For the entire season we have chronicled the performances of our players, coaches and staff after every game, but for the sake of the writer’s sanity and mental well being, I am going to focus what I have seen in person and on social media to tell the story of the game and our season.

If you are looking for a post game story of the in game action, please check out our friend Pat Brennan’s story.

Yesterday began like many game days before with the pre game gatherings at all the local pub partners and tailgates in and around Clifton. The usual atmosphere was amplified with jitters, emotions and the importance of the game. The chants were loud, the refreshments were flowing and the fans of FC Cincinnati brought “it”.

The trek up University and down Vine was also amazing due to the location and coordination of our supporters groups massing together for the best pre game march to date.

The City of Cincinnati turned out with 30,187 purchasing tickets for the inaugural home playoff match. While it was not as large as the Crystal Palace friendly, the attendance number validated how this town really feels about the club. Supporters in the Bailey were rocking ever since they arrived and the Legion impressed in organizing several large stadium chants to generate an impressive atmosphere.

While the Eric Stevenson goal in the 19th minute generated jubilation and more enthusiasm, it was not meant to be for the inaugural squad representing our town. As the referee blew his whistle to mark the end to the year, fans were not booing like they had for Bengals losses. They didn’t run out of the stadium, they stayed to thank the players for the dedication they showed our fan base for the last 7 months.

We are all disappointed that the result didn’t go our way, but I think this day really showed us that we are ready to be a big soccer town. The fans and club together have made our first year successful and I am already counting down until pre season next Spring.

I wanted to point out some things that I have seen on social media over the past day. These comments validate the time us fans have dedicated and I hope that we will continue to grow next year.

If you haven’t already, make sure to get your tickets for next season and let’s LACE IT UP for 2017!

FAN REACTIONS

Still processing yesterday's FCC loss. It's about more than just a club, what great people and such a wonderful city.

— Ronny Salerno (@QueenCityDisco) October 3, 2016

Best part about soccer is the friendships. Glad to meet so many awesome people because of #FCCincy this year.

— 6th Day Soccer (@6thsoccer) October 3, 2016

@HarrisonDelbo thanks for the great season and jersey #1 fan ethen Aussie AUSSiE Aussie oi oi oi 4fan4life pic.twitter.com/ClV0Sgb0Qa

— The Gnome of The Bailey (@gnomeofdabailey) October 2, 2016

Thank you all. @fccincinnati @DieInnenstadt @ThePrideCincy @FCCTheLegion @LowenDesSudens @QueenCityFirm pic.twitter.com/W6xrfi12Uo

— The ßailey (@FCCTheBailey) October 2, 2016

Ten minutes after the final whistle and the Bailey refuses to go home. pic.twitter.com/V9AlJSu6rG

— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) October 2, 2016

Thanks to @fccincinnati for creating a movement, bringing people together and creating new friendships, fostering community! #FCCincy

— It's Juneta (@juneta513) October 3, 2016

Also as Jared points out, make sure to come out on November 29th for MLS Commissioner Don Garber. (stay tuned)

Everyone better come out November 29.

— Jared (@handrajs) October 3, 2016

Cincy Sports Fan needs your HELP!

Make sure to check out the contest below on Cincinnati.com. Cincy Sports Fan is trying to win a national award as the best sports fan, but he must qualify out of his region to do so. Click the link in the twitter post below to vote for Tom Grabo – Cincy Sports Fan.

Vote for Greater Cincinnati's ultimate sports fan for a chance to win $1,000! https://t.co/PMBdNpQIVM #BestFanEver pic.twitter.com/NEXzpcFiPc

— Enquirer Sports (@ENQSports) October 1, 2016

@bryanweigel for @cincysoccertalk

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The post Fans React to Sunday’s Playoff Loss appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

Coach Harkes brought out a strong starting XI returning to his 4-1-4-1 formation but showing that he wanted to keep his team match fit and carrying momentum into the playoff race. One might have expected Harkes to make liberal use of his subs but he only used 4 of his 5 subs and his first subs didn’t come until the last 20 minutes of the game.

Starting XI

Hildebrandt
Luke Berry Delbridge Polak
Walker
Stevenson (71′) Wiedeman (87′) Bone McLaughlin (71′)
Okoli (78′)

Subs

Jaye (GK)
Lee
Mohamed (29′)
Nicholson (3′)
Ripoll
Tomaselli (12′)
Townsend (29′)

The only goal of the evening game in the 31st minute when Sean Okoli netted his 16th goal of the season. The goal came off a penalty kick after a spinning ball bounced up and was handled by Pittsburgh’s William Hunt. Hound’s keeper Steffen guessed right but was not able to get to the ball quick enough as Ugo tucked the ball into the lower left corner.

The match itself was a back and forth affair. Pittsburgh with “long passes” over the top to a charging Hertzog. FC Cincinnati attempting to build up play from the back but often failing to complete their third or fourth pass and turning the ball over to the Hounds. In the last 20 minutes, the Hounds pressed and the Orange and Blue absorbed a lot of pressure. The defense help and ended their season with a clean sheet.

