CINCINNATI – Major League Soccer today unveiled its full 2019 regular-season league schedule, a slate that sees each team – including first-year expansion club FC Cincinnati – play a 34-game schedule between March and October.
FC Cincinnati will be featured on U.S. and Canadian national television partners at least 12 times in 2019, including seven matchups already scheduled on U.S. partners ESPN and FOX. The club’s local broadcast plans will be unveiled in the near future.
Tickets to all games at Nippert Stadium are currently available exclusively through 2019 Season Ticket Memberships, which start at $199 and are available at fccincinnati.com/tickets or by calling 513-977-5425 (KICK).
In the 2019 season, each club plays 17 home games and 17 away games, facing conference opponents twice (home and away) and playing each non-conference opponent once (either home or away).
FC Cincinnati will enter the league in the Eastern Conference and the Orange and Blue will play one home and one away game each against Atlanta United FC, Chicago Fire, Columbus Crew SC, D.C. United, Montreal Impact, New England Revolution, New York City FC, New York Red Bulls, Orlando City SC, Philadelphia Union and Toronto FC.
The Orange and Blue will host Western Conference opponents Houston Dynamo, LA Galaxy, Portland Timbers, Real Salt Lake, Sporting Kansas City and Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Nippert Stadium. Additionally, FCC will travel to Colorado Rapids, FC Dallas, LAFC, Minnesota United, San Jose Earthquakes and Seattle Sounders FC.
FC Cincinnati will play seven of its final 11 games at the familiar confines of Nippert Stadium, wrapping up its regular-season home slate on Sunday, Sept. 29, against Orlando City SC.
Among the home schedule’s highlights, FC Cincinnati will host:
- Natural and regional rival Columbus Crew SC as part of the league’s Heineken Rivalry Week at 8 p.m. on Sunday, August 25, in a game that will be broadcast nationally on FS1. The clubs’ fans have already dubbed the rivalry the #HellIsReal Derby
- 2018 MLS Cup finalist Portland Timbers in the club’s first-ever MLS game at Nippert Stadium at 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 17, in a game that will be presented by Mercy Health and broadcast nationally on FS1
- Former MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup champion Sporting Kansas City on ESPN on Sunday, April 7
- 2018 Supporters Shield winner New York Red Bulls on Saturday, May 25
- LA Galaxy, whose roster features Zlatan Ibrahimović, on Saturday, June 22
- DC United, whose roster features England legend Wayne Rooney, on Thursday, July 18 in a nationally televised game on ESPN
- 2019 MLS Cup Champion Atlanta United FC and 2019 MLS MVP Josef MartÃnez on Wednesday, Sept. 18
FC Cincinnati’s debut MLS game will be at Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday, March 2, at CenturyLink Field, which will be televised nationally on FS1 at 10 p.m. The following week on Sunday, March 10, FCC will travel to reigning MLS Cup champion Atlanta United FC in a game that will be televised nationally on ESPN at 5 p.m.
The Orange and Blue will then return home to play its first-ever home game as an MLS team at Nippert Stadium against Portland.
The club will also travel to regional rivals Chicago on Saturday, July 13, and Columbus on Saturday, August 10 for the first official game of the #HellIsReal Derby.
The schedule also features a league-wide break during opening week of the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup. During that window, MLS has no matches scheduled June 14 through June 21.
FC Cincinnati has gained world-wide attention for its record-breaking crowds at Nippert Stadium. FCC averaged a USL-record 25,717 fans in 2018 as it closed its history in the USL, and was forced to cap its ’18 season tickets at 18,006 to accommodate group, mini pack and single-game purchases toward the end of the season.
In 2019, the club is on pace to surpass 20,000 season ticket memberships before the team’s home opener in March.
The MLS regular season will wrap up on Sunday, October 6 – a league-wide Decision Day – before beginning the newly modified MLS Cup Playoffs schedule with single-elimination rounds that see the top seven teams in each 12-team conference qualify for the postseason.
The top seed in each conference will earn a bye to the conference semifinals, while the remaining six teams will play conference quarterfinal match ups at the home of the highest seed. The league’s highest remaining seed will host MLS Cup on Sunday, Nov. 10.
The next time Cincinnati takes the field, it will be as MLS’ 24th team in 2019 when the club debuts in the top professional league in the U.S. and Canada. 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. For more information about FC Cincinnati tickets - including 2019 season tickets - call 513-977-KICK (5425) or visit fccincinnati.com/tickets.
2019 FC CINCINNATI SCHEDULE
All times listed Eastern
Saturday, March 2 – at Seattle Sounders FC (CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Wash.) – 10 p.m. – FS1
Sunday, March 10 – at Atlanta United FC (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.) – 5 p.m. – ESPN
Sunday, March 17 – vs. Portland Timers (Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati) – 5 p.m. – FS1
Sunday, March 24 – at New England Revolution (Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.) – 4 p.m.
Saturday, March 30 – vs. Philadelphia Union (Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati) – 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 7 – vs. Sporting Kansas City (Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati) – 3 p.m. – ESPN
Saturday, April 13 – at LAFC (Banc of California Stadium, Los Angeles, Calif.) – 10:30 p.m.
Friday, April 19 – vs. Real Salt Lake (Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati) – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 27 – at New York Red Bulls (Red Bull Arena, Harrison, N.J.) – 7 p.m.
Wednesday, May 1 – at Philadelphia Union (Talen Energy Stadium, Chester, Pa.) – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 4 – at San Jose Earthquakes (Avaya Stadium, San Jose, Calif.) – 10 p.m.
Saturday, May 11 – vs. Montreal Impact (Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati) – 1 p.m. – TVA/Canada
Sunday, May 19 – at Orlando City SC (Orlando City Stadium, Orlando, Fla.) – 5 p.m.
Saturday, May 25 – vs. New York Red Bulls (Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati) – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 1 – at Colorado Rapids (Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, Colo.) – 9 p.m.
Thursday, June 6 – at NYCFC (Yankee Stadium, New York, N.Y.) – 7 p.m.
Saturday, June 22 – vs. LA Galaxy (Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati) – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 29 – at Minnesota United FC (Allianz Field, St. Paul, Minn.) – 4 p.m. – ESPN
Saturday, July 6 – vs. Houston Dynamo (Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati) – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 13 – at Chicago Fire (SeatGeek Stadium, Bridgeview, Ill.) – 8 p.m.
Thursday, July 18 – vs. D.C. United (Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati) – 8 p.m. – ESPN
Sunday, July 21 – vs. New England Revolution (Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati) – 6 p.m.
Saturday, July 27 – at Toronto FC (BMO Field, Toronto, Ontario) – 8 p.m. – TSN/Canada
Saturday, Aug. 3 – vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati) – 8 p.m. – TSN/Canada
Saturday, Aug. 10 – at Columbus Crew SC (MAPFRE Stadium, Columbus, Ohio) – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 17 – vs. NYCFC (Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati) – 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 25 – vs. Columbus Crew SC (Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati) – 8 p.m. – FS1
Saturday, Aug. 31 – at FC Dallas (Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas) – 8 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 7 – vs. Toronto FC (Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati) – 7:30 p.m. – TSN/Canada
Saturday, Sept. 14 – at Montreal Impact (Saputo Stadium, Montreal, Quebec) – 7:30 p.m. – TVA/Canada
Wednesday, Sept. 18 – vs. Atlanta United FC (Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati) – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 21 – vs. Chicago Fire (Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati) – 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 29 – vs. Orlando City SC (Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati) – 5 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 6 – at D.C. United (Audi Field, Washington, D.C.) – 4 p.m.
