FC Cincinnati made the trip to Canada and walked away with a 3-1 road win over CF Montréal. The victory pushed Cincinnati to 36 points, keeping them solidly in second place in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, Montréal continues to sink, now stuck at the bottom of the table with just 11 points from 19 matches.
The standout of the match was Evander, recently selected for the All-Star Game, who had a hand in all three Cincinnati goals. He scored twice and assisted the other, adding to his strong run of form and proving once again how vital he is to a team that’s chasing something big this MLS season.
Evander got the scoring started with confidence and control
The opener came in the 40th minute after Kei Kamara held up the ball in the attacking third. He slipped a short pass to Pavel Bucha, who picked out DeAndre Yedlin down the right with a long ball. Yedlin whipped in a cross, and Evander timed his run perfectly. He brought the ball down with his right foot, then struck it left-footed before the defense could close him down. It bounced once on the way in and beat Jonathan Sirois in goal.
Orellano adds another with Evander involved again, and the Brazilian seals the deal
The second goal came in the 65th minute. Once again, Evander was at the heart of it. He and Luca Orellano linked up quickly on the left, working in tight space with sharp, clean passes. Orellano cut inside the box and played it to Evander, who gave it right back. With composure, the Argentine forward placed his shot low and out of reach.
Cincinnati’s third came in the 83rd minute. Lukas Engel sparked the play, bursting forward from midfield and slicing through the defense. As he entered the box, he laid the ball back. Evander found himself unmarked and smashed it first-time. It was his second of the night and his eighth of the regular season a solid return for a midfielder. Montréal did get one back in the 90th, when Prince Owusu headed in from close range after a cross by Jules-Anthony Vilsaint. But the outcome had already been decided.
Cincinnati’s attacking stats continue to impress. The team recorded 11 shots on target, its highest total since April 27 against the Colorado Rapids.
While Cincinnati is on the rise, CF Montréal is trending in the opposite direction. With just two wins from 19 games and only 11 points, they’re sitting on 12 losses and 5 draws. It’s a tough stretch, and things need to change fast. If not, they’re staring down the possibility of finishing the season with one of the league’s worst records.