Oh What A Night!

Wednesday, June 15, 2017, is a date that will go down as nothing short of legendary in the history of FC Cincinnati. The young upstart franchise that started play a little more than a year ago faced instate rival and Major League Soccer member Columbus Crew SC in the fourth round of the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. It was a David vs. Goliath matchup as the United Soccer League's FCC attempted to pull off the improbable upset over the 2002 Open Cup champs in front of a record setting crowd of over 30,000 people at Nippert Stadium. To date, this was single biggest game in the history of the franchise as they were playing one of the founding members of MLS, the very league FCC is trying to join. Add to that the 30,000 plus fans in attendance and the fact that this was the first time the two Ohio soccer teams ever played each other, and you had the makings of an electric atmosphere perfect for a soccer match.

After a scoreless first half, FCC finally broke through as Djiby Fall's header floated into the goal to send the crowd into complete pandemonium. The roar was deafening as an explosion of cheers pierced the warm humid air of Nippert Stadium. Chants of "FCC" broke out as the MLS expansion hopeful was on the verge of upsetting the Crew, a team that was established twenty years earlier than FCC. After an offensive onslaught from the Crew and six minutes of stoppage time that seemed like an eternity, the final whistle blew. FC Cincinnati had defeated Columbus Crew SC 1-0.

A second round of thunderous cheers erupted from the crowd as the lads in blue and orange celebrated the biggest victory in franchise history. The team walked around the pitch, thanking fans for attending, and the fans in turn gave them a raucous standing ovation. The victory even garnered national exposure from ESPN as Djiby's goal and head coach Alan Koch's interview were featured on Sports Center. For a team looking to join MLS, the top professional soccer league in the country, the night could not have been any better.

I am one of the 30,000 plus fans that packed Nippert Stadium to watch the first ever Ohio Derby, which is known to fans as "Hell is Real." That match is easily in my top five of greatest sporting events that I have ever attended. There was a buzz and electricity in the air the entire night that was unlike anything else I had ever experienced at a sporting event. The victory over instate rival Columbus Crew SC, the eruption of the crowd, and the fantastic atmosphere resulted in the perfect storm that clearly displayed Cincinnati as a city where professional soccer is more than welcome. I hope MLS was paying attention.