Playoffs

Other games this evening did have impact and several teams were vying for playoff positions. This is how the landscape shook out. While the 8th playoff position is still to be decided on Sunday when Orlando play Bethlehem Steel, the remaining positions are now determined. Charleston’s loss along with Rochester’s win and Charlotte’s tie means that the Battery will travel to Cincinnati on October 2nd for FC Cincinnati’s first ever playoff game. FCC’s record against Charleston is 0-1-1 losing in stoppage time in their first ever USL match and then earning a tie when the Battery visited Nippert later in the season.

@billwwolf for @cincysoccertalk

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The post FC Cincinnati Match Recap: The Quest for the Golden Boot appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

On Saturday night a raucous Orange & Blue faithful welcomed 8th Place Orlando City B to the Regular Season finale at Nippert Stadium. With a first round home playoff game on the line, FC Cincinnati defeated OCB 1-0 as they clinched their 9th clean sheet in front of a new USL record crowd of 24,376.

Starters (4-2-3-1): GK: Hildebrandt; (R-L)McMahon, Berry, Delbridge, Polak (75′); Walker (65′), Nicholson (45′); McLaughlin, Bone, Wiedeman; Okoli (87′)

Subs: Jaye (GK),  Lee (3′), Luke (15′), Ripoll, Stevenson (45′), Townsend (25′), Tomaselli

After changing up the starting XI dramatically in a disappointing 0-0 draw in Pittsburgh, Coach John Harkes went back to the familiar squad that has yielded a lot of success this season. Golden Boot leader Sean Okoli (15 goals) led the squad up front with support by Andrew Wiedeman and Jimmy McLaughlin.

Off the bat it was a back and forth affair with both teams set out to strike early. In the 14th minute Wiedeman sent in a dangerous ball that earned a corner. Unfortunately nothing came from it as Wieda ripped a shot that went just wide. In the 18th minute #MitchSaidNo on a point blank chance by Orlando as they nearly pulled ahead. FC Cincinnati was in charge the rest of the way as they out shot OCB 10-3 in the first half.

Eric Stevenson came on at half as FCC started to find their front foot even more. After a couple near misses, Coach Harkes inserted Casey Townsend for Kenney Walker in the 65th minute to add just a little more firepower. There were several chances on goal when Eric Stevenson sent in a cross in the 81st minute that proved to be the difference maker. It found the head of the newly acquired Townsend as he provided his first goal for the club in his second appearance.

REPLAY:
81′ – Casey Townsend puts the header in the back of the net which gives FCC a 1-0 lead! #CINvORL pic.twitter.com/8JnbMWHQSa

— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) September 18, 2016

Both teams set out to get one more goal but none could be had. With the win tonight, FC Cincinnati kept their spot in 3rd in the eastern conference with their final match next Saturday in Pittsburgh. Their closest competition for that spot, Charlotte, hosted Rochester and lost 0-1. With that result FC Cincinnati clinched the 3rd spot in the playoffs. As it stands FC Cincinnati will face Rochester, the defending USL Champion in the first round on October 2nd.

Oktoberfest Zinzinnati

Don’t forget to join Grand Marshals FC Cincinnati at the Main Stage at Second and Elm for the World’s Largest Chicken Dance! Team President & General Manager Jeff Berding along with players and Staff will lead the city in the most notable tradition of the festival. Don’t miss out on the Vogeltanz (Chicken Dance)

Playoff Tickets

FC Cincinnati has determined the process in which supporters can reserve tickets to the playoff match on October 2md at 4 P.M. 2016 Season Ticket Holders will have the first chance to reserve and purchase extra tickets followed by 2017 Season Ticket Depositors. Once these two groups have had the chance to purchase tickets, the remainder will be opened to the General Public.

Current season ticket holders will be able to purchase tickets beginning at 9 A.M. on Monday 9/19. They can purchase their current seats plus additional tickets by logging into their Ticket Account of the FC Cincinnati site or calling 513-977-KICK.

Make sure to stay tuned to your email and the FC Cincinnati 2016 Playoff Ticket Page for more details.

CST Player of the Year Award

CincinnatiSoccerTalk.com is having our first-ever CST Player of the Year Award. CST readers will get to vote on the nominees put forward by our staff. You can vote by clicking on the poll below or research the top contenders here first.  Voting ends after the final regular season game.

@bryanjweigel for @cincysoccertalk

Photo Courtesy: Alex Vehr

Check out the latest Cincinnati Soccer Talk podcast and look for our new podcast each week!

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The post FC Cincinnati Beats OCB & Locks Up the 3rd Spot in the East appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

Photo courtesy Chris Cowger- Pittsburgh Riverhounds

Coming into Wednesday night, FC Cincinnati had the chance to clinch a first round home playoff game but it was not to be as the Orange & Blue drew 0-0 away to the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. The shutout was the 8th of the year for the club and the second this year against Pittsburgh.

Starters (4-4-2): GK: Hildebrandt; (R-L)Luke, Lee, Delbridge, Polak; Wiedeman, Nicholson (85′), Walker, Mohamed (45′); Townsend (72), Okoli

Subs: Jaye, Berry, Bone (18′), McLaughlin (45′), Ripoll, Stevenson (5′), Tomaselli

In a departure from his typical starting XI rotation for the year, Coach Harkes gave several players a rare start for the season. Evan Lee was given the nod over captain Austin Berry at center back while Omar Mohamed was given his first career USL start on the wing. Wednesday night also marked the first appearance in the Orange & Blue for newly acquired forward Casey Townsend.

