FC Cincinnati will seek to end a lengthy losing slump in Major League Soccer (MLS) when they host CF Montreal on Saturday at TQL Stadium.
The Orange and Blue have suffered four consecutive league defeats, losing 2-0 to Inter Miami last weekend, while Le CFM are winless in their previous three domestic affairs after being crushed 5-0 by the New England Revolution.
Match preview
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Seemingly out of nowhere, Cincinnati have fallen into a downward spiral, currently on their longest MLS losing run since Pat Noonan took charge prior to the 2022 campaign.
Before that slump, the Orange and Blue were leading the Supporters' Shield standings following a crushing 6-1 victory over Miami, but they have yet to claim a point domestically since then, sitting eight points behind the Herons for first overall.
This team have netted a goal or fewer in every game on their current losing run, winning only once in their last six domestic affairs when doing so (1-0 over Dallas).
Saturday will be their first home contest in this competition since a 1-0 defeat to the Chicago Fire in mid-July, their fifth domestically at TQL Stadium this year, equalling the most defeats in the Noonan era as head coach in a single MLS campaign.
Another defeat this weekend would be their third straight at home in the league this year, making it their longest run without a point at TQL Stadium since suffering seven successive defeats in Cincinnati to end the 2021 regular season.
Cincy are undefeated in their last five MLS matches versus Canadian opponents, failing to concede on three successive occasions.
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Having over two weeks off before resuming the domestic campaign seemed to affect Montreal last weekend as they looked flat from the outset, suffering a 5-0 defeat for the second time in the league this season.
Laurent Courtois's men have not scored in their last two competitive fixtures while failing to find the back of the net nine times in MLS this year.
On the other hand, they have not been consistently sharp on the back end in 2024, conceding the joint-most goals in the league this season (54), and the most for them in a single regular season since 2019 (60).
Montreal have eight matches remaining in this competition and remain below the Eastern Conference playoff line, a point behind Atlanta United for that final spot.
While they have only won two away matches domestically this year, Le CFM can surpass their number of road victories from 2023 by claiming maximum points on Saturday.
They have points in three of their previous four matches against Cincinnati, with their last victory at TQL Stadium occurring in 2022 (4-3).
Team News
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Last week, Isaiah Foster was sidelined for Cincy because of a sore knee, Yamil Asad did not feature due to a minor MCL sprain, Alec Kann sat out with a hip problem, Nick Hagglund is recovering from a leg injury and Matt Miazga is done for the season after undergoing leg surgery.
Reigning league MVP Luciano Acosta and DeAndre Yedlin will both be suspended for this match due to yellow card accumulation.
Earlier this week, the club signed Teenage Hadebe through to 2025 with an option for the 2026 campaign, joining them from Konyaspor in Turkey.
In their defeat versus New England, Le CFM were without Jules-Anthony Vilsaint, who is questionable this weekend with a concussion, while Nathan-Dylan Saliba was back on the field after previously sustaining a concussion as well.
Montreal will be missing Raheem Edwards, who must serve a yellow card suspension, while this week, the club transferred Mathieu Choiniere to Grasshopper Club Zurich in Switzerland.
Last Saturday, Caden Clark, Tom Pearce and Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty all made their first MLS appearances for this team, while captain Samuel Piette collected his 200th career cap across all competitions with Le CFM.
FC Cincinnati possible starting lineup:
Celentano; Murphy, Awaziem, Robinson; Orellano, Nwobodo, Bucha, Kubo; Gioacchini, Santos; Baird
CF Montreal possible starting lineup:
Sirois; Campbell, Waterman, Sosa; Marshall-Rutty, Saliba, Piette, Lappalainen; Duke, Opoku; Ibrahim
We say: FC Cincinnati 1-0 CF Montreal
Even without numerous key components to their roster, the Orange and Blue are a stronger side than their current form suggests, and they should find a way through a Montreal defence that has been leaky throughout the 2024 season.
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