Luca Orellano's Second-Half Strike Secures FC Cincinnati's Victory Over FC Dallas

In a tightly contested match at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, FC Cincinnati edged out FC Dallas with a 1-0 win, maintaining their strong performance on the road. The game was a testament to both teams' resilience and tactical prowess, but it was Luca Orellano's moment of brilliance that made the difference.

The match began with both sides creating opportunities but failing to convert them into goals. Orellano stood out for FC Cincinnati (FCC), displaying exceptional skill and pace that troubled the Dallas defense. Despite his efforts, FCC struggled to maintain possession, and Dallas capitalized on this, creating the best chances of the first half.

Dallas's Bernard Kamungo nearly broke the deadlock in the 33rd minute from a corner kick, exploiting FCC's defensive vulnerabilities. However, his header failed to find the target. FCC responded with a slick passing move involving Orellano, but the final shot couldn't challenge Dallas's goalkeeper, Maarten Paes.

Statistically, Dallas had the upper hand in the first half with an xG (expected goals) of 0.62 compared to FCC's 0.48, reflecting their dominance in creating scoring opportunities. Dallas also had six shots to FCC's two, underscoring their offensive pressure.

The second half saw FCC stepping up their game. Just two minutes after the restart, Orellano received a pass from Dado Valenzuela and, using an overlapping run by DeAndre Yedlin as a decoy, cut inside to unleash a powerful shot with his left foot. The ball rocketed into the net, giving FCC a 1-0 lead.

FCC continued to press forward but struggled with accuracy, as shots repeatedly missed the target. Dallas had their best chance in the 72nd minute, but FCC's goalkeeper, Roman Celentano, made a crucial save to preserve the lead. Despite late efforts from Dallas, FCC's defense held firm, securing their first clean sheet in MLS play since mid-May against Atlanta United.

Match Details:

Venue: Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas
Result: FC Cincinnati 1, FC Dallas 0

Scoring:

• CIN: Luca Orellano (Valenzuela) 47’

Starting XI:

• FC Cincinnati: Roman Celentano, Yamil Asad (Alvas Powell 55’), Ian Murphy, Kipp Keller (Bret Halsey 78’), DeAndre Yedlin, Luca Orellano (Isaiah Foster 88’), Pavel Bucha, Yuya Kubo, Luciano Acosta (C), Gerardo Valenzuela (Aaron Boupendza 88’), Kevin Kelsy (Sergio Santos 78’)
• FC Dallas: Maarten Paes, Marco Farfan, Paul Arriola (C) (Sam Junqua 81’), Nkosi Tafari, Sebastien Ibeagha, Sebastian Lletget (Tomas Pondeca 81’), Asier Illarramendi, Liam Fraser (Nolan Norris 27’), Logan Farrington, Eugene Ansah (Tarik Scott 54’), Bernard Kamungo (Petar Musa 54’)

Discipline:

• CIN: Yuya Kubo 18’, Alvas Powell 56’, DeAndre Yedlin 61’, Kevin Kelsy 65’, Roman Celentano 88’, Luciano Acosta 90’+4
• DAL: Nolan Norris 58’, Sebastien Ibeagha 82’

Looking Ahead:

FC Cincinnati will look to build on this victory when they face D.C. United at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, July 3, at 7:30 p.m.