This article was written after recording The Designated Pundits‘ the FC Cincinnati preview for the 2026 MLS Season with special guest Coach Gough from “Cincy Soccer Talk.” You can find that video on Spotify below.
2025 Recap
FC Cincinnati had a great 2025 season, finishing 2nd in the Supporter’s Shield race, and second in record to Inter Miami. They finished with the 8th best offense in the Eastern Conference, but had the 2nd best defense.
FC Cincinnati started the season with a blockbuster trade, sending their All-Star #10 Luciano Acosta to Dallas and bringing in another top #10, Evander, from Portland. The move worked; reports of Luco’s unhappiness ceased and Evander made 32 goal contributions.
Cincinnati’s DP attacker Kevin Denkey (above) scored 15 times, but FC Cincy didn’t rest there. They brought in players like Ender Echinique and Brenner to improve the offense over the summer. In the end, they had a fantastic season that fell just short of winning a trophy.
Offseason Transactions
FC Cincinnati had some turnover, with Brenner’s loan expiring and multiple players moving out. Luca Orellano’s multi-million dollar move to Monterrey is a notable departure, but he has already been replaced on our depth chart.
Incoming players include Ayoub Jabbari, who joined mid-summer on loan from Grenoble and is now fully acquired. Expectations are he builds chemistry and contributes more to this offense in 2026. MLS veterans like defender Kyle Smith and forward Tom Barlow also provide depth.
Bryan Ramírez could be a sneaky good signing; the 25 year old winger’s value has been on the rise. In fact, there were rumors that the Ecuadorian had offers from Europe.
Depth Chart
There are some things we know and others that we don’t about FC Cincinnati. We know for sure that wingbacks are going to play a big role in the offensive production, so a 3/5 man backline is likely. We also know Evander is a pure #10, so a 3-4-1-2 or 5-2-1-2 are the most likely shapes.
One problem from 2025 is that while Evander and Denkey both had high goal contribution numbers, they didn’t link up together on very many. The wingbacks Ender Echenique and Bryan Ramírez should provide width by serving the big body strikers.
Questions
- Which player outside our projected starting 11 has the best chance at winning a starting job?
- Samuel Gidi. Pavel Bucha has been hot and cold, and Gidi shows a ton of promise.
- What are realistic expectations for FC Cincinnati in 2026?
- 2nd place in the East
- What is a storyline to follow throughout the 2026 season?
- Can Evander and Denkey link up more? They were producing goals but not combining for many. Evander could have a lot more assists and see his goal total could drop, and it would probably be a good thing for the team.
- What styles does this team match up favorably against?
- Cincy is good against teams that want the ball and try to play in possession. They are good at pressing and getting scoring chances off of turnovers.
- What styles does this team match up poorly against?
- Teams that press high and defend the transition well.
- Which player improves the most in 2026?
- Samuel Gidi, for reasons mentioned earlier. Pictured below.
- Which player regresses the most in 2026?
- Nick Hagglund. Age and availability have been an issue for the FCC favorite.
Hear more, and follow along as I preview all 30 MLS teams before kickoff of the 2026 season!
YouTube- youtube.com/@thedesignatedpundits
Audio Links- linktr.ee/thedesignatedpundits
Bob Ventimiglia is a leading soccer podcaster and handicapper, renowned for his sharp analysis and consistent success at the soccer sportsbook.
As a founding member and MLS expert on the BetUS MLS Show, he earned “Capper of the Week” honors four times during his debut season.
Now, he is producer for “The Designated Pundits” MLS podcast and “The High Impact Pundits” NWSL podcast.
💸 BetUS TV MLS Expert (4x Capper of the Week)
📝 Member- North American Soccer Reporters
