Other than the MLS season opener and the home opener weeks later, FC Cincinnati have never played a match with so many storylines.
The biggest storyline is the coaching change. On Tuesday, the club dismissed Alan Koch and promoted Yoann Damet as the interim head coach. Now, Damet has to coach against his former club in his first match in charge.
When the match kicks off against the Montreal Impact on Saturday afternoon at Nippert Stadium, the 29-year-old will be the youngest head coach in MLS history.
In addition, the Orange and Blue are trying to snap a five-game losing streak and a league-worst scoring drought that rests at 531 minutes.
While other MLS matchups have been opportunities for Cincinnati to showcase itself, perhaps none have been as timely. FCC need a response to their goal drought, losing streak and coaching change. All of those are a concoction of what could be FC Cincinnati’s most-dramatic match in their young history.
Of course, another dynamic is how MLS newcomers look under Damet. When asked if the team would have a new identity, formation and lineup, the interim coach kept his response simple:
“We’re probably going to see something different.”
Match Info
FC Cincinnati vs. Montreal Impact
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
Where: Nippert Stadium
Weather Forecast: Cloudy, 61 degrees
TV: WSTR Star64
Local Video Stream: FloFC
Out of Music Video Steam: ESPN+
Local Radio: WDJO (99.5 FM | 107.9 FM | 1480 AM)
Audio Stream: TuneIn App, fccincinnati.com
Player to Watch and his Health Carousel Player Resume
Opponent’s Player to Watch: forward Maximiliano Urruti
Urruti has a goal and four assist this season. Of those assists, two have been game-winning ones.
Overall, the forward has played in 11 of his club’s 12 matches this season. Since 2013, he’s made 173 MLS regular season appearances, has 45 goals and 29 assists.
Club Connections:
- Interim Head Coach Yoann Damet was Montreal’s Under-18 Head Coach before joining FC Cincinnati.
- Goalkeeper Coach Jack Stern was at the Impact before joining FCC.
- Montreal’s Ken Krolicki played with Fatai Alashe and Jimmy Hague at Michigan State.
- Kekuta Manneh and Jukka Raitala played at Columbus Crew SC together in 2017.
- Justin Hoyte and Bacary Sagna played at Arsenal together in 2007.
- When Przemysław Tytoń was at Deportivo de la Coruña in 2016, Samuel Piette joined Deportivo B.
- Maximiliano Urruti has two spells with previous FC Cincinnati players and coaches. Between 2013-15, he played with Alvas Powell (2013-15), Fanendo Adi (2015) and Pa-Modou Kah (2013-14). He also played at FC Dallas with Victor Ulloa (2016-18) and Roland Lamah (17-18)
