Evander was back at the forefront. With two game-winning goals and a composed performance, the FC Cincinnati midfielder was the hero of their 2–1 win on the road against Orlando City at Inter&Co Stadium. The victory placed the club second in the Eastern Conference with 39 points, one point behind the Philadelphia Union.
It was the Orange and Blue's third win in a row, one that cleared June on the scorebook. Evander scored 11 for the year, putting him even with Kévin Denkey as the team's top scorer in MLS play. He has 18 assist goals now, second only to Sam Surridge (19) and Andres Dreyer (21) leaguewide.
Orlando was able to score one back late on Pasalic, but couldn't find the amount enough to tie the game. The team is now in fifth place with 33 points.
Head coach Pat Noonan was only singing the praises of Evander after the match. "He's a special player. You saw it on the free kick. He's doing things other guys just can't." And he wasn't reacting to the moment. Evander had scored two goals in the previous game as well, and that says a lot about the scorching hot form the Brazilian is currently in.
FC Cincinnati continues to push the battle for the MLS lead
The match against Orlando began tentatively, each side playing it safe and searching for space. It appeared that the first half would be scoreless, until a foul committed by Gerardo Valenzuela altered the dynamics. Evander made it pay. In the 49th minute, he bent the free kick into the corner, away from where Gallese was sliding.
Cincinnati was more precise in the second half. In the 73rd minute, Bucha and Kei Kamara started a quick counter through the center. The pass found Denkey, and he ran down the field and played it off to Evander on the left flank. The 10 made a break on goal and curled his shot around the keeper. It was well-designed goal, put together by the team and finished confidently.
Evander’s impact grows as Noonan lets the talent speak for itself
Pat Noonan's crew is showing real consistency. They swept three games in June. With 39 points, they trail Philadelphia Union by only one point and might end up on top, depending on the next game. They have depth, but no one is really challenging who is leading the team. Evander has been the dominant player on the team for the last few weeks.
Noonan doesn't talk about credit, but he has a sense of humor about providing freedom to players who are able to change a game. "It's our responsibility to steer them in the right direction, to get them to think about their teammates and where they fit into it all," he said. "But I don't have anything to do with how much quality and how much talent Evander has."