When FC Cincinnati made their preseason home at a hotel in Clearwater, Florida, many of the newcomers to the roster had less than a week of meet and greet with their teammates in Cincinnati before flying south.
Kipp Keller, for example (among others), had yet to find a permanent residence in the Queen City before he and the rest of the team jetted off. He trained with the club for just over a week at the Bengals Indoor Facility as the team looked to escape the weather. He visited briefly prior to reporting to visit the training facility and stadium but then spent the next month at preseason. The same experience was essentially standard among newcomers.
When arriving in Florida, Keller had a room to himself—a luxury shared by only a few and one that he says he thought he lucked out on upon arrival and room assignment. Shortly thereafter, though, a text came saying he would be getting a roommate, and a knock on the door came shortly after that.
There stood the midfield dynamo from Czechia, Pavel Bucha, the newest star for FC Cincinnati, recently transferred from UEFA Champions League entrant Viktoria Plzeň. Armed with only a duffle bag and a friendly smile, the duo would now go from having met each other in this Clearwater, Florida hotel hallway to living together for over a month.
"At first, it was nice not having a roommate. I had my alone time and was like, 'Ah, now I've got this roommate. I don't have my own space anymore,'" Keller said, learning about his roommate's situation. "Then, sure enough, two days in, we started talking more, and we've been best of friends ever since."
All through preseason, the duo's friendship became clear. They ate meals together, drove to training together, stayed late at the gym and on the training pitch to pass the ball around or just hung out with anyone else around. For a couple of guys from Prague and St. Louis who had met just days or weeks before, the duo was as close as anyone could imagine, essentially from the get-go.
The friendship has only grown since then. After each training, the pair stays on the field late to send each other field width passes until someone misses their mark, with each session getting progressively longer and longer as the duo gets more and more competitive. When the team travels, the duo are often together on the plane, at the hotel and off the field. Keller and Bucha regularly go out for dinner with their significant others as the Bucha's – who recently announced they are expecting their first child – have created a bond with Keller and his long-time girlfriend.
"We support each other. He supports me. I support him," Keller added. "We've created a really good relationship, I'm glad I can call him a friend."
Beyond a nice friendship, the relationship has helped both integrate into the squad quicker and serves as an example of why interpersonal relationships and chemistry are better for the soccer side of the game as well.
For Bucha, who is brand new to the United States and MLS, having an American counterpart to help bridge the cultural gap has done wonders for the Central European star in terms of creating a comfort around the city and the team. For the first few weeks of living in the United States, Pavel's wife, Deni, and his dog had not yet made the move with him to Cincinnati, so Bucha has said having Keller there to bounce off socially was invaluable to making him feel comfortable.
On the flip side, Keller, who moved to Cincinnati from Austin FC, says he looks up to his teammate and sees the commitment and passion the Czech star brings to every session and looks to match it. Keller, 23, is only three years younger than Bucha, so it's not as if their relationship gives off any particular 'mentor-mentee' vibes, more like best friends who happen to work together, but the defender sees Bucha's work ethic and corresponding success as a player as an ideal to work towards.
"He just puts his head down and works hard," Keller said. "He does his job each and every day at training or in the game, and he's very consistent. I definitely look up to him for that.”
"He played in the Champions League and not only that, but he's such a good person. I think this club is surrounded by good people. It's just nice to have someone like him in the locker room to bond with and on and off the field."
The duo make for a fun pair. In some ways, just how much sense Keller and Bucha make as a duo can't be overstated. Both are upbeat, entertaining, soccer-obsessed young men who love the game and love to work on it together. Much like many of their teammates. But in other ways, they truly look like they belong in a Neil Simon play (or the Jack Lemmon/Walter Matthau film, for that matter).
Keller, whose wild hair matches his fiery and loud personality, is an extroverted social butterfly. He is regularly featured on FCC social channels (particularly on TikTok) and is generally more expressive. Bucha, on the other hand, is far more understated. While those who get to know him will tell you he is just as funny and social, his style is far more subdued and quiet than that of his American comrade.
"I'm sure our fans see it and everyone here sees it, but he's just the most humble guy," Keller said with a smile and a laugh after a particularly strong match for Bucha. The defender was almost exasperated at how, even after such a big match, the midfielder refused to take any credit.
"He's just always about the team and the guys and never about himself. It's a good reminder and inspiration to stay level and keep working."
