FC Cincinnati defeated the Charlotte Independence 2-1 in front of a raucous inaugural crowd of 14,658 at Nippert Stadium on Saturday evening. FC Cincinnati got off to a dream start through Sean Okoli in the 6th minute as he scissor-kicked home the first ever FC Cincinnati goal at Nippert Stadium. FC Cincinnati doubled their lead in the 52nd minute when Jimmy McLaughlin delivered a driven cross from FC Cincinnati’s left to Austin Berry who had pressed forward to power it into goal with a diving header from 10 yards.
Austin Berry celebrates with Corben Bone and Andrew Wiedeman after scoring the game winning goal at FC Cincinnati’s home opener at Nippert Stadium.
Charlotte fought back immediately and in the 53rd minute David Estrada slammed a ball home from two yards after a melee of headed balls in front of goal. Both sides had more chances in the second half but niether team could change the scoreline. The match was characterized by end-to-end play, physical tussles and a tremendous atmosphere. The hometown boy got the game winner to top it all off. Full details will follow tomorrow in our full match report.
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