FCC hosts Nashville on Saturday at the University of Cincinnati’s Gettler Stadium, as work is being done on the videoboard at Nippert Stadium. Nippert will be ready in time for the March 10 exhibition against Sacramento.
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Here are five things to know about the two preseason games:
1. New rivals
Both opponents have become rivals just because of their MLS ambitions, and fans have shown a surprising amount of interest in these preseason games.
Nashville, considered a year ago to be a long shot for a spot, became a rival as soon as MLS chose the tourist destination city ahead of a proven market. Nashville is preparing for its first season but MLS was impressed by a quickly developed stadium plan and the market’s 40,000-plus attendance for a U.S. men’s national team game against Guatemala in 2015.
Despite their distance, a natural rivalry evolved between Cincinnati and Sacramento even before the clubs developed plans to play in the 2017 preseason in California. Sacramento, a fifth-year club that held the USL attendance records before Cincinnati blew them out of the water, was long considered the favorite for the first expansion opening.
2. Newton to face old club
The Sacramento game will pit goalie Evan Newton against his former team. The 2011 first-round MLS draft pick was the Republic’s starting goalkeeper the past two seasons but said he left for a chance at greater exposure in Cincinnati. He had spent time on the bench with two MLS clubs before trying the USL route beginning in 2014.
3. Lineup taking shape
Newton and Spencer Richey, who is on loan from Vancouver where he earned a 2017 MLS contract, are competing for the starting job in goal, and that decision should soon be known. Koch said the lineup would begin taking shape toward the end of February and beginning of March. The season is set to begin March 17 in Charleston.
Fans should still expect some rotation and the lineup against Sacramento will likely be more representative of the regular season than Saturday’s showing against Nashville. Cincinnati will play Nashville during the season as conference rivals, and Sacramento is the last test before the season opener.
4. Goal scorers
FCC will have a new leading scorer for a third straight season, as Djiby Fall did not return, but it’s still not known who will emerge. The club most recently signed former Edmonton FC striker Tomi Ameobi to fill a spot at the center forward position, and there are some other good scoring threats on the roster.
Danni Konig, who tallied 11 goals in 23 appearances, is back, and newcomer Emery Welshman – who had 16 goals in 18 appearances with Ligue 1 Ontario side Sigma FC in 2014 – also should contribute. The seven goals this preseason (in four games) have come from Ameobi, midfielders Corben Bone and Emmanuel Ledesma, forward Daniel Haber and defenders Garrett Halfhill, Dekel Keinan and Forrest Lasso.
5. New back line
With roster changes to Koch’s liking (after inheriting the team last preseason), FCC is playing more to his style of play and the club is now using two holding midfielders and getting away from wingbacks, the latter a role Lakota West High School grad Matt Bahner played in 2017. He’s now back to an outside back role and adds stability to a back line that lost center backs Austin Berry and Harrison Delbridge.
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