The Home Opener is fast approaching, and I know you can hardly contain your excitement at work or school or wherever else you’re expected to behave as a functional human being. As you wait to unleash that energy on Saturday, hopefully an analysis of the opposition can tide you over for just a bit. FC Cincinnati has gotten off to a strong start with a 2-0 shutout over Atlanta United, and we’re going to dive into how they kept the scoresheet so clean.

It’s Been Building

After a 2024 season with a solid attack but a lackluster defense, Pat Noonan set out to revamp his back line in 2025. That initiative clearly paid off, as Cincinnati was one of the top defensive units in the league last year, allowing only 40 goals and finishing the regular season just one point behind Supporters’ Shield winner Philadelphia. The Orange and Blue’s defensive acumen has been steadily progressing over the last year, and it seems that’s carried over into 2026.

Cincinnati’s defensive press was incredibly effective on Matchday 1, with Nick Hagglund, Miles Robinson, and Teenage Hadebe building out a back three bracketed by Ender Echenique and Bryan Ramírez on the edges of a 3-5-2. This combination is downright lethal. Atlanta didn’t have the best season last year, but you can’t brush over how hard it is to shut down a striker like Emmanuel Latte Lath.

Robinson is quick, and he also has a knack for positioning that has him appearing all over the field to thwart any wayward attackers, and even engineering some scoring opportunities himself. Nobody can say the captain didn’t earn his Man of the Match honors, as he repeatedly shut down Atlanta’s long balls before they could turn into effective counters. Fan favorite Hagglund, a Cincinnati native, not only held the line but scored a goal himself on a set piece serviced by Ramírez. 

And the wingbacks. U22 forward Echenique has proven himself to be quite the effective player in that position, contributing to the attack while still posing a serious problem for the opposition’s offense. Between him and Ramírez, Cincinnati’s wingbacks are certainly getting their miles in. 

The strength carries over to Cincinnati’s Concacaf Champions Cup play, where they’ve logged two massive shutouts against O&M — 4-0 and 9-0 for an aggregate score of 13-0. 

How Minnesota Stacks Up

So, what can the Loons do? I’ve waxed poetic about Cincinnati’s defense, but our Boys in Black and Blue are chock-full of potential themselves. Last season saw Minnesota emerge as one of the dominant defensive units in the league, and most of those names carried over into the new year. Morris Duggan proved himself a strong choice at center back, heading in a goal on Matchday 1and establishing the Loons’ continued strength in set pieces. Anthony Markanich continues to be a force up and down the field, not unlike Echenique for Cincinnati. Devin Padelford subbed on in the second half, a move that immediately paid dividends with a charge up the left flank ending in a Yeboah goal. The Loons have speed and consistency from the back. 

They also have big-time potential up front. Between Tomás Chancalay, Joaquín Pereyra, Nectarios Triantis, and Yeboah, there’s a swath of attacking options, and still some untested roster depth with the landmark signing of James Rodríguez and guys like Mamadou Dieng and Mauricio González. Chancalay and Pereyra have a level of technical ability that allows them to stay in the flow of the game while searching for those quick passes that give Yeboah a chance to break forward. Cincinnati is strong on the ball, but if the Loons can find a quick transition, that back three could be exploited.

Cincinnati has their weaknesses. They may have won 2-0 on Matchday 1, but they weren’t dominant on the ball for the majority of the game. They struggled to capitalize on the chances they created until the last 10 minutes of the game, when Kévin Denkey and Nick Hagglund bagged a pair of goals to finish out the night on a high note. Star player Evander’s status is questionable after an early injury last weekend, and Cincinnati is playing a high concentration of matches between MLS and CCC. Noonan’s side does have roster depth, but Minnesota will still have the advantage in terms of fresh legs.

Both of these teams are dynamic defensively and have attacking units fighting to prove themselves. Between Minnesota’s newer, more aggressive playstyle and Cincinnati’s streak of shutouts, this Home Opener is shaping up to be a match to remember.