ATLANTA — FC Cincinnati desperately needed a road result Saturday night. And three points will do just fine.
The Orange and Blue went on the road and defeated Atlanta United, 3-1, using three second-half goals to snap out of their recent funk and pick up a massive victory in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
After a scoreless opening 45 minutes, Cincinnati finally broke through in the 52nd minute. David Doudera helped start the sequence before Tom Barlow found Kévin Denkey in front of goal, and Denkey buried the chance with his left foot to give FCC a 1-0 lead.
Atlanta answered in the 69th minute when Miguel Almirón finished from the middle of the box after a feed from Breel Embolo, leveling the match at 1-1 and briefly putting Cincinnati in danger of watching another opportunity slip away.
Instead, the Orange and Blue responded.
Kyle Smith set up Barlow in the 84th minute, and Barlow delivered the biggest moment of the night with a right-footed finish into the upper-left corner to put Cincinnati back in front, 2-1.
FCC was not finished.
Deep into stoppage time, Denkey finished off another Cincinnati attack after assists from Ender Echenique and Barlow, calmly slotting the ball into the bottom-left corner for his second goal of the night.
The late goals capped an impressive road performance after Cincinnati entered the match having gone three straight without a victory. The Orange and Blue had drawn Charlotte and Houston before losing 3-1 at Montréal immediately before the international break.
Saturday was different.
Cincinnati absorbed pressure, stayed organized enough to survive Atlanta’s opportunities, and then punished the Five Stripes when the chances arrived. Evan Louro made several important saves, particularly in the first half, while Denkey provided exactly the type of finishing FCC needed at the other end.
The victory improves Cincinnati to 9-9-9 with 36 points and gives the club a badly needed boost with the postseason race tightening.
More importantly, the Orange and Blue finally turned one of these close matches into three points.
What’s Next
FC Cincinnati returns home Wednesday to face the New England Revolution at TQL Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
