How Cincinnati went from MLS' worst to Supporters' Shield

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There is a line of thinking in managerial circles that you're not really a manager until your team has been thoroughly thumped. It's the kind of experience that can be humbling for a coach, but also galvanizing. Put another way, it's the ultimate test of how a manager keeps a group moving forward in tough circumstances.

For FC Cincinnati manager Pat Noonan, it took a mere 90 minutes for him to join that fraternity. On Feb. 26, 2022, FCC traveled to Austin FC for its season opener -- Noonan's first in charge -- and got hammered, 5-0. In its previous three years of existence, Cincinnati had been on the business end of plenty of beatdowns -- so many, in fact,…