goal post attempting to block a shot and was carted off. Miazga definitely won’t play tonight vs. Philadelphia and could be out long term , according to Head Coach Pat Noonan.

FC Cincinnati’s once-deep center back depth is now in a precarious position. Typical right center back Miles Robinson, who would be in line to assume Miazga’s role in the middle of the Orange and Blue’s three-person back line, is with the U.S. Men’s National Team at the Copa América tournament through at least July 1. He’ll miss a minimum of three FC Cincinnati matches. The 27-year-old is also reportedly in serious contention to represent the Stars and Stripes at the Olympics later this summer, too, which would lead to more matches missed.

Nick Hagglund started for Robinson in San Jose but was unable to finish 90 minutes. Hagglund had offseason hamstring surgery and has appeared in just eight matches in 2024 and completed 90 minutes only once this season. Yedlin, who finished Saturday at right center back, and Kipp Keller are other options at center back, too, aside from usual starting left center back Ian Murphy.

A manic return

Following its 16-day layoff, FC Cincinnati returned to the field and combined with league-worst San Jose to stage a match short on positional discipline and flow but long on risk-taking and excitement. Even the nil-nil first half featured 16 joint shots, albeit with just three attempts on goal.

The second half was the MLS version of a Michael Bay action sequence: six goals, 12 on-target shots, and slapstick defending unfolding on a substandard PayPal Park pitch that routinely made players on both teams look like penguins slipping on Antarctic ice. In the end, an undisciplined effort produced a league-leading seventh road triumph that reinforced the winning identity FCC has built under the Noonan-Albright regime.

The 111-minute contest in San Jose was the first of three matches in eight days for the Garys. The cost of Saturday’s hard-fought victory could be heavy legs tonight vs. a distressed Philadelphia side at TQL Stadium.

Philly is coming off a crushing 2-1 home loss to Inter Miami. The league-leading Herons emerged with a win despite playing without Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez (international duty) and finishing the match with nine players. Post-match, star Union left back Kai Wagner called out the team’s front office . Yikes!

And then on Saturday FCC (36 points) welcomes East-worst New England (16 points), which is experiencing a surge after winning three successive matches.

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

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