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| You can't talk around some things. |
I can no other but start with the caveats…don’t worry, I’m not gonna bitch about how FC Cincinnati should have won this by more than two goals…
…but they should have…
…I mean, just the two chances for Brenner alone. And, yeah, I have to break a rule I only laid down last weekend, because we have to talk about Brenner. Just not quite yet. Because caveats.
Toronto rolled into town down starting center backs (Chris Mavinga and Carlos Salcedo, even if the latter didn’t cover himself in glory last Saturday), and without club mascot, Jonathan Osorio. Just five of the players who started Toronto’s eye-catching, and yet possibly deceiving loss to New York City FC way back on April 24 started tonight. You could say they had their stars - e.g., Jesus Jimenez, Alejandro Pozuelo and Michael Bradley - but both experience and name recognition falls off a cliff from there.
And then the bottom fell of what already started as non-ideal for Toronto. First, Brandon Vazquez broke their (why?) high line and sliced a cross from right to left for Calvin Harris to slot home. Like, at most, two minutes later, Osorio’s stand-in, Ralph Priso-Mbongue, lunged at Obinna Nwodobo’s leg, cleats about knee level, and off he goes. So, that’s Toronto down a man and a goal inside the first five minutes. Toronto battled on gamely from that, even punched close to level on a couple stats (but the xG speaks volumes), but I’m guessing they asked themselves why bother at that point.
All that’s to say, last night’s game ended 2-0 to Cincy on the scoreboard, but it might have ended before Toronto even caught the plane. I mean, Cincinnati scored again, a penalty kick, but...eh. There’s not much game to analyze, so I’m just going to pass on a some notes and get ready for the next one. Of which…
I Would Have Liked a Tougher Game
To be clear, I am delighted to see Cincinnati in 6th place (sixth!), and on 13 points(!; just seven points shy of 2021’s total! can you believe that shit!?), but a more whole opponent and fewer gifts would have sent them to Minnesota in a sharper frame of mind. Arguably. Call it free-floating anxiety about complacency, but Minnesota will be tougher, and in both directions, success is forged in iron, etc.
Also, Fun!
Cincinnati looked like a team that had played together for a couple seasons last night. Most importantly, they played, to a man, like they knew where to find one another the field. The movement off the ball looked great, playing out of trouble same, decision-making on-point, and so on all the way into, how can I complain about that?
Related to the above, I took a moment to peek back at Cincy’s starting line-up for a game played just one season ago, the quirky AF 2-3 home loss to Inter Miami CF on May, 2021. Four players who played tonight started that game - Luciano Acosta, Alvaro Barreal, Harris (notably), and Brenner, who started the 2021 game, but only subbed on tonight. I hesitate to name names from the earlier roster, but last night’s roster actually looks balanced and coherent, i.e., like a proper foundation.
…but they should have…
…I mean, just the two chances for Brenner alone. And, yeah, I have to break a rule I only laid down last weekend, because we have to talk about Brenner. Just not quite yet. Because caveats.
Toronto rolled into town down starting center backs (Chris Mavinga and Carlos Salcedo, even if the latter didn’t cover himself in glory last Saturday), and without club mascot, Jonathan Osorio. Just five of the players who started Toronto’s eye-catching, and yet possibly deceiving loss to New York City FC way back on April 24 started tonight. You could say they had their stars - e.g., Jesus Jimenez, Alejandro Pozuelo and Michael Bradley - but both experience and name recognition falls off a cliff from there.
And then the bottom fell of what already started as non-ideal for Toronto. First, Brandon Vazquez broke their (why?) high line and sliced a cross from right to left for Calvin Harris to slot home. Like, at most, two minutes later, Osorio’s stand-in, Ralph Priso-Mbongue, lunged at Obinna Nwodobo’s leg, cleats about knee level, and off he goes. So, that’s Toronto down a man and a goal inside the first five minutes. Toronto battled on gamely from that, even punched close to level on a couple stats (but the xG speaks volumes), but I’m guessing they asked themselves why bother at that point.
