FC Cincinnati (3-0-2, 11 points) look to continue their unbeaten start to the season when the Orange and Blue host Inter Miami CF (2-3-0, 6 points) this Saturday, April 1 at TQL Stadium. Kickoff in the Queen City is set for 7:30 p.m.
Saturday’s game can be streamed live for free on the Apple TV App, and fans can also listen to the match locally on ESPN 1530 and on Sirius XM FC 157.
Several milestones could be hit by FCC players on Saturday. Cincinnati native Nick Hagglund enters the evening with 99 career all-time appearances for the Orange and Blue, while defender Ray Gaddis is one appearance shy of 250 career regular season games played in Major League Soccer.
Single match tickets are still available at fccincinnati.com/tickets or by calling (513) 977-5425 (KICK).
FC CINCINNATI vs INTER MIAMI CF – SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 2023 – 7:30 p.m. ET – TQL STADIUM
HOW TO WATCH
Stream: Apple TV (Free)
TV Talent (English): Steve Cangiolosi (play-by-play), Danny Higginbotham (analyst)
TV Talent (Spanish): Bruno Vain (play-by-play), Andres Agulla (analyst)
Radio: ESPN 1530, Sirius XM FC 157
Local Radio Talent: Tom Gelehrter (play-by-play), Kevin McCloskey (analyst)
WATCH SATURDAY FOR FREE ON APPLE TV
Saturday’s game is available to stream for free around the world on the Apple TV app. No blackouts, no restrictions. Fans can also listen to the match locally on ESPN 1530 and on Sirius XM FC 157.
With the match being at home, fans watching on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV will have the option to switch to the local home radio broadcast as their audio source.
For more information on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, visit FCCincinnati.com/SeasonPass. Each full-season ticket account will include one subscription to MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (one per account). Season Ticket Members should check their email for information. FAQ for Season Ticket Members
GAME ACTIVATIONS
Don’t forget to swing by Washington Park beginning at 4:30 p.m. for a number of free activities leading up to kickoff, including live music from The Grateful Dads, FCC inflatables, face painting, drink specials and more. At 6:30 p.m., fans can join the high-energy march into the stadium with smoke, drums and chants.
Nylon and Steel will perform pre-match on the East Plaza of TQL Stadium, presented by Ohio Lottery with special happy hour drink specials, including $2 off all alcohol at the Coors Light Corner and Heineken bars until kickoff. The new Das Boot, a 22-ounce beer soccer boot replica cup, will be available at all draft beer locations in the stadium.
For a full list of gameday activations, visit the matchday guide, HERE.
TUNE-IN TO FC CINCINNATI WEEKLY ON WCPO 9
To break down last Saturday’s match against Nashville and look ahead to preview the matchup with Miami, tune in to FC Cincinnati Weekly on WCPO 9 this Friday, March 31 at 7:30 p.m.
Every week, FC Cincinnati fans will see previews and analysis of the club’s next opponents, previous match recaps, profiles of players, coaches and fans, and league news.
ALL TIME SERIES
Inter Miami CF leads the all-time series over FC Cincinnati, 4-1-1. The Herons are just one of two Eastern Conference teams which FCC have never shut out (NYCFC). Last season, the Orange and Blue went 1-0-1 to change the tide in the head-to-head, with Brandon Vazquez’s brace giving Pat Noonan’s side a 3-1 win over Miami at TQL Stadium on March 19.
SCOUTING INTER MIAMI CF (2-3-0, 6 PTS., 9TH EASTERN CONFERENCE)
After two matchdays, Phil Neville’s squad was feeling strong with consecutive home clean sheet wins to start the season over CF Montréal and defending Eastern Conference Champions Philadelphia Union. The Herons, who struggled away from home last year with a 4-10-3 record, then suffered two road losses away to New York City FC and Toronto FC, and are coming off a heartbreaking 3-2 loss at home to Chicago Fire FC. Neville’s squad scored twice to erase an early 2-0 deficit, only to see Kei Kamara score a stoppage time winner.
Their captain Gregore suffered a Lisfranc injury on Matchday 3 at NYCFC, and will be out for approximately six months. That has Miami relying on Jean Mota, Rodolfo Pizarro, Bryce Duke and one-time FCC player Victor Ulloa to man the midfield.
The Orange and Blue will be happy not to see Gonzalo Higuaín up top for the Herons. The Argentine forward retired following the 2022 season. No player have FC Cincinnati conceded more goals against than Higuaín, who scored seven times against FCC. But the key addition for Miami this offseason was Josef Martínez, who is returning from international duty with Venezuela. Martínez has scored six times in his career against FCC, all while playing for Atlanta United FC.
