CDLFC continued to work toward putting together a squad to play in Ohio Valley Premier League matches and participated in a number of the OVPL friendlies over the last couple of weeks. Despite the club’s participation, club ownership was not at any of the OVPL friendly matches.  

On July 23, CDLFC ownership informed general manager Brandon Ponchak and coach Paul Nicholson that their services were no longer needed. Being the pros that they are, they have coached multiple matches since finding out they would no longer be part of the club. They will coach two more matches today at Town & Country Sports Complex in Wilder, Kentucky, at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.  

“I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity the club gave me following my playing career and the support I received from everyone connected with CDLFC,” Nicholson said. “I learned so much about myself and coaching during my time with the club.”

In a social media post, Ponchak said, “Ownership took a chance on me in March 2017 and I could not be more appreciative for the four seasons to be involved with the club.”

As Cincinnati continues to put the puzzle together that will represent the city in its bid to be a host city for the 2026 World Cup, hopefully CDLFC is still a piece of the Cincinnati soccer landscape. With the club headed in such a positive direction prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the two men that have worked to get the pieces of the club together, it appears today could be the last time to enjoy a Cincinnati Dutch Lions match. 

The league office did not comment about the future of the club, but we do know that the league really wants to keep a team in the Cincinnati market. For amateur fans, it’s hard to watch the University of Cincinnati shut down its men’s soccer program and then see the Dutch Lions make this change and have things up in the air.  

It appears though that there is a lot of opportunity for soccer to still be played in the Queen City with the OVPL having a huge Cincinnati presence.

“It’s a sad time for local soccer without our SG’s home base but we will continue to support our players and coaches from whatever sidelines we find ourselves on,” Super Mega Ultra founder Tina Harris said.

Here’s to the hope that soccer fans in the Queen City can help put all of the pieces together here in Soccer City USA.

“Overall, it was such a good program that created a professional environment,” said former Cincinnati Dutch Lions player Connor Rutz, now with Detroit City FC. “When I got to the professional level and having to adapt to higher expectations and standards, it was nothing new for me. From day one, all of my interactions with the ownership, staff and players has been a model for other USL 2 clubs to see as the standard.”  

Three years ago, there was speculation around whether the Cincinnati Dutch Lions were going to continue to operate and play in the then PDL (now USL 2). The club had one win in 2016 under indoor soccer Hall of Famer Terry Nicholl. In his time with the Dutch Lions, Nicholl had a record of 15-21-8 and also had the Dutch Lions participating in the U.S. Open Cup in 2016, losing to Indy Eleven. That was a rough year, but a new ownership group had come in and made an attempt to breathe new life into the club.  Nicholl continued to work with the club, and his experience was valuable. He recently stepped away from coaching this year. 

Soccer fans in the area were excited that new ownership seemed to have interest in keeping the club in the greater Cincinnati area. With new ownership also came a move to a new venue and some new pieces to the puzzle. 

Sid Van Druenen led the club to a 5-6-3 record in 2017, finishing fourth in the restructured Great Lakes Division. Ponchak also joined the Dutch Lions in 2017 as the general manager, and he had a tough task ahead of him with the new ownership group and a change to a more competitive division. That year saw Flint City, KW United, and West Virginia all finish above the Dutch Lions with winning records. CDLFC appeared to be on the right track until a stretch of six games where they only earned six points to end the season. In the last seven matches of the season, it scored a total of three goals, all of which came in one game. CDLFC didn’t score an entire goal in the month of July 2017.  

When asked what the biggest challenge was coming into 2017, Ponchak said, “Being relevant in a market that had been largely unsuccessful.’

Soccer history up to that point in the Queen City had seen a number of teams come and go. Ponchak was determined to make CDLFC a success on the lower division soccer scene. The soccer puzzle seemed to have a couple of pieces missing.  

In 2018, the crowds grew at NKU Soccer Complex, with the newly formed SMU supporters’ group, welcoming fans and opponents to NKU in style. From cow bells to bubbles after goals, the SMUs added to the fun of home matches and some road trips as well.

“The rivalry with Dayton, the $5 footlong derby, has been a lot of fun,” Harris said. “Cincy still holds the Subway Cup!”

