FC Cincinnati wrapped up the 2025 MLS regular season looking like a team ready to fight for big things. The 3–0 win over CF Montréal, in front of more than 25,000 fans at TQL Stadium, showed that Pat Noonan’s side heads into the playoffs with confidence, consistency, and an attack that seems tuned at the right time. There were 20 league wins, repeating the feat from 2023 and securing second place in the Eastern Conference. Now the matchup against the Columbus Crew promises to be one of the top clashes of the first round.
Pressure, confidence and control
The game started at a high tempo, with Cincinnati controlling the action from the opening minutes. Montréal, which took the field only to fulfill the schedule, tried to hold on but soon saw the home side take over the middle and dictate the pace. In the 33rd minute, the pressure paid off. Nick Hagglund climbed higher than the Canadian defense and opened the scoring with a header after a precise corner from Evander. The goal had special meaning because it was the defender’s first since August 2023, a gap far too long for a player who is always dangerous on set pieces.
The early goal brought Cincinnati some calm, but the team did not sit back. They kept taking advantage of Evander’s fine form, as he looks like an MVP candidate. Montréal still had a chance to equalize at the end of the first half when Prince Owusu missed a penalty, hitting the right post. From there, the script was all orange and blue.
Evander delivers and makes history
If he provided the assist in the first half, in the second Evander chose to extend the lead. In the 56th minute, the No. 10 received the ball near the top of the box, carried it from right to left, and finished with his left foot through a defender’s legs to score the second goal.
With that goal, Evander reached 22 on the season across all competitions, breaking the club’s single-season scoring record. There are 18 in MLS play alone, tying the mark set by Brenner and Brandon Vázquez in 2022.
But the performance did not stop there. In addition to the goal and the assist, the midfielder hit another notable milestone. It was his 15th game with multiple direct goal contributions this season, another club record at FC Cincinnati. He also tied Lucho Acosta’s mark for total goal contributions in a single MLS season, 33 in all with 18 goals and 15 assists.