FC Cincinnati hosts surging Philadelphia in key MLS game

After a season with lots of ups and downs, FC Cincinnati enters the final two home games that will end the regular season with a chance to get into the Major League Soccer playoffs. Cincinnati is in eighth place in the Eastern Conference (11-11-10, 43 points) and Philly is sixth (13-11-8, 47 points).Cincinnati has momentum coming off two wins over D.C. United and a 2-2 draw at Inter Miami. After Philly, Cincy will host Supporters’ Shield winner Nashville on Decision Day, Nov. 7“Let's go perform and win a game,” said FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan. ”I think the rhythm of the group, the way that the games are being played, the results have certainly been positive. Now everything's in our own hands to finish the season with two home games and against two strong opponents and try to move up the table and secure a playoff position.”Cincinnati now has 66 goals in MLS play, a club record and tied for third in the league. They have allowed 73 which is third-worst behind Orlando (74) and Kansas City (80), which has already set the league record for most goals conceded, which was 78 by San Jose in 2024.More: FC Cincinnati announces 2027 Sprint Season MLS scheduleFC Cincinnati standings and playoff scenariosNine teams in the conference make the playoffs. The top seven seeds qualify for the best-of-three-first-round series. The eight seed hosts the nine seed in a single-game wild-card contest Nov. 18, with the winner facing No. 1 seed Nashville in the first-round series.Cincinnati will clinch a playoff spot with a win regardless of other results. With a draw or a loss, the team will have to wait until Sunday night to see if they get in.Games of interest to Cincinnati include Orlando at Charlotte (1 p.m. Saturday), Montreal at New York City (2 p.m. Saturday), D.C. United at Columbus (2 p.m. Saturday), Toronto at Atlanta (4:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1) and Red Bull New York at Nashville (4:30 p.m. Nov. 1).With a draw, Cincinnati clinches a spot with a draw or loss by both New York teams and Toronto.With a loss, Cincinnati still gets a spot with a loss by the Red Bulls and a draw or loss by Toronto and NYC.Cincinnati clinches a top-eight seed, and home field in the wild-card game, with a win over Philadelphia and a loss or draw by Columbus.The battle for sixth and seventh place and avoiding the wild-card game will be tight. Cincy can help its cause by beating Philadelphia. Cincy will lose any tie with Philly, Orlando, Columbus and RBNY, and win any tie with Toronto and NYC. So Cincinnati will be eliminated from contention for sixth and seventh with a loss and Orlando win.Who is FC Cincinnati’s opponent, Philadelphia Union?Philly vaulted into playoff position with an eight-game winning streak. In the last three games, they have had draws with Charlotte and Nashville, and a 2-1 loss to New England, their first loss since the World Cup break.Philly’s top three scorers, Bruno Damiani, Milan Iloski and Cavan Sullivan all missed the team’s game with Nashville Oct. 28. Damiani was out with card suspension and will be back for Cincinnati. Iloski, with 19 goals, was out with injury as was Sullivan, a 17-year old budding superstar who was called up to the United States national team during the latest international window. He has seven goals and 11 assists.Philly overwhelmed Cincinnati 5-0 Sept. 9 at Subaru Park. Sullivan and his older brother Quinn (22) controlled the game. Damiani scored three goals in a 12-minute span and Philly scored on two penalty kicks.The defense is led by Kai Wagner, a 29-year old veteran who returned to the club during the summer. American youngsters Neil Pierre, 18, and Frankie Westfield, 20, also start in the back. Andre Blake remains the veteran mainstay in goal and is one of the longest-tenured in the league in his 13th season with the Union.“They defend against the ball very well, as well as any team in the league and knowing how to get pressure to the ball and winning duels,” Noonan said. “In transition how they structure themselves to be able to play quickly forward with numbers. I think they move the ball in ways where they know how to create advantages with their highest attackers to work off of each other to create. So you can look at the stretch of their success and you don't have that unless you're doing a lot of things well, which clearly they are.”FC Cincinnati lineup notesMiles Robinson is day to day and could be available. New defenders Julian Malaini and Tyrell Malacia remain out with injury.Midfielder Jose Martinez made his Cincinnati debut late in the Miami game as he recovers from knee surgery. Noonan said the former Manchester United player is a helpful presence with his big-game experience and vocal leadership. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: FC Cincinnati hosts surging Philadelphia in key MLS game