Ponchak took to social media to bring more and more fans to know Cincinnati’s “OG” Lions.  It appeared as though Ponchak had begun to really put the outside of the puzzle together and was beginning to fill in the inside part as the team worked through the 2017 offseason and into 2018. CDLFC had seen attendance grow in each year from Ponchak’s arrival in 2017 heading into 2020 after having more than 450 people in attendance at the season finale at NKU Soccer Stadium in 2019.  

CDLFC’s success in 2018 and 2019 was largely in part to Nicholson, a former FC Cincinnati player and key piece during FC Cincinnati’s 2017 USOC run. Nicholson joined CDLFC in 2018 as the new coach and has compiled a 12-7-9 record in his two seasons. He also has the least number of losses in a season in 2019 (three), and only missed the USL 2 playoffs by two points last year, right below the eventual champions, Flint City. The combination of Ponchak and Nicholson brought the Dutch Lions to a point where they were becoming an important part of the Soccer City USA puzzle that had recently seen success at the USL level and in MLS starting in 2019.     

USL 2 is known for being a players’ development league that prepares them for the next level. At the time of this article, CDLFC has had 21 players move on to sign professional contracts. Of those players, 17 were signed to contracts after Ponchak’s arrival in 2017 and 14 were signed after Nicholson’s arrival. There were five players from the 2019 squad that went on to sign pro deals.  

That team’s goalkeeper, Wesley Storm, now playing in the Dutch top flight Eredivisie, spoke highly about his time in Cincinnati.

“Brandon and Paul made me feel at home from day one,” Storm said. “It (CDLFC) really feels like my American family and I’m really, really thankful for that and I do miss it a lot there.”

Said Detroit City’s Tendai Jirira, formerly of CDLFC, “I really enjoyed working with coach Paul and coach Brandon. They demand a certain brand of play and energy. My interactions with them were very good, and they helped me a lot to get to the next level. They helped me get ready for being professional through the interactions on and off the field.”  

The club went into 2020 expecting to have two full squads — one competing in USL 2 and one U-23 squad competing in the newly formed OVPL. This past winter, the club had more than 50 players show up for its open tryout. There was a lot of talent at that tryout, and at that point the club looked to have a solid plan in place for 2020.

The post Cincinnati Dutch Lions part ways with Nicholson, Ponchak appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

Cincinnati Dutch Lions goalkeeper Wesley Storm has signed an 18-month contract to join ADO Den Hagg from the Dutch top-flight Eredivisie, managed by Alan Pardew. Cincinnati fans may recognize the Pardew as manager at Crystal Palace when it came to play an international friendly against FC Cincinnati at Nippert Stadium in 2016.

Storm becomes the 17th player to sign a pro contract out of the Cincinnati Dutch Lions system and ninth since the new ownership group took over the club three years ago.

Dutch Lions general manager and goalkeeper coach Brandon Ponchak was excited about the news.

“We are excited for the next step in Wes’ career,” Ponchak said. “He’s spent two record-breaking years with CDLFC and to receive an opportunity in the Eredivisie is a dream.

“Obviously the jump from USL 2 to the Dutch 1st Division is a big jump, but Wes has always had a good attitude and remained motivated to achieve this in his career. He’s a great teammate, shot-stopper and has excellent distribution. He’s made a great climb from seventh division to first division quickly, and he’s ready for the challenge. I know Wes has appreciated his time in Cincinnati and loves the fan support.”

Storm was a fan favorite in his time with CDLFC. He earned his place between the pipes in 2018 and continued his record-breaking career in 2019, as the team just narrowly missed the playoffs.

He also holds a number of CDLFC records:

■ Saves in a single match: 12 (June 3, 2018 vs. Lansing United). Highlights from this match can be found here:

■ Goals allowed average: .90 (2019)

■ Total saves: 114 (2018, 2019)

■ Save percentage: 0.839 (2018, 2019)

Cincinnati Super Mega Ultras supporters group member Joe Duncan describes Storm’s play over the last two seasons in one word — “stellar.”

Storm leaving the Dutch Lions leaves pretty big shoes to fill in 2020.

Wesley Storm Highlight Video

Cincinnati Soccer Talk would like to congratulate Storm on his move to the Eredivisie. For more coverage of Soccer in the Queen City, be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

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CDLFC looks to put together multiple rosters this season as they build their rosters for both the USL League 2 season and the first-ever Ohio Valley Premier League season. The Lions will have at least one more future tryout leading into action this summer.

