FC Cincinnati 'disappointment' at Sounders draw a 'positive' sign, says Noonan
By Chris Smith
FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan believes the club's disappointment at only drawing 1-1 away at the Seattle Sounders is a sign the club is heading in the right direction.
The point leaves the Orange and Blue fifth in the Eastern Conference standings, four points above the MLS Cup Playoffs line with just two regular-season games to go.
However, it could have been so much better for Cincinnati, who took the lead through Brenner's goal in the 24th minute only to be pushed back by Fredy Montero's equalizer in the 58th minute.
Even then, the Sounders went down to 10 men after Kelyn Rowe was sent off and Cincinnati missed a number of huge opportunities, generating 1.98xG to Seattle's 0.36 and outshooting their hosts 11-9.
Still, this result is just further evidence that Cincinnati are a far cry from the wooden spoon winners they've been during three previous seasons in MLS. A net positive, all in all.
"I am more disappointed in the group in just our own performance and a lot of that being with the ball, certainly," Noonan told reporters after the match.
He added: "It's a point. And it's still an important point. The positive for me is that the group is expecting to win every game. That's a good mentality. And when we don't, we're not pleased. So hopefully, we can turn that frustration in this performance into a better one on the weekend against Chicago."
As Noonan mentioned, Cincinnati host the Chicago Fire this weekend in a match that could see them secure their Playoffs spot if results are kind. A bumper crowd is expected at TQL Stadium, so, could Chicago be the ones feeling the backlash from Tuesday's result?
"I'm confident the guys will respond," said Noonan. "They understand the opportunity in front of them. I think we all do. I think that's why you're going to see a big crowd with a fan base that is going to be there to support their team.
"I'm looking forward to Saturday. I know these guys will be, and hopefully, it's a better performance where we walk off the field with three points and we can all enjoy a special moment together."
Watch the story of Charlotte FC's journey to MLS in 90min's The Making of Charlotte FC, presented by DoorDash, on 90min channels now. Subscribe to our new US YouTube channel.