CINCINNATI (AP) — Defender Nick Hagglund, Evander Da Silva Ferreira, and Brenner Souza all found the back of the net as FC Cincinnati secured a 3-0 victory over CF Montreal on Decision Day Saturday. The win propelled Cincinnati to second place in the Eastern Conference.
Hagglund opened the scoring in the 33rd minute, netting his first goal of the season and his 10th career goal in 231 appearances. His effort gave Cincinnati a 1-0 lead.
In the 56th minute, Evander extended the lead to 2-0 with his 18th goal of the season, setting a new career high. The goal also marked Evander’s 15th assist on Hagglund’s goal earlier in the match, highlighting his key role in the team’s offense. Hagglund recorded his first assist of the season on Evander’s strike.
The scoring was capped off by Brenner in the 88th minute, who converted a pass from Gerardo Valenzuela. Brenner’s goal was his fourth in six appearances this season. Valenzuela’s assist was not only his first of the campaign but also his fourth in 55 career appearances.
Between the posts, Roman Celentano was untouchable, making three saves and earning his 10th clean sheet in 30 starts this season. The shutout was the 35th of Celentano’s career across 157 starts with Cincinnati.
On the opposing side, rookie goalkeeper Thomas Gillier, 21, made four saves in his eighth career start for Montreal (6-18-10). Earlier this season, Cincinnati defeated Montreal 3-1 on the road.
With this win, Cincinnati notched its second 20-win season, improving on their 2023 record of 20-5-9.
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AP Soccer
https://wtop.com/sports/2025/10/cincinnati-knocks-off-montreal-3-0-to-claim-second-seed-in-eastern-conference/