CDLFC finished the 2019 campaign just a few points shy of a playoff birth at 5-3-4. They finished right behind League Champion Flint City. Cincinnati left a few points on the table at Dayton and on both road trips at West Virginia in 2019 that could have put them in the playoffs. The good news for the 2020 season is there will be no road trips to West Virginia this season. Cincinnati will continue to be coached by former FC Cincinnati player Paul Nicholson.

In speaking with Brandon Ponchak, Goalkeeper Coach and General Manager for CDLFC, he said, “It’s a difficult time to estimate on returning players due to the professional matriculation and individual players’ desires.  Some guys will be pro, some will choose to see another part of the states, and others may have other summer plans. We have already had one player go pro.  The majority of our 2019 team were older players looking up, but we’ve identified several we would like to return.”

In building a second team for 2020, the Dutch Lions will give even more players an opportunity to play.  Ponchak stated at the tryout on Saturday “The second team players will get 10 games in the OVPL season and a chance to play in the US Open Cup if they win the 2020 OVPL championship”

Coach Ponchak was a guest on the most recent Cincinnati Soccer Talk podcast to talk more about OVPL as the league launches. You can check it out here or on any podcast app.

The post Cincinnati Dutch Lions FC Holds Tryouts to Fill Multiple Teams appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

The Dutch Lions sit in second place, two points ahead of Dayton and three points ahead of Flint City, who has a game in hand. Cincinnati needs to win these last two matches or hope for a little help from its “friends.”

Cincinnati has split the season series with Chicago so far and hopes to pull out the victory, as it needs these last six points to secure that playoff spot. CDLFC controls its own destiny at this point. Win these two, and it is in the playoffs.

Cincinnati defense needs to put the heat on Wintermeyer

Forward Gerit Wintermeyer has six goals and four assists this season for Chicago. If the Dutch Lions expect to come away with all three points today, they need to stop him. It is possible that Chicago decides to rest Wintermeyer though, given that they have already clinched the division title, which could benefit Cincinnati. Chicago has 12 players that have at least one goal this season though, so it’s not like sitting Wintermeyer would make this match a cakewalk for Cincinnati.

Around the division

Saturday would be a great night for West Virginia to get its first win of the season. A win against the Flint City Bucks would help Cincinnati in securing that playoff spot. The last match against the Bucks, although it was an exhibition, resulted in a 7-0 win for Flint City. In matches that have counted in the standings, West Virginia has kept it close with a 1-1 draw and a 1-0 loss.

The best possible results Cincinnati could hope for in these two matches would be two draws, with each team only coming away with 2 points. Dayton defeated Flint City 2-1 in their other matchup this season, but it was a very good matchup. Dayton had a 2-0 lead, and Flint City made a push to put one on the board in the 79th minute. Both Dayton and Flint City need these points to try to leapfrog Cincinnati. These matches should be extremely physical and good matches to watch.

The post Cincinnati Dutch Lions continue playoff push in Chicago appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

Throughout the first half, Cincinnati pushed and created chance after chance as the Bucks defense functioned on a bend but don’t break philosophy. While the first half was entertaining, neither team was able to put a goal up on the board in the first 45 minutes. At halftime, the players’ frustration was visible. Heading into the locker room, you could see a look of disbelief on the faces of the Lions that they hadn’t been able to break through in the first half despite six shots on goal. CDLFC dominated the first half and couldn’t find a brace.  

Breaking Through in the Second Half

In the 54th minute, Alex Grieve found the back of the net off of an excellent set piece. Grieve was left standing to the goalkeeper’s left all alone as every Flint City defender tracked the Connor Probert free kick to the far post and forgot all about Grieve. The Lions benefitted from it and broke through with a 1-0 lead. From there, they never looked back at Flint City.

Cincinnati controlled the majority of possession and then struck again in the 68th minute.  Probert found Jorge Guinovart on the far post, and Guinovart controlled the ball, stayed patient, and struck the ball past the Bucks for a 2-0 lead. Probert wasn’t done contributing to the offense quite yet. He buried a goal in the 83rd minute to give the Dutch Lions a 3-0 lead and earned himself man of the match honors. Flint City put one up on the board in garbage time to make the final for the evening 3-1.

