CINCINNATI – For the third time in four matches, FC Cincinnati registered a shutout as they played Columbus Crew SC to a scoreless draw at Nippert Stadium on Saturday night.
FC Cincinnati (2-4-2, 8 pts.) nearly opened the scoring via a free kick in the 17th minute. Following a foul from Crew SC’s Artur on Yuya Kubo just outside the penalty area, Siem de Jong fired the ensuing free kick on frame and forced Eloy Room to make a diving save to keep the scoreline level.
Columbus Crew SC (5-1-2, 17 pts.) nearly scored their first goal of the match in the 56th minute, when Gyasi Zardes played a low cross from inside the box to Pedro Santos, but the ball was just beyond the Crew SC winger’s reach.The Orange and Blue nearly had a 90th-minute game winner, but Maikel van der Werff’s shot from inside the box went wide of frame.
FC Cincinnati will be back at Nippert Stadium on Wednesday, Sept. 2, when the team hosts Chicago Fire FC. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised on WSTR 64, carried on the radio on WDJO (99.5 FM, 107.9 FM and 1480 AM), streamed regionally on fccincinnati.com/stream, out of market on ESPN+, while an audio stream will be available at TuneIn (WDJO) and fccincinnati.com.
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. Additionally, fans are encouraged to download the team’s official mobile app on the Apple App Store or Google Play for instant access to mobile tickets, team content and match notifications.
Information about seating options at the club’s state-of-the-art West End Stadium – which will open in Spring 2021 – is now available at westendstadium.com. The priority deadline for premium seating deposits has passed, and deposits for traditional reserved seating will open next month. For more information about 2021 season memberships, visit westendstadium.com or the stadium’s social properties on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram at @WestEndStadium, or by calling the team’s sales and service staff at 513-977-5425.
FC Cincinnati 0, Columbus Crew SC 0
Nippert Stadium | Cincinnati, Ohio
August 29, 2020
SCORING SUMMARY
None
FC Cincinnati: Przemysław Tytoń, Mathieu Deplagne, Kendall Waston ©, Maikel van der Werff, Andrew Gutman, Yuya Kubo (Caleb Stanko, 89’), Siem de Jong (Haris Medunjanin 72’), Frankie Amaya, Joseph-Claude Gyau, Adrien Regattin, Jurgen Locadia
Bench: Bobby Edwards, Abdul-Salaam, Greg Garza, Nick Hagglund, Tom Pettersson, Allan Cruz, Brandon Vazquez
Stats: Shots 5, Shots on goal 2, Saves 3, Corner kicks 4, Offsides 1, Fouls 13, Possession 38.7%, Passes 331 (83.1%)
Columbus Crew SC: Eloy Room, Josh Williams, Jonathan Mensah ©, Milton Valenzuela, Harrison Afful, Darlington Nagbe, Pedro Santos (Emmanuel Boateng 67’), Artur, Lucas Zelarayan (Fatai Alashe 67’), Youness Mokhtar (Derrick Etienne Jr. 55’), Gyasi Zardes (Fanendo Adi 81’)
Bench: Andrew Tarbell, Chris Cadden, Hector Jimenez, Sebastian Berhalter, Aboubacar Keita
Stats: Shots 7, Shots on goal 3, Saves 3, Corner kicks 7, Offsides 0, Fouls 21, Possession 61.3%, Passes 532 (87.4%)
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
CIN – Maikel van der Werff (caution) 4’
CIN – Joseph-Claude Gyau (caution) 11’
CLB – Artur (caution) 43’
CLB – Josh Williams (caution) 74’
CIN – Yuya Kubo (caution) 89’
Referee: Ted Unkel
Assistant Referees: Cory Richardson, Benjamin Hall-Volpenhein
4th Official: Robert Sibiga
VAR: Chico Grajeda
AVAR: Jeff Muschik
Weather: 81 degrees and sunny
Attendance: N/A
GAME NOTES
- With tonight’s draw, the Orange and Blue are now 2-4-2 through eight MLS matches … FCC are now 0-0-2 in matches played in Nippert Stadium … FC Cincinnati’s all-time, all-competition record against Columbus Crew SC moves to 1-2-2 … The Orange and Blue are now 2-4-2 against Eastern Conference opponents this season
- Three former FC Cincinnati players made appearances in tonight’s match … Fanendo Adi made his first appearance against FC Cincinnati since he was waived by the club on Jan. 17 … Fatai Alashe made his first appearance against FC Cincinnati and his first appearance since he was traded to the Black & Gold on Aug. 17 … Derrick Etienne Jr. made his second appearance against FC Cincinnati … the winger also became the first player from FC Cincinnati’s inaugural MLS side to play against the Orange and Blue on July 11
- With his shutout performance tonight, goalkeeper Przemysław Tytoń is now tied for the MLS regular-season lead with four shutouts on the campaign … Crew SC’s Eloy Room and Toronto FC’s Quentin Westberg have also recorded four shutouts this season
- Haris Medunjanin made his first substitute appearance as an FC Cincinnati player in tonight’s match … the midfielder replaced Siem de Jong and played 18 minutes … it was just the second substitute appearance of Medunjanin’s four seasons as an MLS player.
