It’s time for another FC Cincinnati matchday, as the Orange & Blue will be hosting our fifth home match in the month this Saturday. A familiar opponent will be on the opposite side of the Nippert Stadium pitch, and each will be desperate to pick up all three points given their current stations in the table.
Read ahead to get the lowdown on what to expect in our full match preview.
WHEN
Saturday, June 24th, at 7pm
TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE
OPPOSITION
Eastern Conference newcomers Saint Louis FC will be back at Nippert once again.
VENUE
Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
DIRECTIONS
PROMOTION(S):
There are a number of promotions taking place for this weekend’s match:
- We’re partnering with the Human Rights Campaign for our first ever Celebrate Equality Night to help promote inclusiveness and acceptance for all. Watch for rainbow-themed elements throughout the matchday as we celebrate a more accepting Cincinnati!
- Official match sponsor Mike’s Car Wash will be handing out FCC/Mike’s license plates to the first 5,000 fans through the gates at Nippert!
- Tonight will also be the first of two nights where we’ll honor youth soccer boys champions from around the area! Watch for them on the field at halftime.
FORM
FCC: It feels a little weird having gone a full week without playing a match, but the rest this week was highly valued by an Orange & Blue side that will be playing its seventh match in the month on Saturday. The hectic match schedule – which has seen three unplanned matches added due to the club’s success in U.S. Open Cup – has seen the guys perform fairly well, going 3-1-2 during that spell. However, with the league season now nearly halfway over and currently sitting in ninth place just out of the playoff race, picking up points at a more consistent clip will be necessary if the club hopes to make the cut – let alone land home field advantage for at least the first round of the playoffs.
SLFC: Despite sitting near the top of the table when we last hosted them at home, Saint Louis currently find themselves languishing in twelfth place in the Eastern Conference – though they’re just two points behind us with three matches in hand. In the last month, they’ve played five times, logging a .500 record with two wins, two losses and a draw. One of those losses came against the opponent we’ll face next week in the Open Cup, the Chicago Fire, which ended in a 1-0 win for the MLS club.
COACH
"We look forward to hosting Saint Louis again this weekend. We know that they are a good team that will pose us a tough challenge. The last match against them was at the tail-end of a 3-game week for them, but this time they are coming off of a 10-day break. We expect them to come in with a lot of refreshed energy, and we know we will need to be ready for a 90-minute battle."
- Head Coach Alan Koch
PLAYERS
FCC: Last weekend’s match against table-topping Charleston saw our leading scorer, Djiby, add to his season tally bringing him to seven goals in the league and 10 on the season in all competitions. He also set a team record for goals in a game with four last time we faced Saint Louis at home back during our home opener. So while many will be watching to see if he can repeat the feat, we’ll also be curious to see if he will be partnered up front for the third straight match.
SLFC: Leading the team is scoring with four goals each are forwards José Angulo (#19) and Christian Volesky (#9). But while scoring goals doesn’t seem to be a bit of an issue, they are a team that gives up a healthy number, too. So far this campaign, they’ve given up two or more goals six times.
HISTORY
This will be the fourth time we’ve squared up against Saint Louis FC, and we’ll be looking to maintain our perfect record against them. We won both 2016 matches against them with 2-1 score lines, while the only previous meeting this year ended up 4-0 after a perfect hat trick + one from Djiby- enough to seal the club’s biggest ever victory.
WEATHER
While the last few matches at Nippert have been decidedly hot, things will be slightly cooler tomorrow night. The temperature at kickoff should be enjoyable in the upper 70’s, and will taper off to near 70 by the final whistle. And though it will be humid, no rain is in the forecast at all!
WATCH
This weekend’s match will be broadcast live on Star 64 (WSTR). Most local providers’ station information can be found below:
Over the Air: Channel 64
Cincinnati Bell Fioptics: Channel 11 (SD) or 511 (HD)
Spectrum/TWC (OH): Channel 11 (SD) or 1011 (HD)
Spectrum/TWC (KY): Channel 11 (SD) or 915 (HD)
DirecTV: Channel 64
DISH: Channel 8354
Not in the local viewing area? No problem! Every match in the USL is available to stream as well, and this match is available for free on YouTube.
LISTEN
All FC Cincinnati home matches are broadcast live on local radio on ESPN 1530, which can be streamed for free through their iHeartRadio feed.
SOCIAL
As is the case every match, you can follow along with the action on our Twitter feed at @fccincinnati. For live looks from before, during and after the match, follow us on Instagram and Snapchat by following 'fccincinnati', too. Halftime and full time updates will also be available on Facebook.
