FC Cincinnati's stars come out in rout of Inter Miami

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Gerardo Valenzuela scores first professional goal against Inter Miami

Gerardo Valenzuela scores first professional goal against Inter Miami

Updated: Jul 6, 2024, 10:15 pm

Yuya Kubo scored twice, while Luciano Acosta had a goal with two assists, as FC Cincinnati used their four-goal first half to rout visiting Inter Miami 6-1 on Saturday and vault them into first place in the Supporters' Shield standings.

In the marquee match of the MLS season to date, Kubo scored 10 minutes in, while Acosta converted on 36, then assisted with Pavel Bucha's strike two minutes later.

Yamil Asad scored just before the break, and Kubo's 57th-minute goal and Gerardo Valenzuela's first career tally in the 72nd kept the party going for FC Cincinnati (15-4-3, 48 points), which matched a franchise high for goals while winning their third straight -- and 12th in 14 matches -- to move one point ahead of Miami in the overall league standings.

Sergii Kryvtsov scored in the 21st minute for Miami (14-4-5, 47 points), which had won four straight while stars Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez are away on international duty.

Miami was also without key contributor Jordi Alba (yellow-card accumulation) on Saturday, and the nightmare evening got worse when it went down to 10 men around the hour mark via Sergio Busquets' consecutive yellow cards.

FC Cincinnati players celebrate after scoring a goal against Inter Miami in MLS.
FC Cincinnati players celebrate after scoring a goal against Inter Miami in MLS.
USA Today Images

Following a third-minute Miami corner, FCC applied pressure on Miami keeper Drake Callender. Kubo converted on a perfectly centered cross from Luca Orellano (two assists) off the hand of a sliding Callender.

However, Miami leveled 11 minutes later, via its fifth corner of the night, on Kryvtsov's brilliant glancing header off Julian Gressel's service.

Acosta, however, showed why he's poised to repeat as MLS MVP. Via some dazzling footwork in the box, Acosta drove home a left-footed drive for his 50th career goal in all competitions with Cincinnati and a 2-1 home-side edge.

Two minutes later, Acosta delivered a low-lining corner ball onto the right foot of Bucha, who stung it by a hesitant Callender.

Cincinnati capped its remarkably dominant first half when a patient Asad unleashed a strike into the opposite corner of the net in the third minute of extra time.

The loss ended Miami's 7-0-1 road run.

Cincinnati made 15 shot attempts, 10 on goal, while Miami had 10 and four. Callender had four saves, Cincinnati's Roman Celentano made three.