The overall leaders in MLS are back in action this weekend with a trip on the road to meet with Charlotte as Cincinnati aims to keep up their unprecedented bid for a U.S. Open Cup and MLS Cup title.
No side in the modern era have managed to win both major trophies in U.S. football, with Atlanta coming the closest back in 2017. As of now, however, Cincinnati have an easier draw with the last-placed side in the Eastern Conference for the U.S. Open Cup semi-finals, Inter Miami.
The Ohio side are sitting top of the Eastern Conference abocve Nashville by six points with just two defeats on the board. That second loss came just under three weeks ago in a 3-0 hammering from Wayne Rooney's D.C. United, but this still keeps them above every other club in the MLS across both conferences.
Alongside this, Cincinnati have won 13 times and drawn five other games in MLS with 31 goals seeing them sit as the fifth-highest scorers in the top North American league, while their 21 goals let in is only bettered by Nashville's record of 21.
The league leaders did draw 2-2 with New England Revolution last time out, and this now means two winless games in a row after the defeat to D.C. United. Dominique Badji scored twice in the draw with New England, and he also scored in the club's last win in MLS when they defeated Toronto 3-0 at home with a goal each from Santiago Arias and Luciano Acosta.
Cincinnati have also drawn with Vancouver Whitecaps in the last few weeks and this now means the club have won just one of their past four games in MLS.
As for Charlotte, they remain outside of the top nine playoff spots with 25 points from 21 games that has seen them let in the most goals in the Eastern Conference with 36 going in. The club drew for the seventh time during the week in a 1-1 draw with New York City, and this was their fourth draw in a row after also drawing with Montreal, New York Red Bulls and Seattle Sounders - they've let in six goals in this time and scored the same amount as well.
Prior to this, Charlotte lost to Columbus Crew and Philadelphia Union, which now means their last win was in a 1-0 victory away to LA Galaxy at the end of May.