Kévin Denkey, take a bow!
FC Cincinnati's club-record signing scored a magnificent bicycle kick for the eventual game-winner in Saturday's 2-1 home victory over Sporting Kansas City.
Denkey treated fans at TQL Stadium to an instant AT&T Goal of the Year candidate, acrobatically finishing Luca Orellano’s cross in the 78th minute to notch a brace and extend Cincy's MLS-best winning streak to five games.
“There are not many words to describe what he did,” FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan told reporters of the 24-year-old Togolese international's must-see strike.
"It was one of the best goals I’ve seen in person, certainly."
Marquee level
Denkey - acquired in November from Cercle Brugge of Belgium for a reported $16.2 million - now has six goals, one shy of the Philadelphia Union's Tai Baribo for the Golden Boot presented by Audi lead.
His six tallies are also level with fellow marquee offseason addition Evander, who joined from the Portland Timbers in an MLS-record trade, with both high-profile signings making an instant impact at their new clubs.
However, Cincy's offseason additions haven't been their only key contributors. Goalkeeper Roman Celentano hit the century mark of starts on Saturday and improved his winning percentage to 66.5% - tied for the highest percentage for a 'keeper in MLS history through his first 100 regular-season starts.
“It’s amazing. We knew that we are a competitive team," Denkey said in a post-match interview with Apple TV. "What’s working is the hard work, the focus, and the winning mentality we have every time we step on the field."
Beasts of the East
Denkey's latest heroics have Cincinnati atop the Eastern Conference standings with a 7W-2L-1D (22 points) record.
However, Noonan sees much room for improvement despite his squad's strong run of form.
“All in all, there were good stretches, but also times when we need to eliminate players doing too much,” Cincy's head coach said postgame. “When we simplify the game, we’re a pretty good team.
"When we overcomplicate things and guys try to do too much, every team we play will cause us trouble.”
