Shorthanded FC Cincinnati Faces CF Montréal Amid International Break

OriginalGlobal Sportscast deskSep 25, 2026 · 14:24 UTC

The short version

FC Cincinnati (8-8-9, 33 points) is ninth in the East; Montréal (5-15-6, 21 points) is last.
Cincinnati is without Robinson, Bucha and Denkey on international duty; Montréal is missing nine players.
Montréal's request to postpone the match was denied by MLS, per journalist Vincent Destouches.
Cincinnati's five stoppage-time equalizers are the most by an MLS team in a single season.
New signings David Doudera and Julian Malatini have received P-1 visas and could feature.

FC Cincinnati visits last-place CF Montréal on Saturday without three starters, while the hosts could be missing as many as nine players.

FC Cincinnati heads north for a 7:30 p.m. Saturday kickoff at CF Montréal, the club's second trip into Canada this year. The FIFA international window has stripped both rosters thin, leaving each side short-handed for the Eastern Conference matchup.

Cincinnati enters the weekend ninth in the East at 8-8-9 (33 points), holding the final playoff position with three clubs within three points. Montréal sits at the bottom of the conference at 5-15-6 (21 points). Saturday offers Cincinnati a shot at sweeping the season series after a 4-3 thriller in March, when the Orange and Blue overcame a deficit and a red card through goals from Tom Barlow in the 80th minute and Kévin Denkey deep in stoppage time.

Three Cincinnati regulars — Miles Robinson, Pavel Bucha and Kevin Denkey — are away with their national teams, and 18-year-old reserve center back Andrei Chirila is also unavailable. The absences test a defensive group that lost Matt Miazga to New York City FC this week, leaving Samuel Gidi, Nick Hagglund, Teenage Hadebe, Alvas Powell and Kyle Smith to carry the back line. Coach Pat Noonan expressed confidence in that group, noting various combinations have featured throughout the year.

Montréal has been hit even harder, with nine players away on international duty. That group includes three players with at least 12 starts in 2026, recent forward signing Dante Sealy, and regular defensive starter Efrain Morales. Montreal-based journalist Vincent Destouches reported the club asked MLS to postpone the match, citing the possibility of only three available substitutes, but the league refused. Noonan acknowledged the widespread toll of the window, saying some teams are hurting more than others and calling it an opportunity for players outside the usual starting eleven.

Help may come from two winter window additions. Winger David Doudera and center back Julian Malatini have both obtained P-1 work visas, clearing them to train fully and play. Doudera has trained with the squad for roughly two weeks, and Noonan praised his energy and drive for a fresh start. Malatini was due in Cincinnati on Sept. 24 and could be in contention if his first training sessions go smoothly.

Cincinnati has built a reputation for late resilience. Twenty-one of its 33 points came in games in which it trailed, and its 16 points after conceding the opening goal lead MLS. The club has scored three stoppage-time winners and added five stoppage-time equalizers — a single-season league record — including last weekend's 2-2 draw at Houston. Noonan said those late goals show the group keeps believing it can salvage results, though he hopes stronger positions late in games will make dramatic finishes unnecessary.

Montréal has collapsed since the World Cup break, with one win, seven losses and four draws in that span, plus five consecutive defeats, three of them shutouts. The club's minus-22 goal difference (31 scored, 53 conceded) is second worst in MLS, though the defense has tightened lately, allowing seven goals across the last four matches after an 8-1 loss at Miami on Aug. 29. Noonan warned that Montréal's improved defensive structure will leave Cincinnati less time and space, with transition danger and direct play among the threats.

One player Cincinnati will not be spared is striker Prince Owusu, who stayed with the club during the window. The 29-year-old Ghanaian, listed at 6-foot-3, has 13 goals and six assists this season, including two goals and an assist against Cincinnati at TQL Stadium. He has gone five matches without scoring amid Montréal's attacking slump, but Noonan called him consistent, strong and a handful based on the earlier meeting.

FC Cincinnati visits CF Montréal on Saturday, September 26 at 7:30 PM EDT at Stade Saputo, streaming on Apple TV.