- Head coach Jaap Stam made three changes to the starting lineup from the club’s most recent match against Chicago Fire FC on Aug. 25 … Maikel van der Werff replaced Tom Pettersson, Siem de Jong replaced Caleb Stanko, and Adrien Regattin replaced Allan Cruz
- Jimmy McLaughlin and Spencer Richey were excluded from the matchday roster because of injuries.
POSTGAME QUOTES
FC Cincinnati head coach Jaap Stam
On the progress of the team
“Yeah, we make progress, and we know it as well. We speak about what we can do on the ball. I think in the first half we had a lot more possession. We could go forward a lot more. We try to keep that up, of course, but we need to be realistic as well. You’re playing against a very good side as well, very good players. For us, a very important thing is to close it down, not give too many opportunities or goals and then try to go forward and pick that goal. Unfortunately, we couldn’t score, although we were very close and the goalie made a fantastic save. If we are looking at opportunities, they had a shot. We had a couple of moments as well that were very close. That is very positive and sometimes people say you have to defend. You’re defending, but sometimes you have to defend to make that next step going forward to attack. At least, we’ve got a point, which is very good, against a very good side. It’s a very good thing. I think everybody can be happy with that.”
On the midfield set-up
“We played with this midfield because you got three footballers in the midfield. You can always play with different lines as well and we look at it game to game as well. We know that if we play against this team that we also need to have certain players that can play in between lines, play a little bit of a different style than the other midfielders that we have and that is why we made these choices. I think especially in the first half, if you look at it, it was very good. Worked very well. We made good choices, stepped in between the lines and made it difficult for them to put pressure on us. It was very promising, and after, in the second half, you make other choices and make subs. You bring other players in who’ve got other qualities.”
On the intensity of the rivalry game being played without fans
“Of course if the fans are here from both sides, then it would have been totally different. There’s a lot of noise and there is a lot of things going on within the stadium. Everybody knows that as well. Today you’re playing a game like this without fans. It gives it a different dimension. It’s good, but we still feel there is a rivalry because everybody knows what Columbus (Crew SC) can do and how they can play. We have experienced that ourselves as well. So for us, it was a big task as well for us to stop them from playing, not scoring goals. Which we did well. They didn’t create a lot of opportunities. Then going forward, we started creating opportunities, which we did. Unfortunately, we couldn’t score, but the rivalry is there. Everybody, after the first game, that pride in themselves … they wanted to go forward and get a result.”
FC Cincinnati defender Maikel van der Werff
On his thoughts regarding the match
“Yeah, of course the clean sheet is good, especially as a defender. You always want to get clean sheets. We did pretty well – we defended well, and of course, I’m happy to be back and I feel good. So, yeah, all positive things. Of course, we want to win and I think we had some opportunities, some chances to get some goals, but overall, I think we can be happy and satisfied with this point.”
On having 3 clean sheets in the last 4 games
“It’s important to get clean sheets, especially for a defender – it gives you confidence, and for the goalkeeper, and of course, for all the other guys on the team, but especially for defenders. It feels good. That’s what we’re trying to do, and what we’re saying to each other when we start the game. You know, ‘Let’s go for the clean sheet and let’s score and make the goals,’ and then we all do our job.”
On playing ex-teammates from Cincinnati and the Eredivisie
“It doesn’t matter if you’re close with somebody, or if you’re friends with somebody. If you’re on that field, if you’re on the pitch, you just want to win – no matter what and especially against Columbus, of course. So, I don’t care who the opponent is, or who else is on the pitch. We just want to win.”
FC Cincinnati wingback Joseph-Claude Gyau
On playing against Fatai Alashe
“It was funny. When I was playing on that right side in the first half, I would see him on the sideline and he would talk a little bit of trash and I would give him a look every now and then. Then when he came on, a little bit of trash talking. Then after the game, it was just like another day, but it was good to play against him.”
On defensive identity and trying to create scoring chances
“That’s what it has been for us the last few times. Unfortunately, we were not able to execute that last match. As long as we can keep a clean sheet moving forward, we can always get our chances. Unfortunately, we haven’t put many away, but if we remain a hard team to play, we will always be in matches and that is what it is going to be for us moving forward. We are going to be feisty in the back and get out in transition on the wings and continue to stick to the game plan.”
On if he takes the same amount of pride in defending as he does in attacking
“Yeah, for sure. When we have the ball on offense my job is to give the team width and some depth also and be dangerous on the wings, and when we don’t have the ball, on defense my job is to guard their winger and guard their wing back and I definitely take pride in not letting anything come through on my side. It’s been a cool transition to go from more of a playing further up the pitch and now I am playing a bit deeper, but it’s good. I have the game in front of me and am enjoying the transition.”
