CINCINNATI – While FC Cincinnati are recognized for matches played in Major League Soccer, the U.S. Open Cup and the USL Championship, one of the club’s most well-known matches did not take place in any of those three competitions – it was an international friendly against English Premier League side Crystal Palace. In that match, FC Cincinnati drew their largest crowd in club history as 35,061 fans flocked to Nippert Stadium, the then-largest crowd to watch a soccer game in the state of Ohio.
That match will return to televisions this weekend when WSTR Star64 re-airs the club’s first-ever international friendly from July 16, 2016 between FC Cincinnati and Crystal Palace.
The game will be televised by Star64 on Saturday, April 18 at 6 p.m., and will also be re-simulcast on fccincinnati.com within the WSTR Star64 viewing area. In addition, FC Cincinnati will concurrently host a Second Screen Experience on the club’s Facebook page. The FCC broadcast tandem of Tom Gelehrter and Kevin McCloskey will be joined by a pair of special guests, former FCC midfielder Paul Nicholson and Director of Soccer Operations Dan McNally.
“The international friendly against Crystal Palace was an incredible event that proved to the entire country what we as an organization already knew about the support for soccer in Cincinnati,” FC Cincinnati President Jeff Berding said. “The passion and pride that our fans have for this city was on full display that night and have continued throughout our existence as a club. We’re very thankful to be able to reflect on that special night again and remind ourselves of why soccer is so special in this area.”
While FC Cincinnati eventually played top-division American teams in U.S. Open Cup brackets and through their eventual rise to becoming a Major League Soccer team, the international friendly marked FCC’s first non-preseason game against a top-tier side from any country. The Orange and Blue has since played international friendlies against La Liga sides Valencia (2017) and Espanyol (2018).
For ongoing updates, please stay up-to-date by following the club’s social media accounts at @FCCincinnati or visiting fccincinnati.com. For the club’s on-going updates related to the current public health crisis, please visit fccincinnati.com/season-suspension-updates.
