An Unforgettable Night

March 17, 2019, will go down in history as one of the best nights in the history of FC Cincinnati. The team had its inaugural Major League Soccer home opening match in front of a sold crowd at Nippert Stadium. 32,250 people not only witnessed FCC take to the pitch as an MLS team in Cincinnati for the first time, but they also saw the lads in orange and blue shutout the defending MLS Western Conference Champions Portland Timbers 3-0. It was an unforgettable night and truly one of the most exciting and fun sporting events I have ever attended. 

This night truly had a big league feel when compared to previous United Soccer League matches I had attended in the past. The march to the stadium by the Bailey seemingly stretched for miles and miles and was louder than in years past. Skydivers descended upon the stadium with one towing an American flag. Gary the Lion, the team’s mascot, stood on a stone pillar and was pumping up the crowd as FCC’s MLS flag was raised. Fireworks lit up the sky during the National Anthem and once again moments before kickoff. It was as much a spectacle as the actual match.

After being dominated in a week 1 loss to Seattle Sounders FC and seemingly finding their groove in a week 2 draw against Atlanta United FC, FCC came out with a new energy against the Portland Timbers and were in control for a majority of the match. The blue and orange took their first ever lead when captain Kendall Waston headed in a ball in the first half that sent the sold out crowd into a frenzy as chants of “FCC” echoed throughout Nippert Stadium. Allan Cruz extended the lead with one of the best goals in team history as he backfooted a ball into the corner of the net in the second half to give FCC a 2-0 lead over the Timbers. Minutes later, Mathieu Deplagne scored to extend the FCC lead to 3-0. Spencer Richey turned in a brilliant performance as goalkeeper and earned a clean sheet as FCC notched their first ever MLS win.

As a diehard FCC fan, I could not have asked for a better night. The atmosphere was comparable to that of a playoff game, the pregame festivities had a true big league feel, and the performance by the team on the field was nearly flawless. The hype for FCC’s first ever MLS home opener was off the charts high, and the newest franchise in Major League Soccer not only lived up to it but surpassed it by miles in my opinion. I was at the team’s very first home opener during its United Soccer League days in 2016, and I had a blast at the game. Their first ever MLS home opener blew that game out of the water, and I can honestly say it was one of the best sporting events I have ever attended. Well done, FCC. With the eyes of the professional soccer world watching, you showed why Cincinnati is Soccer City, USA, and created a night that will be forever etched in the minds of the FC Cincinnati faithful. 

A Really Stupid Requirement

If you have been following FC Cincinnati’s attempt to attain a Major League Soccer expansion bid, then you know all about the argument dealing with where to build FCC’s proposed soccer specific stadium and who should pay for it. It is arguably the biggest sports story of the year as FCC’s fate as a potential MLS expansion team could live and die on whether or not the franchise can cement a stadium plan. In my opinion, the fact that MLS prefers soccer specific stadiums is really stupid.

As far as I know, they are the only American professional sports league that has a stadium requirement. Major League Baseball and the National Football League have shared stadiums and the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League share arenas. I know for a fact that some MLS teams have played in NFL stadiums. For example, Atlanta United FC shares Mercedes-Benz Stadium with the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL and had over 70,000 fans in attendance for a match.

I realize that during the early days of MLS, teams often played in very empty football stadiums which probably prompted MLS to prefer soccer specific stadiums as they are smaller. What I do not think MLS has realized is that the sport of soccer in America has grown. Kids all over the country grow up playing it and both domestic and international matches are shown on television pretty frequently. The world’s game has become a bonafide American sport. So why would MLS want to hamper its rise by containing teams in smaller stadiums?

As a diehard FC Cincinnati fan, I want the team to finalize a soccer specific stadium plan and get an MLS bid. I don’t care how its funded or where it’s built, just as long as a plan is in place and MLS commissioner Don Garber names FC Cincinnati as an MLS expansion club. From a logical standpoint though, I cannot help but think that the requirement of a soccer specific stadium is outdated, does more harm than good, and is really stupid.