Hello and welcome back to another addition of my weekly mailbag. We’re officially in week two without FC Cincinnati training, and with MLS extending its training moratorium (through April 3 at the earliest), there are plenty of questions about when FCC will play again.
That’s truly a question that MLS officials are asking themselves, too.
Regardless, thank you for the questions! As usual, you can send me one here or on Twitter.
Isaac: Any info for when the season will return?
As of now, FC Cincinnati’s next scheduled match is May 16 at Toronto FC. That said, the league is going to wait as long as necessary for health and safety reasons. Experts are saying the Atalanta-Valencia UEFA Champions League match set off a “biological bomb” that spread the coronavirus in Italy and then with the Spanish fans who traveled to the game. MLS has to be careful, just like the other sports leagues around the world. Soccer can wait. Public health is everyone’s top priority.
Seeswo: Do you think there’s any chance MLS expands roster sizes with a compressed sched?
I actually like this idea, but there’s no chance it happens. A lot of the roster rules are complicated enough. Adding more players just to play a full 34-game season isn’t worth it. Where would players come from? The USL Championship? If an international player, do teams get more int’l slots? Does each team receive another DP slot or more GAM?
Like I said, this is a good idea, but it creates too many questions for one answer: completing a full regular season.
Mark: What are the players’ favorite shows to binge right now?
Good question! The FCC communications team is actually compiling a list and we’ll post it on the team website soon!
Cvgspotterbrettbauman: How old is Nick Hagglund?
27.
Itsmekate_mal: You have a youth boys team, why not a girls youth academy?
FCC want to! The FCC Academy currently has an Under-15 and Under-17 boys’ teams. The thought process is that the teams form a pathway toward the first team. The club has openly expressed interest in a women’s team. If/when that happens, expect the girl’s academy to follow.
A.dpl7: Regattin is a best player
This isn’t a question, but it’s a good point to note.
Honestly, I was skeptical of FCC signing Adrien Regattin as a free transfer. In a league where international slots are coveted, signing him would mean the French winger would require a spot. Additionally, he hadn’t played for months.
But then I watched his first training session and he was the hardest working player. We haven’t seen much of Regattin, who’s currently nursing a hamstring injury, but when he plays, he produces. When fans see him game in and game out, they’re going to fall in love with him. This was a quality addition to the team – and a good note from A.dpl7.
