What We Learned: FC Cincinnati's foundation, CF Montréal's savior | OneFootball

By Joseph Lowery

Between a slate of MLS matches, the FIFA Club World Cup beginning and several MLSers thriving at the Concacaf Gold Cup, the soccer came at a breakneck pace this past weekend.

We're focusing on the MLS slate, per usual. If you want to read up on the other key moments of Matchday 19 in detail, check out Matt Doyle’s latest column.

Onwards.

1. Prince Owusu can change games

CF Montréal have navigated their fair share of struggles in recent years. Even after their 3-1 win at the Houston Dynamo on Saturday, they’re still last in the Eastern Conference and second-to-last in the Supporters’ Shield race.

But if there’s been a silver lining for Montréal, they can identify and sign undervalued players from within the league.

That principle served as the backbone for the club’s Wilfried Nancy era, and it prompted them to sign Prince Owusu back in January. Formerly of rivals Toronto FC, Owusu was a shining light for the Reds as they struggled in 2024 – he led the team in goals (nine) and non-penalty xG per 90 minutes (0.37, according to FBref). Those numbers aren’t eye-catching on their own. But given the lack of service he received in Toronto? Owusu did well for himself.

Now leading the line for Montréal, Owusu is up to his old tricks. He scored a brace against the Dynamo, giving him six goals on the season and three in his last four games.

On the back of his physicality and smart off-ball movement inside the 18-yard box, Owusu proved he can change games. That’s exactly the quality Montréal need right now.

2. D.C. United need Christian Benteke

Due to an ankle injury, D.C. United have been without star striker Christian Benteke for the last six games. The solve from head coach Troy Lesesne? Becoming a more patient possession team.

Instead of launching the ball up to the big No. 9 at every possible opportunity, D.C. have started stringing together shorter passes. Let’s look at the numbers, courtesy of American Soccer Analysis:

D.C. United, 2024

DC United, 2025 (pre-Benteke injury)

D.C. United, 2025 (post-Benteke injury)

Despite a clear shift away from an attack built on long balls, D.C. have still struggled without their No. 9. Since Benteke went down, they’ve picked up just one win to go with two draws and three losses – their most recent being a 2-0 defeat on Saturday at Real Salt Lake.

It’s back to the drawing board for the Black-and-Red, who badly miss last year's Golden Boot presented by Audi winner.

3. FC Cincinnati get down to basics

Before Saturday’s 1-0 win over the New England Revolution, FC Cincinnati sat at the exact halfway point of their season.

While they were second in the Eastern Conference and fourth in the Supporters' Shield race, they had plenty to worry about. As Nate Gilman pointed out in his excellent newsletter, the team’s underlying numbers were at their lowest levels of Pat Noonan’s time in charge of the club.

Here’s a handy graphic from Nate’s piece, which you really should read.

With the club conceding more expected goals (xG) than all but four teams in the league, it’s been clear Cincy needed a defensive reset. Not in terms of personnel – it’s hard not to believe in a unit with Miles Robinson, Matt Miazga, DeAndre Yedlin and several other historically strong defenders – but in actual execution.

Against the Revs on Saturday, that execution finally arrived. Miazga played his first full 90 of the season, which helped cover for Robinson’s absence due to USMNT duty, and Cincy held New England to just 0.4 xG and four shots from inside the box.

There wasn’t a massive structural shift for the Orange & Blue that led to their 1-0 victory, though Luca Orellano moved over to the left wingback spot. Instead, a largely familiar group of players took it upon themselves to execute.

“It's a good win for the group. Obviously after recent results, but after the break, the guys came back in a really good way. I think our preparation leading up to the game showed in a lot of ways,” Noonan said postgame.

The rest of the East should beware: Cincinnati may be on the rise.

4. San Diego can get goals from anywhere

And I really do mean anywhere. Anders Dreyer hit this one from the parking lot:

In a 4-2 win at Minnesota United on Saturday, San Diego FC did what few teams have done this season: they dunked on the Loons.

Sure, Minnesota missed four starters for national team duty, but San Diego missed four starters of their own between the Gold Cup and the trainer’s table. Still, San Diego repeatedly found ways through Eric Ramsay’s 5-4-1 block en route to creating more xG at Allianz Field than any visiting team has so far this season.

And it’s not just Dreyer bagging goals, though he did just that over the weekend. It’s also loanee Milan Iloski, who scored a brace against Minnesota and is up to five goals off the bench in 2025.

That SDFC can snag a handful of (deserved!) goals on the road against an elite defensive team without Chucky Lozano is nothing short of incredible. Few have a ceiling as high as this expansion team.

5. NYCFC have another goal threat

For so much of the last 18 months, it’s been the Alonso Martínez show for New York City FC.

Ever since the Costa Rican transitioned into the No. 9 role, he’s become the centerpiece of NYCFC's attack. Unfortunately for everyone in light blue, he hasn’t just been the main guy in front of goal. Rather, he’s been the only guy in front of goal more often than not. Martínez was the only New York City player to hit double-digit non-penalty goals last year. And Santi Rodríguez, the second-leading non-penalty scorer? He’s a Botafogo player now.

With Martínez's isolation in mind, the most encouraging development for NYCFC over the last few weeks has been the re-emergence of Hannes Wolf as a secondary scorer. With five goals in his last three games (a run that includes a brace in a 4-0 win over Atlanta on Matchday 19), Wolf is red-hot. He thrived as a left winger in Pascal Jansen’s largely new 4-3-3, knifing right through the Five Stripes on the break.

Since Martínez is off with Costa Rica for the Gold Cup, Wolf’s wide attacking threat couldn’t have come at a better time. And who knows? NYCFC might just end up with a multi-faceted attack after all.