Former Dutch Lion Leads Curacao to the Knockout Round of the Gold Cup

Congratulations to former Cincinnati Dutch Lion Zeus de la Paz, the goalkeeper for the Curacao Men’s National Team. Curacao advanced to the quarterfinal round, where it fell 1-0 to the United States on Sunday.  

Dutch Lions Fanbase Growing

The Dutch Lions saw their attendance go up 28% in 2019, including the record crowd of 417 fans last night at the home finale. Live stream viewing is up 221% as awareness of the USL League 2 side continues to grow. 

Six Points Left on the Table

The Dutch Lions have two more matches left on the regular season schedule and have a chance to make the USL League 2 Playoffs. Chicago FC United clinched the division title with a win against West Virginia this afternoon, but the Dutch Lions can still earn a playoff birth. They control their own fate at this point — two wins, and they are a lock. A win and a draw, and Cincinnati would need some help from other teams in the division to make a playoff berth a reality.

The post Cincinnati Dutch Lions defeat Bucks in front of record crowd appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

What looked to be a midfield that was overloaded turned out to be a team of nine men chasing the ball for the majority of the match. Dayton dominated every aspect of the first half, and Cincinnati was lucky to head into halftime 0-0. The one bright spot in the first half was Cincinnati goalkeeper Kegan McGlaghlin’s fingertip save over the bar on a Dayton corner kick. (Video can be seen here:  https://twitter.com/touchedartist/status/1144747439431278597?s=21.)

Second Half Dominance by Dayton

Dayton scored in the first minute of the second half, as Cincinnati came out of the locker room flat and appeared unready to start the second half despite having the ball to kick off.

Dayton’s Adjei raced down the left side of the pitch and slotted a brace home in the bottom right corner just out of the reach of a diving McGlaghlin. The Cincinnati keeper just couldn’t get there, and Dayton found themselves with a chance to play spoiler tonight.

Dayton appeared to be more interested than Cincinnati in getting to the 50/50 balls as well as the second ball out of the air. Dayton continued to dominate possession and Cincinnati coach Paul Nicholson made a number of substitutions trying to change the pace of the game. The Cincinnati faithful in attendance were excited to see Jorge Guinovart enter the match, but he was called for a dangerous play inside the 18 yard-box within seconds of entering, and Dayton was awarded a penalty.

Dayton sent Bulgar to the spot to take the penalty kick on McGlaghlin. He calmly put the ball in the left corner to give Dayton a 2-0 lead, and they never looked back.  

Missed Opportunities

Dayton goalkeeper Moussa Sy caught one ball the entire match, and that was at the closing moments of the match. Cincinnati had a number of missed opportunities by simply not following its shots and watching the ball get to the keeper. Their inability to “crash the net” and try to clean up the rebounds could have very well cost Cincinnati the match.  

Good News

The good news for Cincinnati is that it doesn’t have long to wait to move beyond the match in Dayton. The Flint City Bucks come into NKU Soccer Complex for a match Sunday night. After losing on Friday, the Bucks match is a must win for CDLFC. A win against the Bucks would put CDLFC even with them in the season series. The other good news is that Cincinnati is still very much alive in the playoff hunt.

SCORING SUMMARY
DAY — 46′ Adjei
DAY — 62′ Bulgar

The post Dayton just wanted it more vs. Cincinnati Dutch Lions appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

Dayton Hosts Cincinnati Friday 6/28/19

Dayton wants nothing more than to play the role of spoiler on Friday Night when the two teams meet at DOC stadium in West Carrollton, (7 pm start) Cincinnati has already won the season series against Dayton with two wins and one draw in their three matchups. Cincinnati looks to close out the $5 Footlong Derby with another victory and bring three points back to the Queen City.

Mighty Chicago

Chicago FC United looked to be running away with the Great Lakes Division but have taken three consecutive losses, (one in a non-divisional match) over the course of the last week. Luckily for them, they travel to West Virginia this weekend to take on the Alliance who sit at the bottom of the table, still looking for their first win.

Cincinnati beat Chicago this past Tuesday by converting a penalty in the 90th minute for the victory.

USL LEAGUE TWO TEAM OF THE WEEK

Congratulations to CDLFC Goalkeeper Wesley Storm on winning USL LEAGUE TWO team of the week honors. Wes has a shutout against Dayton and a handful of excellent saves against Chicago this past week. Wes, has been playing excellent soccer since returning from his red card suspension earned against Dayton the last time the two teams met at DOC Stadium

Final Regular Season Home Match of 2019

This Sunday the Flint City Bucks come to NKU to take on the orange and blue. The Bucks and Dutch Lions play very physically against one another and this should be no different.  With one tie and one loss against the Bucks, CDLFC needs to get the victory in order to even out the season series.

