It's been a hot minute since FC Cincinnati last took to the pitch, with the last match now over a week ago at the time of publication. Judging by the tweets we've seen, there are more than a few ready for the barren run end.
This weekend, those in need of an FCC fix will see their needs met, as the Orange & Blue hit the road for the second straight game for a Saturday evening kickoff at the Richmond Kickers.
When's it taking place? How are the teams doing? Who should you watch? And better yet, where should you watch? You can get all that and more in our full match preview below.
THE OPPOSITION:
Saturday, August 13th, 2016, at 7:00pm EDT.
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THE OPPOSITION:
Playing out their existence in the USL and its forerunners since their founding in 1993, the Richmond Kickers have a long history of success. They’ve taken the regular season crown on four occasions, the most recent coming in 2013. And they've also lifted the USL championship trophy in 2006 and 2009. Outside of the league, they're also one of only two lower-tier sides to lift the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup during the MLS era, having done so in 1995. The Kickers are also in their third year serving as the official USL affiliate for D.C. United, with four players currently on loan from the MLS nearby MLS outfit.
RECENT RESULTS:
FCC: Heading into their first match after a 10-day break, the Orange & Blue are carrying in a three match unbeaten streak. Wins over teams at opposites ends of the table -- Louisville at the top, and Montreal over the bottom -- sandwich a draw against then-4th-placed Charleston. Coupled with results elsewhere in the league, those results have helped FCC to keep within touching distance of the top of the Eastern conference with a pair of matches in hand to boot.
Richmond: Saying that the Kickers are entering the match on a bit of a hot streak is at best an understatement. The side has won six straight matches, outscoring their opponents 13-2 during a spell that's seen them easily the hottest team in the league. Though four of those wins came against the bottom four sides in the East, the streak also includes wins over New York Red Bulls II and Rochester -- two sides that have recently upended the Orange & Blue.
HEAD-TO-HEAD:
In the lone meeting between the two sides, an injury time strike from Richmond's Hugh Roberts cancelled out a 12th minute goal from Sean Okoli to see the scoreline finish 1-1 following a nearly hour-long lightning delay to kickoff.
WHO TO WATCH:
FCC: With ten days off since their 2-0 win at Montreal, the time off allowed Harkes men to shake off some of the knocks that dogged the team during the busy month of July. Whether or not that means we'll see a return to the line up for midfielder Kenney Walker, who had been battling turf toe, remains to be seen. It will also be interesting to see if the time off will cool the form of Sean "Ugo" Okoli, whose four goals and assist in his last six showings has him 4 goals back of the league scoring lead.
Opponent: A healthy portion of Richmond's fine recent results can likely be attributed to the blistering hot form of Yudai Imura (#14). During their six-match winning streak, the Japanese midfielder has amassed six goals and two assists, raising his tally to nine and three respectively on the season. Also of interest will be who actually gets the nod between the sticks, as Richmond have utilized four different keepers during the winning run. All three of the keepers on loan from D.C. United (Dykstra, Horton & Worra) have seen time, but it's New England Revolution loanee Matt Turner who has seen the most appearances with three.
THE VENUE:
The Kickers have called City Stadium in Richmond home since their inception. Built in 1929 for the University of Richmond football team, the Kickers have been the primary tenant of the 22,611 seat stadium since 2009 when the Spiders football team departed for an on-campus stadium.
DIRECTIONS
FORECAST:
A muggy, hot night awaits FC Cincinnati in Virginia's capital city, with 90° temperatures and 61% humidity expected at kickoff. No rain is being called for currently though, if that's any consolation.
HOW TO WATCH:
With this being a standard road match, that means there will be no local television broadcast for Saturday's match. However, like all regular season home matches, the match will be available as a free livestream broadcast on YouTube as well as on the USL Match Center.
Also, with the match taking place a day after the one year anniversary of the club's opening press conference, the club is also partnering with official pub partners Molly Malone's in Covington and Rhinehuas in OTR for special birthday celebrations! So make sure to join members of the front office staff to watch the games and have a chance to snag some free FCC gear!
HOW TO LISTEN:
As is the case with TV, the same goes for radio: there will be no live local radio broadcasts of FC Cincinnati away matches in 2016.
SOCIAL:
As is the case every match, you can follow along with the action on our Twitter feed at @fccincinnati. For live looks from before, during and after the match, follow us on Instagram. Halftime and full time updates will also be available on Facebook.
