Once Roland Lamah was red carded for a two-footed tackle in the 29th minute, FC Cincinnati Head Coach Alan Koch said the remaining minutes offered nothing to analyze from a tactical or performance perspective.
At the time, Cincinnati trailed 2-0 to Columbus Crew SC at MUSC Health Stadium. The game ended 3-0.
And that’s how FC Cincinnati’s first preseason as an MLS club ended.
“It’s been a very, very good preseason,” Koch said. “It’s had ups it’s had downs. This is the lowest moment of preseason, but we’ve had low moments before and that’s just part of the process. You go through it.”
Three nights earlier, the Orange and Blue salvaged a point against the Chicago Fire when Lamah lasered an 84th-minute shot into the bottom corner to earn a 1-1 draw. The goal was the high mark of Cincinnati’s preseason — when the club controlled the pace, possession and field positioning of the final 20 minutes of the friendly against another MLS team.
That never happened Saturday.
From the opening kickoff, Columbus was in complete control. Gyasi Zardes opened the scoring in the fifth minute and never looked back.
When the final whistle sounded, the shoulders of FCC players slumped over. Some looked at the grass in disappointment.
For a preseason match with no tangible meaning, the loss clearly meant something mentally.
In the locker room, players addressed one other on the result and what comes next.
“It’s easy when you win and everybody’s happy,” center midfielder Victor Ulloa said. “The tough moments like this are when you see everybody’s character and the true character of a player in a group, so just for us to keep going, keep fighting and keep grinding.
“This is MLS, and this is what’s going to happen throughout the year. We’re going to have ups, we’re going to have downs,” he said.
How FC Cincinnati responds is what will count — literally.
The regular season is here. The first game is Saturday night against Seattle Sounders FC. After seven preseason games to get match fitness, work on Koch’s tactics and team chemistry, the introduction into the regular season is a fresh start for the league’s fresh new team.
But Koch said the Orange and Blue are still playing catchup. The team’s first practice as an MLS side was Jan. 22. Teams like Columbus, who looked composed and played with quality and chemistry, have had assembled rosters for years, or have been in the league since 1996.
So, with that in mind, Koch said FC Cincinnati’s preseason needs to be evaluated according to first-year standards, not the MLS norm.
“You have to assess every preseason based on the context,” he said. “How we would assess our preseason is very different from how every other team in Major League Soccer would assess it because we’re brand new. Yeah, were an existing club, but were a brand-new team. There’s so many new players and we had the same number of days as every team in the league to get ready.
“So, it’s only natural the teams we play against are ahead of us, and that’s just a logical reasoning in terms of how that progresses. But we all start the league next week, so we’re playing catch up and we have to catch up as quickly as we can.”
When FCC left IMG Academy unbeaten with a win and two draws, the last half the club played was its best to date.
When FCC leaves Charleston on Sunday to come home, the last match was the worst to date according to the coach.
It’s hardly the ideal finish to preseason, but it’s finished and now it’s time to move forward.
“Unfortunately, we leave with a bad result, but things like this happen in the league and it’s a long season,” Ulloa said. “So, we have to turn around quick and get ready for what’s important, and that’s the season opener.”
