On June 12, when Rashawn Dally played for FC Cincinnati against Louisville City FC in the 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, he said afterward it was a dream opportunity, but one he wanted to build from.
Without literally saying it, his message was implied: while he was happy to play for the club in a Cup match, he was still searching for his MLS debut.
That came Saturday night.
Dally started and played 73 minutes for the Orange and Blue in a 2-0 loss to the LA Galaxy at Nippert Stadium.
“This is basically what I’ve been dreaming about since I was young,” the rookie forward said after the game. “To finally have that come through is a good feeling.”
Drafted as the No. 49 pick in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft, Dally came to Cincinnati after playing at Quinnipiac. The school’s hardly a national soccer power, and Dally’s said he’s had to work hard for recognition to get noticed. FCC coaches noticed.
Before the season, Dally was sent on loan to Memphis 901 FC in the USL Championship as an opportunity to grown and earn professional minutes.
But when Darren Mattocks left Cincinnati to join Jamaica in the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup, that opened up an MLS spot for Dally. And when Fanendo Adi injured his hamstring in Cincinnati’s loss at Saint Louis FC this past Wednesday, that meant Dally was the club’s lone striker on the current roster.
So, he played out of both necessity and opportunity, but delivered an optimistic performance.
“It’s very good,” Interim Head Coach Yoann Damet said of Dally. “I thought Rashawn did very well tonight for his MLS debut. I’m very happy with what he showed on the field. He gave us something very interesting up front and I’m just happy with his performance.”
Dally said he was pleased with his play, too.
During his debut, he took three shots, with two on target. He also had a chance created with a solid strike on a shot in the 71st minute that LA’s Daniel Bingham had to parry wide.
“I would’ve loved to get a goal and I had a few opportunities, but overall I’m pleased with my performance and I think I can only go up from here,” he said.
Damet told Dally to get in behind the Galaxy’s backline by using his pace and intelligent runs. Throughout the night, he played well and held the ball for teammates to help get forward.
“He told me to go out there and express myself and have no pressure,” the Jamaican said. “I just went out there and did what he said.”
Despite Cincinnati failing to score, they created moments that showed they could. Dally was instrumental in that, which is an optimistic sign for the future.
Oh, and the fact that his MLS debut aligned with the best forward to ever play at Nippert Stadium – Zlatan Ibrahimović – playing too, reiterated the point where Dally is at now and where he wants to be one day.
“I’ll continue to work hard and try to prove myself,” Dally said.
