FC Cincinnati, the top team in MLS, will try to recover from a rare loss when they host the Chicago Fire on Wednesday night. Cincinnati (15-5-3, 48 points) saw its quest for a second straight Supporters' Shield interrupted when it lost 3-1 to Charlotte FC on Saturday. After Luciano Acosta's goal in first-half stoppage time pulled FC Cincinnati within 2-1, two stellar chances -- Acosta's penalty kick early in the second half and Luca Orellano's strike in the 51st minute that ended up being a disallowed goal -- didn't yield an equalizer. Kerwin Vargas sealed Charlotte's win with a goal in the 66th minute. "We weren't ready, and that starts with me. I have to look at why it was so flat," Cincinnati coach Pat Noonan said after the match. "A lot of poor performances and some avoidable mistakes on the two goals that really put the momentum in their favor. But to be honest, they had the momentum before the goals." FC Cincinnati defender Miles Robinson was shown a red card and will miss Wednesday's match, a blow to a paper-thin back line already without Nick Hagglund and Matt Miazga for the remainder of the season. It was already scheduled to be Robinson's final match before he joins the U.S. Olympic team in France. Acosta, the reigning MLS MVP, suffered what appeared to be a foot injury during the match against Charlotte FC, but Noonan stated that X-rays came back negative. Meanwhile, the Fire (5-11-7, 22 points) sit in 14th in the 15-team Eastern Conference but are just four points out of a playoff spot. Chicago played to a scoreless draw against New York City FC on Saturday, its second straight match without a goal. "We're never happy to take a tie at home, that's for sure," Fire coach Frank Klopas said. "I felt personally that this was a winnable game for us. I think defensively, look, we did a very good job. ... Our decision-making, I think, let us down. ... "When we needed to pass, we didn't, we passed it the wrong places. When we needed to shoot, we didn't, so I just think we could have been sharper. And I think that's the one thing I told the guys." Chicago will now try to get back on track on the road, where it is just 1-6-4 this season. --Field Level Media
FC Cincinnati midfielder Yamil Asad (27) handles the ball in the second half of the MLS match against Charlotte FC at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday, July 13, 2024.