The first half started with FCC in a 4-4-2 formation pairing Okoli and Townsend up top to try and work off each other to see if they could create some offense. Omar Mohamed showed some flashes getting up and down the side as FC Cincinnati controlled the ball for the majority of the first half. With the new additions you could see there were small hiccups here and there but overall they looked pretty cohesive for not playing together much. Unfortunately the away side was unable to take advantage of the majority of possession and nothing amounted to much as the Orange & Blue were unable to get good chances on goal.

FC Cincinnati made their first change to start the 2nd half as Jimmy McLaughlin replaced Mohamed on the wing. They controlled most of the possession in the early part of the half and nearly had a winner in 66th minute. Andrew Wiedeman battled hard up the side and pushed the ball near the 6 yard box. The ball bounced around the area until it found the foot of Townsend. As he went to shoot he laid back and launched the ball off the top of the crossbar.

Towards the 2nd part of the half, the match turned into a long ball fest. Both teams played conservative soccer launching the ball downfield hoping for a stroke of luck to help them break through. Pittsburgh had their best chance in the 74th minute when Mitch Hildebrandt got a little too careless with a free kick and Pittsburgh forward Corey Hertzog deflected the kick behind the keeper. Luckily the ball went just wide of the away team goal and everybody was able to breathe a little easier.

From then on was probably one of the poorer 20 minutes of play for FC Cincinnati this season. There was not a lot of rhythm and flow to the game with neither team looking to take charge and go to goal. There were a couple long chances by both teams but at the end of 90 the score ended in a 0-0 draw.

Playoff Update

The draw puts FC Cincinnati in 3rd at 50 points with 2 matches to go. A win would have secured a first round home match as the Charlotte vs. Richmond bout ended 0-0.

The simplest way to clinch a home match is on Saturday night. If that doesn’t occur, the magic number is 52. Richmond, Charlotte, and Charleston are all sitting on 45 points with 2 matches to go. The only way for these 3 to catch FCC is to win both their matches and have the Orange & Blue falter in their last 2 games.

The battle for the 3rd seed is still up for grabs. Charlotte is 1 point behind FC Cincinnati but holds a 8 goal advantage in goal differential.

CST Player of the Year Award

CincinnatiSoccerTalk.com is having our first-ever CST Player of the Year Award. CST readers will get to vote on the nominees put forward by our staff. You can vote by clicking on the poll below or research the top contenders here first.  Voting ends after the final regular season game.

@bradleysweigel for @cincysoccertalk

Photo Courtesy: Alex Vehr

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The post FC Cincinnati Draws in Pittsburgh- Plus Updated Playoff Standings appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

Corben Bone and FC Cincinnati beat Wilmington Hammerhead FC 2-0 Sunday. (Photo Credit Wilmington Hammerheads FC)

With playoff seeding on the line, FC Cincinnati (13-6-7) headed to Wilmington, NC on a hot Sunday afternoon to face the Hammerheads (7-11-9).  The match was not exciting but rather clinical as the away team took 3 points with a 2-0 win. Sean Okoli scored in the 30th minute and Andrew Wiedeman netted an insurance goal in the 64th. The win puts the the Orange & Blue on 49 points and back in 3rd place with 3 games to go.

Starters (4-2-3-1): GK: Hildebrandt (78′); (R-L)McMahon, Berry (53′), Delbridge, Polak; Bone, Walker; Ripoll (45′), Wiedeman, McLaughlin (70′); Okoli

Subs: Jaye (12′),Lee, Luke, Mohamed, Nicholson (37′), Stevenson (45′), Tomaselli (20′)

Coach Harkes ran out the same Starting XI from Monday’s win at home against Saint Louis FC. A lot was on the line for both team as a win for FC Cincinnati would put them solidly in the drivers seat for a first round home game in the playoffs while 3 points would bump Wilmington into the 8th and final playoff spot.

The Orange & Blue controlled the game from the opening whistle employing a high press not allowing the Hammerheads to possess the ball. After a couple dangerous chances, Sean Okoli opened the account for FC Cincinnati in the 30th minute. Jimmy McLaughlin sprinted up the right side and crossed the ball into the Wilmington box. Wilmington goalkeeper John Smits was first to get to the ball and deflected it straight into the path of the hustling Okoli. The Cincinnati striker was able to tap the ball into the goal for his 15th of the year putting him tied for first with Jack McBean of LosDos. McBean’s tally is complete for the season as he was loaned out to Coventry City of English League One.

In the 64th minute Andrew Wiedeman netted the insurance goal for FCC taking advantage of a miscue by Wilmington. John Smits stepped out of goal as Wiedeman battled a Wilmington defender for the ball at the top of the box. Smiths and the defender collided leaving Wiedeman with the ball, calmly depositing it in the goal.

There was a scary moment for the Orange & Blue as starting goalkeeper Mitch Hildebrant went down on his own in the 74th minute as a Wilmington opportunity went far wide. The training staff examined the net minder and looked to be stretching out a cramp and massaging his hamstring. Play continued shortly after, but the decision was made in the 78th minute by Coach Harkes to pull Hildebrandt even though he signaled he thought he could continue.

