Nick Hagglund said everything started feeling real the moment he got the phone call.
At the time, he was training with Toronto FC in California. He was told to fly home. He was traded to FC Cincinnati.
That was Jan. 23.
On Friday, Hagglund and his new club trained at Nippert Stadium for the first time. On Sunday, the club hosts the Portland Timbers in Cincinnati’s inaugural home MLS match.
“I think being in Cincinnati, training in Nippert, makes it feel special,” the Cincinnati-native said ahead of his first home game. “Not more real because it was real from the moment I got traded, but to be in the city and playing in this stadium right now makes it feel more special.”
Hagglund is the first Cincinnatian on the team’s MLS roster. He attended Lakota West High School, then played soccer at Xavier University. Sunday night’s match against Portland will be his first professional match within his hometown. When he played in Toronto, he never joined TFC II at Nippert during FCC’s USL days. His only way to see Cincinnati’s passion for the game was by asking teammates and family or by watching videos. Now, he’ll experience it himself.
In FCC’s first two matches, Hagglund started beside Kendall Waston at center back. That’ll likely be the same against the Timbers. Last week, Hagglund was named to MLS’ Team of the Week after recording seven clearances and two blocks in the 1-1 draw at Atlanta United FC.
When FC Cincinnati opened the 2019 regular season at Seattle Sounders FC, Hagglund said it was special playing for Cincinnati’s team and representing his hometown. “Those are my people,” he said of the traveling supporters.
On Sunday, he’ll be in a likely sold-out Nippert Stadium surrounded by “his people.” As momentous as FCC’s inaugural MLS home game is for fans, it’s the same for their starting center back.
“It’ll be completely different in the aspect that it’s all our fans,” Hagglund said. “In Seattle, it was all Seattle fans except for our supporters’ section up there. I think there will be something extra special about this game compared to the first inaugural game.
“The first time we step in front of our fans, that’s a special moment. Everyone we look around at has our crest on.”
