The World Cup is over and finally FC Cincinnati returns to the West End to play a competitive game. Wednesday's game against the Vancouver Whitecaps might be the toughest way to get back into league play as the 'Caps are one of the best, if not the best, team in Major League Soccer. Still, it'll be nice to watch the Orange and Blue play again, even after a summer full of soccer.

On Wednesday, it'll have been 60 days between league games for FCC, plenty of time for the first 15 games of the season to kind of run together in the haze of soccer memories. Coming back after this time away from competitive action, I'm left with two, essentially competing, expectations for what the second half will hold.

The more rational, measured view goes something like this: The Orange and Blue were exceptionally mediocre through the first 15 games of the season and nothing much has changed during the two month break, so why should we be expecting different results?

On the flip side, I think I bend towards optimism generally as a sports fan - there's probably something about growing up, and remaining, a Cincinnati sports fan in the reason why. The optimistic case for FCC being better isn't grounded in any sort of evidence, instead it's just a pitch that maybe the team will start playing better. Because why not?

So here's a brief recap of the broad strokes of the first half of the season. I want the optimistic case to be true, but given the evidence so far, can't convince myself that we'll get there, and I think you'll see why.

What Already Happened

Through 15 league games, the Orange and Blue are...fine. The team is in 7th place in the Eastern Conference, the last playoff spot above the play-in line, with 20 points. They're not bad, but they aren't good, either. According to American Soccer Analysis data, FCC's -0.07 expected goals difference ranks 17th out of MLS' 30 teams. As you can see, the trend hasn't been great, either, even with FCC's 6-2 dismantling of Orlando City in the last game before the break.

The defense has been one of the worst in the league, which is saying something in a season where multiple teams have been putting up historically bad numbers. FCC conceded more than 2.0 expected goals in nearly half (seven of 15) of its games so far this season. Between 2022 and 2024, the Orange and Blue allowed opponents more than 2.0 xG 10 times.

On the plus side, the Orange and Blue's attack has been the most effective since Noonan and Albright took charge of the team in 2022. FCC's 35 goals rank second in MLS, though it's worth noting that the team is running ahead of its advanced numbers, suggesting the potential for a slight offensive regression.

Still, that newfound offensive output has kept the Orange and Blue treading water in the Eastern Conference, but with the team's defensive struggles, the ceiling for the season doesn't appear to be all that high, unless something changes dramatically.

Any News To Catch Up On?

Not really! The major pieces of news I can think of are:

• Miles Robinson played in a World Cup, which, frankly, is awesome for him.
• FCC played a pair of friendlies, one against English Championship side Burnley FC and another against Honduras' CD Olimpia, winning both.
• U22 center back Gilberto Flores got a Green Card
• The Orange and Blue traded an international roster spot to the Chicago Fire for $350,000 in 2026 General Allocation Money (a very good deal).

Other than these, it's been pretty quiet in FCC world.

Now that the World Cup has concluded, there's a chance any transfer business that's been on hold will pick up. Just about a month before the break, General Manager Chris Albright said the team has the roster, and budget, flexibility to make moves.

Even if there's some flexibility, the Orange and Blue don't have access to any of the major mechanisms to bring in players commanding a transfer fee who could alter the course of the season. FCC currently doesn't have any available Designated Player or U22 slots, and even with the bundle of allocation money acquired from Chicago, making multiple, major additions fit in with the team's current salary cap situation would be a nearly impossible, without additional outgoings.

Even though there might not be a big splash signing (or two), it sounds like there will be at least some incoming additions to the roster. I'll be fascinated to see what positions, and, maybe more importantly, profiles Albright and the front office are targeting to improve the team.

Even as the front office is looking to improve the 2026 iteration of the team, there's always something to learn about the future, too. I'm on the record as being skeptical about the future prospects of a three center back system reliant on dynamic wing backs, in large part because it requires a very specific roster build, prioritizing difficult-to-identify (and expensive) player types. New signings give us a window into the priorities of the team, now and in the future, and we'll get another round of information during this transfer window.

What I'll Be Looking For Early

Even without major changes to the roster, I'll be interested to see if there are any noticeable differences in how Noonan has the team approach games and limiting opposition chances in dangerous areas has to be the priority. There are multiple ways to accomplish that aim, but for FCC to be a better team, they need to start allowing fewer goal scoring opportunities. However, that's easier said than done.

There are more specific things I'll be interested in watching. Here are the three at the top of my list, though not necessarily the most important to team success:

• Youth Movement: We saw some promising performances from young players like Andrei Chirila and Kenji Mboma-Dem during the first stretch of the season. Kristian Fletcher played a promising 45 minutes against Burnley, and looks poised to be a contributor for the rest of the season, too. Hitting on homegrown talent just makes building a MLS roster so much easier. It looks like all three of the above players can contribute at this level, but if they can be more than that, the future looks that much brighter.
• Dado's Continued Growth: He could be included above, but deserves his own bullet point. Valenzuela looked comfortable and effective playing in a deeper role in midfield and how he progresses in that position will be important to FCC's success in 2026 and beyond.
• Wing Back Questions: Namely, who is going to be playing wing back for the Orange and Blue. Against Burnley, without Bryan Ramirez, Ender Echenique deputized on the left side, while Bucha remained on the right. Outside back is a place where most MLS teams save money, but that's not the case in Cincinnati. Getting production, both offensively and defensively, is necessary given FCC's structure on the field, and that was often lacking in the first half of the season.