On the heels of their first USL home defeat at Nippert Stadium, FC Cincinnati returns to take on Bethlehem Steel FC. Here are 5 Things to Know going into Saturday night’s match as well as the new March to Matchday Podcast w. Evan Villella from @BrotherlyGame and @ECCPOD!
Where: Cincinnati, OH – Nippert Stadium
When: Saturday, May 20th at 7:00 p.m. EST
Form: FC Cincinnati (2W-4L-3D, 9 pts.) 9th Place, Bethlehem Steel FC ( 3W-4L-0D, 9 pts.) 8th Place
YOUR FAVORITE PEOPLE THIS WEEK – Ref Assignments:
REF: MALIK BADAWI, AR1: Walter Heatherly, AR2: Nait Hegerty, 4TH: Kevin Fikar
March to Matchday #10 – Podcast
Join host Bryan Weigel for the newest addition to Cincinnati Soccer Talk lineup. March to Matchday will provide an in-depth preview of the upcoming opponent as well as how FC Cincinnati can best defeat them. This show will hopefully fit in your drive time to work, to the pub on game day or lead you right up to game time. We hope you enjoy March to Matchday #10!
Don’t forget you can now download and subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk on iTunes today! The podcast can also be found on Stitcher Smart Radio now. We’re also available in the Google Play Store.
5 Things to Know
Kryptonite – 2 of Bethlehem’s 3 wins came at the expense of FC Cincinnati. The first saw the Orange & Blue go down a man for much of the game after Paul Nicholson picked up a Red Card in the 23rd minute. Bethlehem controlled most of the match and netted twice in the second half for a 2-0 win. In the second match, FC Cincinnati outshot BSFC 21-9 but the Steel knicked a goal in the 87th minute. The recently departed Andy Craven picked up a Red Card in the closing minutes as FCC fell 1-0.
Credit: Alex Vehr
Stop the Bleeding- Will FCC’s triumph Wednesday night in the US Open Cup over AFC Cleveland kickstart this team and lead to more wins? Sometimes a club needs to grind out a few performances to reestablish confidence within the squad. The Orange & Blue will have to do it though without leading goal scorer Djiby Fall, as he serves the 4th of his 6 match USL suspension. His goal in the 2nd Period of Extra Time secured a spot in the next round against Louisville City FC.
Trusty Called Up- BSFC will be without one of their bright spots this season in defender Auston Trusty. Trusty was called up to replace Marlon Fossey on the US U-20 World Cup squad in Japan. The youngster is not a stranger to the international game. He appeared twice for the U-20’s in CONCACAF Championship where the US claimed the title.
Fresh Legs – US Soccer changed its rules in late 2015 to disallow teams that are majority owned by a higher level club (MLS) from participating in the US Open Cup. That prohibits “MLS2” teams like BSFC or NYRB2 from participating in the competition. With MLS teams still 2 rounds away, players from Bethlehem didn’t have to play a midweek game. While Coach Alan Koch didn’t roll out a true 1st Team XI last night, key players such as Harrison Delbridge, Andrew Wiedeman, and Victor Mansaray started while Corben Bone, Jimmy McLaughlin, and Kadeem Dacres chipped in with significant minutes off the bench. Koch will have to manage their legs this week to keep the players fresh for a full 90 minutes.
Return of Walker?- It has yet to be determined if Kenney Walker will return to the midfield for Saturday’s match but FC Cincinnati needs him back. The former Louisville Cardinal has missed the last 2 matches and it has made a big impact. FC Cincinnati has struggled to control possession in his absence and has failed to consistently connect the back 4 to the strikers. As a result, the club has become too one-dimensional playing up the wings and leading to our inconsistency of getting the ball into the back of the net. The club has also missed his leadership and ability to put in work on both sides of the ball. The Orange & Blue need Walker to return to the pitch sooner rather than later.
Stay tuned to Cincinnati Soccer Talk for our Growler Cup Staff Predictions and more news and information leading up to the Bethlehem Steel FC match!
Supporter Groups Pregame Match Parties
We encourage all fans to get down to Clifton early and enjoy themselves at the areas many restaurants and pubs. Many Supporter Groups hang out in the “Short Vine” area where you can join in the march to Nippert Stadium. Some of these locations can be rowdier than others, but families and opposing fans are encouraged to come out and join the various groups.
Die Innenstadt: Mecklenburg Gardens – 302 E University Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45219
The Pride: Ladder 19 – 2701 Vine St, Cincinnati, OH 45219
Queen City Firm: Mio’s Pizzeria Pub – 2634 Vine St, Cincinnati, OH 45219
Queen City Mafia: Short Vine Bearcat Statue Lot – 2700 Block of Vine St, Cincinnati, OH 45219
The Legion: Taste of Belgium Clifton – 2845 Vine St, Cincinnati, OH 45219
The Bailey Bastards: Hang Over Easy – 3 W Charlton St, Cincinnati, OH 45219
For more information and how to join the supporters march, check out our matchday guide!
Viewing
TV: This contest is set for a 7 p.m. EST kickoff on Saturday night. Broadcasting partner Sinclair Broadcasting Group will now air all FC Cincinnati home & away matches. Saturday’s match will be live on Star64 (WSTR). The match will also be broadcast at FC Cincinnati’s pub partners or by Streaming internet on USL’s Youtube station.
@bradleysweigel for @CincySoccerTalk
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