By the time FC Cincinnati kickoff on Wednesday against the Rochester Rhinos, it will have been 10 days since the team last trotted out on the field. It's also been almost a month since the Orange & Blue last played at UC's Nippert Stadium. So saying that anticipation is high for our match up Wednesday might be a bit of an understatement.
Toss in that it's also University of Cincinnati Night, a United Way of Greater Cincinnati Book Drive event and our first ever FCC Craft Beer Night, and that becomes a definite understatement.
So we'll go ahead and toss some more fuel on the fire by giving you a full rundown of what to expect on when your FC Cincinnati returns home for a midweek kickoff.
WHEN IS IT:
Wednesday, August 24th, 2016, at 7:00pm EDT.
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THE OPPOSITION:
Formerly known as the “Raging Rhinos”, Rochester have one of the richest histories in lower league American soccer. Founded in 1996, the Rhinos dominated the early years of the USL’s forerunner leagues — winning 3 USL A-League titles (1998, 2000, 2001) and the USSF Division 2 Championship in 2010. The club are also one of only two current USL teams to have won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, and are the only team outside the top-tier to do so during the MLS era. But their success hasn’t just been historical: the Rhinos are the reigning USL regular season and playoffs champions after an impressive 2015.
RECENT RESULTS:
FCC: If it feels like we haven't played an actual match in forever, you're partially right: FCC have only played twice thus far in the month of August after taking part in seven matches in July. So properly evaluating form during such an inconsistent playing schedule can be a risky task. Regardless, FCC are in decent form over their last ten matches with a 5-2-3 record and are 2-1-2 in their last five.
OPPONENT: Currently three spots and just 3 points back from FCC in the standings, the reigning USL champions will be keen to once again peg back the hosts on Wednesday. And while they've gone a respectable 4-1-5 in their last ten outings, the Rhinos are also winless (1 L 4 D) in their last six matches on the road dating back to June 11th. And of their 4 wins, only one of those came against teams in playoff contention -- and that came against us.
HEAD-TO-HEAD:
The single previous meeting between FC Cincinnati and Rhinos of Rochester came at the beginning of July, when the Orange & Blue dropped a 2-1 result at Rhinos Stadium in upstate New York.
WHO TO WATCH:
FCC: For the first time this year, the Orange & Blue will be without leading goal scorer Sean "Ugo" Okoli (#9) against Rochester. The forward earned a one match suspension after picking up his 5th yellow of the season last weekend in Richmond. Most will rightfully watch for forward Omar Cummings (#14) to shoulder a larger portion of the attacking burden. But too, it will be interesting to see if local product and former Xavier Musketeer Luke Spencer (#7) will have a larger role to play in Okoli's absence.
Opponent: When looking at Rochester's recent string of results, their forward pairing of Christian Volesky (#9) and Steevan Humberto Fortes dos Santos (#10) are clear standouts. Though the 3 goals and 3 assists between them in their last 5 matches isn't exactly setting the world ablaze, what is interesting is that each has played the provider for the other on all three of those goals. They're also the top points earners on their roster this year, too. So if FCC want to avenge their loss against the Rhinos -- which included a goal from Dos Santos -- shutting down their dynamic duo will be critical.
THE VENUE:
Nippert Stadium at the University of Cincinnati
DIRECTIONS
FORECAST:
After a month away from home, FC Cincinnati fans should expect excellent soccer viewing weather upon their return to Nippert. Temperatures are currently expected to be in the low 80's around kickoff, falling away to the upper 70's by the final whistle. Precipitation is unlikely, too, and humidity is expected to be relatively low at around 65%.
HOW TO WATCH:
A return home also means a return to local television, as Wednesday's match will be broadcast live on Star 64 (WSTR). Most local providers’ station information can be found below:
- Over the Air: Channel 64
- Cincinnati Bell Fioptics: Channel 11 (SD) or 511 (HD)
- Time Warner Cable (OH): Channel 11 (SD) or 1011 (HD)
- Time Warner Cable (KY): Channel 11 (SD) or 915 (HD)
- DirecTV: Channel 64
- DISH: Channel 8354
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.
HOW TO LISTEN:
All FC Cincinnati home matches are broadcast live on local radio on ESPN 1530, which can be streamed for free through their iHeartRadio feed.
SOCIAL:
As is the case every match, you can follow along with the action on our Twitter feed at @fccincinnati or by using the hashtag #CINvROC. For live looks from before, during and after the match, follow us on Instagram and Snapchat by following 'fccincinnati', too. Halftime and full time updates will also be available on Facebook.
