FC Cincinnati shut out at Minnesota for first loss of season

Cincy's six-game winning streak on the road against Western Conference foes ends with 1-0 defeat

Published on Mar. 3, 2026

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Playing without MVP candidate Evander running the offense, FC Cincinnati suffered its first shutout of the 2026 season, falling 1-0 to Minnesota United on February 28 at Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minnesota. Kelvin Yeboah scored the lone goal for the home team in the 66th minute, capitalizing on a well-placed free kick that bounced off the post to him for the open header. The loss drops Cincy to 1-1-0 on the season, while Minnesota improves to 1-0-1.

Why it matters

FC Cincinnati was looking to build on its strong start to the season and continue its recent dominance over Minnesota United, having won the last two matchups at Allianz Field. However, the absence of Evander proved costly, as Cincy struggled to create chances and was unable to find the back of the net. The defeat also ends Cincy's six-game winning streak on the road against Western Conference opponents.

The details

Minnesota outshot Cincy 16-13, with five shots on goal to four for the visitors. The expected-goal stat barely went to Cincy, 0.7 to 0.6, but Minnesota controlled the second half in that metric, ending with 2.8 to 1.0 for Cincinnati. Cincy had numerous corner kicks in the first half, five in total, but was unable to capitalize. Head coach Pat Noonan did not blame the loss on Evander's absence, saying the team has the depth to overcome the loss of a key player.

  • FC Cincinnati's six-game winning streak on the road against Western Conference foes in Major League Soccer ended on February 28, 2026.
  • Kelvin Yeboah scored the winning goal for Minnesota United in the 66th minute on February 28, 2026.

The players

Kelvin Yeboah

A Minnesota United player who scored the winning goal in the 66th minute.

Pat Noonan

The head coach of FC Cincinnati.

Evander

An FC Cincinnati player and MVP candidate who did not make the trip due to a hamstring strain.

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What they’re saying

“It was a good start to the game and I think we lost rhythm with some sloppy play in our attacking half of the field. Some turnovers that got them out in transition and had us defending in space and then deeper and they got a little bit of control of the game and that kind of took it to halftime.”

— Pat Noonan, FC Cincinnati head coach (cincinnati.com)

“Second half, outside of that late push that we had the last 10, 15 minutes, just lacked aggression and really the final decision, the final pass. It looked like we were indecisive or just lacked in creativity and disguise and some of the things we did when we got into the box, because I think we could have done more with some of the moments that we had, but also credit to Minnesota. I thought they blocked a lot of shots, a lot of crosses, so that factored into it as well.”

— Pat Noonan, FC Cincinnati head coach (cincinnati.com)

What’s next

FC Cincinnati's next MLS game is at home against Toronto on Sunday, March 8 at TQL Stadium.

The takeaway

This loss highlights the importance of Evander to FC Cincinnati's offense, as the team struggled to create chances and find the back of the net without their MVP candidate. However, head coach Pat Noonan emphasized that the team has the depth to overcome the loss of key players, and they will need to regroup quickly ahead of their next match against Toronto.