CINCINNATI – FC Cincinnati played the Chicago Fire to a scoreless draw at Nippert Stadium on Saturday night.
Although FC Cincinnati (6-21-4, 22 pts.) created multiple chances in the closing minutes of the match, the Orange and Blue were unable to score the decisive goal. Chicago Fire (9-12-11, 38 pts.) goalkeeper Kenneth Kronholm recorded three saves. Tonight’s match resulted in FC Cincinnati’s first-ever scoreless draw in an MLS regular-season match.
FC Cincinnati will host Fan Appreciation Night for their home finale against Orlando City SC at Nippert Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 29. First kick is set for 5 p.m. and the game will be televised live on WSTR 64, streamed on FloFC (in-region) and ESPN+ (out-of-region), carried on the radio on WDJO with an audio stream on TuneIn (WDJO) and fccincinnati.com.
Tickets and group options for next Sunday’s match are available at fccincinnati.com/tickets or by calling 513-977-5425 (KICK).
For up-to-the-minute information about FC Cincinnati, visit the team’s official website at fccincinnati.com, or follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FCCincinnati.
FC Cincinnati 0, Chicago Fire 0
Nippert Stadium | Cincinnati, Ohio
September 21, 2019
SCORING SUMMARY
None
FC Cincinnati: Przemysław Tytoń, Mathieu Deplagne, Maikel van der Werff, Kendall Waston ©, Greg Garza, Tommy McCabe, Leonardo Bertone (Andrew Gutman 90’), Frankie Amaya, Emmanuel Ledesma, Derrick Etienne Jr. (Roland Lamah 64’), Rashawn Dally (Joseph-Claude Gyau HT)
Bench: Jimmy Hague, Nick Hagglund, Victor Ulloa
Stats: Shots 10, Shots on goal 3, Saves 1, Corner kicks 2, Offsides 0, Fouls 13, Possession 46.4% , Passes 422 (78%)
Chicago Fire: Kenneth Kronholm, Jonathan Bornstein, Francisco Calvo, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Johan Kappelhof, Brandt Bronico (Fabian Herbers 77’), Dax McCarty ©, Przemysław Frankowksi, Nicolas Gaitan (Djordje Mihailovic 58’), C.J. Sapong (Aleksandar Katai 66’), Nemanja Nikolic
Bench: Richard Sánchez, Marcelo, Micheal Azira, Jeremiah Gutjahr
Stats: Shots 16, Shots on goal 1, Saves 3, Corner kicks 9, Offsides 3, Fouls 12, Possession 53.6% , Passes 4460 (82.6%)
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
CIN – Kendall Waston (caution) 20’
CHI – C.J. Sapong (caution) 25’
CHI – Dax McCarty (caution) 30’
Referee: Baldomero Toledo
Assistant Referees: Apolinar Mariscal, Ian McKay
4th Official: Fotis Bazakos
VAR: Kevin Terry Jr.
Weather: 81 degrees and clear
Attendance: 26,466
HOW IT HAPPENED
- 8’ | A turnover on Cincinnati’s side of the pitch allowed Nemanja Nikolic to dribble through Chicago’s attacking third and into the 18-yard box, where Kendall Waston was the last man to beat. FCC’s captain was able to clear the ball beyond the endline to concede a corner kick
- 30’ | FC Cincinnati had their first shot on target following a free kick. Frankie Amaya sent a lofted ball into the six-yard box, where Waston was able to head the shot on frame and into the arms of Chicago goalkeeper Kenneth Kronholm
- 59’ | Joseph-Claude Gyau played a give-and-go to Emmanuel Ledesma, who played a through ball to Gyau inside the 18-yard box. Kronholm came off his line and secured the ball just outside the reach of an oncoming Gyau
- 61’ | Chicago midfielder Brandt Bronico played a through ball into the box, where right back Johan Kappelhof was making a run. Kappelhof laid a right-footed pass off to Nikolic, whose strike went over the crossbar
- 63’ | From the right corner flag, Djordje Mihailovic played a cross to Bastian Schweinsteiger. The center back headed a powerful shot on frame, but Maikel van der Werff was able to get in the way of the shot and deflect it over the crossbar
- 79’ | Leonardo Bertone found Roland Lamah outside the edge of the penalty box. Lamah curled a shot to the far post, but Kronholm was able to dive and palm the ball away from net
- 80’ | Bertone collected the ball after Chicago’s defense cleared a corner kick and lofted a ball to the far post. Ledesma connected with Bertone’s cross, volleying a second cross near the six-yard box. Van der Werff headed the cross towards goal, but was denied by the crossbar
