Roster Catch Up (Non-Lucho Edition)
Taking stock of some of the Orange and Blue's offseason roster moves
All data from FBref unless otherwise noted
In just two weeks, FC Cincinnati will play its first competitive game in Tegucigalpa, taking on F.C. Motagua in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The Orange and Blue’s roster isn’t finalized and might not be for some time - after all Major League Soccer’s primary transfer window doesn’t close until April 23.
We’re still waiting for a resolution to the biggest roster question mark (see: Acosta, Luciano) but Chris Albright and FCC’s front office have made some signings (or likely will soon) that will have major impacts on the Orange and Blue’s 2025 season.
They might not be as sexy as Kévin Denkey’s no-longer-record transfer or have the dramatic element of the Acosta saga but to win a MLS Cup, a roster needs to get contributions from up and down the roster. Here’s a look at some of the additions from the 2025 offseason that shore the Orange and Blue’s roster.
Ball Winning Depth
The Orange and Blue added depth to central midfield by signing Tah Brian Anunga in free agency. Anunga joins FCC from Nashville SC, where he played nearly 1,700 minutes, per American Soccer Analysis, in 2024.
A useful lens to view Anunga through is as Obinna Nwobodo-lite. In fact, FBref’s number one comparison for Anunga over the past 365 days playing in its “Next 14” leagues is Nwobodo.
Anunga should be able to step in and replicate Nwobodo’s ball winning, giving the Orange and Blue a desperately needed depth piece in the middle of the field. Having an option on the bench to play the games in which Nwobodo is unavailable, either through injury or suspension, should help ensure that the team doesn’t have to change anything too dramatically. Anunga’s presence as a ready-made Obi replacement should allow Yuya Kubo1 to be a more attacking option off the bench, either replacing an attacking midfielder or the other midfield spot which should be looking to do more going forward.
Anunga’s similarities to Nwobodo in play style extend to when the Orange and Blue will be in possession, too. In Nashville, Anunga contributed very little ball progression from his place in midfield across his five seasons. If Pat Noonan is planning on deploying Anunga and Nwobodo at the same time, FCC will have to get very creative in how to move the ball into the final third.
I’d be concerned about a hypothetical situation where the Orange and Blue are protecting a late lead and we see a Nwobodo-Anunga pairing in midfield. Although the duo would be stout defensively, their lack of forward passing and dribbling could consign FCC to its defensive third more than would be ideal.
The roster mechanics of Anunga’s signing are a good piece of business, too. In 2025, he will occupy a supplemental roster spot allowing FCC more financial and roster resources to assemble the best roster possible.
By himself, Anunga isn’t going to tilt the Orange and Blue’s fortunes in 2025. However, he’s a solid depth piece at a key position who should fit seamlessly into the team when needed. His addition will finally give Noonan an option to replace a player who will almost certainly miss time this season and, at the same time, put other rotation pieces in situations where they can more effectively impact the game.
Shifting Profile at Left Wingback
On to an addition that is, to me, one of the most interesting of the offseason. It could end up having the biggest impact on the kind of soccer we see played in the West End in the non-Lucho category.
26-year-old Lukas Engel appears to be the next player up at left wingback in the West End of Cincinnati. The Dane joins initially on loan from Middlesboro where he played sparingly this season. Last season, he was Boro’s most frequent starter at left back, logging nearly 2,500 minutes across 28 starts in 35 league appearances. This season however, Engel fell out of favor, leading to his availability to the Orange and Blue.
Engel profiles as a different kind of option at left wingback than what Albright and Noonan have come to favor over the past couple of seasons. Engel will likely not be expected to be a primary attacking outlet like Orellano and Barreal have been.
Mike Imburgio’s DAVIES, which attempts to identify roles based on statistical profiles, classifies Engel as more of deep defender than FCC has featured since 2022.2 At Boro, Engel provided some ball progression but not at the level that we’ve become accustomed to from players in the position. Nor does he appear as appear to be as threatening on the dribble but we’ve definitely been spoiled with Barreal and Orellano.
Seemingly, Engel brings a tradeoff to left wingback: attacking output for defensive solidity and flexibility. His more defensive profile could allow Noonan to play with four defenders instead of five in certain match-ups. He should also provide more defensive cover, allowing Pavel Bucha to contribute more in the final third.
Under Noonan, FCC has generally eschewed playing with a lot of width. Which is fine - crosses are generally not very good offensive options. However, the Orange and Blue will need something in the final third from Engel and DeAndre Yedlin. Providing options on the wing to drag defenders around will be key to Denkey and other attackers having space to score goals.
Some New-ish Faces at Centerback
Albright used the offseason to remake FCC’s centerback room. Gone are Ian Murphy and Chido Awaziem, traded to the Colorado Rapids. Nick Hagglund returns, joining Matt Miazga and Miles Robinson, while Teenage Hadebe should be a staple in the lineup in the West End for a full season.
Gilberto Flores recently arrived as a U22 Initiative signing from Club Libertad Asunción in the Paraguayan Primera División. A statistical evaluation of centerbacks brings less certainty than other positions. We can see how many tackles a player wins or how many interceptions they make, but without understanding the fuller context of a game (or a season), those statistics mean little. The best defenders are not always the ones who win the most tackles or intercept the most passes. They certainly can be but defenders on not-great teams are called into action far more than their counterparts on better teams.
Getting U22 Initiative signings right is a difficult proposition because the error bars on players are so much wider. It’s a lot easier to get a signing right when a player has produced against good competition for years on end. With U22s, a front office doesn’t have that luxury. Signing a player based on what you think they’ll be in a couple years is a lot more difficult to get right than bringing in a player for what they bring today.
The optimistic view would point to Albright’s previous U22 centerback signing, Yerson Mosquera, as an unmitigated success. Overall Albright and this front office have a good record on bringing in centerbacks so it’s some easier to trust the process on the Flores signing.
We might get an early view into how Flores will fare as he could be key early in the season as Miazga and Hagglund are both returning from serious leg injuries suffered in 2024.
At this point, the Orange and Blue have five centerbacks on the roster for three starting positions. With the formational flexibility that Engel offers, FCC could opt to play with just two as well, adding another option to how Noonan matches up with opponents on a game-by-game basis.
assuming he’s playing in Orange and Blue in 2025
for context, Álvaro Barreal was classified as 42% Aggressive Wide Defender and 41% Progressive Wide Defender in 2023. DeAndre Yedlin’s 2024 was 60% Aggressive Wide Defender.