FC Cincinnati See the Progression They Were Looking For, But Leave Nashville Wanting More After 2-2 Draw

September 22, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS)
FC Cincinnati News Release

NASHVILLE – The FC Cincinnati locker room had little buzz about it after their 2-2 draw with Nashville SC on Saturday night. There is typically a pace the postgame of road trips has as the players look to shower, change, pack and board the bus to the airport to get back to Ohio as fast as possible.

There was a noticeable lack of that frenetic energy.

The staff still whirled like The Tasmanian Devil through the tunnels of Geodis Park, and the players still moved with intent to get home quickly, but something was missing.

Some players sat at their lockers with iPads doing quick reviews of footage from the night’s match. Others gathered to talk about the game without the use of visual aids. Largely the vibe was not of one that had just lost, or felt great shame about the performance they just put forward. But it was certainly a team greatly frustrated by the outcome. A team that believed they could have (or should have) gotten more from the game. Namly, a win.

“I thought it was a really strong performance,” Pat Noonan said to open his postgame press conference. “Some guys pushed themselves through fatigue to create some good opportunities, you know, control the ball in a good way. And we were tested too with the direct play and having to deal with some really good hold up players and guys moving off the ball.

“I was really pleased with how we managed a lot of those moments. But I think guys are disappointed not to win the game with how it played out. So that’s a good thing. And I think we finished off the week in a good way.”

Therein lies the rub. Given all that was going against them tonight – playing three games in eight days, traveling to the Central Time zone twice in three days, dealing with the late summer heat as it relates to fitness and recovery to put forward healthy lineups – there was still an opportunity to take all three points on the road.

“It was a good week for the team,” FC Cincinnati captain Luciano Acosta said from his locker. “You know, a draw against Columbus, a win away against Minnesota a few days ago, and now to get a draw away from home tonight, which is very tough. So it was a good week and an important week for the team. We’re going to take the positives and try to remove the negative. Keep trying to get better, keep going.”

Even ignoring the drama of the game that overtook social media chatter, FC Cincinnati was in the driver’s seat at Geodis Park and largely…