Sitting Deeper

Trying to make sense of Dado Valenzuela's 2026 season so far and what's next

Checking In (1/3 Edition)

Takeaways from the first third-ish of FC Cincinnati's 2026 season.

Defensive Disconnect

Another week and another salvaged point for FC Cincinnati but the defense might just be fine.

Trade Offs

Pat Noonan made adjustments and, as always, they resulted in trade offs on the field in the search for goals

Options

How Adrian González might be setting up the Spirit's depth chart at striker

Downstream Effects

It's time to talk about the self-imposed constraints from FC Cincinnati's three center back system.

Coming Soon: Spirit Takes

A newsletter with a mix of tactics, data, and their intersection in an effort to better understand what's happening on the field throughout the 2026 season.

Whiplash

What can we take from a week of FC Cincinnati soccer with a rollercoaster of results (and vibes)?

Coin Flips

FC Cincinnati was on the losing side of a coin flip on Sunday, a position it mostly avoided in 2025.

Another Data Point

One more game into the 2026 MLS season for FC Cincinnati

And We're Off

In just a few days, we've gone from seeing zero minutes of FC Cincinnati soccer to having more than 180 minutes of competitive soccer to analyze. It's way, way, way too early to draw any real conclusions about what'll happen this season but two

11 Things I'll Be Watching For In 2026

With that out of the way, somehow, the 2026 season is already here. I’ve written some variation of this post for the past few years both here and previously at Cincinnati Soccer Talk and I’ve found it be helpful in my own preparation for the season because it