Rotated FC Cincinnati beaten by Chivas, eliminated from Leagues Cup

When FC Cincinnati stepped onto the field against Chivas de Guadalajara on August 7, they were already four goals behind.

Needing at least a four-score victory to put themselves in a position to advance to the knockout rounds of Leagues Cup, the Orange and Blue rotated almost their entire squad en route to a 2-1 loss to Chivas.

The visiting team put five shots on frame, compared to three for FC Cincinnati, to officially eliminate the home side from Leagues Cup.

In the crowd opposite The Bailey, rival supporters packed the stands, making their presence felt with 'Chivas, Chivas, Chivas' chants, even during a weather delay that caused the match to be delayed at the start by almost two hours.

"For the most part, the guys did a good job," said coach Pat Noonan. "The result, in the end, isn't what we wanted. (But) there were a lot of good individual performances from guys that happened to get minutes."

Chivas' attack mounted early

From the start, Chivas piled in chances, finding their opener in the 25th minute when Efraín Álvarez netted a penalty kick to take a 1-0 lead after midfielder Brian Anunga made an errant tackle on Alan Mozo in the box. The challenge was not initially deemed illegal, but the referee awarded the penalty shot after a VAR check.

In the 29th and 30th minutes, Chivas fired a pair of dangerous shots, narrowly missing the goal on one by Armando González that rang the frame.

But González finally found his goal in the 57th minute when he doubled Chivas' lead on a simple finish from close range after receiving a centering pass.

FC Cincinnati got a goal back in the 67th minute when forward, Andrés Dávila, re-routed a ground cross from wingback Alvas Powell with a clever touch to beat Chivas goalkeeper Raúl Rangal at the near post.

Dávila became the eighth player to score in their FC Cincinnati debut after the club called him up ahead of the match on a short-term agreement from the second team.

But the Orange and Blue's efforts fell short despite their attack ramping up late.

In the 77th minute, Mboma Dem and Dávila combined to create a chance for Mboma Dem on target. But Rangal tidily dealt with the shot.

A few minutes later, midfielder Evander, who leads in the league in goals from outside the area, attempted a free kick, but his shot was off-target.

"Collectively, we lacked a little bit of creativity and movement off the ball," Noonan said. "It was too predictable when they were pressing us."

Three players get their first club starts

Despite the loss, FC Cincinnati delivered first starts to forward, Ștefan Chirilă, Echenique and Mboma Dem.

Echenique, who came off at halftime, was a bright spot in the occasional moments he got on the ball. He completed two dribbles, the most of any player in the first 45 minutes, made eight-of-nine accurate passes and played two balls into the final third.

One look in the 16th minute after goalkeeper Evan Louro made a point-blank save, forward Ender Echenique progressed the ball with blazing speed before laying the ball off en route to a quality chance for Mboma Dem.

But overall, Chivas' attacking momentum limited the 21-year-old's production, as he only touched the ball 14 times.

"Ender had another good showing tonight," Noonan said. "Good to build the fitness, but also see how effective he can be, whether it's beating guys on the dribble, how he can create separation (and) recognize the right pass in the right moment to attack (the) goal."

FC Cincinnati returns to Supporters' Shield race next

After securing a win, draw — penalty loss — and defeat in the Leagues Cup, Noonan said FC Cincinnati learned how difficult it is to advance out of the Leagues Cup while playing in the new format, as only four of 18 MLS teams advanced. But he said he is still pleased about how the team progressed during the tournament.

Next, the Orange and Blue return to MLS play against Charlotte FC on August 10, resuming a tight Supporters' Shield race, in which they are in second place.

Charlotte FC similarly rested many of their players in their final Leagues Cup match against C.F. Monterrey, so both squads should be rested for the contest.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Rotated FC Cincinnati beaten by Chivas, eliminated from Leagues Cup