Early in 2nd Half stoppage time, Wilmington nearly clawed back into the game as Michael Mecham ended up with the ball in the FC Cincinnati box. Dallas Jaye was caught out of position and was rounded by the Hammerheads defender. Luckily for the away team, Mecham struck the ball off the post and out of harms way.

Playoff Update

The win puts FC Cincinnati in 3rd at 49 points with 3 matches to go. Their schedule sets up quite favorably with 2 matches against 13th place Pittsburgh and 1 with Orlando City B.

The simplest way to clinch a home match is on Wednesday night. A win in Pittsburgh and a Charlotte win or draw against Richmond secures at worst the 4th seed for the Orange & Blue.

If that doesn’t occur, the magic number is 54. Richmond (7th Place) could catch them with a max number of 53 but the road is difficult as they play both Charlotte and Charleston. Any dropped points and FCC win secures a home game for the Orange & Blue.  A win in one of our final games puts FCC at 52 points and out of reach of Charleston (5th Place) and Rochester (6th Place) for a top 4 spot.

Charlotte (4th Place) is 1 point behind FCC with 3 matches to go. They are on a 3 game winning streak but have the toughest schedule of them all with matches against @Richmond, Rochester, and @Louisville.

@bradleysweigel for @cincysoccertalk

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The post Okoli Pushes for Golden Boot as FC Cincinnati Beats Wilmington appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

Coach Harkes returned to his 4-3-3 formation from the beginning of the season. Perhaps trying to get back to the winning ways that had been eluding the team. The line up was almost identical to the line up from the beginning of the season.

Hildebrandt
McMahon Delbridge Berry Polak
Bone Wiedeman Walker
Ripoll Okoli McLaughin

The only differences being Wiedeman moving into the middle and Ripoll stepping on in the right wing position.

The boys looked good and dominated most of the first half. They possessed, and when they turned over the ball, they collectively pressured to get the ball back. Mitch had a very relaxed first half. St. Louis only managed to take a single shot. FCC spent the majority of the time pressing into St. Louis’ half of the field. They had many opportunities but simple couldn’t find the back of the net. The energy was high and near misses from Okoli, Wiedeman and McLaughlin made it feel like “when” they would score, rather than “if”.

The second half seemed more flat. The energy level seemed to drop off quickly and the boys allowed St. Louis to get more opportunities and control over the game. FCC still were clearly the better team, but as the minutes ticked by, the crowd was obviously starting to feel concern. Opportunities weren’t coming like the first half. Coach Harkes seemed to want to hold onto his starting 11 as they had been so effective in the first half. Late in the second half, though, it became obvious that Cincinnati needed some changes. The Gaffer made 2 substitutions aimed at bolstering his attack.

71′ – SUBSTITUTION:  Stevenson for Walker
81′ – SUBSTITUTION:  Spencer for McLaughlin

Finally, in the 84th minute, it paid off. Bone played in a ball to Okoli who laid it out wide to Ripoll. Ripoll placed a nice cross to the far post where Wiedeman headed it down. Pais made the dive but Okoli got a foot on the ball and redirected it over Pais and into goal.

REPLAY:
84' – @AskAboutUgo finds the back of the net to take a 1-0 lead. pic.twitter.com/mt2PM6cPvW

— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) September 5, 2016

Unfortunately, we’ve seen Cincinnati lose focus late in games or after scoring goals. In this case, it was both. In only a minute, St. Louis equalized. St. Louis pressed and after Mitch cleared the ball, it fell to the top of the box to St. Louis. Doddy hammered it home with a bouncing volley past a “sea of blue”.

But unlike many games this season, this was not the end. The crowd was feeling the energy and started clapping and chanting and pushing the Orange and Blue to find victory. Cincinnati pressed and squeezed and finally got a bit of luck with seconds left in stoppage time. St. Louis’ Musa attempted to head a dangerous ball past the end line but was judged to have handled the ball in the process. Okoli stepped up to the spot and netted his 14th goal propelling him up the standings to second in the golden boot race.

REPLAY:
94' – @AskAboutUgo converts the penalty! 2-1 to #FCCincy with just seconds left to play! #CINvSLT pic.twitter.com/By9pGYpIP1

— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) September 5, 2016

The center restarted the game but with only a few seconds left, St. Louis had effectively already lost the match.

This was a huge victory for FC Cincinnati. A confidence boost for sure, but also to keep their position in the playoff rankings. 2nd place is likely out a reach now, but Cincinnati still wants to ensure they get their first playoff game at home. They have 4 games remaining to build to the playoffs. This was certainly the game they needed to kick that off right.

Up Next:

Sunday, September 11  |  3:00 PM EDT
@ WILMINGTON HAMMERHEADS

Stream

Make sure you turn out at one of FCC’s Pub Partners to support the team on the road!

