Near the end of my column two weeks ago, I waxed poetic about the human nature of sports and, more specifically, of knockout playoff games. As I put the finishing touches on my second-to-last FC Cincinnati column of 2025, I’m reminded of the grim finality of knockout playoff games, too—particularly when the home side caves like your problematic relative’s sense of decorum at Thanksgiving dinner.
I took part in a classically somber Cincinnati sports weekend, beginning with BYU’s throat-punching of UC football Saturday night. I started my Sunday off with Lot B Mass (something everyone should experience) and settled down in my seat to witness the Joe Flacco Experiment officially reach its endpoint in a loss to the overrated Patriots. Sunday’s nightcap at TQL Stadium hit the hardest, with Lionel Messi and his merry band of Pink Assassins ambushing FC Cincinnati in a 4-0 Eastern Conference Semifinal rout.
It was my first time seeing Messi live, and he did not disappoint. Messi scored the Herons’ first goal and assisted on the final three, bringing his four-game playoff goal contributions total to an absurd 12. The Orange and Blue were unlucky not to score in the first half, but otherwise this match was all Miami.
Forgive the obviousness of this statement, but never have I seen a player’s every move worshipped and scrutinized. The closest thing I’ve witnessed with my own eyes prior to Sunday was LeBron James, whose greatness lingers over every corner of a basketball game. Attendees oohed and ahhed over Messi’s practice free kick attempts in pre-game warm-ups. They took videos of him stretching. Even with no hope of Messi hearing their shrieks, the fans still screamed his name.
Whatever resolve and tactical nous FC Cincinnati displayed early in the match and hoped to carry over a full 90 minutes was shattered after Messi’s header opened the scoring in the 19th minute. Given the second-half comeback victory over Columbus just two weeks prior, this frozen state of mind was a curious development. Still, the hosts managed to keep the deficit at 1-0 entering halftime.
Head Coach Pat Noonan subbed on Luca Orellano in the 57th minute, seeking a spark up the left flank with Lukas Engel struggling. Unfortunately for Orellano, FCC conceded in the same minute he was subbed onto the field for the second straight match. Minutes after I texted my brother “This is on the verge of getting out of hand,” Miami’s third score arrived in the 62nd minute.
In the 72nd minute, Orellano’s full-field run led to a rare clean shot for Evander in a promising area. His tepid worm-burner to the goalkeeper was a fitting symbol of FC Cincinnati’s attacking impotence on the night. The loss was the Orange and Blue’s second 4-0 defeat in their past three matches, a pair of confusing and humiliating debacles for the whole organization.
There’s no shame in losing to Messi, especially when one of the best athletes to grace the planet is on this kind of a heater. But being disconnected as the Garys looked was troubling. On the other hand, Cincinnati’s season was defined by talent winning out over cohesion, consistency of form, or even sustained halves with sustained patterns of play.
There are plenty of questions to be asked. What of Noonan and his strategy? Is the 3-4-2-1 setup still the best formation for this team? What about Evander, who had zero goal contributions in four postseason matches and looked off his game throughout the playoffs? Will Brenner be back? What about the futures of Orellano, Yuya Kubo, and Matt Miazga?
Those are just a few of the big decisions facing FCC, as it absorbs another bummer end to a trophy-less season. Next week, I’ll wrap up 2025 and look ahead to 2026. Happy Thanksgiving!
Grant Freking writes FC Cincinnati coverage for Cincinnati Magazine. You can follow him on X at @GrantFreking.