D.C. United falls short in 2-1 loss at FC Cincinnati: Match report

D.C. United's scrappy, scruffy season has seen some improvement after a dire 2025, but a 2-1 loss at FC Cincinnati has pushed the Black-and-Red's playoff hopes into remote territory.

David Douděra's first-half goal set the hosts on their way, and despite Kimito Nono capping off another strong showing with an equalizer, the match would be settled on Teenage Hadebe's goal on a set piece early in the second half.

Making up a match postponed in September due to powerful storms, United had to cope without goalkeeper Sean Johnson, who missed his first MLS match of the season due to a lower-leg issue.

Typical to Cincinnati's hectic matches, the early stages were wide open. A counter from United ended with Nono picking out Jackson Hopkins, but an acrobatic recovery from Kyle Smith blocked the Virginia native's first-time shot. The visitors then breathed a sigh of relief in the 8th minute as an unmarked Tom Barlow couldn't do better with Douděra's pinpoint cross from the right.

An early goal was on the table, and the hosts took a 14th-minute lead. Tyrell Malacia's move down the left drew two defenders, allowing him to tee up Barlow. The veteran forward's shot was blocked by Kye Rowles, but fell kindly for Douděra, completely free at the back post to tuck a shot past Alex Bono.

Within three minutes, Bono had to make a spectacular save to his right after Nick Hagglund's glancing header appeared to clip Lucas Bartlett's chest on its way to goal.

Roman Celentano had to do well at the other end to deny Andre Dozzell's 21st-minute bid to curl a long-range shot past him from 22 yards as United began to push back. Hagglund did even better in the 25th minute, blocking Nono's thundering volley after Celentano's punch fell straight to the United wide man following a corner kick.

D.C. had been probing, and got themselves an equalizer in the 38th minute. João Peglow hadn't found much of the game before dipping deep beneath United's midfield, picking his head up to deliver an inch-perfect ball in behind for Nono. With Cincinnati unprepared, Nono arrived without a challenge, beating Celentano with ease.

Bono could do nothing on a 51st-minute shot from Pavel Bucha, but mercifully for United, the Czech midfielder's effort bounded wide after good work from Bryan Ramírez on the left.

United had done well to shut Cincinnati star Evander down from open play, but the Brazilian wasn't to be denied. The influential Ramírez drew a foul on the flank, and Evander's chipped back-post delivery fell perfectly for a pack of onrushing Cincinnati players, with Hadebe lunging in to poke the ball past Bono in the 54th minute.

Peglow forced a fine save out of Celentano shortly after, while Nono beat the goalkeeper only to see his floated effort drift wide as play remained end-to-end. Cincinnati's execution on multiple, wide-open transition openings went awry thanks to poor decision-making at the critical moment.

Nono's 76th-minute cutback very nearly became an own goal, with Hagglund's intervention skewing over Celentano only to float onto the roof of the net. Seconds later, Bartlett found the same spot after Celentano came for another cross only to miss entirely.

Things got chippy late, as a bizarre sequence saw Baribo either push over an opponent or be pushed over three times within 10 seconds before referee Tim Ford finally decided to calm the situation down with bookings to United's top scorer and Hagglund.

That abrasiveness wasn't followed by a grandstand finish, as United's attempts to pump balls into the box only found blue-clad Cincinnati players winning the initial ball.

The defeat leaves United (7-12-11) three points off of the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference, though it represents a missed opportunity to jump up level with Cincinnati. These same two teams will meet again in three days, with United hosting a virtual must-win at Audi Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.

Box score — MLS regular season (game 23 - rescheduled from 9/5/2026)
10/21/2026

FC Cincinnati 2 (Douděra 14, Hadebe 54)
D.C. United 1 (Nono 38)

Lineups:
Cincinnati (3412): Roman Celentano; Kyle Smith, Nick Hagglund, Teenage Hadebe; David Douděra (Alvas Powell 69), Pavel Bucha, Obinna Nwobodo, Tyrell Malacia (Bryan Ramírez 46); Evander (C) (Kenji Mboma Dem 90); Tom Barlow (Ayoub Jabbari 80), Kévin Denkey (Samuel Gidi 80)

DCU (442): Alex Bono; Silvan Hefti (Oscar Avilez 79), Lucas Bartlett (C), Kye Rowles (Sean Nealis 90), Keisuke Kurokawa; Kimito Nono, Andre Dozzell, Brandon Servania (Matti Peltola 79), João Peglow; Tai Baribo, Jackson Hopkins (Nathan Ordaz 67)

Bookings:
Cincinnati - Hagglund 87, Mboma Dem 95+
DCU - Antley 32 (on bench), Nono 54, Baribo 88

Referee: Tim Ford
Weather: Clear, calm, 65°
Attendance: Will add once I have it