CINCINNATI, Ohio — FC Cincinnati clinched a berth in the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs with a 1-0 win over the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, October 31, at TQL Stadium — the club’s fifth consecutive postseason appearance, according to FC Cincinnati’s official match report.
The game’s only goal came in the 70th minute. FC Cincinnati reported that Ayoub Jabbari, who had entered the match just six minutes earlier as a substitute, tapped in a rebound after Philadelphia goalkeeper Andre Blake dove to stop a shot from Evander, who had come on at halftime. The goal was Jabbari’s third of the MLS season and his fifth in all competitions since joining the club late last season, per the club.
Goalkeeper Roman Celentano made six saves to record his fourth clean sheet of the season and the 49th of his FC Cincinnati career, according to the club’s report. The announced attendance at TQL Stadium was 24,013 on a clear, 65-degree afternoon, per the club’s game report.
The Cincinnati Enquirer reported the win improved Cincinnati to 12-11-10 with 46 points, good for seventh place in the Eastern Conference, one point behind sixth-place Philadelphia (13-12-8, 47 points). Head coach Pat Noonan told reporters, in comments reported by The Cincinnati Enquirer, that clinching a playoff spot for the fifth straight year was an important accomplishment for the players, the club and the fans, and he praised the clean sheet and the fight his team showed on a day when the soccer was not at its best.
Jabbari told The Cincinnati Enquirer he was happy to help the team, especially with a goal that sent Cincinnati to the playoffs. The Enquirer noted Philadelphia was shut out for the second straight match despite outshooting Cincinnati 15-7, with Celentano’s six saves including a point-blank header stop in the first half.
What happens next: final seeding waits on Decision Day. FC Cincinnati closes the regular season at home against Supporters’ Shield winners Nashville SC at 4 p.m. on Saturday, November 7, at TQL Stadium, according to the club, and a win would keep the Orange and Blue in the top seven — clear of the November 18 wild-card match and straight into the best-of-three first round. Playoff ticket information is at FCCincinnati.com/Playoffs, the club said. Across the state the same afternoon, the Columbus Crew kept their own hopes alive — see our coverage of the Crew’s 3-0 win over D.C. United.
Photo: Cornfield948, CC BY-SA 3.0