FC Cincinnati reclaim Shield lead over Inter Miami: “We deserve this”

FC Cincinnati took a dominant 6-1 win over Inter Miami CF on Saturday evening at TQL Stadium, putting them back in the driver’s seat to defend their regular-season title.

“This team, these fans, we deserve this tonight,” Cincy captain Luciano Acosta told MLS Season Pass following the victory. “The truth is, a victory like this makes me so happy for this team and this group.”

The job was straightforward coming into the contest: Win and you’re back in control.

“There are times I don’t need to tell them. I think they were up for this game,” head coach Pat Noonan said postgame. “Of course, they understand the magnitude and the implications, but you still have to have a level of focus and understand how we’re trying to approach this game to have success.

“They’ve been pretty consistent about that all year. It hasn’t always looked like tonight. We know that. But the one thing you can say about them is they’re consistent in being able to step on the field and expecting to win games. So, credit to their consistency over the course of two-thirds of the season thus far.”