On Wednesday, we played our first preseason fixture of the season in the Greater Cincinnati area when we downed the NCAA's Norse at Northern Kentucky University. Today, we play our first "home" match of 2018 in Cincinnati proper with a return to the campus of University of Cincinnati. But instead of playing at our normal digs at Nippert Stadium, we'll instead be hosting new USL foes Nashville SC across Corry Boulevard at UC's Gettler Stadium for a 4pm preseason kickoff.
If you hadn't already heard, tickets for the third-from-last tune-up match are already sold out. And sadly, there's no stream to follow the action either. But you can tune in to our social media channels for updates and post-match highlights.
A LITTLE BACKGROUND
Not that such things matter that much, but FCC enter Saturday's afternoon match against Nashville undefeated in 2018 preseason play. That undefeated record has included three wins -- two coming over expected top-tier Eastern Conference USL sides in Tampa Bay and Indianapolis, and the aforementioned 3-0 win this past Wednesday against NKU -- and a draw against MLS outfit New England Revolution. While it's necessary to take those preseason results with grains of salt, it's also good momentum to carry into today's test.
And though that test today comes against USL newcomers Nashville SC, don't take them lightly. Unsurprisingly, our coaching staff isn't planning on doing so.
"This is the perfect pre-season game against a team that we anticipate will be at the top of our conference this season," said Alan Koch on Friday afternoon.
Nashville's inaugural season preparations, after all, haven't been anything to sneeze at either.
The club's first ever match against another club came back on February 10th when they hosted MLS side Atlanta United at a sold-out First Tennessee Park, with the final result tilted 3-1 towards the visitors. That was followed by two additional draws at IMG Academy with Chicago Fire (0-0) and fellow USL East foes Ottawa Fury (1-1).
Not bad for a team that's only had players for a few months.
Nashville SC were last in action on Thursday when a mostly reserve side downed Lipscomb University 2-0.
WHAT TO EXPECT
With the 2018 regular season drawing ever closer, FC Cincinnati are at a turning point in their preparations. To this point, we've seen head coach Alan Koch utilize various split-squad approaches for each of tests against outside competition.
In Florida, it was trying out a different look each half with a new XI. In our two matches since returning to resume preseason action in Cincinnati, we've seen one group go the opening 60 minutes, and a second go the last 30.
Today, however, against future league opposition, we might start seeing the first glimpses of Koch's true first eleven. Though nothing is yet set in stone, with the season so close, he'll want to get that sorted sooner rather than later.
