CST Episode 486 - Finished with a Thud

With the regular season coming to a transition point into the postseason, the ballots for the 2026 MLS end-of-season awards have been mailed, filled out, and resubmitted. Some picks seem cut and dry. Others require some careful consideration. Still others require a panel of experts to convince each one of us that our pick was the right one. We decided to bring together some of those voices in the FC Cincinnati press box who have the clout to sway nominations and selections. Joining us on this week's Jersey Swap are three of Cincinnati's ballot stuffers—Laurel Pfahler from Queen City Press, Damon Gumbert from The Post Cincy, and Kenta Hagiwara from Area Sports Network. We discuss all of the main awards given to the best players in 2026, even if some of the selections seem pretty obvious. 0:14 - Intro 3:15 - Headlines going into the playoffs 10:01 - Comeback Player of the Year 13:08 - Landon Donovan MVP Award 18:01 - Young Player of the Year 22:33 - Newcomer of the Year 26:03 - Goalkeeper of the Year 32:00 - Defender of the Year 36:21 - Sigi Schmidt Coach of the Year 42:23 - Best XI Discussion 53:35 - In Closing Tune in and trade threads with us! #MLS #FCCincinnati #soccer Check out coverage on all our guest's pages! Laurel Pfahler - Queen City Press (Patreon), (YouTube) Damon Gumbert - The Post Cincy Kenta Hagiwara - Area Sports Network, The Asian Futbol Show Become a Patron! Subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk Don't forget you can now download and subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk on iTunes today! The podcast can also be found on Stitcher Smart Radio now. We're also available in the Google Play Store and NOW ON SPOTIFY! As always we'd love your feedback about our podcast! You can email the show at [email protected]. We'd love for you to join us on our Facebook page as well! Like us at Facebook.com/CincinnatiSoccerTalk.

The gang recaps the home loss to end the regular season and look ahead the dreaded play-in match vs Orlando. FOR MORE CST CONTENT VISIT US ONLINE https://cincinnatisoccertalk.com SUPPORT CINCINNATI SOCCER TALK TODAY! https://cincinnatisoccertalk.com/support SUBSCRIBE TO CINCY SOCCER TALK! iTunes: http://cincinnatisoccertalk.com/itunes Stitcher: http://cincinnatisoccertalk.com/stitcher TuneIN: http://cincinnatisoccertalk.com/tunein RSS: http://cincinnatisoccertalk.com/rssfeed Twitter: / cincysoccertalk Facebook: / cincinnatisoccertalk Instagram: / cincysoccertalk

The invitations to the playoffs in the East have been mailed. FC Cincinnati are hardly the debutantes to this postseason ball, but perhaps we were not expecting their final regular-season opponents to get top billing. Nashville SC comes to town with a swagger we haven't seen in a while. The 2026 Supporters Shield winners lifted the silverware last week, but we saw their evidence of strength before. Nashville laid a 4-0 sledgehammer on FCC in August that landed like a prop guitar to the back of the head. A good chunk of this Nashville squad could win individual accolades, but are they ready for the postseason? Can they avoid the postseason pitfalls that tripped up Cincinnati back in 2023? We sit down with Valair from SixOneFive Soccer and the Pharmaceutical Soccer podcast to shine a spotlight on the Music City. What can Cincinnati do to improve their seeding and deny NashVegas the regular-season points record? Tune in and trade threads with us! #MLS #FCCincinnati #soccer Check out Valair's Pharmaceutical Soccer podcast and the SixOneFive Soccer page for coverage! Become a Patron! Subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk Don't forget you can now download and subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk on iTunes today! The podcast can also be found on Stitcher Smart Radio now. We're also available in the Google Play Store and NOW ON SPOTIFY! As always we'd love your feedback about our podcast! You can email the show at [email protected]. We'd love for you to join us on our Facebook page as well! Like us at Facebook.com/CincinnatiSoccerTalk.

The gang recaps the draw in Miami and the win on Halloween that saw the Orange and Blue clinch a playoff spot. FOR MORE CST CONTENT VISIT US ONLINE https://cincinnatisoccertalk.com SUPPORT CINCINNATI SOCCER TALK TODAY! https://cincinnatisoccertalk.com/support SUBSCRIBE TO CINCY SOCCER TALK! iTunes: http://cincinnatisoccertalk.com/itunes Stitcher: http://cincinnatisoccertalk.com/stitcher TuneIN: http://cincinnatisoccertalk.com/tunein RSS: http://cincinnatisoccertalk.com/rssfeed Twitter: / cincysoccertalk Facebook: / cincinnatisoccertalk Instagram: / cincysoccertalk

A win, and they're in. But how simple can that win be on Saturday? The 2026 season has been a difficult slog for some fans, but there's just a little bit of light at the end of that tunnel. If FC Cincinnati can't take down Philadelphia at home, that light could turn into an oncoming Amtrak out of 30th Street Station. At first, it felt like the Union were bound for an early postseason. However, their draw in Nashville clinched an improbable comeback under Ryan Richter. If that was not enough proof for you, perhaps the 5-0 victory over the Orange & Blue in early September was. We ask Mike Barrera from Across the Pitch, a podcast from the AAT Sports Media Network, for more context. How did a team floundering under Bradley Carnell pull the 180? How convincing is the argument for Cavan Sullivan's MVP odds? Most of all, does FCC have a legitimate shot at turning their fortunes around against a Philly squad with bigger fish to fry? Tune in and trade threads with us! #MLS #FCCincinnati #soccer Check out Mike's podcast at AATS Sports! Become a Patron! Subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk Don't forget you can now download and subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk on iTunes today! The podcast can also be found on Stitcher Smart Radio now. We're also available in the Google Play Store and NOW ON SPOTIFY! As always we'd love your feedback about our podcast! You can email the show at [email protected]. We'd love for you to join us on our Facebook page as well! Like us at Facebook.com/CincinnatiSoccerTalk.

