FC Cincinnati no match for Miami’s firepower, sees season end in 4-0 defeat

The 2025 campaign has come to an end for FC Cincinnati, who simply had no answers for Inter Miami’s red-hot offense in a 4-0 loss Sunday night at TQL Stadium.Miami will play in their first Eastern Conference Final in franchise history. They await the winner of Sunday night’s game between NYC FC and Philadelphia.From the jump, both teams played like they were shot out of a canon, with Miami and Cincinnati pushing the pace when they had possession. With match play being condensed, mostly, to each respective team’s attacking third, it was Cincinnati who opened the game with the two best chances of the afternoon: An Evander feed from Ender Echenique in the sixth minute and a 12th minute header by Brenner from in front, but neither found paydirt.Messi drew first blood in the 19th minute.Scoring for the first time against Cincinnati, the only team in Major League Soccer he had not scored against since he entered the league, Messi netted a beauty of an opener, bouncing home a feed from Mateo Silvetti with his head to make for a 1-0 game.Cincinnati didn’t fold. In fact, just minutes later, Echenique had an opportunity to answer Messi’s strike, but slid a shot too far across the far post to get a bounce into the goal, leaving the game at 1-0.In the closing minutes of the half, Lukas Engel sailed a shot wide from over the crossbar, but he nor any other Cincinnati player could find the back of the net, sending the game to halftime with a 1-0 score.Miami opened the second half with more urgency, firmly leaving FC Cincinnati in their dust.The Herons took a 2-0 lead in the 57th minute, on a tic-tac-toe sequence that ended on the boot of Silvetti, a picture-perfect end to a Miami throw in.From there, Miami had all the momentum and Cincinnati’s defense was ripe for the picking, which allowed Miami to put the exclamation point on the affair with goals in the 62′ and 74′, both off the boot of Tadeo Allende.After the second goal, FCC never got the game back under them, and had few if any solid chances on goal. The opportunities they did have were rushed and from too far to truly threaten getting back in the game.Cincinnati now will re-asses the roster ahead of the start of the 2026 season, which will come in February. The Orange and Blue qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League, which will kick off in mid-to-late February.FCC’s 2026 MLS campaign begins on Feb. 21, against Atlanta United.

CINCINNATI —

The 2025 campaign has come to an end for FC Cincinnati, who simply had no answers for Inter Miami’s red-hot offense in a 4-0 loss Sunday night at TQL Stadium.

Miami will play in their first Eastern Conference Final in franchise history. They await the winner of Sunday night’s game between NYC FC and Philadelphia.

From the jump, both teams played like they were shot out of a canon, with Miami and Cincinnati pushing the pace when they had possession.

With match play being condensed, mostly, to each respective team’s attacking third, it was Cincinnati who opened the game with the two best chances of the afternoon: An Evander feed from Ender Echenique in the sixth minute and a 12th minute header by Brenner from in front, but neither found paydirt.

Messi drew first blood in the 19th minute.

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Scoring for the first time against Cincinnati, the only team in Major League Soccer he had not scored against since he entered the league, Messi netted a beauty of an opener, bouncing home a feed from Mateo Silvetti with his head to make for a 1-0 game.

Cincinnati didn’t fold. In fact, just minutes later, Echenique had an opportunity to answer Messi’s strike, but slid a shot too far across the far post to get a bounce into the goal, leaving the game at 1-0.

In the closing minutes of the half, Lukas Engel sailed a shot wide from over the crossbar, but he nor any other Cincinnati player could find the back of the net, sending the game to halftime with a 1-0 score.

Miami opened the second half with more urgency, firmly leaving FC Cincinnati in their dust.

The Herons took a 2-0 lead in the 57th minute, on a tic-tac-toe sequence that ended on the boot of Silvetti, a picture-perfect end to a Miami throw in.

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You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

From there, Miami had all the momentum and Cincinnati’s defense was ripe for the picking, which allowed Miami to put the exclamation point on the affair with goals in the 62′ and 74′, both off the boot of Tadeo Allende.

This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

After the second goal, FCC never got the game back under them, and had few if any solid chances on goal. The opportunities they did have were rushed and from too far to truly threaten getting back in the game.

Cincinnati now will re-asses the roster ahead of the start of the 2026 season, which will come in February. The Orange and Blue qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League, which will kick off in mid-to-late February.

FCC’s 2026 MLS campaign begins on Feb. 21, against Atlanta United.