FC Cincinnati look to find precision, creativity and connection moving forward in wake of 2-0 loss to Charlotte FC

There were two very brief but monumentally impactful moments, all of which completely defined the 2-0 loss to Charlotte FC on Saturday night at Bank of America Stadium. There were other, more overarching challenges FC Cincinnati faced. Still, no two moments were more directly altering the match than these.

In a 2-0 scoreline, you'd imagine those moments would be the two goals scored, and you'd be 50% right. Kinda. But the first game-altering moment came in the first half when Miles Robinson came up with tightness after winning a duel to force a corner kick rather than a scoring opportunity and had to be subbed out of the game.

The second was the goal scored about 25 game minutes after that, or rather, the misplayed header that resulted in the opportunity for the goal.

"Tough night," Pat Noonan said to sum up the evening in Charlotte, North Carolina in his opening statement at the post-game press conference. "Despite seeing a lot of improvements with the ball and some good stretches, we were hurt by a bad five minutes and a mistake that led to the first goal.

"But I still think we had more than enough opportunities and got into good spots in the box, and whether it was the cross or blocked shots, blocked crosses, (Charlotte) defended the box well, and we just didn't have enough -- I think -- creativity or precision on some of the moments where we were able to get shots off.

FC Cincinnati controlled not only the possession of the match in the early phases but also the tempo and direction. They dictated the speed of the game, where it was going to be played and how it was going to be played. Luca Orellano, Pavel Bucha, Evander and Obi Nwobodo orchestrated play through the midfield and when Charlotte got their moments the defensive core – playing in a four-at-the-back formation for the second time in three games – was up to the challenge to quickly neutralize opponents' opportunities or step to cover back and make sure a problem never arose.

But on the artificial playing surface that Bank of America Stadium utilizes (due to the split tenancy of the stadium between Charlotte FC and the NFL's Carolina Panthers), it was injury that popped up and bit FC Cincinnati when Miles Robinson when down with tightness and needed to be subbed off.

Noonan post-game said the substitution was made because he didn't feel it was worth the risk going forward and potentially further injuring the star defender, even though the Head Coach felt like perhaps Robinson could have played on. But at the end of the grueling stretch of eight games in 24 days to start the season, it just wasn't worth it.

Charlotte FC then made it obvious they felt it was the right moment to strike with Robinson out. The home side upped the pressure immediately as Teenage Hadebe came on to replace Robinson and began to assert themselves in the game on their terms. It was, for the final quarter hour of the first half, FCC's turn to play on the back foot. And while the sides went to the locker room equal at nil-nil, Charlotte had asserted itself in the game.

"That was, I would say, a tough moment," Noonan said on Robinson exiting the match. "Because you lose a key player, but the guys still were in a position to go and make plays. Teenage came in and did some good things, (but we) struggled in some ways where we were trying to, I think, create too much from our center back position with direct play, and just needed to play simple to move us up the field."

Noonan has on many occasions identified playing "too direct" as a point when describing when FC Cincinnati is playing against their best interests. By playing too direct, Noonan is (generally) describing situations where the defenders are looking to play long passes directly to the forwards. It doesn't always have to be defenders doing so. Still, playing directly to the goal means they are bypassing the midfield in the buildup phase of the attack. Direct play can be very fruitful if done effectively but can also lead to turnovers and loss of possession, which gives opponents the advantage.

The second moment that defined the game came in the 48th minute, where Pavel Bucha, known for his consistency and reliability, played a header poorly and sprung the Charlotte counterattack onto its first goal. In looking to clear the ball from danger after the team pushed forward leaving only a few defenders back, Bucha went to head it back to DeAndre Yedlin who was in safer safe to collect the ball and make a play with it. But the header didn't have the pace to meet Yedlin, and Charlotte's Designated Player, Liel Abada, intercepted the attempt and was off to the races.

