Soccer <\/p>\n
Standing over a free kick from 30 yards out? That’s no problem for FC Cincinnati<\/a> star Evander<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The Brazilian midfielder’s 43rd-minute golazo jumpstarted Cincy’s 2-1 comeback victory<\/a> Saturday night at Nashville SC<\/a>, flipping the script for head coach Pat Noonan’s side. He did the same last week, scoring a free kick from a similar distance in a 2-2 draw<\/a> with Atlanta United<\/a>.<\/p>\n “Now every time he steps up in that moment, you’re expecting the ball to go in the net, to go in the goal,” Noonan said post-game at GEODIS Park. “And that’s pretty wild, considering where he’s taking it from and going back to the Charlotte<\/a> game where he hits that free kick and how close he is.<\/p>\n “He’s a threat. He’s a real threat in all of these moments with direct free kicks, with the wide free kicks, corners \u2013 all of it is.”<\/p>\n Cincy acquired<\/a> Evander from the Portland Timbers<\/a> last month for $12 million, identifying him as their Luciano Acosta<\/a> replacement after the former Landon Donovan MLS MVP was traded<\/a> to FC Dallas<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The 26-year-old has already produced 6g\/2a in 10 matches across all competitions, showing why he was an MVP finalist last season and placed on the MLS Best XI presented by Continental Tire.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u2014 FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) March 30, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n Cincy’s three-point result wasn’t all about Evander, of course.<\/p>\n Club-record signing K\u00e9vin Denkey<\/a> scored the 91st-minute game-winner from the penalty spot, marking his return from international duty with Togo. And goalkeeper Roman Celentano<\/a> made seven saves, including denying Hany Mukhtar<\/a>‘s 49th-minute penalty kick.<\/p>\n As the Orange & Blue look to climb the Eastern Conference table, and balance trophy expectations, road results like this go a long way.<\/p>\n “That shows, I think, what this group is potentially capable of coming off the field with a win,” Noonan said. “That was a challenging game. Credit to B.J. [Callaghan], to Nashville, they were strong tonight.<\/p>\n “If not for Roman and Evander, this is a different result. I think those two won us the game tonight. And while certainly everybody else put in a good shift, it was, I think, those two performances that allow us to feel the way we did.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nEvander expectations<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Finding a way<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n