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Futmetrix Verdict
30
FT
Sat, Aug 22
FC Cincinnati
1-1
Seattle Sounders
⚡ Intensity 10
⚖️ Balance 40
🏆 Stakes 33
🎲 Upset 62
Late Sounders strike stuns complacent Cincinnati.

Win Probability

  • FC Cincinnati 56%
  • Draw 22%
  • Seattle Sounders 23%

Futmetrix AI estimate

Late Drama Rescues Point for Struggling Sounders

Skip It Futmetrix Score: 30/100. Seattle snapped a disastrous five-game losing streak with a late equalizer, stealing a gritty road point from a Cincinnati side that failed to kill off a low-tempo affair.

Opening Act

Welcome to TQL Stadium, where the mid-table MLS clash between FC Cincinnati and the Seattle Sounders promised critical points for two teams desperate for consistency. The visitors arrived carrying the heavy baggage of a brutal five-game losing streak, and early on, their lack of confidence was palpable. The home side asserted control early, probing the defensive lines with patience rather than explosive pace. The overall Intensity hovered at a modest level, but Cincinnati’s quality in possession eventually broke the resistance. In the 24th minute, Evander found his window of opportunity, firing home a crucial opener that seemed destined to send the Sounders spiraling into yet another defeat. Cincinnati’s fans demanded a rout given their team’s robust attacking record this season, but the anticipated floodgates firmly refused to open.

The Pivot

Following the opening goal, the match settled into a sluggish rhythm that heavily contributed to our rather low post-match rating. Cincinnati held the edge, dictating the Balance of play, but they severely lacked the killer instinct required to put the game out of reach. The home side passed the ball around the midfield, struggling to penetrate Seattle's compact, survival-mode shape. Instead of pushing hard for a second goal to extinguish the visitors' hopes, Cincinnati allowed the Sounders to hang around in the contest. The tactical chess match yielded very few clear-cut chances, turning the middle portion of this fixture into a grinding war of attrition. Seattle, despite their recent offensive woes, slowly started to realize that a one-goal deficit on the road was far from a definite death sentence. The door remained ajar, setting the stage for a late twist.

Resolution

The ultimate punishment for Cincinnati's complacency arrived in the 83rd minute, completely shifting the mood inside TQL Stadium. Just as the hosts looked ready to see out a narrow victory, A. Rusnak delivered a precise ball to unlock the sleepy defense. K. Kossa-Rienzi capitalized on the service, burying a dramatic equalizer to snatch a 1-1 draw. The sudden shift highlighted the undeniable Upset Factor inherent in MLS regular season play. For Seattle, this late heroics ends a disastrous run of form, securing a massive point that could revive their locker room morale. Cincinnati, conversely, will view this as two points completely thrown away in front of their own supporters. Failing to kill off a wounded opponent leaves them stuck on 23 points, lingering just behind Seattle in the heavily congested league standings.

Key Questions

Who scored the goals in this match?

Evander opened the scoring for FC Cincinnati in the 24th minute, and K. Kossa-Rienzi equalized for Seattle late in the second half.

Where was the game played?

The match took place at TQL Stadium, the home ground of FC Cincinnati.

What is the Futmetrix Score?

The Futmetrix Score is our 0-100 verdict on how entertaining a match is. We look at intensity, balance, stakes, and star quality to tell you if it's worth your time.

