The 2023 Leagues Cup saw FC Cincinnati bow out earlier than they hoped, but they were not overly devastated by the result of the tournament. A defeat in PK’s to Nashville SC left FCC sour, but with a packed calendar still ahead including the US Open Cup, the rest of the regular season and then MLS Cup playoffs still to follow, there was plenty to turn focus to and think about.
There’s still lots to build towards, that’s for sure, even with the US Open Cup not in play for The Orange and Blue, but the idea that an early exit from the 2024 Leagues Cup this season would be a good or welcome thing is certainly not the attitude heading into this year's edition.
Pat Noonan, speaking to gathered media at an open practice at TQL Stadium for Season Ticket Members on Sunday, highlighted how important a strong performance in Leagues Cup is to the rest of the season. It is of his opinion that this break from regular season action not only provides an opportunity to sort things out with the performance, but playing more games cuts down on the break in the action and keeps the squad fresher, longer.
“We're approaching this competition to win,” Noonan said Sunday, plainly laying out the goals for the next month. “We have a break in league play and maybe that's a chance to say it's a little bit of a reset, new energy, new life or a new challenge. But you still got to go and compete against good teams and win games. So we have to continue to try and find solutions to change our form, because the last two weeks, three weeks weren't good.”
“So, whether we were playing a Leagues Cup game or a league game, we need to be better and hopefully starting Thursday, we see better performances.”
Success in the MLS regular season is, in Noonan’s mind, intricately linked to success in Leagues Cup. FC Cincinnati ultimately earned its Supporters’ Shield crown in 2023, but saw a drop off in performance in the return to action after bowing out of Leagues Cup in the first knockout round. A 3-0 defeat to Columbus Crew in the first game back from the break followed but a heartbreaking defeat in the US Open Cup semifinals damped the mood in the middle of the summer and proved the challenge that is taking multiple weeks off then launching back into the season at the same level you were at entering the break.
So, does success or lack thereof in the Leagues Cup define the entirety of 2024? No, certainly not. But a strong performance would, in the minds of FCC leadership, certainly help the cause moving forward.
“We need to have a successful tournament, and that means getting out of group play and playing games. We're not going to benefit from being off for multiple weeks and then expect to hit our stride and be in good form come the end of August when we go to Miami,” Noonan added Sunday. “So our approach is to have a strong group stage so that we're into the knockout rounds and then we're playing games. I think the best way for our group to have a successful end of the season is to play as many games as possible in this next month and in this tournament. If that takes us to a final, great, we'll navigate what's in the aftermath of that when we get there, but we need to focus on improving our group now to to expect it to look better when we play next.”
With that in mind, the next few weeks could see some changes to the starting XI as the club looks to get opportunities for players who need matches to gain sharpness. Some players, like Corey Baird and Aaron Boupendza, who have been out with injury have slowly but surely been working back into the group but could see more time now with these matches becoming available. FC Cincinnati homegrown midfielder Malik Pinto also fits into that mold after a brief absence due to an injury suffered in an FC Cincinnati 2 MLS NEXT Pro match a few weeks ago but now Pinto is back in training and more available for selection.
FC Cincinnati 2 players may also get opportunities to augment the first team if needed or decide to be ready for the big lights as FCC2 stand outs Nico Benalcazar (midfielder), Moises Teblante (defender) and Kenji Mbomba Dem (forward, also FCC’s second round draft pick in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft) have been added to the Leagues Cup roster and are eligible for selection.
Also potentially available is FC Cincinnati’s newest acquisition Chidozie Awaziem, who was recently announced but is still waiting on receipt of his P-1 visa to participate in training. Awaziem was in attendance at the Season Ticket Member event Sunday at TQL Stadium and watched training from the sidelines, but when he is able to train with the group after his work visa is secured, he is expected to impact the squad immediately.
“He's an experienced player and has played at a high level,” Noonan said of Awaziem, the first time the Head Coach has been available to comment since the signing was officially announced. “I like his composure with the ball. I think that can help our current group with some of the needs physically. I think he's a good fit for the demands of how we want to play, specifically along the back line…But I like, without the ball, what he's going to provide for us. I think in terms of the experience and how he can fit in with our current group, he can be a real help in the coming weeks.”
“The biggest challenge is where he's at physically coming off of a break and where we're at,” Noonan added, highlighting how in Portugal (where Awaziem played previously) they are at the end of the offseason, whereas FCC is in the middle of the calendar, making the timing of where the fitness of the player is more of a challenge to adapt. “So getting him up to speed the next couple of weeks is really important for our plan to get him fit. How you do that while incorporating potential minutes, that'll be our biggest challenge.”
FC Cincinnati learned a lot of lessons in 2023 from the Leagues Cup. From the structure of the matches, going directly to PK shootouts, to the time between matches and how that impacts the rest of the calendar. So the braintrust Pat Noonan has assembled is looking to learn from all that and improve.
And the outcome of those lessons are clear, if not a little blunt.
Win games. That’s always better. In every way.
