FC Cincinnati loses, 3-0, at Nashville SC, ends week winless

NASHVILLE – After a busy week, FC Cincinnati didn't have enough in reserve to chase down one of the best home teams in MLS.

With both teams playing their third match in the space of a week, Nashville scored early and cruised to a 3-0 victory against FC Cincinnati Saturday at Nissan Stadium before a crowd of 23,832.

The loss means an 0-2-1 record for FCC on the week and 3-7-4 in 2021. 

"Not at all the result that we wanted. Not that we expected to win easily over here but the intentions of us were clear and I think people can see it as well," FC Cincinnati head coach Jaap Stam said. "We wanted to press them higher up the pitch and to win that ball and hopefully come out in transition or keep possession and go forward... You still need to be decision in going forward. We were not today decisive enough in creating that many opportunities or to make it that difficult for them."

Cincinnati took just six shots and didn't register one on target despite maintaining around a 66% share of the ball.

The game marked the fifth time in 2021 FC Cincinnati was held scoreless.

"The players are tired as well, playing three games a week and we expect a lot from them," Stam said. "We also know that the opposition play with a back-five (defenders) with good players, experienced players and that also doesn't make it easy. Sometimes, you can play well in terms of dominating in possession and go to that final third but in that final third, you can't be decisive enough. You can't create enough to be a threat over and over again. That's a thing that you try to work on. We always try to work on the decision making but today it didn't happen. It's not up to the players. The players are willing to but... sometimes it's not there in certain games, and that's unfortunate." 

Considering Nashville SC's unbeaten home record (6-0-5), FC Cincinnati was already in a tough spot when C.J. Sapong scored in the 13th minute from close range. 

When Nashville doubled its lead through Randall Leal in the 35th minute, getting anything positive from the match looked unlikely.

Stam reacted to the deficit by switching up his personnel for the second half. He inserted Nick Hagglund and the speedy Isaac Atanga in favor of Gustavo Vallecilla and Alvaro Barreal, respectively. 

Those substitutions did little to change the flow of the match, though, and Sapong's second goal of the game in the 57th minute cemented FCC's defeat.

Nashville kept pushing and nearly found a fourth goal at several moments before eventually closing out the 3-0 win.

"Both teams played three games in a week. Both teams played in the heat," Hagglund said. "I just think when you go down a goal after the long week it’s tough mentally, you have to overcome that to get back into the game to get a result. I think giving up that early goal ultimately hurt. Ultimately we have to be able to dig ourselves up out of that and find a way to win on the road like we have before.”

Nashville moved to 6-1-8 on the year and ascended to second place in the Eastern Conference on 26 points. 

After the game, Stam reiterated the need for personnel reinforcements during the ongoing summer transfer window. It was a topic he was asked about and addressed on Friday, and he again called for adding depth to the roster from the bowels of Nissan Stadium.

Most of the club's key players started all three of the games in the week, including Luciano Acosta, Brenner Souza da Silva, Alvaro Barreal, Haris Medunjanin and others. 

The club is already stretched thin with Allan Cruz and Ronald Matarrita away on international duty for the Costa Rican national team. The lack of depth has been exacerbated by the busy week, too, and Stam made it clear on several occasions he doesn't think there are enough viable options off the bench. 

"We ask a lot from the players that we are starting game-in, game-out, every game this week," Stam said. "And then players - you can see them - they become tired as well and they find it very hard to deliver the same quality. You're still hoping that these players can do that but it is difficult.  Is it then that we have choices to make? Other players to put in there that can play that same level. That's difficult for us. The players that we're having are players that are working very hard, trying to put their shift in but like I said, hopefully we can add some players with certain abilities as well that make it easier for them to come on the pitch to create something but also giving other players a rest at times."

The summer transfer window opened July 7 and closes Aug. 5. FC Cincinnati is yet to make any incoming or outgoing moves in the window. 

FC Cincinnati next plays D.C. United on July 31 at TQL Stadium.