Attendance:

Tonight’s attendance was 17,415. Being Labor Day weekend and considering the stifling humidity, this was pretty  good. Cincinnati had an accumulated attendance total of 217,646 in their previous 13 USL regular season home matches. Tonight’s match brings the total to 235,061. FCC already announced that we’ve sold 10k tickets to the last home match on Saturday, September 17th. A little birdie told Cincinnati Soccer Talk that we’ve already sold 15k tickets to that match. Make sure you’re part of history when Cincinnati is the first team ever to break a quarter million tickets sold during the regular season. Buy your tickets now….

Eastern Conference Standings:

It’s been a busy week in the USL Eastern Conference. New York defeated Bethlehem on Sunday and cemented a position in the top 4 and thus guarantee their first playoff game is at home. Both Canadian teams lost their bids for the playoffs. Montreal fell to Louisville on Saturday and Toronto fell to Charlotte on Sunday. Charlotte, Rochester and Charleston all cemented playoff positions as well leaving only a single spot left among the 5 remaining teams.

Cincinnati had been struggling as of late and had fallen to 6th place without the win tonight. Defeating St. Louis propelled the Orange and Blue back into the 3rd spot but only 2 points separate the #3 and #6 teams. A single loss can turn home field advantage into an away game. FCC needs to stay sharp and pick up points in every remaining game.

@billwwolf for @cincysoccertalk

Check out the latest Cincinnati Soccer Talk podcast and look for our new podcast each week!

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The post FC Cincinnati See Another Late Goal (in their favor) appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

Starters (4-2-3-1): Hildebrandt (GK); (R-L)Luke (90′), Delbridge, Berry, Polak; Bone (45′), Walker (86′); Ripoll (72′), Wiedeman, Stevenson (45′); Okoli

Subs: Jaye (GK),Lee, McLaughlin (45′), Mohamed (ET’), Nicholson (45′), Spencer (4′), Tomaselli (18′)

Coach Harkes made some changes to the starting XI in this match. Alvaro Ripoll made his first USL start while Eric Stevenson started on the left midfield position in place of traditional starter Jimmy McLaughlin. Derek Luke started in place of the suspended Pat McMahon.

Things began on the wrong foot for FC Cincinnati as center back Harrison Delbridge clipped the left knee of Charlotte forward Brian Brown in the 11th minute of the first half and the Independence were awarded a penalty kick. Midfielder Enzo Martinez stepped up to the spot and had his initial shot saved by Cincinnati keeper. Martinez however regained the ball and put the ball in the back of the net to put the Independence up 1-0. The teams would enter the half CLT 2 – FCC 1.

Things began to get chippy in the second half with both squads committing tough fouls against each other. Charlotte was nearly able to get a 2 goal lead after the Independence attack broke down the Cincy defense but CLT midfielder Alex Martinez hooked his shot wide. FC Cincinnati was able to get an equalizer in the 60th minute as an Andrew Wiedeman cross found the back of the head of forward Sean Okoli for his 12th goal of the season. The Charlotte bench wanted a offside call, but the midfielder did stay onside due to a deep CLT center back (See the goal below.)

Okoli heads it home for @fccincinnati! #CLTvCIN https://t.co/CdBP5kieQ4

— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) September 1, 2016

Charlotte and Cincinnati traded near shots around the 70th minute as Independence defender Duckett hits the post off a short corner and Ripoll just miss hits chance right.  Charlotte was reduced to 10 men in the 79’as Duckett committed his second tough foul of the game and was ejected with his second yellow.

Charlotte scored their third and deciding goal in the 86th minute off a Jorge Herrera free kick lazer. The free kick took a deflection off the head of sub Paul Nicholson and passed Mitch Hildebrandt to make the match 3-2. FC Cincinnati earned a corner in the 94th which was cleared to the foot of Delbridge who laced a pacey shot that was saved off the line by the Charlotte keeper Berner.

This will be a disappointing match for Coach Harkes and his squad as they were able to create chances off corners and wide play, but struggled in the middle of the field and finishing. Andrew Wiedeman’s play on the evening stood out and I hope that he is able to continue to pull the strings next match. The defensive midfield pairing of Corben Bone and Kenney Walker was also a tad shaky. Often times both would roam forward and allow too much space in front of the back four for Charlotte to exploit. Things calmed down a bit with the substitution of Nicholson.FC Cincinnati couldn’t capitalize off the short handed Charlotte side and slumped to their 2nd loss in as many matches.

This result drops FC Cincinnati to 4th place in the USL Eastern Conference after a draw between Richmond and Charleston.

Up Next

Saint Louis F.C . (7-10-8, 29 Pts.) – Monday, 4:30 p.m. – Nippert Stadium

FC Cincinnati returns to Nippert Stadium for a Labor Day afternoon showdown vs. Saint Louis F.C. of the USL’s Western Conference. This is a different Saint Louis F.C. side than we saw during their first matchup. STLFC has only notched 1 win in 10 matches in the months of July and August. They have relived Head Coach Dale Shilley of his duties and have struggled to get the ball in the back of the net, averaging less than 1 goal per match in that span. Make sure to get your tickets in advance and pack Nippert for the second to last regular season home match of the inaugural season.

