To our FCC Family,
A nearly year-long 2023 Major League Soccer season has concluded and I am so proud that we celebrated a tremendous year together. FC Cincinnati won our first MLS trophy as Regular Season Champions and made it to the MLS Cup and Open Cup semifinals. The night we raised the Supporters’ Shield was certainly a highlight of the season.
But of course, the trophy presentation was only one of many thrills for FCC and our community. We built a Fortress in 2023 – an impenetrable home to some of the season’s best soccer. Galvanized by the energy and encouragement of our supporters, FC Cincinnati had a season full of notable achievements:
- We hosted over 500,000 fans with 18 different sell outs at TQL Stadium, including three home MLS Cup playoff matches.
- We tied for fourth most points in league history with 69 points and that helped us clinch the 2023 Supporters’ Shield.
- FCC tied for fourth most home points ever with 41 – just two off the league record.
- We tied the MLS record for the longest single season home record streak at 10.
In addition, we brought both the USMNT and the USWNT to Cincinnati, where we hosted world-class soccer players and international media. This year, we also earned another international award.
TQL Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium are now among the World's Most Beautiful Sports Venues according to Prix Versailles – the World Architecture and Design Award at UNESCO. By nearly every measure, the 2023 season brought exciting triumphs and awards.
Our success was earned from contributions throughout our roster and soccer staff. Our performance on the pitch was inspired and led to the following soccer awards:
- Landon Donovan MLS MVP Award for Lucho Acosta
- MLS Defender of the Year for Matt Miazga
- Lucho and Matt were both named to the Best XI – a prestigious honor for these two top performers.
- Lucho, Matt and Álvaro Barreal were named to the 2023 MLS All-Star Team where FCC led the league in roster selections.
We will return most of our roster next season, with the team led by a great soccer staff, including MLS Coach of the Year, Pat Noonan, and General Manager, Chris Albright, both of whom were rewarded with long-term contract extensions. We’re fortunate to have so much talent and tremendous leadership in one organization.
I feel so blessed to have been part of this historic season as we delivered on the pitch, in the stadium, for our families and community members. We are not simply Cincinnati’s soccer team – the Greater Cincinnati region is our team. Representing Cincinnati is one of our key values that guides our decisions, drives our investments and fuels the fire that pushes us to be better, do better and want more for our team and city.
I thank God, our talented leadership team and our exceptional employees for a successful season. Thank you to our legacy-making investors, our fantastic partners including Mercy Health, TQL, First Financial Bank, Procter & Gamble, Kroger, and the many others who have been with us this season. Without your financial support, our success would not be possible.
Our club grew a great deal this season. Our Supporters’ Shield win clinched a place for the first time in the Concacaf Champions Cup and the 2024 season will begin even earlier in February. We will aim to three-peat into the MLS Cup playoffs with another strong regular season. I hope that our 2023 campaign earned your respect, and garnered excitement for 2024. You, our incredible supporters, have been the foundation upon which all of this was built. We aim to represent you with pride. Thank you for being part of this journey, Cincinnati. I am deeply grateful for your commitment to FC Cincinnati and look forward to what we will continue to achieve together.
Many thanks and appreciation,
Carl H. Lindner III
Controlling Owner & Co-CEO
