By Natalie Olafson

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An action-packed Saturday night saw FC Cincinnati claim a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy, as Ohio’s team inched ever closer to Philadelphia Union in both the Eastern Conference and Supporters’ Shield standings. Brenner proved pivotal, bagging a brace, while Evander doled out a trio of assists, lifting Cincinnati’s point tally to 58 for the season. This result puts them a mere two points adrift of the Conference leaders, with just three games left to play in the regular season. According to a report from WLWT, Brenner’s goals came in each half, highlighting his impact since returning to the squad.

In addition to Brenner’s offensive showcase, newcomer Ender Echenique notched his first goal for FC Cincinnati, contributing to a lead that was later narrowed by Galaxy’s Joseph Paintsil and a stoppage-time notch from Mauricio Cuevas. According to The Enquirer, Evander’s assist hat-trick on that night bolstered his MVP status for the 2025 season, and coach Pat Noonan noted the team’s tight positioning on the league table, saying, “You have one slip-up and that position can drastically change from second place to fifth place.”

The match, held at Dignity Health Sports Park, was marred somewhat by the dismissal of the Galaxy’s Isaiah Parente, who received a red card early in the second half. Yet, the numerical advantage didn’t entirely ease Cincinnati’s path to victory, with Galaxy goalkeeper Novak Micovic making seven saves throughout the game. As reported by Deadspin, the match featured a high shot count from both teams, with a total of 45 shots taken, 18 of which were on target.

Looking ahead, FC Cincinnati returns home to face Orlando City on Sept. 28, a match that could be instrumental in their playoff positioning. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Galaxy will try to rebound against Sporting Kansas City on their own turf. An additional detail from The Enquirer notes that this win marks Cincinnati’s tenth road victory of the season, tying them with San Diego for league leadership in this metric and speaking volumes about their tenacity away from home.