A major makeover swept up the FC Cincinnati locker room Sunday evening, adding to the vibe and excitement for the opening game of The Orange and Blue’s 2023 MLS Cup Playoff run.
And one might suggest that this can’t-miss fashion statement contributed to the two players combining to score FCC’s first MLS playoff goal at home in club history.
It all started earlier that afternoon upon their arrival at TQL Stadium. Álvaro Barreal and Junior Moreno casually strolled into the facility, catching teammates off guard with their matching, shiny new haircuts and bleached blonde locks.
From the stands that night, you couldn’t miss the South American duo on the pitch in FC Cincinnati’s 3-0 win over the New York Red Bulls, even if it might have been confusing at first to fans not expecting to see their drastic change in hairstyle.
This is not the first time Barreal has rocked platinum blonde hair. Still, he has not displayed his signature look in quite some time, as fans were getting used to seeing the natural brunette in his original color. This time, with postseason play as the motivation, he managed to recruit his teammate Moreno to the cause.
“I just talked with Junior and we decided it was time to change the hair,” Barreal said before adding that he had to help Moreno to ensure it was done the right way. Expert sources indicate that the precision needed to accomplish the correct white tone that the duo achieved is incredibly complicated and requires a near-expert touch to pull off.
Barreal and Moreno also donned all-black turtlenecks and gold chains before the game to further the connection between the two and turn up the contrast on their “icy” new hair.
Striker Sergio Santos, acting as a reporter postgame, inquired about the look before Barreal asked him about his new haircut. Still, the Brazilian forward ensured that his new braided hairstyle was not weird because he “changes his hair every week.”
The change of look was popular among FC Cincinnati teammates, especially due to the brace provided by Barreal and the assist Moreno gave on the first goal of the match.
“Fairplay to them, you know, a goal and an assist?” Matt Miazga said. “(Barreal and Moreno) were the first two that came in today, so I thought the rest of Latin guys had all gone blonde and I was concerned. I think maybe I have to put some blonde streaks in now.”
“They look like an Argentine singer,” Luciano Acosta said with a giant smile and a laugh. “I think they look good!”
The FCC captain assured that he would not be joining in his teammates’ hairstyle, as he is “too old.” This, of course, does not track as Moreno is 316 days older than Acosta. However, Acosta did say he would show his style in other ways, pointing towards the likes of Dominique Badji, who departed TQL Stadium with a fresh new gray suit and “straight out the box” brown Oxfords, or Obinna Nwobodo, who donned a sparkly black jacket with black studs that turned up the glam.
