Welcome to this week’s edition of my mailbag, which arrives eight days before FC Cincinnati’s return to Nippert Stadium! That’s a nice thing to write after months without knowing if FCC would even play again in 2020.
As always, thank you for your questions! Feel free to submit more here.
Samimarie13: When will we see a transfer window signing?
Thanks for the question, and general manager Gerard Nijkamp was asked this Thursday afternoon during a media conference call.
Nijkamp’s message centered on being realistic. Yes, the secondary transfer window is open, but FC Cincinnati only have one open roster spot – and no international slots.
IF the team makes moves during the window, they’ll need both outbound traffic as well as signings. That means Nijkamp will need to make two deals for every one player added.
That said, he said he’d like to sign starters for the backline, depth on the wings and “different types” of players in the midfield.
Giffy206: Why isn’t Spencer “Milk Before The Cereal” Richey starting?
Two things here. One, Richey suffered a concussion during a training session at the MLS is Back Tournament, which cemented Przemysław Tytoń as the team’s starting goalkeeper.
That said, I don’t want to underestimate how well Tytoń’s looked between the sticks. He earned two clean sheets during the group stage and was essential in the Orange and Blue forcing a penalty kick shootout against the Portland Timbers.
Tytoń got his opportunity and he’s seized it. The same can be said for other players like Andrew Gutman, Caleb Stanko and Joseph-Claude Gyau.
Ronak99222: Will Cruz be in the starting lineup from now on?
Squad rotation will be paramount when play resumes next Friday. The club doesn’t have much time between games – including two #HellisReal Derbies inside an eight-day span.
Head coach Jaap Stam will probably rotate the squad regularly, and I can see Allan Cruz playing an important role. He was great when he played late in the match against Portland.
Patrick: What is your favorite FCC memory in the 5 years of the club?
I think the easy choice is probably when Mitch Hildebrandt saved Juninho’s penalty in the 2017 U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 match against Chicago, sealing FCC’s place in the quarterfinals. I’ve never heard Nippert Stadium louder for a soccer game, and it’s the moment that probably awarded Cincinnati an MLS bid.
But looking back, two other moments carry more meeting. How Dijby Fall scored that header against Columbus Crew SC can never be replicated. And I think I speak for a lot of fans saying it was surreal being a former Crew season ticket holder and watching FCC beat them. That was the game where it was clear you couldn’t really support both teams – a USL and MLS one. They just had to be in the same league eventually, right?
On a personal note, I’ll never forget the minutes leading up to the Seattle Sounders FC game. Back in 2015, I was an intern with the Cincinnati Saints and covering a fourth-tier team in the Queen City. Attendance was in the double digits, but everyone wanted to see soccer succeed here. To think that four years later I’d be covering an MLS game with a Cincinnati team was surreal. At the time, I was just trying to keep composure – as if NPSL to USL to MLS is a normal trajectory. The more removed we get from the inaugural MLS match, the more surreal it feels.