Match Statistics

Possession
70%
30%
FC Cincinnati 70%
Seattle Sounders 30%
Shots
14
7
FC Cincinnati 14
Seattle Sounders 7
Shots on Target
9
3
FC Cincinnati 9
Seattle Sounders 3
Expected Goals (xG)
1.38
1.38
FC Cincinnati 1.38
Seattle Sounders 1.38
Passes
692
285
FC Cincinnati 692
Seattle Sounders 285
Corners
9
4
FC Cincinnati 9
Seattle Sounders 4
Fouls
7
14
FC Cincinnati 7
Seattle Sounders 14
Yellow Cards
1
2
FC Cincinnati 1
Seattle Sounders 2
Red Cards
0
0
FC Cincinnati 0
Seattle Sounders 0

Match Events

24' Evander
R. Sailor 🟨 38'
HT
59' 🔄 K. Mboma K. Denkey
E. Carli Nouhou 🔄 61'
S. Brunell D. Musovski 🔄 61'
73' 🔄 B. J. Ramirez Leon P. Bucha
73' 🔄 T. Barlow A. Jabbari
P. Kingston 🟨 75'
O. De Rosario A. Roldan 🔄 77'
A. Lopez A. Rusnak 🔄 77'
K. Kossa-Rienzi (A. Rusnak) 83'
89' 🔄 T. Anunga O. Nwobodo
89' 🔄 E. Echenique A. Powell
S. Gomez Kim Kee-Hee 🔄 90'+1
FT

Head to Head

Date Home Score Away Competition Venue
03/12/2023 FC Cincinnati 1 - 0 Seattle Sounders Major League Soccer TQL Stadium
09/28/2022 Seattle Sounders 1 - 1 FC Cincinnati Major League Soccer Lumen Field
03/03/2019 Seattle Sounders 4 - 1 FC Cincinnati Major League Soccer CenturyLink Field
03/12/2023
Major League Soccer TQL Stadium
09/28/2022
Major League Soccer Lumen Field
03/03/2019
Major League Soccer CenturyLink Field
FC Cincinnati Win
Seattle Sounders Win
Draw

