Pat Noonan has made the picture clear for FC Cincinnati: with D.C. United coming to TQL Stadium on Wednesday, the only thing that really matters is finding a way to win. The rescheduled Cincinnati vs. D.C. United meeting gives FC Cincinnati a quick chance to respond after Sunday Night Soccer and keep their push toward the MLS Cup Playoffs for the fifth season in a row on track.
The match was originally due to be played on September 5, but heavy rains and inclement weather in the Cincinnati area led to postponement because of pitch conditions and player safety concerns. Now the game has been reset for Wednesday, with FC Cincinnati and D.C. United facing a rare double-header this week as the sides also meet again this weekend.
Noonan: the focus is simply on winning
Noonan did not dress up the situation after Sunday’s defeat. His message was direct: “We have D.C. next, and that's the focus. How do we position ourselves for a better result? And right now, we can talk about stats all we want. We need to win. That's it. We need to win, however that looks, however that feels, we need to win games,”
That is the right tone for a team still above the playoff line, but not in a place where comfort is possible. FC Cincinnati are 9th in the Eastern Conference with one game in hand, so the position is still workable. But the margins are getting tighter, and Noonan knows the conversation cannot drift away from results.
Why the next two meetings matter
The unusual part of this week is not just that FC Cincinnati have D.C. United twice in quick succession. It is that the first meeting arrives with the club needing to steady itself after a run of results that has not matched the urgency of the standings.
Noonan said there is no need for a new set of ideas. “We don't need new ideas and strategies. Who we approach it with our starting group, how we make in-game adjustments, that'll be dictated on what the games look like.” That suggests the priority is execution rather than reinvention.
He also pointed to the bigger issue underneath the results: “But if you look at how the games are being played right now structurally, chance creation, we still concede in almost every big moment that we concede or give up.”
That is the heart of the problem. FC Cincinnati are not looking for a wholesale change of identity. They are looking for cleaner moments in both boxes, especially when matches tilt in real time.
Still above the line, but under pressure
Noonan’s final assessment was balanced, but firm. “We're still above the playoff line, and so while it doesn't feel good with the results right now, we have a position that doesn't have us chasing. We can worry just about ourselves and trying to win games and finish out the season.”
That is the advantage FC Cincinnati still hold, and it matters. They do not need to chase a target from behind. They need to make the most of the position they have, and Wednesday offers a direct chance to do exactly that.
He also hinted at the sort of in-game maturity he wants to see: “You still want to play the game the way we're playing it, but have a little bit more, I would say, game understanding of when you're playing with the league, when you're trailing, when I say urgency of how do we make the most out of specific moments in the game to change an outcome?”
That is what this week is really about for FC Cincinnati. Wednesday night is not just a postponed fixture finally being played. It is a chance to take control of their own playoff race before the second meeting with D.C. United arrives at the weekend.
