By William Coffman, Opinions & Editorials Editor

FC Cincinnati beat the New England Revolution 1-0 Saturday night, earning their fourth win of the season. Currently, the team sits at fifth in the Eastern Conference with an overall record of 4-2-1.

Forward Sergio Santos had the sole goal of the night, scoring his first goal of the season in the 65th minute of the match off a pass from midfielder Pavel Bucha, his third assist for the year.

Cincinnati was depleted by injury against New England. On the offensive side of the ball, Cincinnati was without midfielder Evander and forward Yuya Kubo. On the defensive side, they were without Miles Robinson, Teenage Hadebe and Obinna Nwobodo.

The injured lineup resulted in some impactful substitutions, such as defender Brad Smith earning his first start of the season and Xavier alumni and defender Nick Hagglund started in the place of Robinson.

Cincinnati ultimately secured the win along with a distinction the team is likely glad to have earned. Before Saturday’s victory, Cincinnati was 0-4-1 against New England at home. Saturday’s win marked the first time the team beat the Revolution at TQL Stadium. Cincinnati can now say they have bested every Eastern Conference team at least once with home field advantage.

Sophomore sports management major David Wehrman attended the game Saturday. Wehrman has high hopes for the team, believing coach Pat Noonan, the MLS Coach of the Year in 2023, can lead the team to successful heights. 

“Pat Noonan has done a good job coaching the team to correct the errors we have had during the games. I feel good about this season and feel we can be front runners for the Supporters’ Shield,” Wehrman said. 

The Supporters’ Shield is given to the team with the best regular season record. FC Cincinnati won the Shield in 2023 and is looking to recapture it. This victory certainly helped their case. Still, despite a good performance from the team, injuries remain concerning.

The absence of key pieces of its typical starting lineup forced Cincinnati to adjust, and they responded well. 

“Even though we had to play players out of position, they still played well,” Wehrman said.

Yet, he too shares a worry about the team’s fate if health problems persist. 

“I’m kinda scared for the season if we keep having injuries. I’m so glad that we are getting Miazga back from injury,” Wehrman said. 

The team’s success this season will depend on several factors, but as of right now, a good response to these injuries will be imperative if they want to compete for accolades this season.

Ultimately, there is still a lot of soccer to play, and if FC Cincinnati can perform similarly to how they did Saturday, they have the potential to be a competitive team that will give opponents a challenge. 

The team is back in action Saturday in Washington, playing against a struggling D.C. United that is sitting at 12th in the Eastern Conference.