Roland Lamah’s shooting ability has been impressive since his arrival at FC Cincinnati.
In training, he takes long strides before burying the ball into a corner with regularity. Wednesday night against the Chicago Fire was no different, but it was the first time his shooting quality has been showcased in an FCC match.
With Cincinnati trailing 1-0 in the 85th minute, Lamah collected the ball in Chicago territory, put his head down and unleashed a driven shot into the bottom right corner, equalizing the score line in the eventual 1-1 draw in the Carolina Challenge Cup.
“I know I have a good shot,” Lamah said. “When I received the ball, I see the target and I just shot. I just shot. It was a goal and I am happy.”
The prettiest goal of FC Cincinnati’s preseason to date, it also solidified the club’s attacking standard since Lamah and the other substitutes entered the match in the 70th minute.
Through the first 70 minutes, the Orange and Blue played more defensively, with limited attacking opportunities. The first shot on target came in the 47th minute. But when the personnel changes occurred, FCC began stringing passes together and opening up play. Chicago, which had controlled possession and field position, saw its influence minimizing. Lamah’s strike nullified everything previously.
“That was a fantastic strike, obviously,” Head Coach Alan Koch said. “He deserved it. He’s been working incredibly hard so far in preseason. For a guy who is more of an experienced player, he’s coming in and he’s working like a 20-year-old in preseason camp to get himself ready.
“I’ve been very impressed with how he’s been going through his work every single day and glad he got rewarded with a goal tonight.”
FC Cincinnati selected Lamah during the 2018 MLS Expansion Draft. Before that, he played at FC Dallas for two seasons, scoring 19 goals in 61 appearances. At 31 years old, the left winger has used his speed and attacking ability wherever he’s played — including six appearances for the Belgian national team.
Born in Côte d’Ivoire, Lamah has a U.S. green card and is considered a domestic MLS player.
Since the preseason started, he’s played on the left-hand side for FC Cincinnati. Minutes have come at left wing or as a wing back, which is a deeper position closer to the backline. Regardless of his positioning, however, he’s been at his best in open space and can use his speed to bypass opponents and close in on goal. That he does so with good dribbling technique adds to his quality.
He should be a key component to Cincinnati’s first-team plans when the regular season begins on March 2 at Seattle Sounders FC.
“It’s good. I think we are doing well,” Lamah said of the preseason. “Ten days left now before the league (starts). I think we are in a good way and we need to be ready.”
