FC Cincinnati secured a much-needed victory over CF Montreal with a 4-1 win on Saturday night, putting an end to their four-game losing streak. Luca Orellano was the star of the match, scoring two goals from free kicks in a span of just four minutes in the second half. This win comes after a disappointing 2-0 loss to Inter Miami in their previous match, with their last victory being a convincing 6-1 triumph over Inter Miami at home on July 6. Manager Pat Noonan returned to the sidelines after serving a two-match suspension.
The first goal of the match came in the 36th minute from rookie forward Kevin Kelsy, who netted an unassisted goal to give Cincinnati a 1-0 lead. Orellano extended the lead to 2-0 in the 53rd minute with a left-footed shot into the bottom right corner from a free kick. He then found the net again four minutes later with another free-kick goal, making it 3-0. Sergio Santos added to the scoreline in the 71st minute, assisted by Chidozie Awaziem, who recorded his first assist in his second start for Cincinnati.
Montreal managed to avoid a shutout with a goal in the 81st minute by Kwadwo Opoku, assisted by Fernando Álvarez for his first career assist. Roman Celentano made two saves for Cincinnati while Jonathan Sirois saved two shots for Montreal. Cincinnati played without key players Luciano Acosta and DeAndre Yedlin, both serving suspensions. The victory for Cincinnati comes after a seven-game win streak following a loss to Montreal earlier in the season.
Both teams will have a break until September 14 when Montreal hosts Charlotte FC and Cincinnati faces the Columbus Crew.