All that’s to say, last night’s game ended 2-0 to Cincy on the scoreboard, but it might have ended before Toronto even caught the plane. I mean, Cincinnati scored again, a penalty kick, but...eh. There’s not much game to analyze, so I’m just going to pass on a some notes and get ready for the next one. Of which…
I Would Have Liked a Tougher Game
To be clear, I am delighted to see Cincinnati in 6th place (sixth!), and on 13 points(!; just seven points shy of 2021’s total! can you believe that shit!?), but a more whole opponent and fewer gifts would have sent them to Minnesota in a sharper frame of mind. Arguably. Call it free-floating anxiety about complacency, but Minnesota will be tougher, and in both directions, success is forged in iron, etc.
Also, Fun!
Cincinnati looked like a team that had played together for a couple seasons last night. Most importantly, they played, to a man, like they knew where to find one another the field. The movement off the ball looked great, playing out of trouble same, decision-making on-point, and so on all the way into, how can I complain about that?
Related to the above, I took a moment to peek back at Cincy’s starting line-up for a game played just one season ago, the quirky AF 2-3 home loss to Inter Miami CF on May, 2021. Four players who played tonight started that game - Luciano Acosta, Alvaro Barreal, Harris (notably), and Brenner, who started the 2021 game, but only subbed on tonight. I hesitate to name names from the earlier roster, but last night’s roster actually looks balanced and coherent, i.e., like a proper foundation.
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| A thing of the past? |
The Best Bit
Somewhere around the 50th minute, Obinna Nwobodo chased an attacking run from the just on Toronto’s side of the halfway line to the top of Cincinnati’s 18. He kept up, did his bit to pin Toronto to their left (and a little ball-watching), and still kept in the play and took up a reasonable space in the defensive shape (I just have some notes). Toronto turned the ball over in one or two passes, the ball landed at Junior Moreno's feet, and here’s the good bit: Moreno squared the ball to Nwobodo, but then took off into the space in front of both of them and carried the play forward. Again, Cincy played like half-a-Toronto last night, but let us pause here to acknowledge what we’ve just witnessed: a functioning central midfield, players comfortable in traffic and in both directions. For the first time in their MLS history, Cincinnati has two players in central midfield who know the position and play it well. I mean…voila. I hate to go back to that May 2021 starting line-up, but....c'mon, honey, the Camaro's looked super-sweet since I put on the new rims. If you catch my drift...
He Gives Me Fever
I really like what I’m seeing from Nwobodo so far. He defends in open space and closes the same really well, he keeps the ball moving - e.g., a play where the ball went back to him, then forward to Toronto’s 18, then back Nwobodo, then over to John Nelson, then in to Ian Murphy, then back to Nwobodo, all of it one touch. For my money, Cincinnati got better the day Moreno arrived. If Nwobodo can look as confident and connected on tougher nights (e.g., @ MIN, @ NYC, v NE, @ MTL; literally the next four games), Cincy just might have become good they day he did.
An Important Thing to Know About Me
I obsess over central midfield. I am in balance when it is balance.
Better & Younger
More than anything else, Cincinnati has viable options, and cover, at most positions. I think Ian Murphy has settled in somewhere between nicely and really well, Roman Celetano looks comfortable and steady (and hell of a save off that weird looping shot in the 2nd half), and Nelson has looked solid in his last couple of starts. That makes three promising young players in vital spots, and all of them with veteran cover. And when they subs came, Pat Noonan had Dominique Badi, Tyler Blackett, Haris Medunjanin and Brenner to send on...hold the thought on that last one. First, there’s not real drop-off between the players who came on and the ones they replaced (a-hem); better, Noonan can make major changes to the way Cincy sets up and attacks with just those four players. It feels crazy to type this, but…I think Cincinnati has options.