@bryanjweigel for @cincysoccertalk

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The post Recap: FC Cincinnati 2 – Charlotte Independence 3 appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

In the 9th minute, New York slotted a ball behind the FCC defense and two Bulls charged Hildebrandt. Mitch made the first stop but the second player, Allen, tried to get to the rebound and get a shot off. Hildebrandt scrambled towards the ball and Nicholson charged in and Allen went down in the box. The center pointed to the spot, but the AR raised his flag saying that Allen was offside. The VAR signaled that it wanted to give input and the center conferred verbally with the VAR (but never reviewed the video). After the conference, the center waived down the offside flag, indicated the PK call would stand and then added on a red card for Mitch.

Charlie Hatch captured the event via Twitter (below), though you can also go back to watch the live stream. The angles are tough, but it certainly seemed like Allen got ahead of the ball and that the AR was likely correct about the offside call. It does appear that Mitch made some contact with Allen when fumbling after the ball but it’s hard to tell how significant that was. What is very clear is that the ball was loose in front of goal and both Allen and Hildebrandt were scrambling to get it.

If the VAR overruled the offside call, and the center didn’t even bother to look, that seems like an issue. If the VAR indicated to the center that there was a DOGSO (denial of a goal scoring opportunity), I would like the center to want to see that as well before making a game changing decision in the first 10 minutes of a game. It is also a real shame that USL is still using the old rules related to “double jeopardy.” Those rules were considered too harsh and changed this summer. You can read about it from SB Nation HERE. The new rules certainly would have prevented the red card.

Maybe more in question to me is the lack of transparency. The goal of the VAR is to bring back confidence in the officiating. It seems like that by not indicating what is being seen, we are likely making it even more questionable. The video feed and camera angles are not good and there is an indication that the VAR is working with those same feeds. If so, the VAR isn’t in a good position to see offside, and they would be hard pressed to really determine what happened during the scrum in the box.

Here's the play. Hard to tell, but looks like Mitch lightly tapped him and Nicholson then came pic.twitter.com/mXr13PdxYZ

— Charlie Hatch (@charliehatch_) August 28, 2016

After a start like this, it’s hard to really describe the game.

Cincinnati started the game with it’s original 4-3-3 formation.

Hildebrandt
Polak – Nicholson – Berry – Luke
Bone – Stevenson – Walker
McLaughlin – Okoli- Wiedeman

Once Mitch was ejected from the pitch, Coach Harkes removed Stevenson to make room for Dallas Jaye to tend to goal. The team seemed to bunker down and defend for most of the rest of the game. They moved to what seemed like a 4-4-1 formation. “Park the bus” and hope something over the top to Okoli could be turned into something.

It was a tough match to watch. New York had 21 shots to Cincinnati’s 3. They had 11 corners to FCC’s 3. Cincinnati absorbed pressure over and over. They gave up most of the field and didn’t even pressure until New York was 30 yards out. Their best opportunity came in the 63rd minute when Wiedeman served in a brilliant cross that almost made contact with a sliding Okoli.

Coach Harkes made use of all 5 of his subs. Delbridge came in for Nicholson in the 53rd minute. McMahon came in for McLaughlin in the 57th minute, pushing Luke out of right back and up to left wing. In the 85th minute, Walker stepped out and was replaced by Tomaselli. In the 87th minute, Spencer came on for Luke.

Spencer looked like he’d breathe a little life into the Cincinnati offense. But in stoppage time, the coffin was nailed shut when Okoli cleared the ball out of the box and the Bull with the ball went down. The center called for another PK. Okoli was livid and received a yellow for dissent as he insisted he never made contact with the player. The VAR was silent. Watching the replay over and over, it is hard to see how a penalty was awarded.  Jaye, in the first official match of his career, was tested from the spot again. He guessed right but was unable to make the stop. With minutes left, a man down and a 2 goal deficit, there wasn’t much that FCC could do.

Take Aways

• Cincinnati has never had a red card in a previous match. Despite this, they played a man down for 80+ minutes against the #1 team in the league and didn’t crumble.
• Without help from the VAR or lack of help from the VAR, it seems like this was a 0-0 game. If these two teams would meet in the playoffs Cincinnati should not feel like they were beaten today.
• McMahon, unfortunately, picked up a yellow and that means he is not available for Charlotte along with Mitch who received the red.
• Dallas Jaye kept his back line organized, made some key saves, and did a great job stepping into Mitch’s shoes.
• Luke has been starting lately in place of McMahon and should be fine to take that position again on Wednesday.

@billwwolf for @cincysoccertalk

– Header photo from USL live stream

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Sports Games for Kids, a local non-profit takes kids in need to sporting events. Here is a picture as they led the supporters groups to the Bailey. (Credit: Alex Vehr)

FC Cincinnati drew the Rochester Rhinos 1-1 at Nippert Stadium Wednesday night. Austin Berry netted for the Orange & Blue in the match while Steevan Dos Santos scored for Rochester.

Starting Lineups

With Sean Okoli suspended after picking up his 5th yellow card of the season at Richmond, Coach Harkes had to dip into his playbook of tricks as he rolled out a 3-5-2 formation for the first time this year. In addition to the formation change, Harkes made to changes to the Starting XI in defender Paul Nicholson and midfielder Kenney Walker. Both had been on the recovery from injuries they sustained over the last couple of matches.

