Cover Photo: Ryan Fleming
October 9, 2023 (Cincinnati, OH) – FC Cincinnati have a single regular season match remaining, as they host Thiago Almada and Atlanta United on MLS Decision Day, Saturday, August 21, 2023. Unlike last season, the Orange and Blue have already clinched home playoffs throughout the entirety of the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs, securing the Supporters’ Shield and becoming the only team to win 20+ games in the 2023 season, the closest being St. Louis and Orlando, both with 17 with one match remaining.
It’s been a historical season for this FC Cincinnati team – they’ve broken every single season club record imaginable. Roman Celentano, with 12 clean sheets, is tied for second in all of MLS. Prior to Celentano’s arrival to MLS in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft, the club leader in clean sheets was Przemysław Tytoń, with 5 clean sheets in 2020 and 10 clean sheets across three season. Celentano’s 12 clean sheets in 2023 alone would have put him first in the all-time clean sheets leaderboard for FC Cincinnati.
Of course, FC Cincinnati’s MVP (and a front-runner for League MVP) Luciano Acosta has been nothing short of sensational for Cincinnati this season – 16 goals and 13 assists in 31 matches for the Argentine midfielder this year. Acosta took on the captain’s armband not just for FC Cincinnati, but also for the MLS All-Star team this summer as they faced off against European giants Arsenal in the Nation’s Capital.
We also can’t forget the fact that FC Cincinnati’s Álvaro Barreal earned a Puskas nomination this season, thanks to this goal he scored in the US Open Cup.
FC Cincinnati’s Supporters’ Shield season is arguably the best turnaround a team has had – the Orange and Blue are one of three clubs in MLS history to go from Wooden Spoon to Supporters’ Shield in the span of two seasons, the others being the 2008 Columbus Crew (2006 Wooden Spoon) and 2010 Los Angeles Galaxy (2008 Wooden Spoon). But unlike the other two, FC Cincinnati were repeat winners of the Wooden Spoon – three consecutive seasons to be exact, from their inaugural 2019 season to their 2021 season. They recorded 66 points across those three calendar years in MLS matches (24 in 2019, 16 in 2020, 20 in 2021, and 6 in the 2021 MLS is Back Tournament) and they have 68 points in 2023 – with a game still left to play.
But if you’re a FC Cincinnati fan, one that’s been following the team since the USL days, that’s stuck with the team through the three consecutive Wooden Spoons, you already knew all of this. So, what’s next?
Three FC Cincinnati players have been called up to their national teams for the October FIFA International Break, with Junior Moreno joining the Venezuelan National Team, and both Santiago Arias and Yerson Mosquera joining the Colombian National Team ahead of two CONMEBOL World Cup Qualification matches. Some teams will have matches during the break, mostly matches that have needed to be rescheduled due to the Leagues Cup schedule and weather complications.
The Home Stretch
After the break, MLS will have their regular season finale – Decision Day – on Saturday, August 21st. All Eastern Conference matches will kickoff at 6:00pm EST, and Western Conference matches at 9:00pm EST.
After the regular season ends, the 8th seeds in each conference will host the 9th seeds in a Wild Card Play-In style match on either October 25 or 26. The winner of that match will play the 1 seeds in their respective conferences, meaning the Round One opponent for FC Cincinnati won’t be official until after the Wild Card match. Worth noting for those tuning in to those Wild Card matches – no extra time. If the match is tied after 90 minutes, it goes straight to a PK shootout.
The Round One in this year’s MLS Cup Playoffs is different from the years prior, with the higher seed hosting the first match (and a potential third) of a Best-of-3 Series. Just like in the Wild Card round, no extra time will be played in any of the matches, and if the match remains tied after regulation, a PK shootout will decide the winner. The first team to win two matches will advance to the Conference Semifinals. These matches are scheduled to be played between October 28 and November 12, 2023.
The Conference Semifinals was where the Orange and Blue were knocked out last season, in a 1-0 loss in Philadelphia. FC Cincinnati, if they were to advance, would host the winner of the 4-seed/5-seed match in a single elimination match. Unlike the previous rounds, two 15-minute extra time period will be played if the two teams are even after regulation before heading to a PK shootout. This round of matches is scheduled to be played on either November 25 or 26, 2023.
The Eastern Conference Final would also come to TQL Stadium if FC Cincinnati were to advance, and they would host the winner of the other Eastern Conference Semifinal match. The winner of this match advances to the MLS Cup Final. This round of matches is scheduled to be played on either December 2 or 3, 2023.
Finally, the MLS Cup Final. If FC Cincinnati makes it to the final, as the Supporters’ Shield winners, they’ll stay in Cincinnati and host. That match is scheduled to be played on December 9th, 2023.
Check out Area Sports Network on Instagram & Twitter and Subscribe to our YouTube Channel. We hit 1k subscribers and look to continue to grow the channel. Stay tuned for more content going forward!
