Match Preview: Toronto FC vs. FC Cincinnati | OneFootball

Who Are Ya? - FC Cincinnati

Having finished second in the Eastern Conference in 2025 and making it to the conference semi-finals, FC Cincinnati has high expectations for the 2026 season.

FCC joined MLS in 2019 and had infamous mediocrity for the first couple of years. They were awarded the Wooden Spoon in 2019, 2020, and 2021 before turning their fortunes around in 2022 by making the playoffs. Cincinnati won the Supporters' Shield in 2023 and narrowly missed out on the Shield in 2025 by finishing one point behind the Philadelphia Union. FCC has created a highly successful team thanks to GM Christ Albright and head coach Pat Noonan - they're not afraid to spend money on players and have created a competitive supporting cast around their marquee names like Evander, Miles Robinson, and Kevin Denkey. by making the playoffs every year since 2022 and their fan base has come to expect a team that competes for the Eastern Conference title every year.

Cincinnati opened their 2026 campaign by playing in the CONCACAF Champions Cup (CCC) by defeating Dominican Republic side O & M FC 13-0 over two legs. They have Liga MX Nuevo Gigante Tigres in the next round - which will prove to be a test for this year's squad.

Cincinnati started their MLS season with a 2-0 win at home against Atlanta United, thanks to goals from Kevin Denkey and Nick Hagglund. FCC stumbled last week with a 1-0 loss to Minnesota in St. Paul. Coach Pat Noonan has developed a distinct identity that blends defensive structural stability with a high-intensity, vertical attacking style. Since taking over in late 2021, Noonan—drawing on his experience as an assistant with the Philadelphia Union—has transformed the team into one of the league's most consistent contenders.Noonan almost exclusively utilizes a 3-4-1-2 or 3-5-2 formation. This structure is designed to provide defensive composure with three of center backs anchored by Miles Robinson.Like many teams in the modern era, a hallmark of Noonan’s philosophy is the Gegenpress, FC Cincinnati aims to win the ball back immediately after losing it, often high up the field and force opponents into hurried mistakes and turnovers in dangerous areas.

Opposing Players to Watch

Kevin Denkey - His physical profile—a blend of raw strength and explosive short-area bursts—forces center-backs to stay on him, which creates pockets of space that the rest of the team exploits. When he does get the ball, his efficiency is clinical; he doesn’t need a high volume of chances to change the scoreline.

Evander - His vision is elite - he sees passing lanes that don't appear to exist on the broadcast angle. Whether he’s whipping a pinpoint free kick into the top corner or threading a ball through a congested midfield, he plays with a Brazilian flair that makes every touch feel like a highlight in the making. Even with recent minor injury concerns, his presence on the pitch dictates the entire rhythm of the match

Ender Echenique - his ability to sprint the full length of the field for 90 minutes is staggering. He's a winger who loves to take on defenders with pace and his delivery into the box has become increasingly sophisticated. His overlapping runs often force opposing left-backs into impossible decisions, usually leading to the cut-backs that result in high-quality scoring chances.

The TFC Connection

After Cincinnati entered the league, former Red Nick Hagglund felt and overwhelming desire to return to his hometown to play for FC Cincinnati. He was traded to FCC For in January 2019 for TAM/GAM and no. 1 in the allocation order. Since then, Hagglund has made 162 appearances for the club and scored six goals. He currently sits second in all-time appearances for Cincinnati in MLS and will tie Yuya Kubo for first place against Toronto.

Hagglund was drafted by TFC in 2014 and made a total of 115 appearances and scored six goals, including his famous header in Leg 2 of the 2016 Conference Finals to tie the aggregate score against the Montreal Impact. That year Toronto went to their first MLS Cup, In 2017, Hagglund started 13 matches in the team's run to the domestic Treble (MLS Cup, Canadian Championship, and Supporters' Shield).

He was a fan favourite in Toronto due to his hard work and enthusiasm for the game. Hagglund continues to be adored by the fans in Cincinnati as a hometown boy and giving it his all.

Honourable mention goes to former TFC player Andrew Wiedeman, who left the Reds in 2014 and joined then USL expansion side FC Cincinnati in 2015 as one of their first signings. Wiedeman was instrumental in the club's improbable U.S. Open Cup run in 2017, when the team made it to the semi-finals before losing to the New York Red Bulls in the semi-finals.

Additionally, Derrick Etienne Jr. made five appearances for FC Cincinnati in 2019 on loan from New York Red Bulls.

Let's TF-See - Toronto FC's Current Form

Toronto is coming off of a dreadful performance in a 3-0 away loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps. With some interesting lineup choices from Head Coach Robin Fraser, TFC was never in the match after the Whitecaps led early and often. Fraser said, "to give up three set-piece goals was pretty disappointing. To give up two corner kick goals is disappointing."

Questions continue to swirl around the choice to have Luka Gavran start in net after conceding six goals in two games. To compound the issue, defender Walker Zimmerman has not instilled a lot of confidence in supporters with his poor play - conceding a penalty against Vancouver with a somewhat useless challenge against AZ Jackson.

Reinforcements are on the way as Toronto has signed two players - Josh Sargent and Benjamin Kusevic. Sargent was finally introduced last week after months' long speculation about his signing. Kusevic arrives on loan to TFC and was announced on Thursday. It's unknown if both players will be available for selection on Sunday. If so, it is predicted that these players will be coming off of the bench rather than start the match.