Matchday 9 Information:
- Who: FC Cincinnati (5-1-2, 17 points) vs Portland Timbers (2-4-2, 8 points)
- When: Saturday, April 22, 2023 – 7:30 PM EST
- Where: TQL Stadium – Cincinnati, OH, US
- How To Watch: Apple TV – MLS Season Pass
FC Cincinnati lost their first match of the season last Saturday in a rather convincing fashion to the top team in the Western Conference St. Louis CITY. This match came a few days after news broke of a transfer for FC Cincinnati Young DP striker Brenner.
FC Cincinnati will play host to the Portland Timbers for the second time in club history, the only other time being the first-ever MLS home match for the Orange and Blue. FC Cincinnati’s home opener in 2019 was one that fans will remember well, a 3-0 win with goals from Costa Rican international Kendall Waston, former Costa Rican international Allan Cruz, and French defender Mathieu Deplagne.
FC Cincinnati and Portland haven’t played a match since the 2020 COVID season, where the two teams played to a 1-1 draw, and Portland beat out Cincinnati on penalties, 4-2.
Now, FC Cincinnati will have a big task on their hands, facing a Timbers side that beat their rivals, the Seattle Sounders, in convincing fashion, a 4-1 final. (As of Wednesday, April 19, 2023) Portland will be without the services of multiple players: Felipe Mora, Sebastián Blanco, Yimmi Chara, David Bingham, Erik Williamson, and Claudio Bravo. FC Cincinnati will also be without the services of key players in former Athletico Madrid fullback Santiago Arias and former Japanese international Yuya Kubo who has been out with a knee injury since Matchday 3.
Luciano Acosta is currently listed as questionable after sustaining a shoulder injury in his collision with goalkeeper Andre Blake on Matchday 7. Acosta’s availability is a big thing to keep an eye on, as FC Cincinnati’s goal differential with Acosta (+7) is significantly better than without (-6).
Key Player: Matt Miazga (FC Cincinnati)
Obviously, the key player for FC Cincinnati is Luciano Acosta. But without seeing him practice with the full squad and his availability for the upcoming match uncertain, my choice of Miazga is a “safe choice”, a player that will most certainly be available to play and make his impact on Saturday.
Miazga, alongside teammates Brandon Vazquez and Roman Celentano, were part of the US Men’s National Team side that drew 1-1 with Mexico in the Continental Clásico on Wednesday. While Celentano didn’t see the field, Vazquez started the match and recorded 64 minutes, an 86% pass accuracy, and 15 total touches.
Miazga came on as a substitute for LAFC defender Aaron Long and recorded 20 minutes, an 81% pass accuracy, and 18 total touches. The three will rejoin the team for training Thursday and all should be available for Saturday’s match.
Back to Miazga, after a poor team performance, while wearing the captain’s armband, he’ll have the responsibility of regrouping the team and focusing the attention of the team on the upcoming match. If Acosta is deemed unavailable for this week, he will once again put on the captain’s armband and will bear with it the responsibilities of putting together a strong performance in front of the home fans.
After the defeat the fanbase witnessed last weekend, Saturday isn’t just 3 points – it’s a statement to show that the loss was just a fluke.
Check out Area Sports Network on Twitter & Instagram and Subscribe to our YouTube Channel. We just hit 1k subscribers and look to continue to grow the channel. Stay tuned for more content going forward!
