FC Cincinnati faces shocking history against Sporting Kansas City | OneFootball

FC Cincinnati returns to TQL Stadium this Saturday riding the high of confidence and backed by numbers that leave the fans beaming. Two away games under their belt in the last couple of weeks, and the East Conference's runners-up are to continue the drive and register their fifth win on the trot during the MLS regular season. Their meeting with Sporting Kansas City signifies the beginning of Week 10 and paves the way for a weekend which is already keeping high hopes afloat.

A shot at making history at home

Another victory might give the Orange and Blue a new record: it would be the third-longest winning streak in club history in a regular season. Two runs of two runs each, both in 2023, have surpassed that so far with winning streaks of seven and six games. A win this Saturday would also be a clean sweep for April, four victories in four games. That kind of flawless month has happened only twice since the club joined the league: May 2023 and September 2018, when Cincinnati was in the USL.

A draw or win would be the club's ninth month in its 10-year history with a winning percentage of 80% or higher, validating the strong performances shown under head coach Pat Noonan.

Since Noonan came to town, Cincinnati has fared well against Western Conference opponents. The roster has 12 victories, 4 ties, and 4 defeats in regular-season play, and it has a solid 5-1-0 mark so far in 2023. That shows that the roster can adapt and get the job done against lesser-known teams with different styles of play.

A visiting team in the midst of a rebuild

Sporting Kansas City is in a whole other place. After starting the season winless in their first six matches, the front office of the club made a big move: firing Peter Vermes after 17 years as head coach and general manager. Interim head coach Kerry Zavagnin took over, and the team has since won two of its previous three games, a swift reaction.

That change in coaching also coincided with a clear boost in the team's attacking play. Sporting had scored just six goals in its first six games but has scored nine times in the past three matches. It's a telling sign that the offense has started clicking again.

In their previous match, Sporting beat the San Jose Earthquakes 5–3 away from home, breaking an 11-game road winless streak. They now look to build on a second consecutive road win, something that has not been easy for the team in the past few years.

Head-to-head record favors the visitors

This will be the fourth meeting between Sporting Kansas City and FC Cincinnati, all of which were held in Ohio. Cincinnati has yet to beat SKC in regulation, though. The only positive result was during the 2023 Leagues Cup, where the match ended 3-3 and Cincinnati won 4-2 on penalties. Saturday's match will be the first meeting between these two clubs at TQL Stadium in a regular-season MLS game.