Needed Clarity

FC Cincinnati made public its end-of-year roster decisions on Monday. For those who want to see the full list first, you can find them here. You can expect to see deeper dives on the larger implications as I see them for some of these moves - especially Orellano, the centerback situation, and youth development - in the future.

If you haven’t already, check out Laurel Pfahler and Pat Brennan’s coverage of Chris Albright’s end-of-season press conference for more context on these moves.

All stats from FBref unless otherwise noted.

Key Pieces Returning

Miles Robinson

FC Cincinnati picked up Robinson’s option for 2025, returning an elite defender at a vitally important position. Defensively, Robinson is one of the best centerbacks in Major League Soccer centerback - adept at winning the ball from opponents in the air or on the ground. Robinson is also one of the best in the league at either using his pace or just being in the right place at the right time to prevent the opposition from doing it what it wants to do.

With the ball, Robinson fit well into manager Pat Noonan’s new setup in 2024 emphasizing building out of the back in possession. Robinson demonstrated his ability to link play between FCC’s defensive half and the final third of play with the ball at his feet, finishing with the fifth most passes into the final third on the team.

Simply, Robinson on the field for the Orange and Blue for at least one more season is an objectively good thing for the team’s prospects in 2025.

Whereas Pavel Bucha’s availability is an ability, Robinson will almost certainly miss some time on the field for FCC due to U.S. Men’s National Team obligations. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to have a player who is good enough to play for their country in international competition but it can mean extended absences, too. CONCACAF’s Gold Cup is scheduled for next summer and it’ll be Mauricio Pochettino’s only major tournament in the lead-up to 2026’s World Cup. If Robinson is still in contention for a spot on that roster, you can bet he could be missing at least a few games next summer.

The full picture, considering the depth chart and salary cap, is a little more complicated. There’s an impending crunch at centerback, both in terms of salary allocated to the position group as well as minutes available. There just aren’t enough minutes to go around right now. Robinson, Chido Awaziem, Matt Miazga, and Teenage Hadebe are all very good centerbacks but are being paid like it, too. Ian Murphy is making less but should also be in the mix for starting minutes. Seemingly one of these players will be on the way out of the Queen City this winter as the front office tries to better balance the roster.

Luca Orellano

Luca Orellano will be back in Orange and Blue in 2025 but as long-term member of the squad after FCC exercised its purchase option. Exactly what designation Orellano will occupy remains to be seen and will loom over the rest of the team building process as other moves are made.1

Wingbacks and fullbacks aren’t typically Designated Player-level players in MLS, at least not on Supporters’ Shield contending teams because the impact they can have on the field is generally limited. Just think about it: you have three spots on a roster to spend as much as you want on a player and pay them as much as you want. Prioritizing the middle of the field with those slots on players who impact goal scoring more directly, either attacking or defending, makes sense. Having the best attacking outside back means little if there isn’t anyone for them to pass to.2 And if a team’s attacking options are dynamic enough, having an outside back who can contribute going forward is a nice-to-have rather than a must-have. John Nelson will be starting for the LA Galaxy in MLS Cup this weekend at left-back, after all.

But, as we’ve seen over the past three seasons, Noonan has been more than willing to let his wingbacks do more offensively, and have fewer defensive responsibilities. Orellano, and Álvaro Barreal before him, have been able to play key roles in the attacking third from the left wingback position over the past three seasons. Crucially, however, that success has come in the orbit of Luciano Acosta. In a Lucho-less system, would a wingback be able to impact the game like we’ve grown accustomed to?

Orellano split time further up-the-field in 2025 but, based on what we saw, I have some doubts that he can operate as an attacking fulcrum a la Acosta. But more on that in a later edition, I can’t use up all my ideas in one place, can I?

Obi Nwobodo

The team also picked up Obinna Nwobodo’s contract option for 2025. It’s not a given he’ll occupy a Designated Player spot next year the fee as his transfer fee from Göztepe S.K. falls off the books leaving only his salary on the cap.

I don’t have much more to add on Nwobodo other than to say it makes sense that he’ll be back. Finding good players is hard to do in this league and, even with his offensive limitations, building a sound team is a lot easier with Nwobodo than without.

Overhaul At The Bottom Of The Roster

The bulk of FCC’s roster moves came at the bottom of the roster. The Orange and Blue declined contract options on Malik Pinto, London Aghedo, Joey Akpunonou, and Kipp Keller while bringing back Bret Halsey and Sergio Santos.

Churning Through Depth

Chris Albright seems intent on refreshing the team’s centerback depth chart in 2025 and, at this point, faces a big challenge to do so. Though Aghedo played just 20 minutes for first team in 2024 and Akpunonou spent the year out on loan.

Though his tenure in the Queen City didn’t work out, Joey Akpunonou is the kind of risk a team should be taking in the MLS SuperDraft. As a Generation Adidas player his salary didn’t count against the cap and those players don’t often last until the 22nd pick of the draft. Similarly, Aghedo, the 80th overall pick in the 2023 SuperDraft represents a roll of the dice the team should continue to take. The hit rate on draft picks, let alone a late round pick, is small but you’re not going to find a gem unless you try. Even just by playing a handful of minutes across a couple seasons in Orange and Blue, Aghedo contributed. More to come on youth development in MLS later on this winter.

Keller is another story. He played 945 minutes per American Soccer Analysis and was solid in those minutes. His passing might not fit what seems to be the priorities of FCC’s centerback position but finding serviceable depth is always a challenge, especially with a team featuring three centerbacks all the time. How Albright cycles through centerback depth this offseason will be something to watch closely.

FCC will also be seeking additional midfield depth after Malik Pinto’s option was declined. After a debut season in 2023 where he featured regularly, Pinto’s playing time diminished with the arrival of near-ironman Bucha and a mostly health Nwobodo.

Coming Back*

Bret Halsey, in contrast, had his option declined but signed an extension through the end of next season with team options for 2026 and 2027. Halsey provides depth at both outside back spots and clearly the front office and coaching staff saw enough in his current play and upside as a former top-10 pick to see him as an option for the present and future.

Sergio Santos will also return giving Noonan a striker option off the bench to chase goals. For as divisive as Santos has been in parts of the FCC fanbase, he’s coming of a 2024 where he played in 28 league games, scored three goals on 4.3 expected goals. If he’s available, Santos remains a good depth striker option to back up Kévin Denkey.

Lastly, the team picked up Álvaro Barreal’s option as well but I wouldn’t read too much into that. Declining the option would mean Barreal could sign anywhere, and a year left on contract is better than nothing when trying to negotiate a deal. Is there a world that is very intriguing to me personally in which FCC lines up in a 3-4-3 with Barreal and Orellano flanking Denkey in the attacking trio? Absolutely yes. But that seems unlikely at the moment so I’m not going to dare to hope.

Negotiations Ongoing

The Orange and Blue are still negotiating with Yamil Asad and Nick Hagglund about returns in 2025. Asad exceeded all expectations playing as a wingback last year and would provide depth or even potential as a starter if the club can figure out how to bring him back in way that makes roster sense. A return for Hagglund, the local face of the franchise, makes sense too, if he’s able to bounce back from injury, providing much needed centerback depth.