FC Cincinnati Recap 2020

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone recaps the 2020 FC Cincinnati season. 

Welcome to FC Cincinnati, Jaap Stam!

FC Cincinnati’s fifth season may currently be on hold, but that did not stop the team from naming a new head coach before play resumed. Jaap Stam was officially introduced as the club’s new manager, the team’s fifth in as many years. Stam takes over as head coach following the dismissal of Ron Jans earlier this year. 

Stam comes to FC Cincinnati with some coaching experience under his belt. He was the head coach of Reading from June 2016 to March 2018 and PEC Zwolle from December 2018 to May 2019. Stam looks to right the FCC ship after the team started the season with an 0-2-0 record. Assuming the season restarts and star player Jurgen Locadia is still with the orange and blue, Stam might have the greatest chance to succeed in MLS compared to the team’s previous head coaches. The 2020 FCC roster is unquestionably better than the inaugural team of last season and with proper guidance, could be a good squad.

As I write this, MLS and the Major League Soccer Players Association are reportedly working on a new collective bargaining agreement which could lead to the resumption of the sport in America. Early reports say that the MLS might conduct the rest of the 2020 season in Orlando, Florida via a tournament. Should that tournament come to fruition, Stam will have the opportunity to endear himself to FCC fans everywhere by leading the team to a tournament title. 

FC Cincinnati 2020 Season Outlook

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone previews the 2020 FC Cincinnati season.

Getting Closer...

 A few weeks ago, FC Cincinnati’s last piece in its Major League Soccer expansion bid seemingly fell into place when both Cincinnati Public Schools and Cincinnati City Council approved a deal that made the West End the future site of an FCC soccer specific stadium. FCC appeared to have all the boxes checked. Fan support and a strong ownership group were there from the beginning. However, the stadium situation was a total mess. It rotated form Oakley to the West End to Newport to no sites are in play back to the West End. Despite all the drama, a stadium deal was secured and speculation that MLS would vote on FCC’s bid at the next board of governor’s meeting ran rampant. Ultimately no vote took place although MLS did issue a statement that appeared to have singled out FCC as the frontrunner.

Fast forward to April 29 when FCC general manager Jeff Berding and team owner Carl Linder III were spotted in Los Angeles at LAFC’s stadium opener. Taylor Twellman of ESPN said he believed Berding and Linder were there to meet with MLS and that he would be “shocked” if FC Cincinnati was not announced as the next MLS expansion team in 10-14 days. FC Cincinnati then released a statement on May 2 that sounded as if it contradicted Twellman.

The club acknowledged that they met with MLS but also noted that they still had to finalize various legal agreements with CPS, the city of Cincinnati, Hamilton County, the Port Authority, and Nippert Stadium. Apparently once everything is signed and finalized, the bid will be complete and ready for review by MLS. The franchise also stated that they are scheduling a visit to Cincinnati by MLS commissioner Don Garber and other MLS officials. While this visit may be to inspect the stadium site, the statement also noted that Garber and company will meet with club ownership.

While the statement that FCC issued is not great, it is good. Trying to read between the lines, it appears that FCC needs a few signatures on its agreements with the city and CPS among others in order to fully cement them as finished. MLS has been burned by stadium situations in the past so it makes sense that the league would want everything in place before an expansion bid is granted. The statement about Nippert Stadium seems to suggest that FCC could begin MLS play in 2019 should it receive the bid and if Nippert is approved as a temporary venue until the stadium is built. The other statement that popped out at me was that Garber and league officials will meet with club ownership. If the visit were to just inspect the site, I think that would have been mentioned. In fact, the West End site is not mentioned at all in the statement. Could the visit be to iron the out last details of the bid and schedule an MLS announcement? Only time will tell.

No End in Sight

 I knew that waiting for an announcement from Major League Soccer would take some time, but I did not think it would be this excruciatingly long. What was supposed to be announced before Christmas spilled into January. MLS Commissioner Don Garber said an announcement would be made before the start of the 2018 MLS season, and FC Cincinnati general manager Jeff Berding said he expected an announcement by the end of February. The waiting game was seemingly almost finished. The end was in sight. Then FC Cincinnati as well as the other two expansion cities of Detroit and Sacramento were hit with some news in the form of a Sports Illustrated article by Brian Straus.

