CLEARWATER, Fla. – FC Cincinnati claimed victory in their first preseason match of the 2023 season on Friday afternoon, defeating Austin FC 3-2 at Walter Campbell Sports Park in Clearwater, Fla. The two MLS clubs played a 120-minute contest, broken into four 30-minute periods.
In the first period, Austin FC got off to a quick start, slotting home a goal in the ninth minute following a turnover in the Verde’s attacking half. FC Cincinnati would respond though, controlling much of the ball for the next 10 minutes before winning a free kick in a dangerous position in the 20’.
From the right side of the attacking third, Luciano Acosta whipped in a tantalizing ball which Nick Hagglund rose to meet, heading it back across goal and into the far corner to even the match at 1-1. The first period would end 1-1.
Immediately out of the break, Brenner would get on the end of a good passage of play, dribbling it around the Austin keeper and finishing the play with his first goal of the preseason. It would remain 2-1 through the 60-minute mark.
The two teams made mass substitutions at the hallway point, with an entire new XI taking the field for the Orange and Blue. The new group held Austin at bay for 20 minutes, but in the 83’ Gyasi Zardes rose to meet a cross from Sebastian Driussi, heading home an equalizer.
It finished level at 2-2 after 90 minutes, but just seconds into the final period, Yuya Kubo would pounce on a turnover forced by Arquimides Ordoñez. Kubo fed Dominique Badji, whose deflected shot found the back of the net for the eventual winner.
FC Cincinnati will return to preseason action on Wednesday against the University of South Florida.
“I think 90 minutes of it was pretty good,” said Head Coach Pat Noonan after the game. “30 minutes, we really struggled. But I was pleased with a lot of the things we saw. Austin's a very, very good team, certainly with the ball. The way in which they spaced the field and challenge you to be very certain about how you can go to the ball and win the ball, especially higher up the field.
“You have to be, you have to be very sure in those moments, and I thought in our first 30 minutes, guys did a really good job of doing that, really the first 60 minutes from our, the group that started the game. And then we had a real struggle from 60 to 90, but they made good adjustments for that last 30.
“So I was pleased with the ways in which we were able to get to the ball and create some transition moments. I think you still see the fatigue in how we go to goal, the energy in which we run to goal, that will only improve. But having said that, we found three goals, I think we had some really good sequences of how we created in the first 30 minutes. But overall, it was a good exercise and a good result."
Lineups:
Starting: Luciano Acosta (C), Álvaro Barreal, Brenner, Ray Gaddis, Nick Hagglund, Alec Kann, Junior Moreno, Ian Murphy, Obinna Nwobodo, Alvas Powell, Sergio Santos (Arquimides Ordoñez 45’)
At 60’: Salim Adams (Jimenez 90’), Joey Akpunonu, Marco Angulo, Santiago Arias (Kai Thomas 90’), Dominque Badji (C), Isaiah Foster, Bret Halsey (Harrison Robledo 90’), Yuya Kubo, Evan Louro (Paul Walters 105’), Arquimides Ordoñez (Jesús Castellano 105’), Malik Pinto
Visit HERE for FC Cincinnati’s 2023 home platform match schedule. The full 2023 regular season schedule can be viewed HERE. All matches will air live on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. The unprecedented subscription service featuring every MLS regular season, playoff and Leagues Cup match launches February 1.
All tickets, including Full Season Tickets and Half Season “Orange” and “Blue” Ticket packages, can be purchased at fccincinnati.com/tickets or by calling (513) 977-5425 (KICK). For more information about Group Tickets and Premium hospitality options including suites and all-inclusive experiences, call (513) 763-1025.
For up-to-the-minute information about FC Cincinnati, visit the team’s official website at fccincinnati.com, or follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FCCincinnati. Additionally, fans are encouraged to download the team’s official mobile app on the Apple App Store or Google Play for instant access to mobile tickets, team content and match notifications.
