Entering Wednesday night, FC Cincinnati Head Coach Alan Koch said the group that finished the 2-1 win against the Charleston Battery last weekend would play the majority of the minutes against the Chicago Fire.
They did, and for large portions of Cincinnati’s second game at the 2019 Carolina Challenge Cup, they dug in defensively, rather than creating chances similar to their minutes against the Battery. When they subbed off, Cincinnati trailed 1-0. But then in the final minutes, Roland Lamah rocketed a long-range effort to the bottom right corner, giving FCC their equalizer in a 1-1 draw that keeps the club atop the CCC standings.
Here are three takeaways from the match.
Slow start
Without goalkeeper Spencer Richey delivering a man-of-the-match type performance, FC Cincinnati could have trailed by more than a goal.
The backline and midfield faced constant pressure and sank back as Chicago continued to come forward. As a result, the forwards — Darren Mattocks, Frankie Amaya and Emmanuel Ledesma — had little chance to get involved at the other end. Mattocks and Amaya hardly touched the ball in the opening 20 minutes and the first shot didn’t arrive until the second half.
But some of that is understandable.
Only Mattocks and Lasso started in the win against Charleston. The other starters were presumed rotation players fighting for minutes with in the inaugural starting lineup on March 2.
Players also played different roles, too. Nazmi Albadawi played right midfielder for the first time this preseason after playing as more of a center attacking mid in 2018. Corben Bone and Allan Cruz, who played higher up the field against Charleston, played deeper against Chicago.
“They knew they were going to play a sizable chuck of the game and I think they were a little too tight in terms of how they played,” Koch said of the starters. “They gave the ball away way too many times and then we started to sag and sag and sag.”
By the end of the half, FCC had all but hunkered down in its own area and Cincinnati was sagging defensively rather than pressing high with the forwards, which would’ve provided breathing room and allowed the Orange and Blue to defend in Chicago territory.
“We didn’t mean to defend that much,” Koch said. “That was just a byproduct of how the game unfolded …We were just trying to defend and hang on because we weren’t really having success when we had the ball. We gave it away, way too easily.”
The last 20 minutes
The substitutes delivered a performance that left Chicago uncomfortable and lucky not to lose.
FCC played with energy and precision. They were lively and created chances. After Lamah’s 85th-minute strike, Cincinnati could have taken the lead on a two-on-one opportunity four minutes later.
With the starters from the Charleston win, they delivered one of the best spells of play in FC Cincinnati’s preseason. That the match ended that way — after the team trailed — is a positive and should build momentum entering Saturday night’s game against Columbus Crew SC to close the CCC and the 2019 preseason.
“I was very, very happy with how the guys came on and played,” Koch said. “They possessed the ball very, very well. We imposed ourselves on Chicago and got the ball back as quickly as we could. That group went out and they won the final 20 minutes.”
Seattle is almost here
Following Tuesday’s practice, Koch said FC Cincinnati’s two training session to start the week were probably the longest of his coaching career. There’s a lot to get done.
As for getting things done in Charleston, there’s limited time.
The Orange and Blue have two days to recover and prepare before playing their Ohio rival on Saturday night. With a win, FC Cincinnati will be the CCC champion. But as soon as the final whistle blows against Columbus, Koch said the regular season begins. Cincinnati’s first MLS match is next Saturday at Seattle Sounders FC.
