FC Cincinnati’s Embarrassing Hell is Real Loss | Brenner Rumors?? | MLS All Star + San Jose Preview

FC Cincinnati had one of the wildest weeks of the 2026 MLS season. The Orange and Blue exploded for a 4-3 comeback win over the Vancouver Whitecaps behind a Pavel Bucha brace, an Evander wondergoal, and another Kévin Denkey finish before falling 2-1 in a heated Hell Is Real rivalry match against the Columbus Crew.

On this episode of The Flyin Lion Podcast, we break down both matches, including FCC’s continued attacking success, why the defense remains the biggest concern heading into the second half of the season, and why Cincinnati keeps struggling to close out games after taking the lead. Pavel Bucha continues his incredible run after his brace against Vancouver, Evander extends his historic goal contribution streak, and Kévin Denkey moves closer to the top of FC Cincinnati’s all-time scoring leaderboard.

We also dive into everything surrounding the chaotic Columbus Crew match: Dado Valenzuela’s red card, the postgame tunnel confrontation, Pat Noonan calling the ending “reckless,” and what the loss says about FC Cincinnati’s mentality heading into the MLS Cup push.

Plus, we discuss the biggest roster questions facing Chris Albright and FCC. Could the club move on from expensive defenders like Matt Miazga or Teenage Hadebe? Is the offense finally balanced enough after last year’s Evander and Denkey dependency? And what does the future hold with 14 players having a year or less remaining on their contracts?

The Brenner rumors are back as well. We discuss reports that the former FCC striker wants a return to Cincinnati, why he rejected Columbus, his connection with Evander, and whether bringing Brenner back makes sense for this roster.

We preview MLS All-Star Week, including Evander representing FC Cincinnati for the second straight year, the MLS Skills Challenge, and how much playing time Pat Noonan should want his MVP candidate to receive before the final push toward MLS Cup.

Finally, we look ahead to FC Cincinnati vs San Jose Earthquakes at TQL Stadium. Can FCC bounce back? Will the defense finally earn a clean sheet? And can Cincinnati keep climbing the Eastern Conference standings?

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