Following a frustrating defeat last week, the Orange and Blue are hoping for a bounce-back performance on Saturday night when they face Minnesota United FC at Allianz Field.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of kickoff:
Van der Werff: “You have to put you chin up and go on.”
“After a loss like we had in New York, you always want to redeem yourself and play the next day possible,” head coach Jaap Stam said. “Normally over the last few months, that was a Wednesday. Now, there’s a week in between … Hopefully we can do well this weekend. It’s another challenge against a good side, but we’re going to go for it and trying to get a result.”
FC Cincinnati entered their previous match with a two-game unbeaten streak. But then they allowed New York City FC to score inside the first minute, before NYCFC added three more in a blowout.
Now one week removed from that game, Stam and center back Maikel van der Werff have made it clear they’re ready to look ahead, rather than in the past.
“We have to recover from the loss last week,” van der Werff said. “We didn’t play well over there in New York. We want to get revenge … After a loss, you can’t sit down and be angry all these days. You have to put your chin up and go on.”
Kamohelo Mokotjo could make his FCC (and MLS) debut
FC Cincinnati’s first summer signing could make his team debut this weekend, Stam said during Thursday’s pre-match press conference.
Mokotjo, who signed with the Orange and Blue on Aug. 20, was officially added to the roster after receiving a work permit and quarantining upon arrival from overseas.
The South African midfielder adds another dynamic to the club’s squad at a time when injuries have prevented Cincinnati from even fielding a full 20-man roster on matchdays.
“We need to monitor him, but you can see that he’s a player who shows quality on the ball and taking up certain positions that we want him to do,” Stam said of Mokotjo. “He does that by himself already and he reads the game quite well and also on the ball he shows quality. The only thing for him is he needs to get in a rhythm again … then we can involve him.”
Stam didn’t specify if his new mid would start in Minnesota, but he said he could play a role in the match so long as he doesn’t play the full 90 minutes.
Mokotjo’s last match was for English Championship side Brentford FC on June 30, 2020. He helped the Bees to a 3-0 win against Reading FC – Stam’s former club.
Van der Werff said he’s excited to see Mokotjo join FCC in training after the duo were previously teammates at PEC Zwolle in the Netherlands.
“He’s a fantastic player, a skillful player, really good technique,” van der Werff said. “He’s going be a good player for the team and such a good person and a great mentality. It’s good that we have him now in the team and he’s ready to play with us.”
On returning to Minnesota…
All of us know what happened the last time Cincinnati played at Allianz Field, including the FCC coaches and players who weren’t with the club yet.
With a depleted roster during the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup, the Orange and Blue lost, 7-1. But just because it happened to the team in the past doesn’t mean Stam and his players will be thinking about that result on Saturday night.
“I know the score was quite high,” he said. “But the players don’t talk about that particular game. We know (about it) and it’s about this season as well in what we need to do. We’re still working, we’re still in a process in growing as a club.”
Van der Werff had a similar message about the previous outing.
“I wasn’t here in Cincinnati yet, but yeah, I can imagine if you lose a game like that, you want to forget it as quick as possible,” the defender said. “It’s part of the process.”
Match Info
FC Cincinnati at Minnesota United FC
Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
Where: Allianz Field, Saint Paul, MN.
Weather: Cloudy, 47 Degrees
TV: WSTR Star 64
In-Market Stream: www.fccincinnati.com
Out-of-market stream: ESPN+
Local Radio: WDJO 99.5 FM | 107.9 FM | 1480 AM
Audio Stream: TuneIn App, fccincinnati.com
Club Connections
- Minnesota forward Kei Kamara was selected by FC Cincinnati in the 2018 MLS Expansion draft.
- Defender Saad Abdul-Salaam and Minnesota United defender Ike Opara both played for Sporting Kansas City from 2015-17.
- Abdul-Salaam and Minnesota United midfielder James Musa and goalkeeper Adrian Zendejas were all in the Sporting Kansas City organization in 2017.
- Forward Brandon Vazquez and Zendejas are both from Chula Vista, Calif.
- Defender Nick Hagglund and Minnesota United FC midfielder Raheem Edwards played for Toronto FC together from 2016-17.
- Midfielder/forward Alvaro Barreal and Minnesota United forward Luis Amarilla were former teammates at Velez Sarsfield from 2018-20. They made two appearances together in 2018.
- Hassan Ndam and Minnesota United goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair were in the New York Red Bulls organization in 2018.
