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. 

Gary the Lion Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes an FC Cincinnati Gary the Lion bobblehead. 

Cincinnati Reds 150th Anniversary Ken Griffey Jr. Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds 150th Anniversary Ken Griffey Jr. bobblehead.

Ted Kluszewski Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Ted Kluszewski bobblehead. 

FC Cincinnati Retro Bobble Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes an FC Cincinnati Retro Bobble bobblehead. 

Kendall Waston Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Kendall Waston bobblehead. 

FC Cincinnati 2020 Season Outlook

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

FC Cincinnati Recap 2019

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone recaps the 2019 FC Cincinnati season. 

FCC Fan Fest

Can't get enough FC Cincinnati soccer? Well the orange and blue have you covered. FCC will host their very first fan fest on August 4 at Nippert Stadium. The event is free and will start at 6 p.m.

Every player on the FCC roster will be available for autographs which is more than enough reason to go in my opinion. There will also be a kid's mini clinic as well as bubble soccer and skill challenges. Other activities include a locker room tour and playing the FIFA video game on the stadium video board.

To me, this sounds like a great experience for all FCC fans as this will be the most access to the team that the club has offered. Autograph sessions, locker room tours, and other activities should make the night a fun one. Hopefully this event becomes a yearly tradition like Redsfest has for the Cincinnati Reds. It will keep current fans engaged with the team while creating new ones at the same time.

Shaking Things Up

FC Cincinnati might only be in its fourth year of existence and first year in Major League Soccer, but the young franchise is not afraid to pull the trigger on making big moves. Following the team's loss to the San Jose Earthquakes, FCC dismissed head coach Alan Koch and named assistant coach Yoann Damet as interim head coach.

Under Koch FCC attained a record of 2 wins, 2 draws, and 7 losses totaling only 8 points in the MLS eastern standings through their first 11 games. The club had gone winless in their last seven matches in a row and had not scored in their previous five.

Signs of Koch's dismissal were pretty apparent. After the team's fell to the Philadelphia Union in a Wednesday night match, Koch said he needed additional players in order to win. The comments essentially threw FCC's front office and roster under the bus. Following the team's next loss to the Earthquakes, a few players such as Fanendo Adi voiced their frustrations with Koch's coaching style and lack of team identity. The club released a statement saying that Koch was dismissed because of "a series of recent issues and a team culture that had deteriorated."

At the time that this post was written, FCC had only played one match with Damet at the helm. The team earned a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Impact as Allan Cruz ended the club's 528 minute scoreless streak early in the first half. Fatal Alashe scored his first goal of the season in the second half. It is still early, but the team looked very different under Damet. They were passing the ball more and creating more opportunities on offense. Whether or not that is a result of Damet's style or a lack of film on it remains to be seen but for now, everything seems to be copacetic in the Queen City.

Will Damet be the permanent coach for FC Cincinnati? Let's see him coach a few more games first. Rumors are that Gerard Nijkamp has been hired by the club to be the new general manager, and he will make the final decision as to who the next head coach of FCC is. If Damet can actually turn the team around and string together some wins, then I could definitely see FCC naming him as head coach. If not, then I really hope the team conducts an international search and brings in the best coach possible that can lead this team to a future MLS Cup victory.

USMNT to the 513

Nippert Stadium has been the home of FC Cincinnati since their inaugural United Soccer League season in 2016. Fans saw the team host Crystal Palace F.C. in 2016, the memorable Open Cup victories over the Columbus Crew and Chicago Fire in 2017 were under the Nippert Stadium lights, and FCC’s first win in Major League Soccer was in front of a packed home crowd on St. Patrick’s Day 2019. This Sunday, another memorable soccer moment will happen as the United States Men’s National Team will play Venzeula in the team’s final preparation match before the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup. 

The game is set to begin at 2 PM on Sunday June 9 and marks the first ever visit to the Queen City by the USMNT. It will be broadcasted nationally on FOX and will further show why Cincinnati is Soccer City, USA. Tickets are currently on sale via ussoccer.com.