GAME NOTES
- With tonight’s draw, the Orange and Blue move to 6-22-4 through 32 MLS matches … in addition, FC Cincinnati move to 3-11-3 in home contests across all competitions … FC Cincinnati’s all-time, all-competition record against the Chicago Fire sits at 1-0-2 … Cincinnati is now 4-13-3 against Eastern Conference opponents
- Tonight’s result is FC Cincinnati’s first-ever scoreless draw in an MLS regular-season match and the club’s fourth regular-season scoreless draw in its four-year history … FCC had a pair of scoreless matches in 2016, as well as a pair of scoreless contests in 2018
- Tonight’s draw ended FC Cincinnati’s seven-match home losing streak … prior to tonight’s result, the Orange and Blue last earned points at home when they defeated the Houston Dynamo, 3-2, on July 6
- Przemysław Tytoń made one save as he registered his second career MLS shutout … the FCC goalkeeper earned his first shutout at Montreal on Sept. 14
- Kendall Waston returned to the starting lineup after missing the last match because of a red-card suspension … the center back will miss next week’s match against Orlando City SC on Sept. 29 because of yellow-card accumulation
- Tonight’s match was the second time FC Cincinnati started three of their 2019 MLS SuperDraft selections -- Frankie Amaya, Rashawn Dally and Tommy McCabe … the trio started for the Orange and Blue against Toronto FC on Sept. 7 … FC Cincinnati are the only team to start three 2019 MLS SuperDraft selections in the same game this year
- Derrick Etienne Jr. earned his second start for FC Cincinnati in tonight’s match … the midfielder earned his first FCC start against Columbus Crew SC on Aug. 25 … the midfielder did not play in any of the previous four matches because of a combination of international duty with Haiti, as well as a minor hamstring injury
- Caleb Stanko (illness) was a late scratch in tonight’s contest … with Stanko’s absence, the Orange and Blue played tonight’s match with a 17-man matchday roster
- Ron Jans made five changes to the starting lineup from the match against Atlanta United FC on Sept. 18 … Kendall Waston, Greg Garza, Tommy McCabe, Derrick Etienne Jr. and Rashawn Dally replaced Nick Hagglund, Andrew Gutman, Fatai Alashe, Joseph-Claude Gyau and Kekuta Manneh
- Allan Cruz (concussion), Kekuta Manneh (hip) Darren Mattocks (ankle), Jimmy McLaughlin (knee) Spencer Richey (back) and Caleb Stanko (illness) were unavailable for selection because of injury
POSTGAME QUOTES
FC Cincinnati Head Coach Ron Jans
Opening Statement
“I still remember the feeling from the players, the staff and me too after the Toronto game, losing 1-5 at home. No chance at all, and then you have six more games to play. So, we sat together, and I think it helped a lot, because I said this last week again, bottom of the table, a lot of players not knowing what the next season will bring, and still, you have to be there with a lot of passion and get the best out of you and work for your team and three games now after each other, I think they work like lions. Like the first half today, I don’t think we did play very well the first half, especially not at the beginning of the game. But after that, you fight and you fight and you get better into the game. We made a substitution in halftime to get more depth with (Joe) Gyau. We didn’t want to start with him, because he played two games in one week and he didn’t play a lot this year, and I think it helped. But we knew that the longer the match would last, the pressure on Chicago would be bigger, bigger and bigger, and the spaces would be bigger and bigger, too. We should have taken advantage of that. Because in the end, the pitch was all open. I think it was more an advantage to Cincinnati than Chicago, and we should’ve scored, but we didn’t. And they could’ve scored also. So, I’m satisfied with the team spirit and everybody fighting. If you see (Maikel) van der Werff and (Kendall) Waston running back after a corner kick, it’s not running back, it’s sprinting back. I think that says all. I admire my players, so it’s a big compliment for them.”
