Cincinnati has become a prime host city for the US Men’s National Team, and one USMNT leaders look forward to playing in when the opportunity arises. Tuesday night is that next opportunity, as the Americans host New Zealand at TQL Stadium. It will be the fourth time the US Men’s National Team will play at FC Cincinnati’s home grounds and the sixth time a senior national team has played at TQL Stadium with the Women’s National Team visiting twice as well.
Significant games have marked the Americans’ visits to TQL Stadium. A 2-0 victory over Mexico in World Cup Qualifying later dubbed ‘Dos a Cero” was the first visit to the new stadium in 2021 in front of a sold out crowd, and a penalty kick victory over Canada last summer in the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup Quarterfinals was the last visit by the men. This match, a friendly with Oceania Football Confederation favorite New Zealand, may not have the lightning strikes that those matches carried with them with their designations, but given the proximity to the World Cup in 2026, every match matters.
But the history of the matches aside, it is the passion of the fans and the investment in the sport in Cincinnati that makes the Queen City and FC Cincinnati’s facilities an attractive host location.
"First of all, the city is great. With the bridge and the whole area, the connection between the two states is really, really cool and unique. Also the facilities. The club's done a great job in investing in the facilities. (Mercy Health Training Center) is beautiful, this is personally my first time in the training facility – I've been to the stadium a couple times – and I think the city has showed for a long time now, even pre-dating MLS, how passionate it is about the game,” Interim Head Coach Mikey Varas said Monday before the national team trained at the FC Cincinnati facility in Milford, Ohio. “I think just the passion and the investment shows, and obviously the team's done really well the last couple of years. Which has been great.”
USA lost to Canada 2-1 earlier in the week in a match at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas, home of Sporting KC. So, the match Tuesday night will conclude the international window and send the players back to their club till next time. There are no formal plans yet announced for the next visit to Cincinnati by the national sides, but Cincinnati was named a camp city finalist by FIFA ahead of the 2026 World Cup, meaning MHTC could next host teams training for their World Cup matches before jetting off to the World Cup matches.
In other international news…
The International window may not have any FC Cincinnati players playing for the USMNT, but there are other details of the window involving members of The Orange and Blue.
Teenage Hadebe, who was signed as a free agent, but has not yet joined the team as he plays for the Zimbabwe National Team, helped his squad earn a nil-nil draw against Kenya in the African Cup of Nations qualifiers over the weekend. An important result in their quest to qualify for the continental tournament. The Warriors will take on Cameroon on Tuesday in the second of six qualifying games, the top two teams in each pool will qualify for the tournament next December (2025).
Also of note: FC Cincinnati academy prospect, MLS NEXT MVP and MLS NEXT Pro standout Stefan Chirila has been called into the United States U18 National Team. His first USYNT call in. The striker will join the U18 side as they travel to Japan to take on a Japanese club team, the Japan U18 and Peru U18 squads at the “26th International Youth Football Tournament,” to be played in Niigata, Japan from September 7th to the 17th.
Chirila earned the international call-up following a breakout 2023-24 youth season with over 40 goals across all competitions. The forward signed an MLS NEXT Pro contract with FC Cincinnati 2 in May. Since then he has gone on to make 16 appearances for FCC 2 and has a tie for team high six goals while adding two assists. Chirila will join FC Cincinnati in 2025 as a Homegrown Player, having already signed that agreement.