In my opinion, this is one of the coolest sporting events to come to Cincinnati. The players on the USMNT are supposed to be the best that America has to offer and getting to see them play in my own backyard is incredible. I bought tickets to this game a few weeks ago and have been counting the days until kickoff. 

I believe that we will win!

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. 

Major League Crest

Earlier in November, FC Cincinnati unveiled their new team crest in preparation for their 2019 Major League Soccer debut. The new logo has an updated appearance from its United Soccer League counterpart and features a few details that pay tribute to the city of Cincinnati. 

The overall shape of the crest is inspired from the West End which is where the team’s stadium will be built. The font used on the crest for “FC Cincinnati” is said to be both German and modern and the way Cincinnati is displayed symbolizes how the city is on the rise. The winged lion has been given an updated look and is holding a sword to show how the club is ready for battle. The crown on the lion’s head is for the Queen City, and the three tiered wing commemorates the team’s USL seasons prior to joining MLS. It’s tail is in the shape of a capital “C” for Cincinnati, and the winged lion logo was retained to showcase the franchise’s winning spirit. 

I the crest was leaked a few days before the it was officially unveiled, and it received mixed reviews from fans. Personally, I love it. It looks sleek and much more professional than the USL logo. It also features Cincinnati much more prominently than the hold crest. I think as time goes on, more people will appreciate the new crest. I will always have a soft spot for the original USL crest as that is the symbol of the team that captured the attention of the soccer world and helped propel the franchise to MLS. I will continue to wear and obtain merchandise with both logos and support the team no matter what.

Go FCC!

FC Cincinnati 2019 Season Outlook

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone previews the 2019 Major League Soccer debut season of FC Cincinnati. 

2018 Cincinnati Sports Review: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The city of Cincinnati had a very interesting year with its three professional sports teams. There was some good, some bad, and some ugly as FC Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Cincinnati Bengals all competed in their respective sports to bring a championship to the Queen City. So how was 2018 for each team? Let's take a look.

Let's start with the good. FC Cincinnati by far had the best year when compared to the Reds and the Bengals. They once again set numerous attendance records and strung together a 23 match unbeaten streak that culminated in a United Soccer League Regular Season Championship. Despite bowing out of the USL Cup playoffs in the second round, their season was a smashing success. Forrest Lasso won the USL Defender of the Year award, Emmanuel Ledesma won the USL Most Valuable Player award, and Alan Koch won the USL Coach of the Year award. The biggest prize the team won was its expansion spot in Major League Soccer. MLS officially awarded FCC an expansion franchise on May 29, 2018, and the team will begin MLS play in 2019.

Moving on to the bad, we have the Reds. 2018 was supposed to be a season that saw the team make strides and show that the rebuild was actually working. Instead it turned out to be a very forgettable season as the Redlegs once again finished at the bottom of the National League Central Division. The lack of pitching plagued the team all season as inconsistent performances from both the rotation and the bullpen proved to be the franchise's Achilles heel. The hitting on the other hand was pretty good all year as Joey Votto, Scooter Gennett, and Eugenio Suarez were the backbone of the Reds lineup and earned spots on the National League All-Star team. Jesse Winker and Scott Schebler became reliable at the plate as well and Jose Peraza showed great progress both in the field and with a bat in his hand. The team did fire Bryan Price early in the season and named Jim Riggleman as interim manager for the remainder of the season. Under Riggleman, the Reds were hot for about a month but ultimately still played poorly for a majority of the season. David Bell was named manager once the season concluded and two blockbuster additions in Turner Ward and Derek Johnson have been added to Bell's coaching staff. Most recently, the team announced they will part ways with Billy Hamilton which could lead to top prospects like Nick Senzel and Taylor Trammell getting some big league playing time in 2019.

