There were times last year when it was unclear who Yoann Damet would start at forward for FC Cincinnati. With players out and injuries mounting, he was left with a depleted squad that couldn’t fill a matchday roster.
So, it was ironic when Damet was asked who he’d start at forward on Saturday night at Atlanta United FC. This might be the first time he, or any previous FCC coach, had a dilemma on who to start at striker.
Brandon Vazquez started last week and provided an assist in his FCC debut. Now, he’s facing his former club. Jürgen Locadia, who scored in his MLS debut last week, just finished his first full week practicing with the team.
Damet ultimately decided on Locadia making his first MLS start as one of the two changes to FC Cincinnati’s starting XI for Saturday night in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
About the lineup changes
Locadia and Joseph-Claude Gyau will make their first starts in 2020, replacing Vazquez and Adrien Regattin in the starting lineup.
Tonight is Gyau’s first start since the 2019 finale at D.C. United on Oct. 6. He was sent off just before halftime, forcing him to miss last weekend’s 2020 opener while serving a one-match suspension. Regattin, who was listed as questionable with a hamstring injury on the club’s injury report this week, is available off the bench.
Locadia will make his first start for the Orange and Blue after only playing 26 minutes last week.
Kekuta Manneh, who was a second-half sub for Yuya Kubo on Sunday at New York, was replaced by Gyau in the 18.
Only four starters from 2019’s Week 2 matchup
Allan Cruz, Mathieu Deplagne, Spencer Richey and Kendall Waston are the only FCC players who started in the 1-1 draw between the clubs in their Week 2 matchup last season. That was Cruz’s first start for FC Cincinnati, while Richey made his first MLS start since March 17, 2017.
Familiar foes
This will be Greg Garza’s first start against his former club. He was a second-half substitute last March and didn’t feature in last September’s rematch. Garza helped Atlanta win the 2018 MLS Cup and received a standing ovation from 70,000 last year when he checked into the game.
If Vazquez plays, it’ll be his first game against Atlanta, a club with which he spent three seasons. He was also on the 2018 team and he helped lift the 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup trophy last year.
Other notes
Siem de Jong’s visa paperwork hasn’t been finalized, so he has not arrived in the U.S. yet.
Bobby Edwards is out with an ankle injury. With the goalkeeper out, Beckham Sunderland, a goalkeeper on the FCC Academy’s Under-17 Team, practiced with the first team this past week. Sunderland also trained with the first team sporadically in 2019.
