It was raining in Clearwater, Florida, Sunday morning. It has been raining a lot lately, sometimes resembling a torrential downpour, and at other times, just a solid stream of precipitation. However, it had rained for well over 48 hours when FC Cincinnati took the field at Walter Campbell Sports Park.
It was the first time The Orange and Blue had taken the field since their 5-2 friendly win versus New England Revolution, and it was formally the season's first "match week." So training took on extra meaning; it wasn't just preseason anymore. It was match week.
As the rain continued to come down after The Orange and Blue took to the practice field, and the pitch got more and more waterlogged by the second, the mantra of how to handle the week's match got clearer and clearer.
The conditions here aren't great, but they probably won't be great in Jamaica for one reason or another.
For the first time in club history, FC Cincinnati will be playing in continental competition, an undeniable accomplishment born out of the success of 2023 as a reward for that year's performance. To play continental soccer means you are one of the best. The Concacaf Champions Cup, formerly known as the Concacaf Champions League, is the pinnacle of club competition in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
In Europe, the UEFA Champions League is one of the most celebrated tournaments in sports year after year. This is our version. The scale may differ, but what's on the line is very similar when comparing the UEFA and Concacaf editions of their premier tournament. A large cash purse to winning clubs, a trophy and entrance to the FIFA Club World Cup await the winners.
FC Cincinnati will open its account in the Champions Cup with an away fixture at Cavalier FC, 2022-23 winners of the Jamaican Premier League and runners-up in the 2023 Caribbean Cup. All matches in the Champions Cup will be played on aggregate scoring, meaning FCC and their opponent will play twice, once at TQL Stadium and once at their opponents' home grounds. The combined scoring of the two matches will determine the round's victor, with draws first being tie broken by away goals before moving to extra time, then penalty kicks.
As the higher seed in Round One, FCC has the privilege of hosting the second and deciding game. But in future rounds, The Orange and Blue may have to go on the road to secure their path forward. FCC’s first international road contest will see them go into Independence Park, the home of the Jamaican National Team and temporary home grounds for Cavalier FC, where it is unlikely they will play on the same manicured fields the staff at Mercy Health Training Center and TQL Stadium work to provide The Orange and Blue.
It points towards the mentality FCC is taking into the match and the tournament: be prepared for anything and take nothing for granted.
FC Cincinnati enter as the clear favorite in the matchup. The Supporters’ Shield champions boast a lineup consisting of renowned players like MLS MVP Luciano Acosta, MLS Defender of the Year Matt Miazga, and now Pavel Bucha (who played in the UEFA edition of the tournament just last year), compared to Cavalier FC’s roster that features just two international players.
But the environment surrounding the tournament can be ruthless; many MLS clubs have entered these matchups and found themselves down and out despite being the favorite. In last year's tournament edition, Austin FC traveled to the Dominican Republic to take on Violette AC of Haiti, who was borrowing a stadium on the other side of the island due to devastation from ongoing violence in the nation. Austin left the DR down 3-0 after rotating their lineup and could only score two in the return fixture a week later. The mighty MLS club fell to a team that had not played in over 290 days before that due to the unrest and just three subs due to being unable to get visas for most of their squad. Most of the team were hired mercenaries, aka retired American players eligible to play in the States, just for the sake of competing in the match.
Anything in Concacaf can happen. Some internet users have even called the madness "The Dark Arts."
The upsets have already hit this year’s edition as opening round play began earlier this month. While most of the major clubs have seen their way through to the Round of 16, including Chivas Guadalajara, Club America, and CF Monterrey (who await the winner of this matchup). But C.S. Herediano, of the Costa Rican top flight, toppled Liga MX giant Toluca on the away goals rule to become the first underdog to move on to the next round.
Anything can happen. While Mexico has dominated the tournament historically, and more recently, MLS clubs have become fixtures in the later rounds, clubs from 10 nations have either won the crown or finished runner-up.
Anything can happen. In 2021, Honduran side C.D. Olimpia scored an 89th-minute goal against Club America. The Olimpia supporters unleashed a powerful fireworks show that lasted through the game's final whistle six minutes later, leaving the field completely covered in smoke and the opposing goalkeeper fearing for his safety. The game proceeded as normal.
Anything can happen. In 2018, an assistant coach from Tauro FC in Panama hit up the team store, dressed himself to the nines in FC Dallas apparel and then watched an open scrimmage at the MLS clubs home stadium before posting about it on social media later that day. Is that technically against the rules? No. Does it align deeply with the chaos of Concacaf? Absolutely.
There is a cultural exchange aspect to the challenges that don't quite hit European or South American competition in the same way. The distance between Cincinnati and Kingston, Jamaica, is great. On top of the 1,527-mile distance between the two, which would be longer than any possible UEFA Champions League fixture this season, flying to the island nation adds complications to the logistics of the game. FCC is required to train in the host location one day before the match, so The Orange and Blue will be heading down earlier than a typical road trip would call for.
This is where the unavoidable, awkward conversation crops up. On January 23, 2024, the U.S. Department of State issued a Level 3 travel advisory for travel to the island, the second highest of four advisory stages for "crime and medical services," citing a litany of challenges facing the nation.
Kingston, the capital city of Jamaica and host of a robust tourism industry, is only part of the cause of such warning. Any major city is going to invite major city problems. FCC is taking every precaution necessary to ensure the trip runs smoothly. Still, even that effort just adds to the uniqueness of the journey and match.
At the end of the day, a match will be played. FCC will take on Cavalier FC at Independence Park, the home of the Jamaican National Team and the Olympic Track and Field team. Standing outside the stadium is a statue of "Fastest Man Alive" Usain Bolt. It is not Cavalier's home grounds; those are next door at Stadium East Field, but the larger stadium is called for due to the importance of the game.
Cavalier FC is also in the middle of their season. "The Destroyers" sit atop the Jamaican Premier League with 43 points in 19 games and are undefeated in their last five games. This is another challenge, considering FCC has not played a competitive match in over two months.
So what does success look like this Thursday when The Orange and Blue and The Destroyers kick off. A win for starters, would be significant but in an aggregate setting it's widely considered a positive if the away team scores to give themselves the away goals advantage heading home. Head Coach Pat Noonan would tell you that the club is entering the match looking for a victory, as he should. But historically, surviving the away leg in Concacaf with a draw is more than enough. Club America went down 2-1 to Real Estelà of Nicaragua earlier this month...before dominating the 2-0 home leg and advancing.
'Survive and advance' is the name of the game in March for another sport. In some ways, that's true for Champions Cup as well as Cinderellas have a history of showing up to the ball for Concacaf.
The point of it all is that the rain came at an opportune time. Will the chaos of Concacaf be as simple as rain? Maybe … hopefully even. But ideally not.
But dealing with it and learning early to prepare for non-ideal situations is a perfect way to prepare for the Concacaf Champions Cup.
