FC Cincinnati 2 return to MLS NEXT Pro play this Sunday, May 3, against Toronto FC II at Scudamore Field at NKU Soccer Stadium at 7 p.m. ET. The Orange and Blue will take the field after a near two-week break in action. Tickets for the match, and all 2026 home matches at NKU Soccer Stadium, can be claimed through the FC Cincinnati App with a SeatGeek account.
The match will stream live on OneFootball platforms and on MLSNEXTPro.com.
FC CINCINNATI 2 vs TORONTO FC II – SUNDAY, MAY 3, 2026 – 7 P.M. ET – SCUDAMORE FIELD AT NKU SOCCER STADIUM
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FC CINCINNATI 2 NOTES
The matchup – Last season, Cincinnati and Toronto played three matches in a rather tame season series. Toronto won two of the three games played by a scoreline of 1-0, while the Orange and Blue took two points from a shootout win in the third after playing to a 1-1 draw. While Toronto holds a lead in the all-time series, Cincinnati has been a stronger team at home, picking up two wins and a draw across five meetings at Scudamore Field.
The hot hand – Cheikhou Niang scored his second goal of the season against Red Bull New York II on April 19 at MSU Soccer Park. Niang now has back-to-back goals since scoring in his debut with the Orange and Blue against New York City FC II on April 13. The two goals lead all FC Cincinnati 2 scorers on the year and the Senegalese forward will look to make it three in three matches on Sunday against Toronto.
A MLS debut – FC Cincinnati 2 defender Ayoub Lajhar made his MLS Regular Season debut last Saturday against Red Bull New York. Lajhar played 11 minutes as a second half substitute, coming on for Bryan Ramirez in the 79th minute. Lajhar is the second FC Cincinnati 2 player to make a first team MLS debut this season (Andrei Chirila, 3/15/26 at New England).
More to come at home – After a somewhat inconsistent start to the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro season, where the Orange and Blue have already seen breaks of 13 and 20 days in between consecutive matches, FCC 2 will look to establish momentum at home as the calendar heads into the summer months.
Starting with Sunday’s match against Toronto, the Orange and Blue will play 9 of their next 13 matches at home.
Scouting Toronto FC II
Record: 3-2-2 (11 points)
Standings: 7th, Eastern Conference
Last Results: 2-1 win vs New York City FC II | 1-0 win vs Philadelphia Union II | 3-3 draw – SOL (3-1) – vs Crown Legacy FC
Head Coach: Gianni Cimini
Leading Scorer: 4 – Jahmarie Nolan
Toronto FC II enter the first Matchweek of May in-form and will look to extend their current unbeaten run of matches to five games. After earning just a single point through the first three matches of the season, the Young Reds have won three of their last four which began with an emphatic 5-0 win against New York City FC on March 19.
Toronto’s 2024 MLS SuperDraft pick Fletcher Bank sparked the team’s current unbeaten run with two goals and three assists in the win against the Pigeons. Bank leads the team with seven goal contributions this season (three goals, four assists) but has yet to score or assist over the Young Reds last two matches.
The Young Reds have been one of the league’s best sides defensively in 2026, allowing just eight goals through seven games, and have held opponents scoreless in three, tied for the third most clean sheets this season. Jackson Gilman anchors the backline having played 90 minutes in each of his five appearances this season.
Zakaria Nakhly leads the goalkeeping corps with five starts this year. Nakhly signed with the Young Reds prior the start of the season following a successful training camp with the first team in Marbella, Spain. Nakhly has 18 saves this season and was in goal for two of the teams clean sheets.