Goalkeeper: Mitch Hildebrandt
Back Line: Austin Berry, Paul Nicholson, Harrison Delbridge
Midfielders: PatMcMahon, Corben Bone, Jimmy McLaughlin (89′-Ripoll), Kenney Walker (68′-Hoppenot), Tyler Polak (78′-Luke)
Forwards: Omar Cummings (42′-Stevenson), Andrew Wiedeman

Rochester trotted out a 5-4-1 with leading goal scorer Christian Volesky as the loan striker. With 11 goals on the year, Volesky was supported by a midfield led by Steevan Dos Santos and Kenardo Forbes.

First Half

The 3-5-2 got off to a rough start as Rochester was on the front foot for the majority of the half. Kenardo Forbes was able to get in on the FC Cincinnati defense in the 1st minute and forced Mitch Hildebrandt to make a diving shot that ended up leading to a corner for the away side.

Things didn’t get much easier for the home team as Rochester pressured the back 3 for much of the half and were unable to connect with their outlet midfielder in Corben Bone. There were as lot of sloppy passes and turnovers that put Rochester in dangerous positions.

After spending most of the first half resorting to long balls into the box, the Orange & Blue finally started to get some things going their way and got on the board first. Tyler Polak took a short corner and sliced a ball into the box to the head of Austin Berry where he was able to head to ball just inside the left post past the outstretched arms of keeper Tomas Gomez.

REPLAY: 28′ – @TylerJohnPolak, who serves it backside to @aberr22 who’s header beats Gomez! 1-0 #FCCincy #CINvROC pic.twitter.com/3wSxIrnIQl

— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) August 24, 2016

FC Cincinnati nearly scored again in the 41st minute when Wiedeman flicked a pass on to Cummings in the box. Cummings was unable to bring the ball down and ended up colliding with Tomas. It looked like Cummings injured his right leg during the play but was able to get off the pitch under his power.

Play continued as Cummings was being evaluated buy the training staff and Rochester was able to take advantage of being up a man. Steevan Dos Santos found the ball in the middle of the box after Austin Berry and Pat McMahon were unable to stop the Rochester offense put the shot inside the left corner to tie the game at 1-1.

Cummings had to come off due to the injury and was replaced by Eric Stevenson shortly after the goal. There wasn’t much action left in the half and it finished with the scored unchanged.

Second Half

The second half started out a bit chippy as both teams were called for early fouls. Jimmy McLaughlin was shown the yellow in the 55th minute after tugging the jersey of a Rochester player directly in front of the Head Official. Shortly after there was a tangle in the box between Walker and Vasileios Apostolopoulos. Vasileios looked to have taken a dive to get a foul in the box but nothing was called and cooler heads prevailed.

The game continued to be physical around the 60th minute with FC Cincinnati conceding a lot of the possession. Kenney Walker was removed from the game at the 68th minute in favor of Antoine Hoppenot. With the game shifting away from the home team, Harkes changed the formation to a 4-2-3-1 with Wiedeman up top and moved Nicholson into the midfield.

FC Cincinnati was able to stave off a scary moment in the 82nd minute when a Rochester corner got mixed up in the box. Pat McMahon was able to keep it off the goal line and Mitch made a last second save to avoid conceding another late goal.

The Orange & Blue almost escaped with a late 3 points but it was not meant to be. Pat McMahon put a ball into the box with 30 seconds left that Wiedeman was able to hit towards goal. The high arcing header caused Gomez trouble but deflected of the top of the crossbar and out of play.

Post Match

It’s hard not to be frustrated after a match where you felt the opposing team was in control and held the majority of possession. Yes the Okoli suspension and Cummings did not help matters but it came down to the inability of FC Cincinnati to hold on to the ball and build from the back. Corben Bone mentioned in the press conference that especially in the first half it was tough for the back 3 to get him the ball to provide an outlet for them when he was surrounded by the midfield of Rochester. That got the club out of their rhythm and led to a lot of long balls out of the back and turnovers.

When Harkes was asked about Cummings first half injury, he relayed that the injury looked to be a hyper-extended knee but an MRI will take placed to diagnose if there is any damage.

On the positive side we saw the debut of Spanish midfielder Alvaro Anton Ripoll. When asked about Ripoll after the game Harkes mentioned that he had been putting in a lot of good work at practice putting the ball in the net and is now finally fit after 4 months of injuries.

In the end a point is a point and it gets FCC closer to 2nd place, just 4 points behind Louisville City with 2 games in hand. Coupled with the Wilmington result tonight, the draw almost assures FCC a playoff spot. A Cincinnati win on Sunday or a dropped point on Saturday by Wilmington guarantees the Orange & Blue a playoff appearance in their inaugural season.

@bradleysweigel for @cincysoccertalk

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FC Cincinnati drew the Richmond Kickers 1-1 at City Stadium in Richmond Saturday evening. Andrew Wiedeman netted the tying goal for the Orange and Blue off a beautiful free kick and was Cincinnati Soccer Talk’s Man of the Match. Check out our player ratings below and respond with any feedback in the comments section.

