Last weekend, Cincinnati Soccer Talk was able to attend an FC Cincinnati training session at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The previous session was a light, recovery session, but this session was anything but light, warming up to a full 11v11 game that felt game-level intense standing on the sideline. While the battles raged on the pitch, they were all about business, but when the session ended, the team came off all smiles, joking with each other.
After training, we were able to speak with Kadeem Dacres (#7) and Aodhan Quinn (#5). The interview was done on the field as other players were packing to leave. They enjoyed making faces and teasing their teammates on camera who at times struggled to keep focused.
Key Points
Kadeem Dacres:
- The support the city has given the team is amazing. It’s something I wanted to be a part of
- Relocated to Cincinnati in December
- Never been to Cincinnati before other than to play
- Very impressed with Kroger. Doesn’t eat out much and the Kroger in Oakley is huge
- Likes Island Frydays, a Jamaican restaurant in Clifton, https://www.islandfrydays.com/
- The guys on the team have been great, welcoming. Doesn’t feel like an outsider
- Front office is first class. Right there, one phone call away as far as their needs
- Expects this time around the rivalry between Cincinnati / Louisville will feel more intense
- Favorite color: Blue
- FIFA: PS4 and Chelsea
- Brings creativity in the attack to the club
- Needs to work on defending more
Aodhan Quinn:
- Unbelievable atmosphere and fans in Cincinnati. Amazing support and fans back their team. Tough place to play but also a lot of fun even for the away team
- Relocated to Cincinnati in late January
- Didn’t realize that Cincinnati was such a “cool” city on the rise. Lots of new places to try. It’s fun
- Has been to OTR with Corben Bone. Can’t recall the places but some good restaurants there
- Likes E+O in Hyde Park, https://eokitchen.com/
- Knew Eric Stevenson from Akron and some others from Philly, but everyone has been really welcoming. No tension from last year. Great group of guys
- Good experiences with front office. Very professional. Any questions or concerns, they are right there. They take care of the players
- Cincinnati / Louisville was a real rivalry. The fans cared about the rivalry so that fueled it more
- This year is going to be more heated with the players who moved between Cincinnati and Louisville
- Expecting to get harassed when we return to Louisville this year
- Favorite color: Green
- FIFA: PS4 and Manchester United
- Brings a competitive attitude to the club and a strong left foot for spraying the ball around
- Needs to work on his right foot some more
This concludes the Cincinnati Soccer Talk “Catching Up” series, but tune in to our weekly podcast as we’re sure to talk with many more of the players in the coming weeks.
@billwwolf for @CincySoccerTalk
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