Currently in the middle of a heated playoff battle in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer, FC Cincinnati return to TQL Stadium with a chance to extend their home unbeaten run to 10 straight games when they face the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday.
Cincy temporarily moved into the last playoff position by drawing New York City FC 1-1 in midweek, while the Quakes have won two of their previous three fixtures after defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-0.
Match preview
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The subject of ridicule through the majority of their opening three MLS campaigns, Cincinnati have grown by leaps and bounds in year four, as the playoffs are a real possibility for this team who have never been this close to the postseason since entering the league in 2019.
Whether they ultimately wind up qualifying for the playoffs or not, Pat Noonan will be a serious contender for coach of the year.
Noonan, a former assistant with the Union, has helped this team set a new franchise record for points (39), goals scored (48) and wins (nine), and there is still a chance for them to improve on each those figures with five games still to play.
Along with those accomplishments, the Orange and Blue are assured of setting a new club record for the fewest defeats in a regular season, currently with eight losses this year.
Barring a complete defensive meltdown in their remaining fixtures, they are likely to also set a new franchise record for fewest goals conceded in a 34-game season, allowing 49 so far in 2022, 25 fewer than they had at the end of 2021.
It took a while for them to settle into their new home, which they moved into last season, but the Orange and Blue have begun to flourish at TQL Stadium, unbeaten in their previous nine matches played there, after avoiding defeat in only eight of their previous 26 domestic home fixtures.
Their next three matches will be against Western Conference opponents, with the Orange and Blue suffering only two defeats against those sides this season.
Cincinnati have tallied a first-half strike in each of their last five fixtures, while their last five goals have each come from a different player, one of which was NYCFC defender Thiago Martins, who tallied an own-goal on Wednesday.
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San Jose are on the verge of missing the postseason for the fourth time in five years, trailing the Portland Timbers for that final position in the Western Conference by 12 points with only six matches remaining.
Even though their playoff chances appear to be fading, interim boss Alex Covelo has seen his players compete harder in recent outings.
Last Sunday they demonstrated a lot more composure, posting just their third clean sheet of the campaign, blanking the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-0.
An effort like that had to have been encouraging for incoming manager Luchi Gonzalez to witness, as the former Dallas coach will take over this team when the season concludes.
Throughout 2022, the Goonies have played at a high intensity, often employing an all-out attacking approach, which has made them fun to watch but at the same time easy to break down defensively, conceding 55 goals this year, the most in the Western Conference.
They possess one of the most potent strikers in MLS, however as a unit, they have not always been as decisive in the final third away from home, failing to score in six road fixtures this year.
Should the Quakes be able to capture their remaining five games, it would mark their highest win total to a regular season since 2013 when they earned 14 victories, an unlikely scenario, though, when considering the fact that San Jose have not won consecutive matches all year, with their longest winning streak over their previous 16 MLS campaigns being a mere four games.
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Team News
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FC Cincinnati goalkeeper Roman Celentano made a career-high seven saves against New York this week, matching the FCC record set by Kenneth Vermeer last season, while Matt Miazga became the 10th player in their MLS history to start as captain, as he, Ian Murphy and Nick Hagglund began as a back three on Wednesday.
Leading goalscorer Brandon Vazquez has not tallied in back-to-back games, Brenner is without a goal in four straight encounters, while Ronald Matarrita made his first appearance for the Orange and Blue on Wednesday since March 19.
The league leader in assists, Luciano Acosta, was forced out of their midweek affair with a yellow card suspension, while Beckham Sunderland sat out because of concussion protocol and Vermeer has a torn pectoral muscle.
Quakes forward Jeremy Ebobisse scored his team-leading 15th of the season last weekend, the 42nd of his career, while Jamiro Monteiro found the back of the net for a fourth time in this campaign.
Jackson Yueill collected his second assist of 2022, and Cristian Espinoza notched his 10th assist of the year, the most among Quakes players this season.
JT Marcinkowski made six saves against the Caps for his third shutout of the campaign, and Rodrigues started for the first time in his MLS career after coming to Silicon Valley on loan from Gremio in the Brazilian Serie B.
Will Richmond is questionable with an injury to his face, Casey Walls is out with a sore upper leg, Ousseni Bouda has an injured left foot and Gilbert Fuentes will not be available for personal reasons.
FC Cincinnati possible starting lineup:
Celentano; Murphy, Miazga, Hagglund; Kubo; Moreno, Nwobodo, Acosta; Barreal; Brenner, Vazquez
San Jose Earthquakes possible starting lineup:
Marcinkowski; Trauco, Rodrigues, Nathan, Beason; Remedi, Yueill; Espinoza, Monteiro, Cowell; Ebobisse
We say: FC Cincinnati 4-2 San Jose Earthquakes
Both teams play aggressively with plenty of attacking intent, so we expect they will each have their share of scoring opportunities and be able to find the back of the net, given the calibre of strikers each team possesses.
The Orange and Blue have been more consistent this year and have a little more attacking depth than their opponents, which should compensate for their defensive deficiencies.
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