Behind Leo Bertone’s smile, his mind raced to find the right answers after the wrong result.
“I mean, the only thing that we need is victories now, for our players, our club,” Bertone said. “At the moment, it is a tough moment. Just last week we had a victory in the Cup … We only have the league now. We have to do the best we can do.”
FC Cincinnati’s 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup run shattered Wednesday night when the Orange and Blue allowed a stoppage-time goal to Saint Louis FC.
The ramifications mean FCC is out of the Cup and will only play MLS matches moving forward in 2019. Their first chance to rectify the loss – and their first league game since June 6 – arrives Saturday night at Nippert Stadium against the LA Galaxy.
“A quick turnaround. We play on Saturday, so we have to regroup quickly and refocus quickly on the league,” Interim Head Coach Yoann Damet said after the loss in St. Louis. “LA is coming to Nippert on Saturday, so we have to be ready.”
There’s little time to get ready.
After Wednesday’s game, the team bussed back to Cincinnati and arrived Thursday morning. With the day off to recover, FCC’s lone practice between STLFC and LA is Friday.
The Galaxy were also bounced from the U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday night to the Portland Timbers, but had a squad rotation. With limited options for Damet to choose from because of injuries and international duty, FC Cincinnati simply don’t have that luxury right now.
Match Info
FC Cincinnati vs. LA Galaxy
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Nippert Stadium
Weather Forecast: Scattered Thunderstorms, 74 degrees
TV: WSTR Star64 (simulcast on CW Cincinnati)
Local Video Stream: FloFC
Out of Market Video Steam: ESPN+
Local Radio: WDJO (99.5 FM | 107.9 FM | 1480 AM)
Audio Stream: TuneIn App, fccincinnati.com
Player to Watch and his Health Carousel Player Resume
Opponent’s Player to Watch: Forward Zlatan Ibrahimović
He’s known simply as Zlatan. He refers to himself in third person. He’s a goal-scoring machine with successful stints at Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, Milan, PSG and Manchester United.
Need more validation?
Zlatan has 11 goals and three assists in 12 MLS appearances so far this season.
Club Connections:
- Fatai Alashe and David Bingham played for the San Jose Earthquakes together from 2015-17.
- Greg Garza and Joe Corona played at Tijuana in 2013, 2014 and 2016. Juninho also played at the Mexican club in 2016.
- Garza was at U.S. Men’s National Team camp with Sebastian Lleget back in January.
- Darren Mattocks and Perry Kitchen played at Akron in 2010.
- Technical Director Luke Sassano and Servando Carrasco played at Cal in 2007.
- Kendall Waston and Allan Cruz are with Giancarlo González at the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup representing Costa Rica. Waston and González were on the Ticos’ 2018 FIFA World Cup roster in Russia.
- Gary Walker, FCC’s Assistant Coach/Director of Sports Performance, and Zlatan Ibrahimović were at Manchester United together from 2016-18.