In the article, MLS president and deputy commissioner Mark Abbott said, “We don’t have, and don’t need to have, a fixed deadline, and we will wait until all of the necessary elements are in place before selecting the next club.” In other words, keep waiting. As a diehard FC Cincinnati fan who wants to see this team compete in MLS, this quote was like a dagger to the heart. After months of waiting and scouring the internet for any piece of MLS expansion news, I was told to sit tight. In my opinion, MLS has botched this entire expansion process. It makes the league look bad, and it is also making my beloved soccer team look bad as well.

FC Cincinnati is currently trying to finalize its stadium situation. The club continually says that Oakley, the West End, and Newport are all still in play. At the time that this post was written, Beridng is preparing to present the results of the Oakley site traffic, the West End is nearing Civil War status as heated arguments that pit anti stadium residents against club and stadium supporters has been a hot topic in the news, and the Newport site remains untouched and seemingly off the radar. The soccer stadium, which will only be built should the franchise get the bid, is a huge topic of debate and has cast the team in a negative light. Despite the stadium fiasco that surrounds FCC, there was a bit of good news to come from that Sports Illustrated article that gives me hope.

Abbott said, “Although we haven’t finalized any deals and all of the finalist markets remain under consideration, we’ve made the most progress in Cincinnati.”  That is obviously very good news if you’re an FCC fan. That statement makes it seem like FCC is the front-runner for MLS expansion. The ownership group is there, the passionate fan base is there, and the stadium is almost there but ultimately remains a work in progress. If the franchise can lock down a stadium site, hopefully their bid will be considered complete and warrant a visit to the Queen City from Don Garber. Until that day, there is seemingly no end in sight for the MLS expansion waiting game.

So Where Exactly is the Stadium Going?

I woke up at 6:45 in the morning last Tuesday and immediately reached for my phone. I turned off its alarm, checked the traffic conditions, and opened the Twitter app. I typed “FC Cincinnati” into the search bar and started browsing for any hint of Major League Soccer expansion news. Instead of seeing the typical speculation and rumors regarding the MLS bid, the big story that everybody was talking about was how FCC may now build the stadium in the West End.

Needless to say, this elicited a big groan from me. I love FC Cincinnati and want to see them get into MLS, but I thought we had finished all the stadium location drama. With the league set to make an expansion announcement before the season starts in March, the clock is ticking for FC Cincinnati to finalize whatever rumored stadium snag is holding up their bid.

I thought the traffic study and the need for additional public funding for the infrastructure were the reasons why Don Garber has not yet visited the Queen City. With news of FCC still pursuing the West End, this makes me wonder if MLS does not like the Oakley site. I know Jeff Bearding has said that the Oakley site is a suitable location, but is it really? If it is, why is Bearding still saying that the other locations are still in play?

I know a lot of people are part of the “Build It Here” movement, which I think is totally stupid, but is building it north of the Ohio River worth FCC not securing the bid?  I have always thought and continue to believe that Newport is the perfect spot for the stadium. It definitely is close to an urban core and would be close to Paul Brown Stadium and Great American Ball Park. It is in walking distance from both the banks and the levee and the land is seemingly shovel ready.

So where is the stadium going? Nobody knows at this point. If you would have asked me before the 23^rd of January, I would have said Oakley. Now I have no idea. I just want FCC to finalize the stadium plan. I don’t care if it is in Oakley, the West End, Newport, or my back yard, just cement the stadium plan and bring MLS to Cincinnati.

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

For FC Cincinnati fans, Tom Petty’s words ring true. FC Cincinnati presented their bid to Major League Soccer in hopes of becoming an expansion team in December. So was their pitch good enough to earn the Queen City an MLS expansion team? Nobody knows. We are still waiting.

