FC Cincinnati Head Coach Alan Koch said the newest Major League Soccer expansion club entered the 2019 SuperDraft looking for players who can develop as long-term projects.
With that in mind, the club selecting defensive midfielder Tommy McCabe as the 29th pick suggests the team found someone who could serve a vital midfield role in the future.
“We like Tommy,” Koch said of the midfielder. “We think he’s a good player and he comes from a good program. I think he’s a very determined kid and he’s got great soccer IQ. He’s very comfortable on the ball.”
A central midfielder who’s comfortable on the ball is arguably the highest compliment a coach can provide.
In three seasons at Notre Dame, McCabe made 61 appearances and 60 starts. Before that, he joined the Under-17 U.S. Men’s National Team in Chile for the 2015 FIFA World Cup in Chile. That roster included Tyler Adams, perhaps the country’s most-promising young defensive midfielder, and Christian Pulisic, who garnered the largest transfer fee of any American player ever. That’s good company.
“I like to play for the team,” McCabe said at the SuperDraft. “I play as a central midfielder and I like to get as many other people involved in the game as possible.
“I think passing is one of my strong suits. [I try] to get the attackers the ball as much as possible, then to play in front of the back four and win the ball then then get it to get guys that will score goals.”
The 20-year-old is a composed two-way player. If necessary, he can snuff out an opponent’s possession, then offer a direct long ball to a teammate on the counter attack. More importantly, though, McCabe can play well in tight spaces and deliver crisp passes that carve through opposing midfields or backlines.
What’s crucial now is for him to deliver that quality at the professional level.
As the No. 29 pick, McCabe was FC Cincinnati’s third pick in the 2019 draft and second midfielder. Frankie Amaya went No. 1, but plays a more attacking role.
While FCC has promoted some midfielders from its United Soccer League roster and signed others, McCabe should be in a position to grow and develop for the future. To be a new player on a new MLS team is exciting, he said at the draft.
“It’s an awesome experience,” he added. “You can’t ask for much more than that. I’m excited to meet the city, meet the fans, meet the team and just get rolling from there. …You grow up dreaming about MLS, and to be able to play for FC Cincinnati, it’s an awesome experience. I’m just excited and ready to get to work.”
