After securing another clean sheet on Saturday in the #HellisReal Derby, the Orange and Blue return to Nippert Stadium on Wednesday night to face Chicago Fire FC.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of kickoff:
Long time no see
The clubs meet for the second time in eight days after FC Cincinnati’s disappointing 3-0 loss last Tuesday at Soldier Field. Following that match, head coach Jaap Stam called the performance “eye opening” and a reminder that the club is still a work in progress.
FCC responded with an impressive scoreless draw against Columbus Crew SC that shut out the Eastern Conference’s second-place squad – and a Crew side that buried four past Cincinnati seven weeks ago.
“It feels nice,” captain Kendall Waston said of the result. “Not 100% because we wanted three points, but from a team perspective, the way we showed up, the intensity of the game was good and the performance was as well. We are building up and hopefully next game against Chicago we can win those three points.”
Now that Cincinnati hosts Chicago, can the team keep the same defensive tenacity against a side it conceded two goals to in the opening 10 minutes of last Tuesday’s matchup?
It’s worth noting goalkeeper Przemysław Tytoń is tied for the most clean sheets in MLS with four in six league appearances.
Can FCC capitalize on scoring chances?
Having a goalkeeper tied for the most clean sheets in the league is any club’s dream. That means the side is gaining results and is a hard team to break down.
On the flip side, however, the Orange and Blue haven’t scored since the MLS is Back Tournament in July.
Maikel van der Werff nearly put Cincinnati in front against Columbus – and Jürgen Locadia hit the post in the home opener against D.C. United – but FCC are still searching for their first goal from open play since Yuya Kubo’s 43rd-minute strike against the New York Red Bulls.
“As long as we can keep a clean sheet moving forward, we can always get our chances,” Joseph-Claude Gyau said following the derby. “Unfortunately, we haven’t put many away, but if we remain a hard team to play, we will always be in matches and that is what it is going to be for us moving forward.
“We are going to be feisty in the back and get out in transition on the wings and continue to stick to the game plan.”
Establishing Nippert Stadium as a fortress
Before in-market matches resumed two weeks ago, Gyau said he wanted to turn Nippert Stadium into a fortress, where the opposition would know they’d struggle before the bus even arrives at the stadium.
FC Cincinnati are achieving that.
Following the draw with Columbus, Crew SC head coach Caleb Porter remarked he’d never played against a team that sat back so compact. That was another way of saying his team couldn’t create scoring opportunities.
Wednesday night’s game with Chicago is FCC’s third home match in the opening four games of the revised season. The two previous results were scoreless draws.
For a team that only won three home matches last season, the club’s 2020 performances at Nippert Stadium have certainly been respectable. If the team can finish the attacking chances it’s generating, then FCC could leave “phase one” of in-market play with Nippert Stadium solidified as a fortress.
Match Info:
FC Cincinnati host Chicago Fire FC
Kickoff: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Nippert Stadium (no fans permitted)
Weather: Cloudy, 78 Degrees
TV: WSTR Star 64
In-Market Stream: www.fccincinnati.com/stream
Out-of-Market Stream: ESPN+
Local Radio: WDJO 99.5 FM | 107.9 FM | 1480 AM
Audio Stream: TuneIn App, fccincinnati.com
Club Connections:
- Larry Sunderland, FCC’s director of player development and FCC Academy director, held the same roles previously for Chicago.
- Andrew Gutman is a former Chicago Fire FC Academy graduate and also played with Jeremiah Gutjahr at Indiana University from 2015-18.
- Allan Cruz and Kendall Waston have both represented Costa Rica alongside Francisco Calvo. Waston and Calvo also played against each other in April’s eMLS FIFA 20 Tournament.
- Siem de Jong and Johan Kappelhof both spent time in the Ajax Amsterdam youth setup together.
- Tommy McCabe and Connor Sparrow both attended IMG Academy in 2014 and 2015.
- Haris Medunjanin played with Fabian Herbers and CJ Sapong on the Philadelphia Union in 2017 and 2018.
