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Analysis: FC Cincinnati Wins Supporters’ Shield at BMO Field

MLS: FC Cincinatti at Toronto FC as FC Cincinnati Wins the Supporters' Shield

FC Cincinnati wins Supporters’ Shield in Ontario’s provincial capital. Both defences were not great, however, Cincinnati was able to exploit TFC’s defensive weaknesses much more as they were on the front-foot for most of the game.

FC Cincinnati Wins Supporters’ Shield on the Road

FC Cincinnati Scored the First Two Goals of the Game

This marks the third-straight game Toronto FC has given up the first goal of the game. Also, like the previous two games, TFC would lose this game against now the Supporters’ Shield champions.

  • Fantastic teamwork of a cross into Toronto FC’s box lead to Brandon Vázquez’s first goal.
  • The second goal was scored when Álvaro Barreal’s pass to Aaron Boupendza was stopped by TFC’s goalkeeper, Luka Gavran. However, the rebound was put away immediately by Vázquez.

It seemed like for most of the game, Cincinnati was the more confident team in Toronto’s box and it showed in the scoresheet.

FC Cincinnati Was Able to Get Inside Toronto FC’s Box

FC Cincinnati showed why they are the best team in the league right now, as their overlapping runs was too much for TFC to handle. Also, Cincinnati was able to get crosses inside TFC’s box and make some things happen. These were the two main ways Cincinnati generated scoring opportunities, which Toronto had trouble dealing with. Examples include:

  • Latif Blessing’s shot hit the post in the 11-minute.
  • FC Cincinnati made an overlapping run, giving Vázquez a great scoring opportunity.

Credit should be given to Cincinnati, who were able to control the game at will at times. While their lapse in concentration after scoring the second goal might be disappointing, it is always important to remember that it is difficult to get wins on the road.

Toronto FC’s Defence Needs to Improve

As much as FC Cincinnati’s offence was very dynamic, some of it could have been prevented. Even though Cincinnati is the best team in the regular season, giving up 14 shots at home is not a great showing on the defensive end of the ball. There were some clear indicators of this including:

  • A turnover, which led to Barreal scoring the game-winning goal of the game.
  • Matt Miazga’s header in the 80-minute was a clean header, but it missed the target, following a corner.

The last time TFC had a clean sheet was on May 31 in a scoreless draw against the Chicago Fire FC at BMO Field. It has been a long time and while the defence is not the only problem for the TFC, it is by far the biggest as they include recent losses to rivals, CF Montreal and Columbus Crew SC.

Other Factors as FC Cincinnati Wins Supporters’ Shield

TFC did show a fight after trailing by two goals in the first half. They had three shots on goal after that time period in the first half, with Jonathan Osorio scoring both of those goals. Federico Bernardeschi should be given credit for creating scoring opportunities for his teammates such as Osorio on his second goal. TFC goalkeeper, Gavran, also made some big saves for his team on Saturday.

However, the day does belong to Cincinnati. The team won their first-ever silverware with the 2023 Supporters’ Shield. This is what Pat Noonan of Cincinnati said about the accomplishment according to Pat Brennan of the Cincinnati Enquirer:

“This was a really, really neat moment to experience and share with the players, the staff members that are here,” FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan said. “Certainly, a lot of people to thank. A lot of work that’s gone into this. All those people will be recognized in the coming days.”

Cincinnati was not always a team destined for greatness. Despite being in MLS since 2019, they did not make the MLS Cup Playoffs until last year. They will now look to break the all-time record of MLS season points. If they win all three games remaining on their schedule, they will finish with 73 points, which would be an MLS record.

READ MORE: The CanWNT Clinches Olympic Berth at BMO Field

As for Toronto, it is looking more and more like they will win the dubious Wooden Spoon. They are four points behind the Colorado Rapids. To add to that, two of TFC’s next three games are on the road, which will make it difficult for the team based in Ontario’s provincial capital to get results. Also, unfortunately, for Toronto, they were not able to add to the result the CanWNT had at BMO Field last Tuesday.

Lastly, it sounds like John Herdman will become the head coach of  Toronto FC on October 21 (source: Lethbridge News Now). This means that Terry Dunfield will be the head coach of the Canadian side on both October 4 and 7.

Games Coming up for Both Teams

READ MORE: Analysis: John Herdman Leaves the CanMNT for Toronto FC

TFC will have a busy week coming up. They will first travel to North Carolina to face Charlotte FC on October 4 at 7:30 p.m. ET. They then travel to Harrison, New Jersey, to face the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena. That game will be on at October 7 at 7:30 PM ET. They then end with a home game against Orlando City SC on October 21 at 6:00 PM ET.

This is while Cincinnati also has two home games and one road game. Their next regular season home game will actually be on October 4 on Wednesday, where they will host the NY Red Bulls. They then play their final road game on October 7 against Inter Miami CF at DRV PNK Stadium.

FC Cincinnati will then end their 2023 MLS season with home a game against Atlanta United FC at TQL Stadium on October 21 at 6:00 PM ET.

All the games listed above will be shown live on Apple TV.

 

Photo Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports, of a Brandon Vázquez Headshot, on September 30, 2023.

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