The ugly unquestionably goes to the Bengals. 2018 was a year that started out with immense optimism as the team jumped out to a 4-1 start with an offense that looked unstoppable. The defense was another story however as they continued to turn in poor performance after poor performance. They were so bad that the team's brand new defensive coordinator Teryl Austin was fired during the middle of the season. Head coach Marvin Lewis took over defensive duties but little improvement was made. The team was ravaged by injuries as Andy Dalton, A.J. Green, and Tyler Eifert all wound up on the season ending injured reserved list and guys like Joe Mixon and Gio Bernard missed a few games due to knee problems. The team as a whole looked uninspired and unprepared in games against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Cleveland Browns, and the Denver Broncos. As I write this, the Bengals are most likely going to miss the playoffs and Lewis is rumored once again to be on the hot seat. Many Bengals fans fear that the recently fired Browns coach Hue Jackson was rehired by the Bengals to be the heir apparent to Lewis. Overall, 2018 was a disastrous year that reminded Who Dey Nation of the dark decade that was the 1990s.

In conclusion, 2018 was a mixed bag for Cincinnati sports. FC Cincinnati had a very successful season and is currently preparing to begin MLS play. The Reds had a bad season but have renewed fan optimism by hiring a new manager and hitting the reset button with the coaching staff while their prospects appear to be making exciting strides at the minor league level. The Bengals are looking like a mess and are in desperate need of massive shakeup to revitalize the franchise. Hopefully FCC builds upon its 2018 success in 2019 and both the Reds and Bengals are able to right the ship and get back to their winning ways. With three professional major league sports teams, maybe one of these teams can bring a championship to Cincinnati for the first time since 1990.

FC Cincinnati Recap 2018

FC Cincinnati may have completed only its third season, but it was by far its biggest year in the team's short existence. Attendance records were shattered, on field performances were fantastic, and a call up to Major League Soccer made 2018 an unforgettable year for the orange and blue. Here's a recap of the year 2018 for FC Cincinnati.

The year started immediately after the team pitched their bid to MLS just before Christmas of 2017. Nashville had already been awarded one of two coveted MLS expansion slots and Cincinnati, Sacramento, and Detroit were left to compete for the last one. The three remaining cities had an issue with their bid, and it seemed that whoever straightened things out first would be awarded with an MLS expansion team. For FC Cincinnati, it was the soccer specific stadium situation that was holding up things. Newport, Oakley, and the West End were all tagged as possible areas for a stadium, but no deals had been locked down and no plan had been officially put into motion. This sparked a massive saga that dragged out for months of where the stadium will be built and who would pay for it.

Meanwhile, FCC head coach Alan Koch was preparing for his second season as the team's leader and had been traveling around the world recruiting players. New faces such as Emmanuel Ledesma, Nazmi Albadawi, and Forrest Lasso were joining returning players from the 2017 team such as Justin Hoyte and Danni Konig as well as FCC OGs Jimmy McLaughlin, Kenny Walker, and Corben Bone.

The team definitely had a new look not only with the acquisition of its many new players, but it's uniforms as well. Gone were the blue, orange, and white uniforms that mimicked the look of the United States Men's National Team as the team unveiled new, sleeker kits that featured a striped look with diamonds. The new look of the team combined with the impending MLS bid made the 2018 FCC season the most hyped sporting story in Cincinnati, and the season hadn't even started yet.

Once the lads took to the pitch, they got off to a bit of a slow start as it took time for the combination of returning and new players to develop some on field chemistry. Once they began to gel, they dominated the United Soccer League and notched big wins over New York Red Bulls II and arch rival Louisville City FC. They continued to pack Nippert Stadium with soccer crazed fans as attendance records were continually set and broken seemingly week after week. The team also strung together a 23 match unbeaten streak in route to capturing the USL Regular Season Championship. They knocked off future MLS rival Nashville SC in the first round of the playoffs in a dramatic penalty kick thriller before ending their USL tenure with a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Red Bulls II.

With the team taking care of business on the field, Jeff Bearding and Carl Linder III were taking care of business off the field to secure the MLS bid. After a nauseating months long debate of where the stadium should be built, the West End was officially announced as the future soccer specific stadium site for FCC once a deal was reached between the team, the city, the West End, and Cincinnati Public Schools. It was the final piece of the puzzle that FCC needed to secure its place in MLS. On May 29, 2018, MLS officially announced that FCC would be joining the league as an expansion team and would being play in 2019. The city celebrated as thousands gathered at Fountain Square to participate in the most historic sports moment that Cincinnati has seen in quite some time.