A Down Before a Final Up
Brenner missed two shots that, bluntly, the vast majority of professional forwards do better with week in and week out. I am striving not to shit on the guy, but…Lord, if I haven’t seen players in my old co-ed rec league hit better shots than both. If he can’t do that…what’s left? I’m past the paycheck at this point - wasn’t my money, so who gives a shit? - but…just, good Lord.
It’s Easier to Walk a Tightrope with a Safety Net
Luciano Acosta looked equal parts menace and pest tonight (one last time, against half-a-Toronto), and a big part of me wants to that, and how much the attack has improved in general, down to trusting what he and they have behind them.
I’ve felt glimmers of hope around FC Cincinnati before, but I’d call this the first time that I’m actually excited to see what comes next. On the one hand, yes, I expect the next four games to be sobering. The difference is, no matter how bad that gets, I still feel like I can see a future on the other side of it.
Somewhere around the 50th minute, Obinna Nwobodo chased an attacking run from the just on Toronto’s side of the halfway line to the top of Cincinnati’s 18. He kept up, did his bit to pin Toronto to their left (and a little ball-watching), and still kept in the play and took up a reasonable space in the defensive shape (I just have some notes). Toronto turned the ball over in one or two passes, the ball landed at Junior Moreno's feet, and here’s the good bit: Moreno squared the ball to Nwobodo, but then took off into the space in front of both of them and carried the play forward. Again, Cincy played like half-a-Toronto last night, but let us pause here to acknowledge what we’ve just witnessed: a functioning central midfield, players comfortable in traffic and in both directions. For the first time in their MLS history, Cincinnati has two players in central midfield who know the position and play it well. I mean…voila. I hate to go back to that May 2021 starting line-up, but....c'mon, honey, the Camaro's looked super-sweet since I put on the new rims. If you catch my drift...
He Gives Me Fever
I really like what I’m seeing from Nwobodo so far. He defends in open space and closes the same really well, he keeps the ball moving - e.g., a play where the ball went back to him, then forward to Toronto’s 18, then back Nwobodo, then over to John Nelson, then in to Ian Murphy, then back to Nwobodo, all of it one touch. For my money, Cincinnati got better the day Moreno arrived. If Nwobodo can look as confident and connected on tougher nights (e.g., @ MIN, @ NYC, v NE, @ MTL; literally the next four games), Cincy just might have become good they day he did.
An Important Thing to Know About Me
I obsess over central midfield. I am in balance when it is balance.
Better & Younger
More than anything else, Cincinnati has viable options, and cover, at most positions. I think Ian Murphy has settled in somewhere between nicely and really well, Roman Celetano looks comfortable and steady (and hell of a save off that weird looping shot in the 2nd half), and Nelson has looked solid in his last couple of starts. That makes three promising young players in vital spots, and all of them with veteran cover. And when they subs came, Pat Noonan had Dominique Badi, Tyler Blackett, Haris Medunjanin and Brenner to send on...hold the thought on that last one. First, there’s not real drop-off between the players who came on and the ones they replaced (a-hem); better, Noonan can make major changes to the way Cincy sets up and attacks with just those four players. It feels crazy to type this, but…I think Cincinnati has options.
A Down Before a Final Up
Brenner missed two shots that, bluntly, the vast majority of professional forwards do better with week in and week out. I am striving not to shit on the guy, but…Lord, if I haven’t seen players in my old co-ed rec league hit better shots than both. If he can’t do that…what’s left? I’m past the paycheck at this point - wasn’t my money, so who gives a shit? - but…just, good Lord.
It’s Easier to Walk a Tightrope with a Safety Net
Luciano Acosta looked equal parts menace and pest tonight (one last time, against half-a-Toronto), and a big part of me wants to that, and how much the attack has improved in general, down to trusting what he and they have behind them.
I’ve felt glimmers of hope around FC Cincinnati before, but I’d call this the first time that I’m actually excited to see what comes next. On the one hand, yes, I expect the next four games to be sobering. The difference is, no matter how bad that gets, I still feel like I can see a future on the other side of it.
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