FC Cincinnati open 2026 preseason friendlies with a draw, showing early expectations and work ahead

Preseason action is always hard to gauge in terms of outcomes, and even more so for the first friendly of the year. There is a certain “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” element to it all, where context is so key to any evaluation. 

There’s the fact that it’s the first game of the season and the team, new players and all, is playing an opponent for the first time in a long time. There are relaxed rules on timekeeping and substitutions, and opponents are in their own unique situations, making it difficult to evaluate. 

FC Cincinnati come into this preseason in a good way, with plenty of continuity and stability to open camp. That context is key to understanding how The Orange and Blue came away from this game and the evaluation Head Coach Pat Noonan had of the team in its aftermath. 

“The first 45 (minutes) was poor. I think we struggled to break their pressure with just the movement ahead of the ball. I think we made too many individual mistakes, and sure, it's the first game of preseason, but I think there was more expectation for this game,” Noonan said on a Zoom call with Cincinnati media from Clearwater, Florida, on Friday. “We didn't see that enough, I would say. But you get answers from the games, and we know that wasn't the standard that we're looking for.”

In a 105-minute match with the New England Revolution at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, FC Cincinnati played to a 1-1 draw to open the 2026 preseason friendly calendar. The game, like many preseason games, operated on a non-traditional clock: the two sides played an opening 45-minute half, followed by two 30-minute periods. FCC fielded an opening XI for about 52 minutes of the 105 before making a full lineup change, bringing on a second group for the final 50 or so minutes. 

Kévin Denkey scored the opener for FC Cincinnati just before the groups changed over, slotting a shot past the keeper to the far post after Pavel Bucha feathered in a pass to Denkey in the box. New England equalized just before 90 minutes when a poor clearance gave the Revolution striker a clean look from the middle of the box.