Soccer <\/p>\n
Dado Valenzuela<\/a> couldn\u2019t resist, and who would blame him?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Asked by a reporter whether he and his FC Cincinnati<\/a> teammates expected to dominate red-hot Inter Miami<\/a> as they did at TQL Stadium on Wednesday night, the young homegrown responded with a measured dose of swagger.<\/p>\n \u201c3-0, yeah \u2013 why not?\u201d said the scorer of Cincy\u2019s opening goal. \u201cWe go into the game obviously wanting to dominate, and that’s what we did.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Four days after their dream start to the Hell is Real clash with the Columbus Crew<\/a> dissolved into a nightmarish 4-2 derby beating<\/a> in their own house that raised questions among even their most dedicated fans, the Knifey Lions responded with perhaps their finest performance of the season \u2013 and against the GOAT, no less.<\/p>\n Amid substantial pregame buzz about Leo Messi<\/a>\u2019s scorching run of form \u2013 with 11 goals across his previous six games, the Argentine legend became the first player in league history to score multiple goals in five straight matches \u2013 it was FCC playmaker Evander<\/a> who shined brightest in this faceoff of two leading Landon Donovan MLS MVP candidates, bagging a second-half brace<\/a> to ensure this would be the sort of 90-minute display that eluded them against their in-state rivals.<\/p>\n \u201cWe needed to bounce back after the last game,\u201d the Brazilian No. 10 told MLS Season Pass after the final whistle. \u201cWe disappointed ourselves, we disappointed the fans, and we were a little bit like, we can’t lose games like that. So I think tonight we challenged ourselves to be better [individually] and both be better as a team. And that’s what we did tonight.<\/p>\n \u201cA very great result, very great performance from everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n A win for Cincy ???????? pic.twitter.com\/rZaRzQvMVH<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) July 17, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n From their effective balance of pace, intensity and discipline to the colorfully raucous TQL crowd that cheered them on, this was a comprehensive victory for FCC, one that firmly snaps the Herons\u2019 five-match winning streak in league play while underlining Cincy\u2019s own credentials as a title contender.<\/p>\n \u201cVery pleased with the performance. We were a better team tonight than we showed on the weekend, and I’m happy the guys were rewarded for that,\u201d said head coach Pat Noonan afterwards.<\/p>\n \u201cWe played the game in a better way with the lead,\u201d he added. \u201cWas it perfect? No. There were tough moments when we had to defend, and we had to defend [Miami\u2019s] good movement, good one-v-one ability on the ball, and I thought our guys were up for it: Made a lot of big plays in the right moments, and scored some good goals.<\/p>\n “It’s not easy to beat a team of that quality with the form that they’re in.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Evander\u2019s first goal was well in character, a clinical finish after an instinctive flash of improvisational flair in a congested area at the top of Miami\u2019s penalty box. His second was more opportunistic, a tap-in after IMCF goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo<\/a> \u2013 an unexpected substitute after veteran Oscar Ustari<\/a> picked up what looked like a hamstring strain in the first half \u2013 parried a Luca Orellano<\/a> shot into his path.<\/p>\n Both impressed his coach in equal measure.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first one, I know we’re looking to play it across \u2013 a little bit of fortune, maybe, with how it gets into his path,\u201d said Noonan. \u201cBut the reason it gets into his path is because of his feel for how to make a touch, or how to use his body, or how to attack space, and then he’s free, and he scores a goal. So that’s why he needs to be in those spots for us.<\/p>\n \u201cThe second one, it’s simple. This goes back to when you were a kid: Follow your shot, that simple \u2026 that’s not, like, high-level stuff, but it’s when you think the game and when you’re in the right spot, you make plays.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Meanwhile, Valenzuela\u2019s contributions were made possible by the night\u2019s only piece of bad news for Cincy: The absence of star striker K\u00e9vin Denkey<\/a>, who sustained a leg injury in the loss to Columbus and will miss \u201ca couple weeks, hopefully\u201d as he recovers from what Noonan described as the first significant injury of his career, which seems to have been a factor in the inability to diagnose it in the run of play on Saturday.<\/p>\n Replacing the prolific Designated Player in such a weighty fixture was a big ask for the 20-year-old homegrown, and he answered the call with a razor-sharp finish. The ensuing discipline and organization to make that goal stand up as the winner in the face of their star-studded opponents\u2019 response was a collective effort, one that bodes well for the Garys\u2019 trophy ambitions.<\/p>\n \u201cYou could see the movements, the spacing to try to limit their attack was strong,\u201d said Noonan. \u201cThere were moments where they put us under pressure, and then in those moments, we defended the box the right way. So I think the energy was there, and you could see the guys wanted to respond in a good way, and they did.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nBig time bounce back<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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MVP favorite?<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Valenzuela’s stock rises<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n