CF Montréal is back on the field this Wednesday, taking on FC Cincinnati at Stade Saputo and chasing something that’s eluded them all season: a home win in MLS. After taking down Houston Dynamo 3-1 on the road, the Canadian side is leaning into that spark of momentum, hoping to catch one of the Eastern Conference’s top teams off guard. This matchup kicks off a three-game homestand in Montreal and might be the first real sign that the team has finally turned a corner after a shaky first half of 2025.
Cincinnati, meanwhile, rolls into Canada fresh off breaking a four-game winless run. They edged out New England Revolution 1-0 last time out and are looking to build consistency on the road to stay in the hunt near the top of the table. Right now, they’re holding strong in second place in the East with 33 points. Montréal, by contrast, sits way back in 15th, with just 11.
Head-to-head history stays tight
Despite where they sit in the standings, these two have a habit of keeping things close. Of the 11 MLS matchups between them, nine ended in a draw or were settled by a single goal. Overall, Montréal has four wins, Cincinnati five, and there have been two draws. Montréal’s scored 19 goals in the series, while Cincinnati has 24.
Playing at home, Montréal edges things slightly. They’ve picked up three wins, two draws, and just one loss at Stade Saputo, with 13 goals for and 12 against. The only time Cincinnati left Montreal with a win was back in 2019, when they struck in the first minute. Since then, they’ve come up empty. In 2021, they beat Montréal again — but that match was played in Florida due to COVID restrictions.
This week’s game matters not just because of the standings, but also because of recent results. Cincinnati handled Montréal comfortably in their last two home meetings, winning 3-0 in 2023 and 4-1 in 2024. That breaks from their usual back-and-forth and shows Cincinnati’s growth over time.
Gold Cup takes a bite out of both squads
International duty will have a say in this one too. Montréal will be without defender Joel Waterman and midfielders Nathan Saliba and Olger Escobar, who are all away with their national teams for the 2025 Gold Cup.
Cincinnati will be missing a key name as well, with center back Miles Robinson called up to the U.S. squad for the tournament.