This season is the 10th for FC Cincinnati, and it has been a pretty fun ride to this point. Over the past ten years there have been incredibly high highs, with a regular season championship in the USL, a run to the Open Cup semifinals as a USL side, setting attendance records seemingly every week, and of course a Supporters’ Shield in the MLS and the club’s first MLS MVP. There have also been some low lows as well. Early exits in the USL playoffs, the heart-breaking loss in the Open Cup semifinal, back-to-back-to-back wooden spoon seasons, and of course the Eastern Conference final in 2023.
Club history is not only built off the very best and worst moments, but the very best players.. Across the globe, every set of supporters has players they regard as club legends. It’s a fun debate, due to everyone having a different set of parameters for what makes a player a club legend. Some supporters reserve legend status for players who win trophies for their clubs. Some just go off vibes. Maybe some fans think a player is a club legend because of handful of moments that left them in awe. Long-tenured players almost always get the badge of being a legend due to the loyalty they showed the club.
Normally, attaining the status of legend is tough to do for players. Mostly because many clubs have over 100 years of history. FCC’s history has just begun, and while some of my picks might stand the test of time, in all likelihood in 100 years, some of the players mentioned in this article might not be remembered at all.
Here are my picks for the top five players who earned the status of club legends through the first 10 years. You likely won’t agree with all my choices, but that’s part of the fun. Let’s kick things off with number five.
5. Jimmy McLaughlin
Photo: Klare
Jimmy McLaughlin should not be a surprise to anyone who was around during the USL days. He was a fan favorite and for good reason. A part of the inaugural FCC squad for the first season in 2016, Jimmy was at the club until 2020 and ended up with 104 appearances for the Orange and Blue. Though he didn’t have many assists, he was a prolific scorer and went out there every single match and worked his socks off for 90 minutes. A player with pace to burn, he created problems that some teams in the USL just didn’t have an answer for. And after working hard every single match you could find Jimmy signing autographs for the crowd and taking pictures. He was a man of the people and someone that you couldn’t help but love. Jimmy defined what it meant to be an FCC player for the first few seasons, and while his impact may not be remembered by some, I will certainly never forget what he meant in the early days of the club.
4. Mitch Hildebrandt
Photo: Vehr
There is an argument to be made, that without Mitch Hildebrandt FCC would have never gotten the invite to play in the MLS. Mitch was also a member of the inaugural FCC squad back in 2016. He was only with the Orange and Blue for two seasons, but it was the best two year run any player could hope to have for any club. Hildebrandt had 69 appearances for the club, and in those 69 appearances he made countless massive saves and every time he did, Nippert Stadium would ring out with a loud MITCH SAYS NO chant. He was truly an electric player and his performance in the US Open Cup Round of 16 match against the Chicago Fire will never be forgotten. If you have never seen it, this highlight package should help.
3. Emmanuel Ledesma
Photo: Vehr
Emmanuel Ledesma was the last of the old guard who made the switch from USL into MLS. He joined the club back in 2018 and was the centerpiece of the FCC side that ran away with the 2018 regular season championship that year. Ledesma was the man who made it all work. Ledesma led the team in goals and assists with 16 of each. His outstanding 32 goal contributions made him an easy pick for the league MVP in 2018. A truly outrageous player who to this day might have had the best left foot in FCC history. Ledesma was kept on when FCC made the switch to MLS and made 28 appearances in the inaugural MLS season. He scored six goals and had five assists. Ledesma made just 61 appearances for FCC, but he also helped bring the first team and individual trophies to the club. He was a massive part of the final USL squad, and to this day remains a prominent figure at FCC.
2. Lucho Acosta
I know that some people aren’t going to like him being on this list. In fact, just about 24,524 of you aren’t very big fans of Lucho anymore, but he had to be on this list. Acosta joined the club back in 2021, and he was the catalyst that propelled FCC to the heights that they remain at today. From the jump, Lucho was scoring crazy goals and assisting on plenty as well. He was a massive piece of the team that made the first MLS playoff appearance in club history back in 2022. That year Acosta had 11 goals and 13 assists, and we saw a glimpse of what was to come in the following season. In 2023, Acosta had the single greatest season of any player in the 10-year history of the club. He had 21 goals and 14 assists, helping FCC win their first ever trophy in the MLS. Acosta also took home the MVP that year. A truly unbelievable season that was capped off with a Goal of the Season award as well. You can call it his MVP moment (watch it here). All told, Lucho ended up with 150 appearances for FC Cincinnati. During his time at the club, he scored 54 goals and notched 54 assists. Both of those are club records, and they are not likely to be broken any time soon.
1. Nick Hagglund
Photo: Mack
This is probably my most personal choice on the list. Nick is the longest tenured FCC player in history. He joined the club back in 2019 for the first season in MLS. Hagglund wasn’t always an important member of the backline, and he hasn’t always been the best center-back on the team. What he has lacked in any of these areas he’s made up for with dedication to his hometown. Hagglund has been be living every kid’s dream since 2019. The Cincinnati Kid has now amassed 149 appearances, which is good for third all-time behind Lucho Acosta and Yuya Kubo. Nick is beloved by the fans, and he seems to share the affection for them. Nick makes lap around the stadium after just about every home match and often stops and sign autographs or take pictures with fans. Hagglund was here for all the downs that the MLS have brought for FCC, so it’s been great getting to see him enjoy the most prosperous period in the club’s history.