In conclusion, FCC's third season was a massive success. Even though the team fell short of winning the USL Cup, they did win the USL Regular Season Championship, set numerous attendance records once again, and most importantly, secured its spot in the highest American professional soccer league. Individual USL honors were awarded to Forrest Lasso, Emmanuel Ledesma, and Alan Koch. Lasso won the USL Defender of the Year award, Ledesma won the USL Most Valuable Player award, and Koch won the USL Coach of the Year award. All three are returning to FCC as part of its MLS team in 2019. I thoroughly enjoyed FCC's 2018 campaign and cannot wait for them to step foot on an MLS pitch in 2019. If their MLS debut is anything like their 2018 USL swan song was, Cincinnati is going to be in for a fun ride.

Soccer Stadium Sneak Peak

One of the requirements that FC Cincinnati needed to meet before the team was welcomed into Major League Soccer was a soccer specific stadium. Everybody in the Queen City knows about the months long drama that unfolded as the team, the city, and Cincinnati Public Schools battled for months on a deal that benefitted all parties involved. Needless to say, a deal was reached and FCC became the newest MLS expansion team earlier this summer. The stadium appears to have been worth all the debate as the franchise unveiled initial design concepts that have left many soccer fans and reporters speechless.

The early designs for the stadium are gorgeous in my opinion and should the designs come to fruition, the fan experience for an FCC match should be one of the best in MLS. The seating capacity is estimated to be between 25,500 to 26,500 which is an increase from the original concept that the team unveiled earlier this year. The amount of seats would also make the stadium one of the largest soccer venues in the country. Part of the expanded seating options is the larger Bailey section which is expected to be double the size of the current Bailey section in Nippert Stadium.

Perhaps the most prominent feature of the stadium’s early design is the canopy roof. The canopy will go around the entire bowl and cover all seats. It will also serve as a way to help keep noise levels down in the surrounding West End neighborhoods while also increasing the volume inside the stadium to keep the pitch rocking. The canopy is also is also made of ethylene tetrafluoro-ethylene (ETFE) foil technology. This is cool feature as it allows for a variety of colors and patterns to be displayed on the canopy’s surface. It has been reported that the design stage will continue into 2019 with a target stadium opening date of March 2021. 

I am a fan of the stadium design and cannot wait to see the finished product when it opens in 2021. The fan experience at Nippert Stadium is phenomenal, and I think it will be even better in the new stadium. For now at least, it appears that the stadium will be worth the drama. The early designs are gorgeous, and the stadium should make an excellent home for Cincinnati’s newest major league team. 

FC Cincinnati USL Regular Season Championship Shirt Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes an FC Cincinnati USL Regular Season Championship shirt and a Cincinnati Royals pennant. 

FCC Playoff Pricing and Seating

With FC Cincinnati having secured at least a two seed in the United Soccer League Cup Playoffs, the team has announced times and ticketing information for their first two playoff matches should FCC advance past round 1. Tickets will be made available in increments with priority going to current season ticket holders, followed by 2019 season ticket deposit holders, and finally the general public. 

Starting Monday, September 24 at 9 a.m., current 2018 USL season ticket holders will have first dibs at obtaining playoff tickets. This season ticket holder exclusive purchasing window will be four days long. Starting Friday, September 28 at 9 a.m., 2019 season ticket deposit holders will have the next crack at purchasing tickets. The remaining tickets will go on sale to the general public on Monday, October 1 at 10 a.m. 

For those wondering how much tickets will cost, FC Cincinnati has answered that question as well. For the first round, and if necessary the second, tickets prices will remain the same as they have all season meaning you can purchase a ticket for as low as $10. Should FCC make it to the Eastern Conference Finals and the USL Cup Finals and if those matches are played at Nippert Stadium, ticket prices as well as the seating map will mirror that of the 2019 Major League Soccer season. 

At the time that this post was written, FC Cincinnati is currently in first place in the USL East and is close to clinching the overall number one seed in the playoffs. Should they do that, then the road to the USL Cup will go through Nippert Stadium. There has never been a more exciting time to be an FCC fan. Hopefully the team can cap their final USL season with a USL Cup Championship before they begin MLS play in 2019.