Anticipation for FC Cincinnati's inaugural playoff run has been building for several weeks, and it's about reached a fever pitch now that we're just a few days away from kickoff.
Calls to bring out another record crowd for the occasion have been echoed around Southwest Ohio by ownership, the front office and our supporters. Social media is abuzz as we've clipped by attendance records, building around town. And media coverage at least feels like it's at an all time high, both locally and nationally.
So to get you amped up even more, we take a look ahead at what to expect on Sunday for the first ever FC Cincinnati playoff match.
WHEN IS IT HAPPENING:
Sunday, October 2nd, 2016, at 4:00pm EDT.
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PROMOTIONS:
As you might have heard, Sunday night's playoff match will be a "White Out". So FCC is encouraging fans heading to Nippert to wear white to the match. Don't have any white FCC gear? You can snag some awesome options in our downtown shop or at one of the merchandise stands at the game.
Also, thanks to our friends at the UC Lindner College of Business, the first 5000 supporters through the gates will receive a free orange megaphone to make the stands even more intimidating!
THE OPPOSITION:
As noted in our previous two write ups this season, Charleston is one of the two oldest clubs in the USL. And like most clubs that have been around for a while, the Battery have found success along the way. They've racked up 4 championships and have supplemented those with a few deep runs into the Open Cup. In 2015, they finished third in the regular season Eastern Conference table before falling in the playoffs in the quarterfinals.
RECENT RESULTS:
FCC: The Orange & Blue's undefeated September was the perfect way to build some momentum heading into the playoffs. They went 4-0-1 in their final five matches, including posting four straight clean sheets to close out the regular season.
OPPONENT: While FCC's form improved in the final month of the season, Charleseton saw pretty mixed results during that same time frame. They went 2-3-0 in their final five matches, shipping eight goals while tallying one less. Extend that out to ten matches, and they went 3-4-3. However, they were a side that performed well on the road, 6-3-6.
HEAD-TO-HEAD:
Charleston was one of just three teams this season that FCC failed to beat -- along with New York Red Bulls 2 and the Rochester Rhinos. FCC dropped the first of their two meetings in the first match of the season thanks to an injury time stunner in a match that was rain delayed almost an hour. The return leg at Nippert back at the end of July also saw Charleston snag points late on, earning a 1-1 draw due to an 83rd minute equalizer.
WHO TO WATCH:
FCC: With the league golden boot winner in our ranks, many will be looking forward to see if Sean "Ugo" Okoli can can carry his goalscoring form into the post-season. But also worthy of attention is a backline that's tightened up considerably in the final month of the season. After being forced apart due to the latter's injury early in the season, centerbacks Harrison Delbridge and Austin Berry have forged one of the best pairings in the USL in the closing portion of the campaign.
Opponent: While blessed with the pace of leading scorer Romario Williams (#9) up top, don't discount Charleston as a one man team. Their 17 goals in their last 10 matches were scored by no less than seven different players. And though they'll be without the services of one of those goalscorers, midfielder Justin Portillo -- ruled out for the remainder of the season due to appendicitis -- the hottest player on their roster is unarguably Maikel Chang (#12). The Cuban midfielder has bagged 4 goals and 2 assists during that stretch.
THE VENUE:
Nippert Stadium at the University of Cincinnati
DIRECTIONS
FORECAST:
As fall starts to finally settle in here in Cincinnati, it looks like we're in store for some absolutely perfect soccer weather on Sunday! The current forecast is calling for mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the low 70's.
HOW TO WATCH:
Though we would rather you be joining us at the stadium for this weekend’s historic playoff match, if you absolutely can't join us at Nippert, it 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)
- Time Warner Cable (OH): Channel 11 (SD) or 1011 (HD)
- Time Warner Cable (KY): Channel 11 (SD) or 915 (HD)
- DirecTV: Channel 64
- DISH: Channel 8354
Like all regular season home matches, the match will be available as a free livestream broadcast on YouTube. And if you want to follow the conversation in addition to watching, click over to the USL Match Center.
HOW TO 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
