For the fourth time this season, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup returns to Nippert Stadium. The previous three rounds have all brought narrow 1-0 victories over sides spanning the American soccer pyramid, the last of which – coming against Major League Soccer goliaths Columbus Crew SC – being one of the most exciting memories in our young club’s history.
But despite slaying Goliath two weeks ago, we’ll need to do it again this Wednesday if we are to have any hope of keeping this amazing cup run going.
How will we fare? Read on to get a preview below.
WHEN
Wednesday, June 28th, at 8pm
TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE
Please note that the time for tonight’s match has been pushed back again, this time to 8pm, to accommodate the national broadcast.
The gates will open 90 minutes prior to kickoff tonight at 6:30pm.
OPPOSITION
For the second straight Open Cup fixture, we’ll be squaring up against a Major League Soccer side from the Eastern Conference: four-time U.S. Open Cup winners Chicago Fire.
VENUE
Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
DIRECTIONS
FORM
FCC: While the season admittedly got off to a rocky start, things have definitely been trending upwards for FCC over the last two months. Since the start of May, the Orange & Blue have only lost twice in eleven outings, going 6-2-3 in all competitions. And though the goal output is improving as well – 12 during the spell – it’s the defense that’s really tightened up with just a 0.72 goals against average. Oh, and all three previous victories in the Open Cup during 2017 have come during this streak as well.
CF: A power during their early years in MLS, Chicago has most recently fallen upon harder times – regularly finishing as one of the worst teams in the league over the last few seasons. However, that is not the case with the 2017 incarnation of the Fire. Chicago haven’t lost a match since April 29th, and have gone 8-0-2 since. They’ve won four straight at this point, including a 1-0 win over fellow USL outfit Saint Louis FC in the Open Cup fourth round.
COACH
"This evening promises to be another special occasion for our club and the city. We have been on a special run in the Cup and we look forward to embracing the challenge of a red-hot Chicago. The players are excited to go out and challenge themselves against another MLS team and we go in to the match with a fearless attitude.
We hope to put in another quality performance and continue to build on the results and performances of recent weeks. We are fortunate to be at home and look forward to and appreciate the fan support that we receive in Nippert Stadium."
- Head Coach Alan Koch
PLAYERS
FCC: Cup runs can be difficult to manage on the player personnel front. Almost exclusively played in the midweek so as to not disturb team’s league campaigns, the additional matches can take quite the toll on the players and their bodies. So with an important road trip to Florida beginning this coming weekend – and the team currently on just a few days break, too – rotating the squad so that they’re fresh for the league will have to be considered. Just how much will Coach Koch rotate? We’ll have to wait and see.
CF: Just as was the case with Columbus before them, Chicago have a litany of talent in their ranks to be concerned about. One advantage we have in our favor with this particular match though, is that two of the Fire’s better players – American midfielder Dax McCarty and Ghanaian forward David Accam – will be absent due to international duty. But there’s still plenty of firepower left to deal with in their stead. New Hungarian striker Nemanja Nikolić (#23) is currently leading MLS in scoring with 14 goals in 17 appearances. And the big name everyone will hope to see – he at least made the trip! – is German international and former Bayern Munich star Bastian Schweinsteiger (#31).
HISTORY
While we’ve never met the Fire in a competitive match before, this will be the second time we’ve faced the Chicago MLS outfit. That single previous meeting came during preseason, where we fell 2-3 to the Fire at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida back in March.
WEATHER
We’re expecting another brilliant night of weather for this midweek Open Cup match. Temperatures at the 8pm kickoff should have cooled off into the high 70’s, and partly cloudy skies with a 0% chance of precipitation.
WATCH
The last Open Cup match against the Crew was aired state-wide, but this time we’re going one better. Thanks to the electric crowd and atmosphere at that match, our match against the Fire has been picked up by ESPN and ESPN Deportes for a nationally televised broadcast! The match will also be streamed live on the WatchESPN app (iOS|Android) or via www.espn.com/watch.
LISTEN
All FC Cincinnati home matches are broadcast live on local radio on ESPN 1530, which can be streamed for free through their iHeartRadio feed.
SOCIAL
As is the case every match, you can follow along with the action on our Twitter feed at @fccincinnati. For live looks from before, during and after the match, follow us on Instagram and Snapchat by following 'fccincinnati', too. Halftime and full time updates will also be available on Facebook.