The playoffs seem visible for FC Cincinnati after a six-point week, but can they get through the dynamism that has defined MLS over the past three years? Inter Miami may have a Campeones Cup to their name this year, but this isn't the world beaters from 2024 or 2025. Lionel Messi is still a superstar, but a cursory glance at the standings indicates a squad similar to FCC. All of that preseason promise has not quite led to dominance in 2026. Does this mean there's actually a route to beat the Herons at home? We talk with Michelle Kaufman, former writer for the Miami Herald, about the possible stumbling blocks Miami may encounter on Wednesday. We also discuss the difficulty facing sports journalists when it comes to covering the superstars coming to North America. Of course, we also ask about the chance for an upset at South Beach. Tune in and trade threads with us! #MLS #FCCincinnati #soccer Check out Michelle's new productions and articles at Press Box Postscripts! Become a Patron! Subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk Don't forget you can now download and subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk on iTunes today! The podcast can also be found on Stitcher Smart Radio now. We're also available in the Google Play Store and NOW ON SPOTIFY! As always we'd love your feedback about our podcast! You can email the show at [email protected]. We'd love for you to join us on our Facebook page as well! Like us at Facebook.com/CincinnatiSoccerTalk.

The gang recaps the Orange and Blue back to back wins vs DC United. FOR MORE CST CONTENT VISIT US ONLINE https://cincinnatisoccertalk.com SUPPORT CINCINNATI SOCCER TALK TODAY! https://cincinnatisoccertalk.com/support SUBSCRIBE TO CINCY SOCCER TALK! iTunes: http://cincinnatisoccertalk.com/itunes Stitcher: http://cincinnatisoccertalk.com/stitcher TuneIN: http://cincinnatisoccertalk.com/tunein RSS: http://cincinnatisoccertalk.com/rssfeed Twitter: / cincysoccertalk Facebook: / cincinnatisoccertalk Instagram: / cincysoccertalk

This is a rare occurrence for the Jersey Swap this week, as our discussion covers both our last opponent and the next one. While we wait in limbo between the two matches, we still need to cover the past win and look forward to the next must-win. FC Cincinnati supporters are able to see the progress in Wednesday's victory, but what comes from D.C. United's analysis? What silver linings can fans of the Black & Red glean from the result? More importantly, can head coach Rene Weiler pull D.C. closer to the wire going into a hectic final four-match stretch? We sit down with Vikas from CCSS to get the Marylander's observations from Wednesday and the overall season. Can this team pull in enough offense with Tai Baribo as the main engine? What happens if the nation's capital goes through a seventh consecutive regular-season dry spell? Tune in and trade threads with us! #MLS #FCCincinnati #soccer Check out the Capital City Soccer Show on your favorite platforming outlets! Become a Patron! Subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk Don't forget you can now download and subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk on iTunes today! The podcast can also be found on Stitcher Smart Radio now. We're also available in the Google Play Store and NOW ON SPOTIFY! As always we'd love your feedback about our podcast! You can email the show at [email protected]. We'd love for you to join us on our Facebook page as well! Like us at Facebook.com/CincinnatiSoccerTalk.

The gang recaps the Orange and Blue back to back home losses, including HIR part two. FOR MORE CST CONTENT VISIT US ONLINE https://cincinnatisoccertalk.com SUPPORT CINCINNATI SOCCER TALK TODAY! https://cincinnatisoccertalk.com/support SUBSCRIBE TO CINCY SOCCER TALK! iTunes: http://cincinnatisoccertalk.com/itunes Stitcher: http://cincinnatisoccertalk.com/stitcher TuneIN: http://cincinnatisoccertalk.com/tunein RSS: http://cincinnatisoccertalk.com/rssfeed Twitter: / cincysoccertalk Facebook: / cincinnatisoccertalk Instagram: / cincysoccertalk

The last time Hell descended upon Ohio, the Crew scored the vital home win over a Cincinnati squad with a shoddy away form. This time around, Columbus comes back to the scene of their harshest derby defeat. Both Ohio-based teams are struggling to make the MLS Cup playoffs again. However, while FC Cincinnati is struggling, Columbus might be peaking at the right time. The offense has been burning fuel at an impressive pace, but can they go full throttle without risking combustion in the defending half? We talk with Michael Arace, former beat writer for the Columbus Dispatch and founder of The Disrespected, to view the Buckeye State chess board. Can FC Cincinnati stop this rising tide? Have the Crew done enough to overcome this season's insufficiencies? Tune in and trade threads with us! #MLS #FCCincinnati #soccer Check out The Disrespected's website and YouTube channel for Crew coverage! Become a Patron! Subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk Don't forget you can now download and subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk on iTunes today! The podcast can also be found on Stitcher Smart Radio now. We're also available in the Google Play Store and NOW ON SPOTIFY! As always we'd love your feedback about our podcast! You can email the show at [email protected]. We'd love for you to join us on our Facebook page as well! Like us at Facebook.com/CincinnatiSoccerTalk.