FC Cincinnati Completes Preseason, Sees Progress But Knows More Work Ahead

The Orange and Blue wrap up preseason with mixed results, but feel they have a clearer picture of the team's strengths and weaknesses heading into the regular season.

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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FC Cincinnati has completed its 2026 preseason training camp in Clearwater, Florida, with a 2-1-2 record in their preseason friendlies. Head coach Pat Noonan and GM Chris Albright say the team made good physical progress, with many players getting 90-minute game time, but they also saw inconsistent performances and some individual mistakes that need to be addressed. The team feels they have a clearer sense of the areas they need to improve on before the regular season starts, including defensive structure, pressing, and overall consistency.

Why it matters

FC Cincinnati is looking to build on a promising 2025 season and challenge for trophies in 2026. Their preseason results and assessments provide insight into where the team is at currently and the work that still needs to be done to reach their goals. Fans will be eager to see if the team can translate the preseason progress into results when the real games begin.

The details

FC Cincinnati completed their preseason slate with a 2-0 win over Brooklyn FC and a 3-2 loss to Orlando. In the Brooklyn game, Noonan was pleased with the team's defensive structure and transition play, but the Orlando match saw inconsistent pressing and individual errors that led to goals. Noonan said the team let the mistakes compound and affect the rest of the game. However, the coach was encouraged by the performances of young players like Gerardo 'Dado' Valenzuela, Stefan Chirila, Andrei Chirila, and Jack Mize. Overall, Noonan feels the team made good physical progress in preseason but knows they still have a long way to go to reach their expected level of play.

  • FC Cincinnati's preseason training camp in Clearwater, Florida lasted 26 days.
  • The team's first competitive match is a Concacaf Champions Cup duel with O&M FC in the Dominican Republic on February 18.
  • FC Cincinnati's MLS home opener against Atlanta United FC is on February 21.

The players

Pat Noonan

The head coach of FC Cincinnati.

Chris Albright

The general manager of FC Cincinnati.

Gerardo 'Dado' Valenzuela

A young FC Cincinnati player who performed well in the preseason matches.

Stefan Chirila

A young FC Cincinnati player who performed well in the preseason matches.

Andrei Chirila

An FC Cincinnati 2 player who performed well in the preseason matches.

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What they’re saying

“From a physical perspective, this is probably the most we've gotten out of any preseason with how many guys got 90-minute games.”

— Pat Noonan, Head Coach (fccincinnati.com)

“The start wasn't good, we got into the half in a decent way. We had some really good moments to create and score, but weren't sharp. But more concerning was just our inability to get the compactness of the group and defend in a better way, so the game was too open.”

— Pat Noonan, Head Coach (fccincinnati.com)

“We let them take the momentum and the energy into a few more goals and just didn't have enough personality on the field to overcome it.”

— Pat Noonan, Head Coach (fccincinnati.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This preseason has given FC Cincinnati a clearer picture of their strengths and weaknesses as they prepare for the start of the 2026 regular season. While they made good physical progress, the team knows they still have work to do to reach the level of play they expect to be at by the end of the season if they want to be a championship-caliber team.