FC Cincinnati return to TQL Stadium this weekend for an Eastern Conference clash against D.C. United, and The Orange and Blue are looking to take all three points. With a 7-2-2 record at home this season, FCC have been a strong side at their home ground, but with them coming off a draw at home and a loss on the road in their last two, the desire for a winning result is only intensified.
The matchup against DCU gets underway on Apple TV at 7:30 p.m. Ahead of that, let’s look at a few key factors for success that The Orange and Blue will need to come out on top in this Saturday night battle.
No need to reinvent the wheel
FC Cincinnati return to TQL Stadium on the heels of a full week of training after a disappointing showing in Nashville last Saturday night. With the home crowd at their backs, The Orange and Blue are looking to flush a bad night from their memory by putting on a strong performance for the Cincy faithful at TQL Stadium.
Coming off that match last weekend, FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan says he found himself increasingly frustrated with the performance with every review of the game film, and addressed that in training this week with meetings and conversations to help refocus the squad on playing their type of game.
So while FC Cincinnati weren’t pleased with how they played last time out, the focus is on getting what they got wrong right rather than reinventing the way they play.
“You can't have a game and a bad performance bring that level of change,” FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan said Friday ahead of the match. “For me, it's taking a bigger sample size to say, okay, this needs to change, and certainly defensively, we continue to look at how we can be better.”
“For me, it was how do we simplify things if maybe some of these ideas are complicating things too much. Let's get back to some basic things to see if that's helpful because some of those basics are what we're missing. And yes, I think you can overcomplicate things. As a coach, you think you’re helping players, but sometimes it's adding to the difficulties that they're having on the field. So we try to give them simple ideas to let them take their talents and the time together to to perform.”
Match the Intensity
D.C. United come to town as one of the harder teams in MLS to outright beat. After finishing last in Major League Soccer last season, new DCU Head Coach René Weiler has helped make his side a tough team to beat.
While they have only five wins this season, D.C. United lead MLS with 10 draws, showing that while they maybe aren’t winning like they’d like to, they don’t let teams beat them, either.
FCC Head Coach Pat Noonan spoke about the style of play D.C. plays at his prematch press conference on Friday, highlighting that it’s the intensity his weekend opponent brings that makes them so hard to beat.
“I think it’s the intensity of their play,” Noonan said regarding what has made D.C. United a tough beat. “With the ball, they get to goal fast, and are very tough to deal with. They've got willing runners all over the field, guys that know how to stretch the game, little counter movements that can challenge the back line.”
“Defensively, when they're organized, they have a lot of guys that you could tell the detail of the how they release to the ball, footwork, how they go to the ball together. That part's connected,” Noonan continued. “So, when you see the results, or the way they play, the results maybe don't match how they're performing because we've certainly been impressed with it."
Entering this match, D.C. United lead MLS in distance covered when out of possession, showing their prowess and energy when trying to win the ball back as a collective. So, to earn all three points this weekend, FC Cincinnati will have to be prepared to play against a team that makes being hard to beat a core part of their identity.
Defend as a Team
The FC Cincinnati defense has been a constant point of analysis and a place the coaching staff has been looking to improve for much of this season. There have been improvements in the second half of the season on that front, but it’s been far too inconsistent for Pat Noonan’s taste still, both in terms of results and how things have progressed.
When The Orange and Blue are at their best this season, it’s when they are defending as a team, which is something that D.C. United Head Coach René Weiler identified about FCC in his prematch press conference ahead of Saturday’s match.
“They are well organized, it’s difficult to play against them,” the Swiss DCU Head Coach said. “When I watch Cincinnati playing I see a team that is defending forward, and they are playing all the time together. They are a very good team, a compact team, again, well organized and a strong, strong opponent.”
FC Cincinnati kicks off with D.C. United at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at TQL Stadium. For more information on how to watch, or for matchday information at TQL Stadium all season, click here.
