By Katy Korstange, Guest Writer 

FC Cincinnati has secured a place in the MLS playoffs with a win over Nashville SC. In the 98^th minute, FC Cincinnati star Evander broke the tie 2-1. 

FC Cincinnati (17-4-9) played Nashville SC (15-5-10) at home for the Oktoberfest Night game. Both teams were on a losing streak prior to this game and were relatively well matched. 

Almost every seat in TQL stadium was filled. The fans went wild as the FC Cincy starting 11 were announced, including fan favorite Evander, a midfielder from Brazil. From then on, the crowd was never silent. Even throughout the scoreless first half of the game because players were unable to capitalize on scoring opportunities the crowd and atmosphere at TQL stadium was unmatched. 

Xavier University graduate, Nick Hagglund, did not start in the match because of his gradual recovery from a collapsed lung and broken rib. This was a result of a collision with an Atlanta United player last May. However, Hagglund is well known by students and frequently attends Xavier basketball games with his family. 

The start of the second half was promising as both teams were pressing more offensively than in the first half. FC Cincinnati player Kévin Denkey, a starting forward, had several missed shots leaving the crowd on edge. 

That is until the 73 minute when Brenner, a forward from Brazil, scored the first goal for FC Cincinnati. Due to a pass into the box from Evander, Brenner was able to score his first goal of 2025, giving FC Cincinnati a 1-0 lead. 

Quickly after, in the 84 minute Sam Surridge, a Nashville SC forward, scored as a result of a loss in momentum from FC Cincinnati due to a sequence of player injuries. These injuries forced FC Cincinnati to make three substitutions in four minutes. Evan Louro, FC Cincinnati keeper, was able to get one hand on the ball, but it wasn’t enough to stop Surridge’s ball from tying up the game. A silence fell over the stadium briefly after the late Nashville equalizer, the only silence of the night. 

Tensions were high as fans were eager for FC Cincinnati to score another goal and break the tie yet again. Every foul call had an obvious negative or positive reaction from the crowd. Nine minutes of time was added to the game because of various injuries in the second half. Around the 95^th minute, it looked to all that the game would go into added time or shoot-outs. 

But, with 10 seconds left in the game, Ender Echrnique, a forward from Venezuela, received a back-heel pass from midfielder Pavel Bucha. Echrnique passed to a wide-open Evander in the center of the 18-yard box. 

Evander took one touch to put the ball in the top right corner of the net, beating Nashville’s keeper, Joe Willis, who appeared to have thought the shot would miss high. This would break the tie for the last time, and give FC Cincinnati a 2-1 victory. 

The entire stadium was on their feet at the conclusion of the game. FC Cincinnati’s playoff securing victory marks their fourth consecutive season making the playoffs. It is still possible for Nashville SC to make the playoffs by winning one more game.

FC Cincinnati has four regular-season games left with two home games remaining. Next, they play LA Galaxy, which can be watched with Apple TV using the MLS Season Pass. 

The 2025 MLS Cup playoffs will begin with the Wild Card matches in mid-October. FC Cincinnati is currently second in the Eastern Conference, pointing to chances that they will be likely to advance far in the playoffs, potentially resulting in a thrilling finish to the season for fans of the Blue and Orange.