There you have it. These are my five club legends for FCC to this point. Like I said at the beginning of this article, club legends are subjective, so I would love to hear who you think the five best players to grace the Orange and Blue are to this point. The first 10 seasons have been rewarding, and I can’t wait for the next club legend to make his mark on this great club.
This season is the 10th for FC Cincinnati, and it has been a pretty fun ride to this point. Over the past ten years there have been incredibly high highs, with a regular season championship in the USL, a run to the Open Cup semifinals as a USL side, setting attendance records seemingly every week, and of course a Supporters’ Shield in the MLS and the club’s first MLS MVP. There have also been some low lows as well. Early exits in the USL playoffs, the heart-breaking loss in the Open Cup semifinal, back-to-back-to-back wooden spoon seasons, and of course the Eastern Conference final in 2023.
Club history is not only built off the very best and worst moments, but the very best players.. Across the globe, every set of supporters has players they regard as club legends. It’s a fun debate, due to everyone having a different set of parameters for what makes a player a club legend. Some supporters reserve legend status for players who win trophies for their clubs. Some just go off vibes. Maybe some fans think a player is a club legend because of handful of moments that left them in awe. Long-tenured players almost always get the badge of being a legend due to the loyalty they showed the club.
Normally, attaining the status of legend is tough to do for players. Mostly because many clubs have over 100 years of history. FCC’s history has just begun, and while some of my picks might stand the test of time, in all likelihood in 100 years, some of the players mentioned in this article might not be remembered at all.
Here are my picks for the top five players who earned the status of club legends through the first 10 years. You likely won’t agree with all my choices, but that’s part of the fun. Let’s kick things off with number five.
5. Jimmy McLaughlin
Photo: Klare
Jimmy McLaughlin should not be a surprise to anyone who was around during the USL days. He was a fan favorite and for good reason. A part of the inaugural FCC squad for the first season in 2016, Jimmy was at the club until 2020 and ended up with 104 appearances for the Orange and Blue. Though he didn’t have many assists, he was a prolific scorer and went out there every single match and worked his socks off for 90 minutes. A player with pace to burn, he created problems that some teams in the USL just didn’t have an answer for. And after working hard every single match you could find Jimmy signing autographs for the crowd and taking pictures. He was a man of the people and someone that you couldn’t help but love. Jimmy defined what it meant to be an FCC player for the first few seasons, and while his impact may not be remembered by some, I will certainly never forget what he meant in the early days of the club.
4. Mitch Hildebrandt
Photo: Vehr
There is an argument to be made, that without Mitch Hildebrandt FCC would have never gotten the invite to play in the MLS. Mitch was also a member of the inaugural FCC squad back in 2016. He was only with the Orange and Blue for two seasons, but it was the best two year run any player could hope to have for any club. Hildebrandt had 69 appearances for the club, and in those 69 appearances he made countless massive saves and every time he did, Nippert Stadium would ring out with a loud MITCH SAYS NO chant. He was truly an electric player and his performance in the US Open Cup Round of 16 match against the Chicago Fire will never be forgotten. If you have never seen it, this highlight package should help.
3. Emmanuel Ledesma
Photo: Vehr
Emmanuel Ledesma was the last of the old guard who made the switch from USL into MLS. He joined the club back in 2018 and was the centerpiece of the FCC side that ran away with the 2018 regular season championship that year. Ledesma was the man who made it all work. Ledesma led the team in goals and assists with 16 of each. His outstanding 32 goal contributions made him an easy pick for the league MVP in 2018. A truly outrageous player who to this day might have had the best left foot in FCC history. Ledesma was kept on when FCC made the switch to MLS and made 28 appearances in the inaugural MLS season. He scored six goals and had five assists. Ledesma made just 61 appearances for FCC, but he also helped bring the first team and individual trophies to the club. He was a massive part of the final USL squad, and to this day remains a prominent figure at FCC.
2. Lucho Acosta
1. Nick Hagglund
Photo: Mack
This is probably my most personal choice on the list. Nick is the longest tenured FCC player in history. He joined the club back in 2019 for the first season in MLS. Hagglund wasn’t always an important member of the backline, and he hasn’t always been the best center-back on the team. What he has lacked in any of these areas he’s made up for with dedication to his hometown. Hagglund has been be living every kid’s dream since 2019. The Cincinnati Kid has now amassed 149 appearances, which is good for third all-time behind Lucho Acosta and Yuya Kubo. Nick is beloved by the fans, and he seems to share the affection for them. Nick makes lap around the stadium after just about every home match and often stops and sign autographs or take pictures with fans. Hagglund was here for all the downs that the MLS have brought for FCC, so it’s been great getting to see him enjoy the most prosperous period in the club’s history.
There you have it. These are my five club legends for FCC to this point. Like I said at the beginning of this article, club legends are subjective, so I would love to hear who you think the five best players to grace the Orange and Blue are to this point. The first 10 seasons have been rewarding, and I can’t wait for the next club legend to make his mark on this great club.
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