With the eyes and hopes of his city and club staring down at him, goalkeeper Alec Kann came through with the match-defining moment.
Kann’s final save in penalty kicks against Sporting Kansas City lifted FC Cincinnati to a thrilling 4-2 shootout victory (3-3 draw) in their Leagues Cup opener Sunday night at TQL Stadium.
Kann has been key for The Orange and Blue this season, starting all five cup matches outside of league play, including FCC’s current run to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinals. Despite the irregular game-action opportunities, the 32-year-old has been ready when called upon, and FC Cincinnati is undefeated in matches he has played this season.
“Alec is a winner,” head coach Pat Noonan said of Kann’s performance in FCC’s Leagues, “when you factor in how chaotic it can be at times … he just has a calming presence.”
With 11 MLS seasons under his belt dating back to 2013, Kann is the veteran in the locker room for the goalkeepers and a leader to Roman Celentano, Paul Walters and Evan Louro. Still, even more so, he is a consummate professional who leads by example.
“He’s the man,” Celentano said of his teammate. “He’s a class act. We all look up to him in the goalkeeping department. I have a lot to learn from him still, but he’s taught me so much already. And we’re just lucky to have him here.”
Kann had gone 47 days between starts, a difficult gap for any player to overcome. However, the goalkeeper’s experience and professionalism in performing in his limited opportunities are why he is so respected in the locker room.
“In the big moments when you need to make a save in a PK shootout, he’s made those plays. He’s been excellent for us,” Noonan saids.
“Whenever he’s called on, he’s done amazing for us,” Celentano added. “It’s a real testament to his character and professionalism on and off the field to be locked in, not knowing when your name will be called next.
“He’s a leader, and he’s going to go out there and play like it’s nothing new to him.”
Kann credits the solidarity and support of his teammates for the success he had in the net and being mentally ready to win when called upon. Despite going down early, The Orange and Blue battled back and earned points, a point of pride for Kann, who kept the club in the game late.
“Collectively, we’re a team that has a never say die attitude,” Kann said. “After going down 2-0 early … you’re hoping to get anything out of the game, so to come back from that twice and still get a win … it’s something positive for us to build on and have some momentum going into Thursday.”
Kann’s success defending penalty kicks is something that doesn’t come as a surprise to his fellow keepers. Sunday’s match marked Kann’s second PK victory this season after earning the shootout win in FCC’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match against New York Red Bulls on May 23.
Celentano, who has not participated in a penalty shootout this season, credits Kann’s mental edge, in addition to his imposing physical frame, as a reason for his success.
“He’s a killer in pens,” Celentano said. “I always love it when we get a shot with him in the net because you know he’s good for one or two (saves).
“With his frame, it’s intimidating for the striker. So I feel like he definitely has that mental edge going into it. And he also has a strong belief that he’s going to keep everything out.”
Kann stands at a menacing 6’4” and has an impressive wingspan. With his height and reach at play, Celentano believes that Kann can make things difficult for a shooter before they even step to the spot. Kann’s presence makes the net feel smaller thus forcing shooters into tighter windows. It’s a theory that proved potentially true when SKC’s third shooter missed their PK high despite Kann diving to his right.
“I’m just so proud of him,” Celentao added, “So happy he went out there and did his work.”
