FC Cincinnati gear up for their second rivalry match this week as they take on Louisville City FC in the Dirty River Derby. Coach Alan Koch’s side pulled off a road win midweek in Pittsburgh and will look to expand their lead in the USL Eastern Conference vs. LouCity. Check out our 5 things to know for FC Cincinnati vs. Louisville City FC below.
Where: Cincinnati, OH – Nippert Stadium
When: Saturday, May 26th at 7:30 p.m. EST
2018 Form: FC Cincinnati – 1st Place (6W-2L-2D, 20 pts.), Louisville City FC – T-2nd Place (6W-2L-1D, 19pts.)
YOUR FAVORITE PEOPLE THIS WEEK – Ref Assignments:
REF: RAMY TOUCHAN, AR1: KYLE LONGVILLE, AR2: DAN STUPCA, 4TH: ADAM WARNER
March to Matchday
Join host Bryan Weigel @bryanweigel, as he previews FC Cincinnati’s 11th USL regular season match of 2018 as FCC host Louisville City FC. Joining Bryan on this week’s show is guest Brian Davis (@B_Doing_Work) of the Barrel Proof Podcast (@barrelprooffc), a podcast that covers Louisville City FC.
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!
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
Best of Show: The second edition of the 2018 Dirty River Derby will pit one of the leagues best offenses against one of the top defenses. FC Cincinnati enters the match as the third-rated offense in USL play, scoring twenty goals through ten matches. Alan Koch’s side currently has the best goal differential in the league, standing at a +7 advantage. Louisville has only conceded seven times in 2018, so it is safe to say, Cincinnati will have their hands full in creating opportunities on Saturday. LouCity Head Coach James O’Connor’s side has shown they can create opportunities this season with 154 shots in nine games. That ranks third in the USL, but the conversion rate on those opportunities is 11% which put them in the bottom ten in the entire league.
90 Minutes: Coach O’Connor’s clubs have been known for their intensity over a full match. Once they get a lead, they will do what they can to improve that advantage over the course of the game. There is no backing down from the defending USL champs. FC Cincinnati has been known to “switch off” for short periods of time leading to chances and goals for their opponents. Koch’s men must give a full effort to walk away with three points.
Differences: FC Cincinnati should look like a changed side from their 1-0 defeat to LCFC earlier in the 2018 campaign. The squad played in a 4-2-3-1 formation that struggled to create chances in the final third leading to personnel and tactical changes. Those differences will be apparent on Saturday as several FCC players could be making their first appearance in the Dirty River Derby. Center back Paddy Barrett along with midfielders Michael Lahoud, and Nazmi Albadawi could make a huge impact in Nippert. Albadawi is coming off a brace last weekend vs. NCFC and both Barrett and Lahoud are coming off impressive performances of their own. The 4-4-2 will see FCC try to play quickly and to push the attack at Louisville once in possession. FCC will need to provide some width through their fullback to change the point of attack and not let LouCity bunker when in their defensive third. Look to these new players to unlock O’Connor’s side and set the tone for the rest of the season.
Game in Hand: As it stands FCC is one point higher on the USL table having played ten matches to LouCity’s nine. That extra game could see LCFC vault the Orange & Blue if all things were even. It is important for FCC to gain three points as that would open their lead to four points and would minimize the effect of that unplayed match. FCC must win it’s home matches if they want to top the USL Eastern Conference at the end of the season. Winning matches vs. contenders will only help grow the gap.
Keep Playing Within The System: This is less a thing to know, more a thing to hope for. We all know what lies ahead on Tuesday. The coaches know it, the players know it, the daily staff know it. The 2019 MLS squad will be something exciting, but let’s not lose sight of the task ahead. We all want the 2018 USL Championship. There will be much dialogue on the future over the next several months, but let’s continue to focus on 2018. To be honest, the guys will impress more if they play together as a cohesive unit, that play for a future MLS contract. Yes it is a huge opportunity. This team will either rise together or crumble themselves. Keeping the group bought-in for the current task could be the most impressive trait if Coach Alan Koch hopes to continue managing in Cincinnati for 2019. Let’s keep our eye on the ball.
Growler Cup – Round 11
Returning for 2018 is our Growler Cup! If you contribute $5/ month or more as a supporter of the site, you are entered into the Growler Cup prediction contest. Supporters of the show along with our hosts will predict the score and result for the upcoming week’s match. We have changed the rules for 2018. You get 3 pts for picking the correct result, 1 pt for correct FCC goals and 1pt for correct opponent goals. There will be many opportunities to win as well in 2018. Along with the overall champion (2017 – Chris Dimeo), fans can get on our show to chat with the staff or partake in a trivia contest by scoring the most amount of points in a given month. You will see the predictions of our staff below. Please consider supporting the site at CincinnatiSoccerTalk.com/Support.
Supporter Groups Pregame Match Parties
We encourage all fans to get down to Clifton early and enjoy themselves at the area’s 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. The Supporters March Should begin at approx. 3:00 p.m.
Die Innenstadt: Mecklenburg Gardens – 302 E University Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45219
The Pride: Ladder 19 – 2701 Vine St, Cincinnati, OH 45219 – Will move to Top Cats – 2820 Vine St, Cincinnati, OH 45219
The Pride Norden: Ladder 19 – 2701 Vine St, Cincinnati, OH 45219 – Will move to Top Cats – 2820 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 7:30 p.m. EST kickoff on Saturday night. Broadcasting partner Sinclair Broadcasting Group will now air all FC Cincinnati home & away matches. The broadcast duo of Tom Gelehrter and Kevin McCloskey will provide the play-by-play and color analysis to FCC fans live on WSTR Star 64. Lindsay Patterson will be reporting from the sideline. The match will also be broadcast at FC Cincinnati’s pub partners or by Streaming internet on ESPN+.
RADIO: ESPN 1530 AM
Stay tuned to our Twitter handle – @CincySoccerTalk, for updated information.
@bryanweigel for @CincySoccerTalk
Recommended for you