Soccer City USA, this is your chance to show what a great supporter’s culture Cincinnati has for all levels of soccer in the Queen City. The 7 pm match should be a great one and the CDLFC are hopeful to have a capacity crowd at NKU for the final regular season home match.

In celebration of fan appreciation night, and winning the 2019 Subway Cup against Dayton, ALL TICKETS for the match against the Bucks will be $5!

***

As the 2019 season comes to a close, we’d like to thank those of you that have been reading our CDLFC coverage.  We have a lot of good amateur soccer in our area and will continue to follow players from CDLFC throughout their college seasons and share with you in the future. #SupportLocalSoccer

@TouchedArtist- for @CincySoccerTalk

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If you ask the Super Mega Ultras Supporters Group what team they want to beat the most, it’s Dayton. It’s not just geography or the fact that they share the Dutch Lions name, in 2018 when Dayton won the Great Lakes division, they celebrated on Cincinnati’s home field. That celebration left a bad taste in the mouths of the fans and players in attendance. Several of those players are still with the club and have not forgotten that moment. The five dollar footlong derby (in reference to the statue between Cincinnati and Dayton) is a heated one. 

The third matchup of the 2019 season between the Cincinnati Dutch Lions F.C. and the Dayton Dutch Lions F.C. is tonight Friday, June 21st at the Northern Kentucky University Soccer Complex in Highland Heights, Kentucky. The match is scheduled for a 7 PM start. 

Dayton Looking For a Surge to The Top

Dayton came into the 2019 season looking to repeat as Great Lakes Division Champions. Last week they defeated Flint City 2-1 on Wednesday and lost to Chicago Saturday night by the same score, 2-1. 

Another loss this past Wednesday night against Chicago 2-0 hurt everyone’s chances at catching Chicago in the divisional race. Head coach Dan Griest is going to need a huge push to make a run here at the end of the season. 

Disappointing “result” for Cincinnati

West Virginia and Cincinnati ended Sunday’s match in a tie as the match was called due to inclement weather. There has to be some frustration when only coming away from that road trip with one point. While you don’t want to take any opponents for granted, CDLFC had to think 3 points at West Virginia was a definite given their performances against them this season.

Cincinnati needs to earn every point possible as the end of the season approaches. With Chicago still getting results, it makes the possibility of catching them that much harder. However, Cincinnati has two head to head matchups and those are key moving forward. 

Best CDLFC Roster Ever? 

The Great Lakes Division is so strong this year that it’s become possible for some fans to overlook that this might be the best CDLFC roster they’ve ever seen. There’s tremendous depth on this roster and each match has to be difficult for the CDLFC coaching staff to choose the starters and the substitutes.  This Summer has seen a number of players get work with USL Championship and MLS Squads. Recently, the Enquirer linked Alex Willis with Nashville and Columbus. 

Bringing Home the Subway Cup

If Cincinnati can secure the win against Dayton, they bring home the Subway Cup for 2019. While it isn’t the hardware that Cincinnati truly has their eyes on, it would mean a lot to the supporters. Dayton fans currently hold the cup but Cincy could steal it away early before playing the third and final match. 

Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.CDLFC.com or purchased the day of the match at the gate. Follow the Dutch Lions on Twitter @CincinnatiDLFCto #supportlocalsoccer and for more information regarding #DutchSummer

Ryan Sparks for @CincySoccerTalk

The post Early Chance for Cincinnati to Snag Subway Cup from Dayton appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

The Cincinnati Dutch Lions split two matches this past weekend and find themselves needing every victory to try and catch Chicago FC United.  Chicago came into Cincinnati’s back yard and put three goals on the board to beat CDLFC. On Sunday night, Cincinnati beat rival Dayton grabbing three back.

Sunday night, the Dutch Lions travel to West Virginia for a matchup after a nice week-long ‘break’ between matches.  The match is scheduled for a 7:30 start on Sunday, June 16th.

