Know Your Foe: FC Cincinnati

History

FC Cincinnati's history starts in the USL Championship, the second division of the U.S. Soccer ladder. Their journey began in 2015 when they were given a USL Championship franchise that would start playing the following year in 2016.

FCC’s time in USL was brief but a resounding success on and off the pitch. They broke several USL attendance records and managed to make the playoffs in their first season.

They would also see success in the 2017 U.S. Open Cup, beating their first two MLS opponents but losing against the New York Red Bulls in the semifinals.

The following year, FCC would go on to win the regular-season title, finishing their time in USL on a positive note. Next would be Major League Soccer, where FCC would play its first season in 2019.

Life in MLS didn’t start as well as it did for Cincinnati in the USL. They finished last in the Eastern Conference in their inaugural season and have continued to finish last in all the following seasons. But off the pitch, FCC has built a state-of-the-art soccer-specific stadium and has averaged top five in attendance in the league despite the losing records.

Present

After finishing last for three straight seasons, things are looking up for Cincinnati in the 2022 season. In the off-season, they hired Chris Albright as the new general manager and hired a new head coach in Pat Noonan.

The changes in the technical staff have so far seemed to be paying off this season. They started the season with an embarrassing 0 – 5 loss against Austin FC. But since then, they have gone on to win two of the last three matches.

Both wins were back-to-back in the previous two weeks, the most recent a 3 – 1 win against Inter Miami, their first-ever win in their new stadium.

Key Players

Luciano Acosta: Acosta is a seasoned MLS playmaker who spent four seasons with D.C before joining FCC last year. United before his brief stint in Mexico. He's notched a total of 31 goals and 37 assists in MLS and is the type of player who can create something from nothing.

Brandon Vazquez: The 23-year-old Mexican American is having a breakout season in his 3rd MLS season. So far, he has four goals and one assist in four games. He’s a well-rounded striker who can punish you in different ways if given scoring opportunities.

Alec Kann: FCC had struggled at the goalkeeper position in their previous seasons, so they decided to bring in Kann to reinforce the position. He brings a steady presence in the back and can make big saves to help keep FCC in matches.