MLS had originally planned to announce both expansion teams before the holidays. After Nashville was selected on December 20, MLS changed their stance and said that the next expansion team will be announced some time before the 2018 season starts in March. While that is not necessarily bad news, it isn’t really good news either. What it means is that FC Cincinnati is not eliminated from consideration, but they have not been selected either.

The reason for the league’s announcement change is because apparently Cincinnati, Sacramento, and Detroit still have work to do on their bids. Detroit is considered a long shot after presenting Ford Field as their home stadium. Sacramento is in need of more money and has issued a public plea for an owner or ownership group to join the franchise. For Cincinnati, the stadium situation is believed to be the only thing holding back their bid. A site and some of the funding have been secured, but more funding is needed from the public for the infrastructure surrounding the stadium and rumors continue to swirl that Oakley may not be the final stadium site.

Another rumor that gained a lot of traction on Twitter and Reddit was that MLS was going to issue a press release on January 9 stating that an expansion announcement would be made on either January 10 or 11. As I type this, it is currently 5:46 PM on January 9, and no press release from the league has been issued. On January 8, MLS spokesman Dan Courtemanche released a statement saying, “We do not have an update at this time.” While an announcement can still be made this week, judging by Courtemanche’s statement it seems highly unlikely that MLS Commissioner Don Garber will be making a trip to Cincinnati before week's end.

I have been checking Twitter for MLS expansion news constantly ever since the 2017 FC Cincinnati season ended and it only got worse in the weeks leading up to the bid presentation. To say I am obsessed is an understatement. I check Twitter for updates when I wake up, during my lunch break at work, when I get home from work, before I got to bed, and everywhere in between.

There have been some updates on the United Soccer League side for FC Cincinnati to hold me over until MLS makes an announcement. The team has been signing players at a rapid pace as a major roster overhaul is currently underway to help the team be more competitive for the 2018 USL season. They also sold more than 15,000 season tickets before the end of 2017 and are currently shooting for 20,000 before the start of the season. As for a potential MLS update, I, like the rest of the  FC Cincinnati fan base, will continue to wait and obsessively check the internet for updates. Hopefully the MLS expansion announcement, whenever it happens, will be worth the wait.

Evaluating FC Cincinnati's MLS Bid

On December 6, FC Cincinnati made their pitch to Major League Soccer as to why they should be chosen to be awarded an MLS expansion bid. Ever since the team was founded in the summer of 2015, it made no secret that its true goal was to join the ranks of the best American soccer teams in MLS. After a successful first season in 2016 that saw FC Cincinnati knocking on the door of MLS, the franchise seemingly kicked the door off its hinges in 2017. Their incredible Open Cup run during the summer of 2017 garnered unprecedented media coverage for a USL team from news outlets all around the world and many people tagged FCC as a favorite to win an MLS expansion bid. They appear to have all the boxes checked for Don Garber and MLS to award Cincinnati an expansion bid, but when compared to other candidates, there are some categories where it seems FCC falls short. In this post, I will discuss some of the factors that could hurt FCC’s expansion bid that as well as some of the factors that could bolster it.

Let’s start with some of the factors against FCC’s MLS bid. Unlike Sacramento and Nashville, FCC’s stadium situation is still murky. A lengthy debate between the franchise, the city, and the county as to who will pay for the stadium was finally settled on November 29. The team announced they will privately pay for the entire stadium and was seeking about $75 million for the infrastructure. The city agreed to pay $37 million with the county agreeing to pay $15 million for a parking garage. That leaves a gap of about $23 million between what is available and FCC’s initial estimate. Also, Oakley is a few minutes north of downtown Cincinnati. I am not sure if that is considered to be close enough to an “urban core” as MLS would have liked. Personally, I thought that Newport was the best option for a stadium as it would have been just across from Great American Ball Park and the revitalized banks area, which sit on the opposite side of the Ohio River. According to FCC general manager Jeff Berding, Oakley may not even be the final location for the stadium and it may move if FCC is awarded the bid. This uncertain stadium plan definitely plays against FC Cincinnati and could really prove to be detrimental should MLS choose another city. Another factor against the bid is the relatively small media market. Cincinnati is one of the smaller media markets in the country and that could influence the decision of MLS as a smaller media market usually means less eyes are watching.

