Question is, as a coach what can/should Pat Noonan do? Have to send a message. Yank a guy who comes out of half and doesn’t focus and has a bad touch. Change captains. Pull a DP and sit him down. Anything to let the team know you’re serious about them improving their play. Can’t be business as usual
FC Cincinnati v. CF Montreal 1/2time thoughts: individual errors is the name of the game here. Guys with bad first touches, waiting too long to pass, turnovers in really bad spots. Defense is in constant scramble due to transitions from bad turnovers.
Basically more “up-back-through” or “in-out-wide” or “short-short-long” combinations. Can also be Ender as the third pass: Bucha to Denkey, lay off to Evader, hit Ender streaking the line.
Emphasize getting Evander on the ball as the 2nd/3rd— NOT the 1st pass. Instead of giving to Evander and “letting him cook,” bounce the ball like: Miles plays into Denkey’s feet, he lays it off first time to Bucha who has busted it to get into position, Bucha then plays Evander in the half space.
Lastly, to all you Noonan haters: he may not be able to figure out the offense, but covering the lack of Evander by playing Barlow up top along with Obi and Bucha as dual 8’s to generate chances through the press was a stroke of genius.
Also I think too many FCC players panic when they look up and don't see an immediate forward pass, they step on it and play negative. There’s a real “don’t take chances and you can’t make a mistake” vibe in possession. Take a breath and let the play develop.
FC Cincinnati v Tigres 1/2 thoughts: Denkey isn’t getting a call - tell him to stay on his feet and give it back. Like the FCC press - stay disciplined, force the long ball. Ramirez - quit trying to dribble out of pressure. Early line splitting passes from Miles were working - get back to that.
Evander (and now Dado) being man marked in the center. Locks down that part of the field because it also cuts off passing lanes into forwards. Need Dado to try to pull that midfielder into wide areas and let Bucha leak forward.
FC Cincinnati v. Atlanta Utd halftime thoughts: woof. Game is too choppy, too many fouls. Offense is out of sync. So many poor touches in the offensive third. Denkey looks lost.
(3/3) Repeatable pattern of play: we’re gonna have to pump the breaks on Chirila — remember that Noah Adnan started matches early last season. That said, he looked the part— calm on the ball, showed some decent passing ability, nice recovery speed.
(2/3) Jabari’s night was manic. Looked really unsettled at times - poor touches, lack of confidence. Yet also had a brace and drew a PK. His athleticism will be a real weapon if he can even be an average finisher.
FC Cincinnati postgame thoughts (1/3): Obi had a pretty good game - but if his offensive third touches go to Bucha instead this team’s offense will be better. Not sure if he can be convinced to sit deep more often like Anunga did in this one and let Bucha be a true box-to-box player.
Gonna try to do more consistent FCCincy halftime and post game thoughts on here. Love the early targeting of Denkey in the possession sequences. Love the one topic passes through the midfield. Not thrilled with the ineffective play from wide or the sloppy touches.
Defensively FCCincy has been good - a bit worried about their team speed with Hagglund being on a yellow. Really need to punish Crew in transition or they will keep sending 8 bodies forward when they have the ball. FCCincy had a few run outs but didn’t muster a decent chance off them.
My FCCincy 1st half thoughts: too many good touches in the box to only come away with 1 shot on target - need to capitalize on those chances. Arfsten can’t keep up with Ender - need to get that kid running. Evander has looked off the pace - simplify the game & don’t try to make every play a home run
My tactical hopes for FCCincy today: 1️⃣Evander doesn’t drop so deep & gets touches in the final third. 2️⃣FCC isn’t afraid to play quickly in behind and punish the Crew defenders for selling out going forward. 3️⃣Brenner and KD combine in transition - a little in, out, wide or short, short, long action.
Because they also don’t have the wide defenders to play 4 in the back. The only guy they have that can play outside back instead of wing back is Engel. Also, guys like Hagglund are WAY better in a back 3 because they don’t have to cover as much ground laterally.
Would love to see FC Cincinnati first line of pressure just squeeze the play instead of trying to win the ball. Crew CBs are SO good at bypassing first point of pressure with the dribble.
My #FCCincy halftime thoughts: put pressure on Arfsten - have to get Ender running in behind. And as soon as Ender takes off and ball is played, strikers get in the box! Defensively can’t get dragged out by movement of Rossi and leave space for Crew wide players to shoot the gaps.
JERSEY SWAP: Geoff & Coach put a sharp orange-and-blue bow on the #AllForCincy regular season by bringing in @empiregass.bsky.social from @soccerwisehq.bsky.social to discuss how the season went. Who could be the Cincinnati "Gass Theorem" contestant in 2026?
cincinnatisoccertalk.com/2025/10/17/s...
Had such a blast talking FCC present and future with @empiregass.bsky.social. Tune in to hear who David is picking for FCC’s 2026 Gass Theorem candidate, and why it’s silly to think Pat Noonan’s seat is even approaching warm regardless of postseason results.
Conceding on set piece goals is about preparation and mentality. Either the coaching staff didn’t have the team prepared, or the team was not focused on the moment. Impossible for us to know which.
I also think FCD will come out and press hard on the 2nd - need to capitalize on that and get in behind the initial line of pressure quickly. Obi has been really good actually turning and playing forward this match.
Ramiro really trying to play between Evander and the ball to limit his touches all first half - the way to capitalize that is to get him on the ball with a 3 player combo: Obi to Denkey, one touch underneath to Evander… or something like that. Glad to be up 2-0 but need to get your 10 involved.
Thanks for your message on @soccerwisehq.bsky.social today @empiregass.bsky.social regarding ICE raids. You’re right, issues of humanity are not political. Love and care of neighbor is not political. Right or Left, we should all be able to rally around treating each other well.
My solve: drop a CB, bring on a wing, have the weak side wing drop narrow into midfield defensively.
What will Noonan do to plug up the midfield? NYCFC drifting Maxi into half spaces and pushing an 8 forward - completely over running Kubo/Anunga. FCC have to either step a CB forward or drop one of their 10’s deeper or change formations.
@galendruke.bsky.social I am really proud to be a priest in the Episcopal Church which your guest, Ryan Burge, called “the only one that bucks the trend” of being a liberal, white, Christian church in America. Don’t love that he framed our size by saying we don’t matter! Great episode though.
3 ways to beat a very compact defense: quick combinations through the lines (have to be perfect because space is tight) to draw them in then hit the space out wide; play over the top into the channels and force the back line to drop; switch side to side quickly and play around the block.
SKC playing in a VERY tight mid block defensively. No space between the lines. I’d like to see FC Cincinnati play a few balls in behind to loosen that up a bit.