Starters: (4-1-4-1) Hildebrandt (GK); (R-L) Luke (45′), Berry (70′), Delbridge, Polak; Bone; Cummings (67′), Wiedeman, Stevenson (58′), McLaughlin; Okoli

Subs: Jaye (GK), Hoppenot (69′), Lee (71′), McMahon (46′), Nicholson, Tomaselli, Walker (59′)

Goals:
63′ – Richmond Kickers – Sunny Jane
80′ – FC Cincinnati – Andrew Wiedeman

Scale: 10-9 World Class Performance, 8 Great Match, 7 Good Match, 6 Average Match, 5 Poor Match, 4 Negative Impact, 3-0 Blunders Galore.

Starters Ratings:

Hildebrandt (GK) – 7.5: Mitch did well to get off his line to stop several Richmond counters. Would like to have done better on the punch that led to the Richmond goal, but made up for it on several other second half chances. Continues to impress. Also had my favorite moment of the match:

@mitchhilde could play for the Bengals pic.twitter.com/l1sgMQezf9

— Cincy Soccer Live (@cincysoccerlive) August 15, 2016

Luke (45′) – 6.5: Played the first 45 in the right back position for FC Cincinnati. Not sure why he was subbed off as he had several good crosses in the first half. Was beaten a time or two off the dribble but like the commentators, was surprised he was taken off.

Berry (70′) – 6: Was a slow getting back on the counter and looked to have picked up a knock on his right shin/knee. Did make some good defensive plays, but his stand out moment was in the 7′. The center back forced a turnover and then began a run forward. I like the immediate counter and hope we can see more of this later in the season. Did have a scary moment minutes later and he and Mitch were confused on a high ball in that Berry had to head out for a corner.

Delbridge – 6.5: Could have a higher rating here, but Delbridge’s passing was way off on Saturday. He was forced to make many long passes especially in the middle of the second half to have any linking play. Did make some good emergency stops especially in the 52′ to deny a chance.

Polak – 7.5: Played the ball well forward and was rarely beat on the dribble. Provided good opportunities in attack and could have had an assist in the 55′ if not for Cummings just over running the ball. Conceded a tough cross in the 11′, but Delbridge was there to clear. Maturing well in his time this season.

Bone – 8: Did well in his “defensive” midfielder position. Would make runs forward as well, but stayed deeper and was able to pick good passes forward. Held his ground well defensively forcing Richmond to have to play the ball out wide to generate more attacking chances. Is asked to do much in his role and he has filled it well.

Cummings (67′) – 5.5: Cummings found space and possession difficult on Saturday. Richmond played in a compact defensive shape forcing Cummings to adjust wide from his preference of drifting centrally. Cummings & McLaughlin switched sides several times in the match to confuse Richmond to no avail.

Wiedeman – 8 MOTM: Wiedeman featured all over the park on Saturday. He started centrally, but then moved out wide early in the second half when it seemed Cummings moved further up the pitch. His free kick was taken wonderfully off the left post. (Video Below) Wiedeman is still victim to finishing his chances better including a close header in the 2′ and a shot from about 10 yards away parried away by Richmond keeper Dykstra in the 19′.

Stevenson (58′) – 6: Was able to create when on the ball, but continued in his current problem of playing a little slow. Stevenson likes to survey the field ahead of him and pick out passes, but that time allowed the already compact Richmond to pounce.

McLaughlin – 6.5: Finished the match strong including drawing the foul that led to the Wiedeman free kick goal. Almost scored near the end line around the 84′ as well as drawing a good save from Dykstra in the 89′. McLaughlin seems to be more dangerous when dribbling at defenders and should do more of that moving forward. Was a workhorse on the defensive side as well.

Okoli – 6: Had a quiet night, but will be known more for earning his 5th yellow that will lead to his suspension in their next game vs. Rochester. Found it hard to get the ball, leading to Okoli moving deeper in the field to gain possession. Received a phenomenal cross from McLaughlin in the 37′ which should have been put on frame.

Subs:

McMahon (46′) – 6: Came on in the second half for Luke. Stayed home a little more, but did help connect some passes into the midfield. Did well to defend when Richmond came up his side, but was beaten several times. Not a bad match, just didn’t stick out as much.

Walker (59′) – 6.5: Glad to see Walker back on the field for FC Cincinnati. Was culpable on the goal as his mark drifted wide and was able to smash back a rebound.

Hoppenot (69′) – 7: Did very well building up possession to get FC Cincinnati back into the match. His passing and dribbling put the Richmond defense on their back foot leading to several chances in the last 10 minutes of the match.

Lee (71′) – 6.5: Nearly stopped Jane on the goal, but left his feet allowing the attacker to slot it in the back of the net. Was up to the challenge in the air and did well to maintain the draw.

Goal Replays:

63′ – Richmond Kickers – Sunny Jane

Highlight of Richmond goal. pic.twitter.com/aK7e2rpISC

— Cincy Soccer Live (@cincysoccerlive) August 15, 2016

80′ – FC Cincinnati – Andrew Wiedeman

@awiedeman3 goal 80' pic.twitter.com/SzYKzuM9gi

— Cincy Soccer Live (@cincysoccerlive) August 15, 2016

FOOTGOLF: Be sure to check out our recent announcement of the Cincinnati Soccer Talk FootGolf Classic and sign your team up TODAY! Only 2 teams spots remain so lock in your place now.

@bryanjweigel for @cincysoccertalk

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