On the long-term importance of the meeting between staff and players
“It’s always good to have a meeting, but I had so many meetings in my life. Sometimes they’re so boring, and then you think ‘Oh, we have to sit together and talk again?”. This was under me being a head coach, the first meeting. It’s good that you speak, and I think the players were very open. But when you’re sick, you go to a doctor, and then you get the medicine. And the best medicine was not the meeting, it was the win in Montréal. So, you get more confidence, and when you get more confidence, you play better soccer. I think that helped, that it was the best. But it’s never one thing. It’s more things. We even missed some players, I think some good players. But having a result against Chicago, I think, and another clean sheet, I think it’s not too bad.”
On the difference-maker in not allowing late goals
“I think part of it is a tactical thing. That when you press high and you get so tired, so that maybe for the last five or 10 minutes, you don’t have the energy and you concede goals. But before I came, they already conceded goals in the 35th to the 45th minute, and then the end of games, so maybe we trained with a lot of players with the whole group that were fit. So maybe it is a little bit because we are a little bit more fit. But still, we have to see every match: ‘Is he going to play 90 minutes, and he – especially on this Wednesday?’ And today, I think it was alright. But some players are really now quite done, and I think it’s good that we have a week rest now.”
On whether or not Ron feels like he is succeeding in Cincinnati
“No, and also, I don’t feel guilty for the record and what happened before. So, I’m not succeeding here, or I haven’t failed here, because I think it’s too early to tell. I think your judgment about me, and my judgment about myself, it’s not in this season. It’s in the future.”
FC Cincinnati midfielder Tommy McCabe
On being selected man of the match
“It’s a cool experience. I’m glad that we got a clean sheet and shutout, and we fought to the end. Obviously, we’d like to get a goal and a win, but I think it was a good performance.”
On starting after Caleb Stanko was ruled out with illness
“Yeah, I wasn’t expecting it when I walked into the locker room, that’s for sure. But you just got to take the opportunity when you can get it, even if it comes in a circumstance where you find out an hour before. I just had to make the most of it.”
On how this start compared to his last
“Yeah. I think along with not knowing when I was coming in, I’m a little more relaxed, and I can just play my game.”
On his maturity through the season
“I think that’s just part of the way I play the game as well. It’s been a long season so you learn and grow each week and each day. So, I try to take each opportunity as a learning experience from that.”
FC Cincinnati midfielder Joseph-Claude Gyau
On tonight’s match
“First off, I think the teams were feeling each other out and then in the second half, the game opened up a little more.”
On offensive change in the second half
“We just started a little bit higher. We tried to expose the space with the ball a little bit more, just going forward to try to open things. I think we just tried a little bit more in the second half.”
On coming off the bench tonight
“It’s always different coming into a game that is already fast paced, so you have to get adjusted really quickly into the game. But after the first couple touches, I got into the rhythm of the game.”
On confidence from earning a draw tonight
“Yeah, definitely. It was a hard-fought point, and the game could have gone either way. It gives us some good confidence moving forward into the next game.”
Chicago Fire forward Nemanja Nikolic
Overall thoughts on the match
“We have any opportunity to make the playoffs. We also saw that New England didn’t win. We are now in the situation where we need to win our game and also to check the opponents who are in front of us. It was unlucky that we didn’t win this game. I think we pushed until the end. We created opportunities. We created chances. Defensively, I think we played good. We played what we wanted – to concede zero goals and pushing until the end. In the last 10-15 minutes, the game started to be open. Cincinnati also wanted to win this game. I need to say that today we lost two points on the field, which can be very important for us. But, as we’ve always said, we will never give up. We need to win these last two games. We must win these six points to keep us alive. We need to go step by step. Next week, we need to prepare for Toronto and win that game, and after that I hope that in the last game we will go to Orlando with hope that if we win that game, we will be in the playoffs. It will be amazing. We will push and we will never give up.”
On the strong performance from goalkeeper Kenneth Kronholm and the defense
“Kenny was great. Also, defensively we played really good and tough. We said before the game that we need to win but we also need to be clever and not rush and open our spaces because Cincinnati likes to play counter attacks. They have fast players in the attack and we prepared for that. So, I think defensively we played really, really good today. It was unlucky that we didn’t score.”