There are also many reasons that as to why FCC should be promoted to MLS. The passion that the city has for this team is second to none in the USL and will only grow if FCC is promoted to MLS. They obliterated attendance records and were on par with attendance numbers of MLS teams. They even outdrew the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball. Fans packed Nippert Stadium for matches in 2016 and attracted national attention for the record setting numbers that were set during the team’s incredible Open Cup run that saw both Don Garber and Sunil Gulati in attendance for the team’s semifinal match against the New York Red Bulls. The fact that those two attended the match is also a huge boost to FCC’s MLS asperations because they are arguably the two most powerful men in American soccer. Garber is the MLS commissioner and Gulati is the president of the United States Soccer Federation. They both witnessed in person the passion that Cincinnati has for FCC and that unquestionably left an impact on them. Other people associated with MLS have even stated that FC Cincinnati would be a great expansion team such as ESPN commentator Taylor Twellman and New York Red Bulls coach Jesse Marsch. Aside from the passionate fans and the well earned national attention, FC Cincinnati has a dedicated ownership group that is putting up to $350 million dollars to pay the expansion fee and build a soccer specific stadium. That is one of the greatest stadium deals of all time and a clear indicator that team owner Carl Linder III is fully committed to the franchise. FCC has also secured a 10 year MLS jersey sponsorship deal with Mercy Health that is worth about $5 million a year. Another noteworthy factor is the future of Columbus Crew SC. Should the Crew leave Ohio for Texas, there will be no MLS team in the buckeye state. That void could be filled by FC Cincinnati. If the Crew winds up staying in Ohio, then the already fiery “Hell is Real” rivalry between the Crew and FCC could be taken to a new level if both teams are in MLS and play on a regular basis.

In conclusion, there are many factors that hurt and boost FCC’s chances of obtaining an MLS expansion bid. Clearly there are more beneficial aspects of FCC’s expansion bid, and I feel like they the perfect team to join the highest league of professional soccer in the country. The only things that could hold them back are the small market size and the relatively shaky stadium deal. However, market size should not play that big of a role as fans will most likely continue to show up to matches and watch on television. The stadium plan, while not finalized, can be perfected. There is some public funding in place for the infrastructure should the team decide to break ground in Oakley, and Newport is still available should FCC decide to move the stadium closer to downtown Cincinnati. The good does outweigh the bad though as the passionate fan support, dedication displayed by the owner, and the national attention have helped make FCC the biggest Cincinnati sports story of 2017. FC Cincinnati captured lightening in a bottle and Major League Soccer should capitalize on that by granting the franchise and the city of Cincinnati an expansion bid.

MLS to Cincy!

The Final Four

On November 29, Major League Soccer announced its four candidates for MLS expansion. Cincinnati, Detroit, Nashville, and Sacramento were named as the four candidates that will present their bids to MLS on December 6 in hopes of attaining an expansion team. MLS has stated that two teams will be selected to begin play by the 2020 season as teams 25 and 26.

As a diehard FC Cincinnati fan who has been following this journey to MLS ever since the club was established in the summer of 2015, this is very exciting news. FC Cincinnati could be just a few weeks away from being announced as an MLS expansion team. On the other hand, it is pretty scary as the new capital of American soccer could be on the outside looking in if MLS decides not to award Cincinnati an expansion bid.

There are many reasons why FCC should be awarded the bid, but there are also a few reasons why MLS might pass on giving Cincinnati an expansion team. I will go into detail on those reasons in another post. As for now though, it is very exciting that Cincinnati was named as a finalist. Out of the other three finalists, the only city that I would consider a “lock” is Sacramento. I believe they have a stadium deal in place and are second only to FCC in terms of USL attendance. They are also the only team that is considered to be in the west. That is favorable for them as many people, myself included, think MLS will grant expansion bids to one city in the west and one in the east.

