FC Cincinnati loses another shootout against CF Montreal

Recent matches between FC Cincinnati and CF Montreal haven't lacked for thrills, but results for Cincinnati have become increasingly hard to come by against an opponent it once dominated.

A result eluded FC Cincinnati again against Montreal Saturday at Stade Saputo as the latest high-scoring shootout between the clubs saw FC Cincinnati fall, 4-3.

The game was the third time in the last four meetings between the clubs where at least seven goals were scored. All were matches FC Cincinnati lost, and it has also now lost two in a row after taking an initial, early lead Saturday against Montreal.

"It's a shame we can't find a way to walk off the field with at least a point," FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan said afterward. "With the chances that we created and some of the moments that we squander where we had a few good looks to finish plays off. We've got to figure out a way to get a result, and we're really hurting ourselves in key moments of the game."

The match started in ideal fashion for Cincinnati with Junior Moreno scoring his first goal for the club off an Alvaro Barreal corner kick directed goalward by Brandon Vazquez.

The Vazquez assist was his third assist of the campaign and his 10th goal contribution (seven goals, three assists).

But Montreal would then score three unanswered goals and lead, 3-1, less than a minute into the second half. A fourth goal came via a penalty kick that was awarded via video assistant referee review, and that proved too steep of a deficit for Cincinnati to overcome.

More: Notebook: Brenner available for FC Cincinnati against Montreal

More: The latest on Cincinnati's bid to host FIFA World Cup matches

More: Gregg Berhalter on USMNT future for FC Cincinnati's Brandon Vazquez: 'He's close'

Cincinnati's lead lasted just 10 minutes before an unmarked Joel Waterman scored off a Montreal corner kick.

Then came a calamitous end to the first half in which Romell Quioto took the ball off FCC goalkeeper Roman Celentano as he attempted to take possession with his hands.

When the ball squirted loose, and with center back Nick Hagglund and right back Alvas Powell sprawled out on the turf, Quioto had a simple tap-in to give Montreal a lead in the 45th minute.

FC Cincinnati was then caught off-guard less than 30 seconds into the second half as Kei Kamara flicked a centering feed from the wing through to Mathieu Choinière, who rippled the netting of Celentano's net for a 3-1 lead.

"Lack of concentration and certainly execution in certain ways," Noonan said when asked about Montreal's second and third goals. "We let them get in behind right before the break. We still had three guys to be able to deal with a scramble that allows them to just walk the ball into the goal.

"Beginning of the half – something we addressed even at the half, making sure we started off strong and find a way to get the next goal in the game. We concede within a minute, so, wish I had a better answer right now for these moments where we're conceding goals and being too easy to score on."

The goals were plenty damaging to Cincinnati's efforts on the night but as has become customary when Cincinnati and Montreal meet, the game was far from decided with 44 minutes still to be played.

Eight minutes after Montreal jumped FCC for the 3-1 lead, Alvaro Barreal cut the deficit to one when he side-footed home from about 12 yards,

Barreal's goal was his second of the MLS season and fifth in all competitions. He ran onto a pass from Luciano Acosta, whose assist was his sixth of the year and his 11th goal contribution.

Seven minutes after Barreal's goal, though, Quioto snuck a penalty-kick off Celentano's hands and into the net.

The penalty kick was awarded for a handball in Cincinnati's penalty area by Hagglund. The handball wasn't initially called but was confirmed after a video review of the play.

Noonan called the handball "unfortunate."

Moreno scored for 4-3 just four minutes later off a feed from Brenner Souza da Silva, who played in his first game since May 4.

For Moreno, a defensive midfielder, the two-goal performance was the first of his MLS career.

"I was happy to score. I'm not that happy because we lose the game and we cannot help win the (game)," Moreno said, "but happy to make those two scores for the team."

But that was the end of FC Cincinnati's scoring. Further close chances went begging over the final period of the contest, but Noonan's side couldn't summon an equalizer.

FC Cincinnati's 6-7-1 record, while good enough for a playoff spot as the midway point in the season approaches, seemed to leave Noonan nonplussed when he was asked to react to the club's results so far this season.

"I think the record is fair based on the performances and certain areas where we're just not executing enough to be more consistent with the results," Noonan said. "We certainly had a nice stretch defensively that allowed us to go on a run but we've lost that the last couple games. But when you look at how we've missed out on some points, I would say there's frustration in the sense that we could be in a better place than we are."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: FC Cincinnati loses another shootout against CF Montreal