Goalkeeper Drake Callender leads a four-man backline which has remained consistent this season, including U.S. International DeAndre Yedlin alongside Sergii Kryvstov, Christopher McVey and Franco Negri.
No player has scored more than once this season for Miami, with six players scoring once.
FC CINCINNATI NOTES
THE CINCINNATI KID – FC Cincinnati defender Nick Hagglund could become Saturday night the first player in club history to reach 100 career appearances with the club across all competitions. The Xavier University and Lakota West High School product has made 93 regular season appearances with FCC since the club’s inaugural 2019 season, four Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup appearances and he played in both MLS Cup Playoff games a season ago.
Hagglund is the only player to have started all 16 FCC league wins under Head Coach Pat Noonan.
MILESTONE SATURDAY – Hagglund’s impending club milestone is one of several notable upcoming marks for FC Cincinnati players.
Ray Gaddis could reach 250 career MLS regular season appearances Saturday. He would become the 114th player in MLS history to reach 250, something no other current or former player of FC Cincinnati has done. Connections within the organization among the 113 members of the 250 club predating Gaddis include Talent Development Coach Jeff Larentowicz (437 career RS appearances) and FCC 2 Head Coach Tyrone Marshall (337 career RS appearances).
Luciano Acosta needs to play just 39 minutes to reach 15,000 career MLS regular season minutes played. His 5,561 regular season minutes with FC Cincinnati are second-most in club history, behind only Nick Hagglund (7,379).
Matt Miazga is set to reach 50 career MLS regular season appearances on Saturday, and Roman Celentano is three saves shy of making 100 saves in his regular season career.
FIRST FOR THE FIRST TIME – FC Cincinnati’s 11 points rank the Orange and Blue in second place in the Eastern Conference, behind only the New England Revolution’s 12 points. Should results go FCC’s way and the Orange and Blue end Matchday 6 in first place, it will mark the first time in club history that FC Cincinnati reach first place in the Eastern Conference.
THE ALL-TIME LEADER AGAINST MIAMI – FC Cincinnati’s Brandon Vazquez is the all-time MLS leader in goals scored against Inter Miami CF. His five goals, his most against any opponent, all came in the most recent three matchups against the Herons. Three players trailing him with four career goals against Miami, which entered the league in 2020, include Valentin Castellanos, Ola Kamara and current Miami forward and former Atlanta striker Josef Martínez.
BACK FROM OVERSEAS – Available for selection are midfielders Junior Moreno (Venezuela) and Marco Angulo (Ecuador), who each missed Matchday 5 away with their respective national teams.
Moreno appeared twice for his country in Saudi Arabia, coming on as a substitute in the 60th minute on March 24 against the host country (2-1 win), and then starting and playing 56 minutes in a 1-1 draw against Uzbekistan on March 28. Angulo earned his second career senior cap on March 28 at Australia, where he came on for the final 24 minutes in the 2-1 road win.
NOONAN’S TAKE
Head Coach Pat Noonan on the team’s growth in finding ways to win
“I think that the easiest one to point to in terms of growth is the ability to win one-nothing games, or one-goal games. You prefer when you're talking about winning by a goal that it's with a shutout, and we've had three shutouts through our five games, and two of those are one-nil victories. So there's growth, certainly, in that regard. Because at this time last year, and for majority the year really, it was a struggle for us to see out games and win one-nothing. So I'm pleased with that early on. Now, how can we find a second goal in some of these games where I think the opportunities were still there in the Nashville game and in the Seattle game, to an extent, to not have to hang on at times? And so I think that's the next step, is now turning those one-goal leads into something more when the opportunity is there for us.”
Visit HERE for FC Cincinnati’s 2023 home platform match schedule. The full 2023 regular season schedule can be viewed HERE. All matches will air live on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. The unprecedented subscription service featuring every MLS regular season, playoff and Leagues Cup match is available now.
All tickets, including Single Match Tickets, Full Season Tickets and Half Season “Orange” and “Blue” Ticket packages, can be purchased at fccincinnati.com/tickets or by calling (513) 977-5425 (KICK). For more information about Group Tickets and Premium hospitality options, including suites and all-inclusive experiences, call (513) 763-1025.
FC Cincinnati is now also offering a Flex Plan. Fans can select one Leagues Cup match, in addition to two to five regular season matches. The Flex Plan provides ultimate flexibility, with benefits including cost savings, no fees and presale access for additional events at TQL Stadium, including potential home playoff matches.
For up-to-the-minute information about FC Cincinnati, visit the team’s official website at fccincinnati.com, or follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FCCincinnati. Additionally, fans are encouraged to download the team’s new official mobile app on iOS or Android for instant access to mobile tickets, team content and match notifications.