In the east, Cincinnati is contending with Detroit and Nashville. A few weeks ago, Detroit’s bid seemed to be dead as they announced plans to use Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions of the National Football League, as their soccer stadium. MLS insists on having a soccer specific stadium so I was surprised to hear that Detroit was still in running. Nashville is perceived to be a real threat to Cincinnati’s MLS bid as they have a soccer stadium deal cemented. While that is a big requirement by MLS, there are other factors that go against Nashville. Unlike FC Cincinnati, Nashville has not yet taken to the pitch as they are slated to start USL play in 2018. There is no proven fan base for soccer in that city and no point of reference for MLS to gauge how well received soccer will be in Nashville.

In conclusion, FCC is up against Detroit, Sacramento, and Nashville for one of two MLS expansion bids. To me, the only team that is guaranteed to be promoted to MLS is Sacramento in the west with the other three teams battling it out for the eastern slot. I am both excited and nervous and I hope to hear good news from Don Garber when he announces which two cities will be awarded MLS expansion teams by the end of the year.

The Run Continues

FC Cincinnati’s legendary run in the 2017 U.S. Lamar Hunt Open Cup will continue after they defeated Miami FC of the NASL in the quarterfinals last Wednesday. After the first half ended with both teams scoreless, FCC took a 1-0 lead when Djiby Fall scored off a pass from Justin Hoyte. It was the only goal of the game and the only goal the team needed as FCC managed to hold off Miami FC’s offensive onslaught late in the game to move onto a semifinal matchup with the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer on August 15.

For FCC, the Red Bulls will be the third MLS team they have face in their last four Open Cup matches. They previously defeated Columbus Crew SC 1-0 and the Chicago Fire 3-1 on penalty kicks. Both games were in front of raucous crowds of over 30,000 at Nippert Stadium. Their win against Miami has given them the chance for another monumental victory in front of the hometown crowd. Not only is a trip to the Open Cup Finals on the line, but a third straight win over an MLS team would amplify the already thunderous buzz FCC has created for themselves in American soccer and further strengthen their case to be selected as an MLS expansion team.

I love this team and have been following them since they were established in the summer of 2015. Aside from seeing the Reds win the World Series and the Bengals win the Super Bowl, there is nothing I want more when it comes to sports than for FCC to join MLS. They have been hitting all the right buttons as a franchise, and the Open Cup has given them a national stage to prove that they are MLS ready. Hopefully they can muster up some more Open Cup magic on the 15^th and continue this incredible ride.

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.

The Stadium Plan

A few weeks ago, FC Cincinnati made it known that they are indeed looking to build a soccer specific stadium for the franchise. FC Cincinnati has said multiple times that having a soccer specific stadium or a plan to build a soccer specific is necessary in order for the MLS bid to be successful. So where could the stadium be built?

FC Cincinnati has announced three potential sites. Over-the-Rhine, Oakley, and Newport are all the running to be the host area for a soccer specific stadium. All are viable options for the franchise as they are relatively close to the downtown area and the heart of Cincinnati.

How the stadium will be funded is another topic of discussion as the general consensus is that the city does not want to raise taxes or issue another tax that will go toward the stadium. According to FC Cincinnati, the franchise is investing 250 million dollars of its own money into the MLS process, which includes the stadium. 150 millions dollars would go to the MLS expansion fee and the other 100 million would go toward building the stadium. The stadium could cost more than the 100 million FC Cincinnati plans to set aside for it, but the team has been steadfast in saying they are not seeking to increase taxes to help build the stadium.

That is all we know of the FC Cincinnati Stadium plan. They have three sites in mind for the stadium and 100 million dollars set aside to build it. Personally, I am all for the stadium. Nippert Stadium on the campus of the University of Cincinnati is fine for now, but MLS requires a soccer specific stadium and I want to see FC Cincinnati elevated to MLS. While I would love to see Newport be selected, I would be fine with any of the three locations just as long as they are selected to join MLS.

