FC Cincinnati secured a hard-fought 1-0 win against Real Salt Lake at the America First Field on Saturday. The decisive moment came in the 86th minute when Luca Orellano found the back of the net, sealing the victory for the home side.
The head coach of Real Salt Lake, Pablo Mastroeni, opted for a 3-6-1 formation, with Rafael Cabral in goal; Justen Glad, Brayan Vera, and Alexandros Katranis forming the defensive line; and a midfield packed with Noel Caliskan, Braian Ojeda, Pablo Enrique Ruíz, Zavier Gozo, Diego Luna, and Diogo Gonçalves, while Ariath Piol led the attack.
On the other side, FC Cincinnati, coached by Pat Noonan, set up in a 3-5-2 formation, featuring Roman Celentano in goal; Gilberto Flores, Miles Robinson, and Teenage Hadebe in defense; Alvas Powell, Brian Anunga, Pavel Bucha, Lukas Ahlefeld Engel, and Evander in midfield; with Corey Baird and Gerardo Valenzuela leading the line.
Lorenzo Hernandez officiated the match, ensuring a fair game despite several competitive plays.
Real Salt Lake is set to host Los Angeles FC in their next match, while FC Cincinnati will travel to face Inter Miami at Chase Stadium.
Substitutions for Real Salt Lake
At halftime (45’ 2T) – Alexandros Katranis was substituted for Samuel Junqua.
61’ 2T – Three players were subbed: Ariath Piol out for William Agada, Pablo Enrique Ruíz for Emeka Eneli, and Gerardo Valenzuela for Luca Orellano.
69’ 2T – Zavier Gozo was replaced by Johnny Russell.
Yellow Cards for Real Salt Lake
30’ 1T – Alexandros Katranis (Unsporting behavior) and 38’ 1T – Brayan Vera (Unsporting behavior).
Substitutions for FC Cincinnati
62’ 2T – Corey Baird was replaced by Kei Kamara and Alvas Powell by DeAndre Yedlin.
73’ 2T – Teenage Hadebe was substituted for Sergio Santos.
84’ 2T – Lukas Ahlefeld Engel was replaced by Matt Miazga.
Yellow Cards for FC Cincinnati
15’ 1T – Corey Baird (Unsporting behavior), 25’ 1T – Teenage Hadebe (Unsporting behavior), 41’ 1T – Gilberto Flores (Unsporting behavior), and 27’ 2T – DeAndre Yedlin (Unsporting behavior).