League Standings

Pos Team P Pts GF GA GD Form
1 Nashville SC 18 42 37 14 +23 WNashville SC 3 - 2 Columbus Crew (23-08-2026)WNew York Red Bulls 0 - 1 Nashville SC (19-08-2026)WNashville SC 4 - 1 Inter Miami (16-08-2026)DDC United 2 - 2 Nashville SC (01-08-2026)LOrlando City SC 1 - 0 Nashville SC (25-07-2026)
2 New England Revolution 18 31 30 20 +10 DNew England Revolution 1 - 1 New York City FC (23-08-2026)WDC United 0 - 3 New England Revolution (19-08-2026)LToronto FC 2 - 1 New England Revolution (15-08-2026)DCF Montreal 2 - 2 New England Revolution (01-08-2026)WNew England Revolution 4 - 1 Atlanta United FC (25-07-2026)
3 Chicago Fire 17 30 29 23 +6 DNew York Red Bulls 1 - 1 Chicago Fire (22-08-2026)WOrlando City SC 1 - 2 Chicago Fire (19-08-2026)WChicago Fire 2 - 1 Charlotte (02-08-2026)LNew York City FC 3 - 1 Chicago Fire (25-07-2026)LInter Miami 3 - 2 Chicago Fire (22-07-2026)
4 Inter Miami 16 29 40 33 +7 LInter Miami 1 - 2 Toronto FC (22-08-2026)DPhiladelphia Union 2 - 2 Inter Miami (19-08-2026)LNashville SC 4 - 1 Inter Miami (16-08-2026)DInter Miami 2 - 2 Columbus Crew (01-08-2026)WCF Montreal 0 - 1 Inter Miami (25-07-2026)
5 Charlotte 18 28 34 27 +7 WCharlotte 3 - 1 DC United (22-08-2026)DToronto FC 3 - 3 Charlotte (19-08-2026)WCharlotte 3 - 1 Columbus Crew (15-08-2026)LChicago Fire 2 - 1 Charlotte (02-08-2026)WNew York Red Bulls 0 - 2 Charlotte (25-07-2026)
6 FC Cincinnati 16 23 37 37 0 WFC Cincinnati 2 - 1 New York City FC (19-08-2026)DOrlando City SC 1 - 1 FC Cincinnati (15-08-2026)LColumbus Crew 2 - 1 FC Cincinnati (25-07-2026)WFC Cincinnati 6 - 2 Orlando City SC (23-05-2026)LFC Cincinnati 3 - 5 Inter Miami (13-05-2026)
7 New York Red Bulls 19 23 29 40 -11 DNew York Red Bulls 1 - 1 Chicago Fire (22-08-2026)LNew York Red Bulls 0 - 1 Nashville SC (19-08-2026)LAtlanta United FC 2 - 1 New York Red Bulls (15-08-2026)WNew York Red Bulls 3 - 2 Orlando City SC (01-08-2026)LNew York Red Bulls 0 - 2 Charlotte (25-07-2026)
8 New York City FC 17 22 30 25 +5 DNew England Revolution 1 - 1 New York City FC (23-08-2026)LFC Cincinnati 2 - 1 New York City FC (19-08-2026)LNew York City FC 2 - 3 Philadelphia Union (16-08-2026)DNew York City FC 1 - 1 Toronto FC (31-07-2026)WNew York City FC 3 - 1 Chicago Fire (25-07-2026)
9 DC United 17 22 26 29 -3 LCharlotte 3 - 1 DC United (22-08-2026)LDC United 0 - 3 New England Revolution (19-08-2026)DCF Montreal 1 - 1 DC United (15-08-2026)DDC United 2 - 2 Nashville SC (01-08-2026)WDC United 2 - 1 Toronto FC (25-07-2026)
10 Toronto FC 16 19 22 25 -3 WInter Miami 1 - 2 Toronto FC (22-08-2026)DToronto FC 3 - 3 Charlotte (19-08-2026)WToronto FC 2 - 1 New England Revolution (15-08-2026)DNew York City FC 1 - 1 Toronto FC (31-07-2026)LDC United 2 - 1 Toronto FC (25-07-2026)
11 CF Montreal 18 19 25 30 -5 WColumbus Crew 1 - 2 CF Montreal (19-08-2026)DCF Montreal 1 - 1 DC United (15-08-2026)DCF Montreal 2 - 2 New England Revolution (01-08-2026)LCF Montreal 0 - 1 Inter Miami (25-07-2026)LNashville SC 1 - 0 CF Montreal (23-07-2026)
12 Orlando City SC 17 18 28 43 -15 LOrlando City SC 1 - 2 Chicago Fire (19-08-2026)DOrlando City SC 1 - 1 FC Cincinnati (15-08-2026)LNew York Red Bulls 3 - 2 Orlando City SC (01-08-2026)WOrlando City SC 1 - 0 Nashville SC (25-07-2026)LFC Cincinnati 6 - 2 Orlando City SC (23-05-2026)
13 Philadelphia Union 18 17 29 36 -7 DPhiladelphia Union 2 - 2 Inter Miami (19-08-2026)WNew York City FC 2 - 3 Philadelphia Union (16-08-2026)WPhiladelphia Union 3 - 2 Atlanta United FC (01-08-2026)WPhiladelphia Union 3 - 1 New York Red Bulls (22-07-2026)LInter Miami 6 - 4 Philadelphia Union (24-05-2026)
14 Columbus Crew 17 16 22 27 -5 LNashville SC 3 - 2 Columbus Crew (23-08-2026)LColumbus Crew 1 - 2 CF Montreal (19-08-2026)LCharlotte 3 - 1 Columbus Crew (15-08-2026)DInter Miami 2 - 2 Columbus Crew (01-08-2026)WColumbus Crew 2 - 1 FC Cincinnati (25-07-2026)
15 Atlanta United FC 16 15 18 27 -9 WAtlanta United FC 2 - 1 New York Red Bulls (15-08-2026)LPhiladelphia Union 3 - 2 Atlanta United FC (01-08-2026)LNew England Revolution 4 - 1 Atlanta United FC (25-07-2026)DCharlotte 2 - 2 Atlanta United FC (23-07-2026)LNashville SC 1 - 0 Atlanta United FC (18-07-2026)

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