Impact of a Strong Midfield

The Dutch Lions have had some great play in the midfield in their victories this season. A midfield led by Jorge Guinovart and David Lozano has lead to strong results to date. This will be a crucial part of the Lion’s push toward a Great Lakes Division Championship. Cincy is at their best when they play a possession-based game.

West Virginia Desperate to Pull The Upset

The Alliance find themselves sitting at the bottom of the table with only one point so far this season.  Their only point coming from a 1-1 tie against Flint City that was shocking given the strength of the Bucks overall this season.  West Virginia is desperate to get their first win of 2019 and try to climb out of last place.

Difficult Decisions

CDLFC has a loaded roster this season and Nicholson makes difficult decisions when it comes to who is in the 18 for each match.  Last Friday night against Chicago, Cincinnati put what was arguably their best lineup out on the pitch and couldn’t get the victory against United.

Head Coach, Paul Nicholson, and his staff have a number of very hard decisions to make heading into the West Virginia Match. The club needs every single point they can grab at this point to make a run at the division and with different players performing vs Dayton, it makes the choices difficult.

It’s a Numbers game:

22- Number of saves made by CDLFC Goalkeeper Wesley Storm so far this season

21-The total number of possible points that CDLFC have left on the table in front of them.

15- Possible points on the road

6- Points remaining at home

5- Points behind Chicago FC United with two matches to play against them

4- Number of goals scored by Alex Willis this season

1- Goals against average by CDLFC goalkeeper Keagan McLaughlin

Special Moment in Club History

Congratulations are in order for former CDLFC goalkeeper Zeus de la Paz.  Zeus has been called up to the Curaçao National Team from Oldham Athletic (England League Two) to participate in the Gold Cup.

The Dutch Lions two home matches left in 2019.  Friday, June 21st, 2019 against Dayton and Sunday, June 30th, 2019 against Flint City.  Keep an eye out on more information about #DutchSummer

Ryan Sparks for @CincySoccerTalk

The post Cincinnati Dutch Lions Head to West Virginia Looking for Three More Points appeared first on Cincinnati Soccer Talk.

The Response

Surprisingly, Cincinnati entered the match without their leading striker Alex Willis. Two matches in a weekend required rotation but the move certainly raised eyebrows. Cincy started the match with possession and quickly took the ball at Dayton’s defenders. That early push forced Dayton into more of a defensive shell and unlike in the Chicago match, CDLFC were creating the runs to threaten. A couple of chances went long and a few landed bad touches. Cincy continued to put on the pressure and was rewarded in the 34th minute with a rebound goal. Connor Rutz continued his run after Hamilton’s strike and shot the rebound goal.

Movement Makes All the Difference

The tale of the two separate weekend matches was all about movement. Against Chicago, CDLFC looked lethargic at times despite holding possession. United entered the match with a defensive plan. Cincy struggled to break down the two layers of four on defense and it didn’t get easier when Chicago went up a goal early. Dayton took a page out of Chicago’s book but the execution was not as sharp. Rutz was able to capitalize on a turnover and Hamilton made the run. It wasn’t just Hamilton looking for chances, Cincinnati’s offense as whole created space well in the second match.

Pile it On

Entering the first half up 1-0 didn’t sit well with CDLFC coach Paul Nicholson. As many chances as his team had in the first half against Dayton, they could have capitalized on more chances. Just six minutes after the restart, Cincinnati jumped back on the board as Stafford-Lacy earned his first of the season. Lacy made a great run from the midfield line catching the Dayton defense off guard. As the official’s flag stayed down, Lacy slowed to dribble around a defender, then the keeper and walked the ball into the net.

Finishing it Out

Cincinnati Dutch Lions are not known for holding off possession. When watching Cincy soccer the motto usually is “the best defense is a good offense.” However, Cincinnati did switch tactics after the second goal and became the countering team. Credit the back line for Cincy as they certainly were tested but remained firm with Dayton flying forward. Dayton struggled to get solid shots on goal but ended up a few scary moments going wide in either direction. The match official added a generous five minutes to the end and Dayton was able to squeak one goal out in the dying moments. Alas, it was not enough and Cincinnati walked away the winners of the first leg of the Five Dollar Footlong Derby.

@BostonKeith for @CincySoccerTalk

Make sure to check out Cincinnati Soccer Talk Live tonight at 9 PM to discuss all things soccer in the Queen City. You can watch on Facebook, Twitter or Youtube.

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