Ultimately, a tense, tight postseason derby was decided by a point-blank finish from about a yard out – a very simple goal to score, particularly for a star striker who cost a club-record $16 million-plus fee last winter.
Yet Kévin Denkey’s winner vs. the Columbus Crew might just be the hardest tap-in FC Cincinnati have ever tallied.
“It's a goal I know how to score,” the Togolese international told MLS Season Pass sideline reporter Jillian Sakovits after Cincy’s tight 1-0 Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs victory over their Hell is Real rivals on Monday night, a hint of subtle humor in his wry understatement.
“But this one is important.”
Denkey delivers
After plenty of free-flowing soccer, adding up to an average of 3.67 goals per game in the first six matches of this year’s playoffs, these familiar rivals battened down the hatches substantially in their Round One opener, totaling a modest 2.4 expected goals between them.
Despite prodding and probing aplenty, tactical discipline and tenacious emergency defending kept things scoreless deep into the second half. That seemed to benefit the visitors, who’d stormed back from 2-0 down to 4-2 winners in their last visit to TQL Stadium and were soaking up most of the pressure on the night.
So it took a special moment to break the deadlock 12 minutes from full time, and an unexpected combination of star power and role players. A clever through ball from playmaker Evander sent wingback Ender Echenique clear into the Crew penalty box on one of his many lung-bursting runs. Second-half substitute Alvas Powell – handed an unfamiliar left-wing assignment – connected with the Venezuelan’s low cross after it initially eluded Denkey, before the loose ball fell kindly to the $16 million man to fire home on the doorstep.
“Always, we know that in football, scoring goals is the most difficult thing to do,” said Denkey after his first career MLS postseason experience, “and in playoffs it’s a lot of pressure. And to have this goal now in front of our fans, with my teammates, I just celebrate with a smile, and enjoy the game like I was a kid.”
Collective mindset
Statistically, FCC were better on the road than at home this season, thanks to several late blown leads. You’d never have guessed it by the vibrant backing of their home faithful, led by the noisy hardcores in The Bailey supporters’ section.
Denkey later harked back to the upshot from an emotional team meeting after a 96th-minute concession resulted in an infuriating 1-1 home draw with Orlando City in late September.
“We feel the atmosphere from the beginning, and we learned also,” he explained. “Before when we score against Orlando and we had this goal at the last minute, it was like a loss for us. After, in the training, we had a meeting and everybody was saying what he has in his heart.
“It was a difficult discussion, but I think this helped us now today, to know that if we are leading, how to behave, if we are up one goal, if we are behind a goal, how to chase everything,” he added. “It was why I'm happy with my goal, but I think it's the collective also made it for us to win this game.”
That collective mindset also extended to the fans, who epitomized the concept of the ‘12th man’ as they willed on their side against the in-state enemies who’d stunned the Knifey Lions in such agonizing fashion in their postseason clash at this venue two years ago, a 3-2 comeback win that paved the Crew’s path to MLS Cup glory.
TQL energy
Inspiration requested, inspiration summoned.
“The energy was incredible,” said Cincy coach Pat Noonan. “What I said to the guys before was, you sacrifice a lot to get to this point, on the field, off the field. So how can we now find joy and be the bravest version of ourselves in this moment, in front of our fans, and go after it in a strong way? And I think they did that tonight.
“To see the fans go home happy is important, but just the energy – when they recognize the effort of a play, not just the chance creation, but the defensive recoveries, being able to play out of pressure, a tackle. You could just feel the energy the whole night. It's a fun, fun environment to be a part of.”
Asked about his deployment of Powell, typically a defensive-minded veteran presence but a shock game-breaker here, Noonan admitted that injuries left him with limited alternatives, but praised the Jamaican’s embrace of the situation.
With elite talent like Denkey and Evander up front, such resourcefulness can go a mighty long way.
“Kévin got the job done,” said Powell, who spoke of getting "chills" from the home crowd before looking ahead to Sunday's rematch at Lower.com Field (6:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass, Apple TV).
“It means a lot that we're going into the second game fully confident and to leave everything out there on the field in Columbus. So we've got to regroup and rest, because it's going to be a final against Columbus in the second leg.”