New Year, New FC Cincy Show

With FC Cincinnati’s second season in the USL officially underway, the FC Cincinnati radio show is back and with a new format. Now known as the “Toyota FC Cincinnati Fan Show,” the ESPN 1530 radio program will once again air from 6:00 to 7:00 pm at the Moerlein Lager House two Wednesdays a month.

Tommy Gelehrter will return as host and will be joined ESPN 1530’s Mo Egger. While last year’s show was mainly an interview segment with a featured player, this year’s version is emphasizing fan engagement. There will be trivia, prizes that range from jerseys to match tickets, and the opportunity to obtain autographs from featured players. New head coach Alan Koch will also be featured on the show.

I went to last year’s show a few times throughout the season and had a good time. I was able to get autographs from former head coach John Harkes and a few of the players from last year’s team every time I went. With the increased emphasis on fan engagement, this year’s show sounds like it could be a lot better. If you are an FC Cincinnati fan, I highly recommend you go. I will try to go to a few shows this year and show my support for FC Cincinnati while getting some new autographs and hopefully winning some FC Cincy prizes.

Bobblehead Page Update

#Bobblehead Page Update @ https://t.co/f6kg2Fon2e With a New #Reds Nodder#BobbleheadAddicts #BobbleHOF #FCCincy pic.twitter.com/S3v8WQHe1R

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) July 3, 2016

Photo Page Update

Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/JzwEdxiFEu With #CINvBST Pics#FCCincy #Reds #Bengals #USL #CINvsWSH #FCCincinnati pic.twitter.com/bUxElzdYjL

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) July 3, 2016

Photo Page Update

Photo Page Update @ https://t.co/yzF6TznxxM With #CINvTOR Pics#FCCincy #TFCII #NBAFinals #Reds #Bengals #USL #MLB pic.twitter.com/n8IKTue3Be

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) June 19, 2016

Meet The FC Cincy Team

With the Cincinnati Reds and the Cincinnati Bengals having multiple opportunities for fans to meet and get autographs form their favorite players, it was only a matter of time until Cincinnati’s newest team, FC Cincinnati, had some sort of way for fans to connect with the team. The Bengals have Bengals Line, Beyond the Stripes, Bengals Nation, and Bengals Pep Rally, and the Reds have Reds Hot Stove and Redsfest. FC Cincinnati now has a show of their own.

On Tuesdays at the Moerlein Lage House, ESPN 1530 presents the Coach John Harkes show. The show features host Tom Gelehrter interviewing FC Cincinnati head coach John Harkes and a guest player. Past guest players have included goalkeeper Mitch Hildebrandt and midfielder Jimmy McLaughlin. The interviews are very well done and interesting, and they usually feature a segment in which fans can ask the coach and the player a question in person or via twitter. You can also get autographs from Harkes and the guest player during commercial breaks.

I have been to two of these shows already, and I find them to be quite enjoyable. You get to gain insight on how the game of soccer is viewed by the head coach and the players, and you get autographs for free, which is always great. The Moerlein Lager House has also brewed a special FC Cincinnati beer. I haven’t tried it yet but have only heard good things about it. The atmosphere is great, and you will definitely have a fun time. I highly recommend going and supporting FC Cincinnati.

FC “clap” “clap” Cincy!

Autograph Page Update

#Autograph Page Update @ https://t.co/oiRAWLpVYr With a New #FCCincy Autograph#FCCincinnati #USL #MLS #soccer pic.twitter.com/3d2zxNloYk

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) April 27, 2016

Photo Page Update

Pic Page Update @ https://t.co/yzF6TznxxM With #FCCincy Pics#FCC #FCCincinnati #CINvWIL #USL #MLS #soccer #sports pic.twitter.com/EgqZrUbO5t

— Cincy Fan Zone (@CincyFanZone) April 27, 2016

Jim Maloney Bobblehead Unboxing and More

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Jim Maloney bobblehead and shows what he got from the Cincinnati Reds Opening Night game and the inaugural FC Cincinnati home opener.