CINCINNATI, OH --- FC Cincinnati will be road tested on the front and back ends of the 2017 slate as the club officially announces its schedule. Times have not been determined and will be announced at a later date.
“We have another challenging schedule ahead of us,” said Head Coach John Harkes. “There are no easy games in the USL and that speaks to the league’s growth and continuing rise in the level of competition and talent. It will be tough for us to be on the road for so many games at the beginning and the end of our season. It’s never fun to be away from our fantastic fanbase at Nippert Stadium but we feel confident that our preseason schedule trips to Florida and Sacramento will prepare us well for what we anticipate to be very tough travel schedule.”
As revealed in conjunction with the United Soccer League last Friday, FCC will play its opening game, Sat., Mar. 25, at Charleston Battery at MUSC Health Stadium. The club continues on the road for a Sat. contest at Pittsburgh Riverhounds (Apr. 1) at Highmark Stadium and then heads to Bethlehem Steel FC for a Sunday affair (Apr. 9) at Goodman Stadium.
FCC will host Saint Louis FC in its home opener on Sat., April 15 at Nippert Stadium. The three game homestand continues with match-ups against new USL side, Tampa Bay Rowdies on Wed., April 19th, followed by the first River Cities Cup match against Louisville City FC on Sat., April 22nd.
Taking to the road back-to-back weekends, FCC faces Bethlehem Steel FC again on Sat., April 29th and Richmond City Kickers at Richmond City Stadium on Sat., May 6th.
Back in the confines of Nippert Stadium, FCC will host Orlando City B on Sat., May 13th, completes its three- game series with Bethlehem on Sat., May 20 and wraps up the homestand against Toronto FC II on Sat., May 27.
After a trip to Rochester to face the Rhinos on Sat., Jun. 3, FCC returns home again for three matches. FCC opens that stretch on Sat., Jun., 10 against Queen City Cup opponent Charlotte Independence, followed by the Charleston Battery (Jun. 17) and St. Louis FC (Jun. 24).
Spending the beginning of July in Florida, FCC travels to Orlando City B (Jul. 1) and Tampa Bay Rowdies (Jul.6). Returning home to Nippert on July 9, FCC hosts Richmond Kickers and then continues the River Cities Cup series at Louisville City FC (Jul. 15).
Harrisburg City (Jul. 26), Rochester Rhinos (Jul. 29) and Orlando City B (Aug.5) all visit Nippert Stadium before FCC travels to Louisville City FC (Aug. 12) and NYRBII (Aug. 19) on consecutive weekends to complete a difficult August road schedule.
Ottawa Fury FC will make their first trip to Nippert (Aug. 23) and the Cincinnati-Pittsburgh rivalry will continue when FCC hosts the Riverhounds on Sept., 2.
FCC will play a mid-week game at Harrisburg City Islanders at FNB field (Sept. 12) before FCC hosts its final home game of the regular season against defending USL Champions NYRBII on Sept., 16.
FCC’s final four-game road trip of the regular season includes Saint Louis FC on (Sept. 23) and Charlotte Independence (Sept. 29) before heading to Canada at Ottawa on (Oct. 8) and Toronto FC II (Oct. 14).
The Orange and Blue finished third in the Eastern Conference last year with a record of 15-6-8 and ended the inaugural season with quarterfinal playoff match at Nippert Stadium against Charleston Battery in front of a record crowd of 30,187.
Season tickets are currently on sale and can be purchase by visiting fccincinnati.com or by calling 513-977-KICK.
