FC Cincinnati left it late, but not too late.
In a breathless Major League Soccer fixture at TQL Stadium on Sunday, FC Cincinnati outlasted CF Montréal 4-3, with Kévin Denkey firing home the decisive goal in the 90’+4′ minute to settle a match that had seemed to produce a new twist every few moments. It was the kind of afternoon that tested structure, nerve and defensive discipline, and Cincinnati ultimately found the final punch.
Montréal had made the sharper start and stunned the home crowd inside six minutes when Wikelman Carmona opened the scoring in the 6th minute. The visitors looked lively in possession and carried a real threat going forward, finishing the afternoon with 53.6 percent of the ball and 19 total shots. For long spells, they asked serious questions of Cincinnati’s shape.
But the home side grew into the contest and found an equalizer in the 40th minute through Ender Echenique, whose finish brought Cincinnati level at 1-1 and shifted momentum just before the interval. That swing did not last long. Montréal responded immediately before halftime, with Prince Owusu restoring the visitors’ lead in the 45th minute to send Cincinnati into the break trailing 2-1.
The second half opened with the same chaos that had defined the first. Cincinnati hit back again in the 52nd minute when Ayoub Jabbari made it 2-2, capping a strong response from the hosts after the restart. At that stage, the match felt finely balanced, with both sides committing numbers forward and leaving space to attack in transition.
Then came a massive turning point in the 60th minute, when Cincinnati’s Miles Robinson was shown a red card. Down to 10 men, the hosts looked vulnerable, and Montréal quickly tried to capitalize. They did exactly that four minutes later, when Owusu converted from the penalty spot in the 64th minute for his second goal of the match, putting Montréal 3-2 ahead.
With the extra man and the lead, Montréal had a platform. Instead, Cincinnati produced their most impressive spell of the day. The home side stayed aggressive despite being shorthanded, defended with urgency and continued to create chances. Tom Barlow drew them level in the 80th minute, making it 3-3 and setting up a grandstand finish.
Even then, it still felt like there might be one more chance at either end. Cincinnati, despite absorbing pressure and finishing with just 46.4 percent possession, were clinical when it mattered. They put eight shots on target from 15 attempts, and their directness kept Montréal uneasy throughout. In stoppage time, the breakthrough finally arrived. Denkey struck in the 90’+4′ minute, sending TQL Stadium into celebration and completing a remarkable comeback victory.
There was still time for more tension, including a yellow card for Denkey in the aftermath, but no equalizer came for Montréal. Instead, Cincinnati saw out the closing moments of a fixture that had everything: an early away goal, repeated momentum shifts, a red card, a penalty, and a dramatic late winner.
Owusu’s brace and Carmona’s early strike deserved more from Montréal, who will feel frustrated after scoring three times and still leaving empty-handed. Cincinnati, meanwhile, can point to the resilience behind goals from Echenique (40′), Jabbari (52′), Barlow (80′) and Denkey (90’+4′). Winning after going down to 10 men made the result even more striking.
For neutrals, it was one of those MLS matches that never stopped moving. For FC Cincinnati, it was three points earned the hard way.
