With goalkeeper Roman Celentano making his toughest and most important saves of the 2025 season, and two fortunate and clutch set-piece goals, FC Cincinnati picked up a big win at Nashville SC Saturday night.
FC Cincinnati won 2-1 at GEODIS Park. The Orange and Blue enjoyed their first road win after two defeats, handing Nashville its first home loss after two wins and a draw.
Nashville was enjoying its best start as an MLS team with a 3-1-1 record after five games.
Both teams left the pitch with identical 3-2-1 records and 10 points, tied for third in the Eastern Conference with Charlotte. Orlando could join them after its game at the LA Galaxy Saturday night.
“I’m pleased for the group,” said FCC head coach Pat Noonan. “That was a little bit of a wild one. Too chaotic for my liking, how the game looked and a lot of moving parts with our personnel, but that shows what this group is potentially capable of.”
Kévin Denkey scored the winning goal on a penalty kick in the 90th minute. FC Cincinnati earned the penalty after Nashville defender Walker Zimmerman, a 31-year old veteran of the US Men’s National Team, committed a handball on a crossing pass from Evander to Corey Baird near the goal.
Moments after Denkey’s goal, Nashville's Teal Bunbury just missed wide on a header from close range.
Denkey’s goal bookended a heroic second half by Celentano, who kept Cincinnati in the game.
Denkey, freshly back with the club from international duty with Togo, replaced Nick Hagglund in the lineup at halftime. Denkey committed a foul in his opening minutes on the pitch, giving Nashville a penalty.
Hany Mukhtar, the centerpiece of Nashville’s offense with 67 career goals, took the penalty kick, but Celentano saved the shot with his right hand as he dove to his left.
Moments later, Celentano stopped two shots from right in front of goal from Alex Muyl and Sam Surridge.
Celentano had six saves on the night and most of them were challenging.
“Roman's been very consistent with keeping us in games when we need him to,” Noonan said. “That five-minute stretch kept us in the game in a way where we could still have a chance. It's not to say we couldn't (have a chance), we'd be down a goal, but I think in the energy in that moment that it brought the group (together) and maybe a little bit of a wakeup.”
In the first half, Luca Orellano provided FC Cincy’s most dangerous opportunities, firing three shots saved by Nashville keeper Joe Willis, who came in with 52 career clean sheets for Nashville.
In the 33rd minute, Orellano had a shot to Willis deflect off him and off of Nashville defender Jack Maher as the ball redirected back to Willis.
Nashville scored first in the 39th minute when Edvard Tagseth crossed the ball in the middle of the 18. Nick Hagglund dove to clear it, but the ball went to Josh Bauer, who beat Celentano at the near post for his second goal in as many games.
In the 43rd minute, Evander fired a free kick into the upper left corner from more than 30 yards to tie the score at 1-1. Like last week’s free kick goal against Atlanta, the ball took a deflection off an opposing player, but not nearly as much of one as last week.
It was Evander’s fourth goal of the season and the first goal Nashville had conceded at home this season.
“Every time he steps up in that moment, you're ...
