Brenner scored in the second half and FC Cincinnati set a franchise record with its seventh victory by knocking off visiting Orlando City 1-0 on Friday night.
Luciano Acosta set up the goal with his seventh assist of the season.
FC Cincinnati (7-7-2, 23 points) won just 14 matches over their first three MLS campaigns before this season’s turnaround under first-year coach Pat Noonan. Cincinnati won six matches in 2019.
FC Cincinnati goalkeeper Roman Celentano made two saves while recording his third shutout of the season.
Pedro Gallese was superb in net for Orlando City (7-6-4, 25 points). He made eight saves.
Cincinnati had a 14-7 edge in shots and placed nine on target to Orlando’s two.
This is the second time this season that FC Cincinnati has defeated Orlando City. Cincinnati posted a 2-1 road win on March 12.
Cincinnati dominated the scoring chances but was unable to get one in the net until Brenner’s rebound goal in the 65th minute.
The sequence began with a right-footed shot by Acosta that was stopped by Gallese. Acosta gathered the rebound and sent a pass to Brenner, who was open near the net and punched the ball past Gallese for his first goal of the season.
Orlando City had a chance to tie in the 82nd minute but Antonio Carlos sent a header wide left of the net.
Gallese made three stellar saves during a scoreless first half.
Nick Hagglund had two solid opportunities. The first came in the 15th minute when he sent a close-range right-footed shot that was stopped by Gallese.
In the 38th minute, Alvaro Barreal delivered a left-footed blast from outside of the box that Gallese saved.
One minute later, Haris Medunjanin took a corner kick and sent the ball toward the area in front of the net. Hagglund snapped off a point-blank header that Gallese knocked away.
Gallese was at it again early in the second half. Cincinnati’s Brandon Vazquez sent a header on net and Gallese deflected it away in the 53rd minute.
Eleven minutes later, Acosta sent a right-footed blast just over the net. That miss came shortly before Cincinnati finally put a ball past Gallese.
–Field Level Media