The Israeli attacker ran half the field on his own before slotting the shot in for the first goal. Then, with momentum firmly on their side, FCC conceded another goal as Agyemang slipped into the box and scored on a well-placed shot just two minutes later.

A bad five minutes in all. A mistake so out of character for the player that teammates made a point to show support for him unprompted. It seems thus even more unfair, like an affront to the senses of moral clarity or such a vast imbalance of karmic energy, that Bucha's error leads directly to such catastrophic ends. Unfortunately, as Luca Orellano said earlier this week, "Football is like that."

At this point though there was nearly an entire half of soccer left to be played and despite the leaking confidence that allowed for the quick concessions, and even with those struggling moments the Head Coach described. Noonan felt there was plenty of opportunity to find a goal, even if Charlotte now controlled the flow of the game.

"I felt like there was a lot of promising attacks…they defend the box well, and we just didn't have enough accuracy on a lot of things we did closer to goal," Noonan described in a disappointed but not defeated way. "We've got a long way to go. We need to work on plenty of things in training that I think we'll get the chance to in the coming weeks."

The best opportunities FCC had, perhaps all night save for choice moments, were on shots generated from distance. Evander had three shots saved and another beautiful free-kick ring off the post. Luca Orellano had a gutsy shot from outside the box slapped away. But on this Saturday night, none of those attempts could beat the 2024 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, Kristijan Kahlina, who time and time again proved why he earned that award.

FCC generated 17 shots on the night and forced Kahlina into eight saves. Three more shots curled just wide, with another five blocked before making it on target. But the problem was that of those 17 shots, only 1 xG was created. Meaning those shots, per the algorithm that calculates expected goals, came for less opportune spots. The step forward shows itself in finding ways to find shots closer to the target.

"We did a good job of finding some shot creation from around the top of the box where, you know, it's about hitting corners. And a lot of, I think, those moments were right in the hands of [Kristijan] Kalina," Noonan explained. "We need better runs in the box to open up different spaces. We need better crosses, more dangerous crosses.

"So, I felt like there was a lot of promising attacks, but like I said, they defend the box well, and we just didn't have enough accuracy on a lot of things we did closer to goal."

A third moment presented itself late. A third game-defining moment that will be felt more in the coming days rather than Saturday. Gilberto Flores was assessed a yellow card, his second of the night, for a foul committed in the 83rd minute. The second caution earned him a red card, thus ejecting him from the match and significantly stalling FCC's already challenging come-from-behind effort. It also suspended him for FC Cincinnati's next game against Atlanta United.

A problem already compounded by the FIFA international window calling away some FC Cincinnati players, but also Robinson's injury should any issues linger.

It is a fascinating crossroads for FC Cincinnati they find themselves in. After a 24-day stretch where they played (on average) every three days and traveled 7,681 miles (30% the diameter of the globe and over 19 hours in the air), that part of the grueling schedule is now over. The Orange and Blue will, for the first time this season, have the opportunity to build for next week's opponent with a full buildup and training schedule. A full chance to not only rest but develop and train, rather than just the constant churn of preparing for matches.

This is a problem FCC wants to have, playing for trophies and being successful enough to play in the Concacaf Champions Cup year in and year out. But that doesn't make the reality of the situation any easier. Put that in a blender with the turbulence the team faced in preseason and FC Cincinnati are, kinda, starting fresh this week in some sense. With more mileage, sure, but fresh all the same.

The mileage could be good or bad. Depends on your perspective. The additional minutes and tread on the tires could mean you're going forward disadvantaged. It could also mean you're moving forward with double the information and match time than anyone else. You have already passed "Go" and collected "$200" in data to work from.

That doesn't give you back the two road losses to start the season, sure. But sometimes success is about turning sour grapes into fine wine.

"It's easy to look at the results and think we're nowhere close. I think results aside, we got a good group with some really good pieces that need to better understand each other outside of just the game and try to figure out how to work with each other in a better way."

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