You’re not reading this wrong: FC Cincinnati are back in action again this weekend. Yes, it’s at home again, too. The boys in Orange & Blue will be making their eighth appearance in just over a month on the University of Cincinnati campus, and the friendly confines will be a necessity as one of the best sides in the league – and one that has given us fits – comes to town.
Get the lowdown on all of this weekend’s action, and what you can expect, in today’s full preview of tomorrow’s game.
WHEN
Saturday, June 17th, at 7pm
TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE
OPPOSITION
The Battery of Charleston, South Carolina, will be making their third trip to Cincinnati on Saturday.
VENUE
Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
DIRECTIONS
PROMOTION(S)
There are a number of promotions taking place for the match against Charleston:
- Bring your dad to this weekend’s match as we celebrate Father’s Day a little early! Watch for a special message from the team on the scoreboard at halftime.
- Saturday will also be our first ever Latino Night, as we invite members of the Latin American community in Cincinnati out to enjoy a night of fútbol with FCC.
- It will also be Play Healthy Cincy Night at Nippert, and includes features such as a Game Day Health Fair to receive important health information from the Cincinnati Health Department, Cincinnati Recreation Commission and local community partners. Getting started at 5:30pm on Sheakley Lawn, the goal is to provide opportunities for children to experience health and happiness while playing.
FORM
FCC: Fresh off of arguably the biggest victory in club history in the Open Cup against Columbus on Wednesday, the Orange & Blue’s consistency struggles may be turning the corner. Though our recent run of results in the league have been up and down – going 2-2-1 in the last five USL matches – when you look at how the team has played in all competitions, there are plenty of signs of hope. In what has become an increasingly hectic fixture pile-up, the team has gone 5-2-1 in all competitions over the last month.
CB: Despite pacing the Eastern Conference from the opening whistle of the season and having a comfortable four point gap with a match in hand over second place Tampa Bay, the Battery have stumbled a little this month. They’ve gone 2-1-2 over their last five, a drop off from their near-perfect form at the start of the season. They also fell to MLS side Atlanta United on Wednesday in heart-breaking fashion, having twice lead their Open Cup fixture in a match that also featured a rain delay of nearly 3 hours.
COACH
"We are looking forward to welcoming the top-of-the-table Charleston to town. We know this will be a big challenge, but we hope to build on our mid-week victory against the Crew. Our focus is one game at a time and we are looking forward to Saturday night already."
- Head Coach Alan Koch
PLAYERS
FCC: With so many fixtures in such a short period of time, balancing minutes for players will continue to be a pain in Coach Koch’s side heading into the Charleston match. The short turnaround from Wednesday’s Open Cup victory will mean a number of faces will likely be rested – though several of the regulars also got a break against Columbus. The real thought on many fans’ minds though will likely be less of who will play, and more of how they’ll be lined up. Will the successful use of a 3-5-2 on Wednesday mean it will be rolled out again in the league, or will personnel availability restrict its use?
CB: If there’s one man to keep an eye on in this match and be warry of, it’s Jamaican international Romario Williams (#9). He’s once again on loan with the Battery, this time from Atlanta United, the strong and speedy forward has given FC Cincinnati plenty of trouble in the past. Williams has already matched his 2016 goal tally with 10 goals on the campaign. Too, be warry of midfielders Justin Portillo (#20) and Maikel Chang (#21), both of whom have the ability to pull the strings and score goals.
HISTORY
If there’s one team that has proven a perpetual bogey for our young club, it’s the Charleston Battery. FCC have previously faced Charleston four times, and all four matches have ended in losses for the Orange & Blue.
WEATHER
Summer time weather awaits us on Saturday evening. Temperatures in the high 90’s with a humidity around 45% could make for a sticky evening at Nippert, so be sure to stop by the new Carrier Cooling Station behind the General Admission and Section 115 to stay cool throughout the match.
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.
