FC Cincinnati travels to Slugger Field one last time on a 16 match unbeaten streak to face one of the tougher teams in the USL. Louisville enters the game on the heels of a loss and a draw to Toronto and Charleston, respectively.
Where: Louisville, KY – Slugger Field
When: Saturday, September 8th at 7:30 p.m. ET
2018 Form: FC Cincinnati – 1st Place (18W-3L-6D, 60 pts.), Louisville City FC – 2nd Place (13W-5L-8D, 47 pts.)
YOUR FAVORITE PEOPLE THIS WEEK – Ref Assignments:
REF: Marcos DeOliveira, AR1: Brooke Mayo, AR2: Benjamin Hall-Volpenhein, 4TH: William Gaither III
5 Things to Know
Boys of Summer: There is no way one can not discuss “The Streak” at this time. FC Cincinnati is currently riding a 16 game unbeaten streak, the fourth longest in USL history. FC Cincinnati’s streak is one game less than Louisville longest streak of 17 games, in 2016. Louisville’s streak came crashing down when they played FC Cincinnati on a hot summer day, can Louisville City return the favor to the boys in Blue and Orange? The longest streak in the history of the USL was Richmond at 22 games (2013). If FCC does not lose any of their remaining games they could reach 23.
Playoffs: Yes, we are talking playoffs. FC Cincinnati knows they have locked up a spot in the postseason, but now the team can lock in a home game with a victory over their nemesis, Louisville City FC. As of right now, FCC needs only 12 points (72pts) from the seven remaining games to lock up home field throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs. It would be nice to lock up the home field and rest some key players the last few games. Getting three points is the quickest way to achieve that, so no need to take the foot off the gas.
Photo Credit: Jeremy Miller
End The Streak: No, not the unbeaten streak, rather the winning streak Louisville has over FC Cincinnati. It has been a difficult pill for the supporters of FCC to swallow, three straight games with losses. However, FC Cincinnati has not just lost these games, they have been shutout in three straight. The fans of Louisville have even started a clock indicating the last time FCC has scored on them (FYI – It will be 419 days ago by Saturday’s kickoff).
Last Dance: Is this the Last Dance between FC Cincinnati and Louisville? The answer, possibly. Yes, there is an opportunity to meet in the playoffs or a future US Open Cup match. Those possibilities are currently unknown, but most likely we will never play them inside the friendly confines of Slugger field. A location where FC Cincinnati is 1-1-1, the winner of this game can claim Slugger Field as theirs (not that FCC wants to claim anything with that pitch).
Pitching Injury: We saw first hand the talent and the damage Fanendo Adi can inflict on opponents, at least the Pittsburgh Riverhounds did. Adi’s talent was on full display in Nippert last Saturday. Will the crowd to the south get the privilege to see the big guy on the pitch? The question is not can Adi play, rather does Management want Adi to play on that pitch? Rain is expected making the field not just a grass/ turf mix but a slick mix. Cincy supporters know Adi was brought in for the 2019 MLS season and mitigating risk of injury to the Designated Player may be the smarter play here. Expect a showing only if FCC is down, but I would not be surprised if he is not in the 18 either.
March to Matchday – FC Cincinnati at Louisville City FC
Join host Bryan Weigel (@bryanweigel), as he welcomes guest Kevin Kernen, Color Commentator (@RedHairOnAir) for Louisville City to preview the final regular season Dirty River Derby. 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!
Growler Cup
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. Results are available at cincinnatisoccertalk.com/growlercup. 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
Expected Goals:
The xG chart looks as follows:
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. 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.
@khoetker for @CincySoccerTalk
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