In a new chapter of North American professional soccer, FC Cincinnati opens their chapter in the inaugural Leagues Cup. This first-of-its-kind World Cup-style tournament pits all MLS and Liga MX clubs against each other for the opportunity at a trophy and qualification into the Concacaf Champions Cup.
“As far as FCC is concerned, we’re looking forward to the competition and having two games at TQL Stadium against two good opponents,” FCC head coach Pat Noonan said of the new tournament. “Teams will take different approaches to it based on where they’re at in terms of their health… It's just two leagues matched against each other with a rich history, so I imagine the games would be very competitive.
“This will probably look a little bit different from league play at times becauseI think there is a desire to be the top league in the region, so there’ll be competitive games.”
FCC will play two guaranteed matches in group play, opening with Sporting Kansas City on Sunday before taking on Liga MX side Chivas Guadalajara on Thursday. The top two teams in the three-team group will advance to the knockout stage.
The matchup with Sporting KC will also stand out as unique as it is just the third time the two clubs have faced off – and the first since 2020 – making both group-stage games for The Orange and Blue against relatively unfamiliar opponents.
FC CINCINNATI v.s. Sporting Kansas City – Sunday, July, 23, 2023 – 7:30 p.m. ET – TQL Stadium
Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
TV Talent (English): Dre Cordero (PxP), Jamie Watson (Analyst)
TV Talent (Spanish): Pablo Ramirez (PxP), Jesus Bracamontes (Analyst)
Radio: ESPN 1530
Radio Talent: Tom Gelehrter (play-by-play), Kevin McCloskey (Analyst)
ALL-TIME SERIES
This is the third overall meeting between Sporting KC and The Orange and Blue, and the first in the history of TQL Stadium. FC Cincinnati have never defeated SKC, owning a loss and a draw in the previous two matches.
Both matches between FCC and SKC took place at Nippert Stadium, with a 1-1 draw in 2019, and a 1-0 loss in 2020.
FC CINCINNATI NOTES
MVP Resume: FCC captain Luciano Acosta has been dominant in league play. With 12 goals, Acosta is second in MLS and second in MLS with a combined 20 goals and assists.
Captain of the MLS All-Star team, Acosta is putting together an MVP-caliber season and trails Nashville SC’s Hany Makhtar by just one goal for the Golden Boot.
Limited Experience: Nick Hagglund is the only FC Cincinnati player to have played for The Orange and Blue in the previous two meetings with Sporting Kansas City. Hagglund, a Cincinnati native, played in all 180 minutes of the matches.
Winning Ways: FC Cincinnati have historically been successful in competitions outside of MLS play. Since joining MLS, FCC are 7-3-2 in non-league matches, including three outright wins in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup this season. FCC also earned a victory last season in the 2022 Leagues Cup Showcase against Chivas, who they will take on Thursday in FCC’s final group match.
Central 3: FC Cincinnati will look to advance from the Central 3 group, composed of FCC, Sporting KC and Chivas Guadalajara. To advance, The Orange and Blue must finish in the top two of the group.
In Leagues Cup group play, a regulation win is worth three points, and should there be a draw at the end of regular time, penalty kicks will decide the winner, awarding two points for a PK victory and one point for a PK loss.
Should FCC advance, the club will face either the winner or runner-up of Central 4 (Nashville SC, Colorado Rapids, Toluca) between August 2-4.
Neutral Site: Due to the nature of the Leagues Cup, TQL Stadium will operate as a neutral site, representing the home and away squads equally in all game presentations.
SCOUTING KANSAS CITY (6-11-8, 26 PTS., 11th MLS WESTERN CONFERENCE)
After starting the MLS season with a 10-game winless streak, Sporting KC has turned their season around and entered contention for a Western Conference playoff position. By collecting 23 points in their last 15 MLS matches, Sporting enters their Leagues Cup opener in Cincinnati with positive results in four of their previous six games.
SKC’s offense is carried by Mexican striker Alan Pulido, who has tallied 10 goals and three assists in 18 starts this season. Pulido’s 10 finishes account for a third of all goals scored by Sporting KC this season.
While not a goal scorer, German midfielder Erik Thommy has been equally dangerous for the SKC attack by adding a team-high six assists while appearing in all 25 of Sporting’s matches this season.
Sporting Kansas City uses a goalkeeper-by-committee approach between the posts, with three goalkeepers getting five starts or more this season. Kendall McIntosh has made the majority of starts with 13 this season, allowing 20 goals while making 39 saves and earning one clean sheet. MLS lifer Tim Melia, who has made 229 career starts in MLS dating back to 2012, has started seven games this season, and John Pulskamp has made five starts and kept two clean sheets.
Sporting is coached by long-time manager Peter Vermes, who has guided SKC to unprecedented success in his 15 years at the club’s helm, making him the longest-tenured head coach in MLS history. Since taking over the club in 2009, Vermes has won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup three times, MLS Cup once, and conference championships four times. He also has the honor of being the only person to win an MLS Cup as both a player and manager.