BRADENTON, Fla. — Sunday marked FC Cincinnati’s first full day at IMG Academy, where the players had their first practice and a weight lifting session during their two-week stay in Florida.
Here’s a breakdown of what happened on a wet, chilly day.
“A lot of rain.”
That’s how Head Coach Alan Koch described FCC’s practice session Sunday morning, where chilly winds and a driving rain lingered throughout a 90-minute training session.
After four practices inside “The Bubble” back in Cincinnati last week, the morning was the team’s first outdoor training session. More importantly, it was the first time the club has practiced on grass as a Major League Soccer team.
“It was good for the guys to get on the grass,” Koch said. “I think the guys were excited. They were motivated and having fun. They were pretty jovial before it started to rain before the session and then we just progressed.”
Getting used to the grass surface was an overarching theme Sunday.
Throughout the session, the priority was players passing on the ground. Later, the team worked on building out of the back and retaining possession. Conversely, as defenders played from their third of the field, attacking players worked on defensive pressing.
“I think the rain actually helped because the ball was slick so it moved around a lot.”
Getting comfortable on the surface is crucial ahead of three friendly matches, which begin Wednesday against Montreal Impact.
In the afternoon, players worked with Strength and Conditioning Coach Austin Berry on upper body and core-stability exercises.
“With the week down in Florida and the start of two-a-days and games, we don’t want to put too much stress on their lower body,” Berry said. “They’ll be getting that while they’re running. We’ll do some preventative stuff for that, but for now, today was just about upper body.”
He said Sunday focused on overall strength maintenance, but players will have different workouts depending on their positions soon.
FC Cincinnati will train again Monday morning, with another practice or activity in the afternoon. The weather should be sunny.
