IT’S FC CINCINNATI MATCH DAY TEN! FC Cincinnati was hosting Richmond Kickers…
We ended up talking to a couple that always sits at the table next to us at Mac’s Pizza Pub before the matches and as a result, we missed the teams walking out onto the pitch. And we missed Djiby scoring the opening goal for FC Cincinnati just three minutes into the match…
Aodhan Quinn buried the penalty, but the referee called it back after an FC|C player encroached the penalty box before the kick. He’d have to retake the penalty. And he buried the penalty again!Â
At the full-time whistle, it was 2-0 to FC Cincinnati…
Walking to get our Uber, we noticed these crazy gargolyes sitting at ninety-degree angles off of one of the UC buildings…
IT’S MATCH DAY! And if you thought there was a buzz around FC Cincinnati playing Columbus Crew at Nippert Stadium, prepare to get your mind blown. US Open Cup Round of 16. FC Cincinnati versus Chicago Fire. Live from Nippert Stadium. There was soooo much hype around this match…
Yesterday, US Soccer declared Cincinnati, Ohio: Soccer City USA. There was also a scheduling change. The match was pushed back from 7:30pm to 8pm to accommodate television schedules. FC Cincy matches are usually streamed on YouTube and broadcast locally. This match was first set to broadcast on ESPN2. But then it was moved to ESPN. This marked the first time a US Open Cup match outside of the semifinal or final had been televised on an ESPN network. And… FC Cincinnati was the first USL team to be featured on ESPN since the Rochester Rhinos lifted the cup in the 1999 Open Cup Final. Leading up to the match, not so subtle hints were dropped that ticket sales surpassed those of the Columbus Crew match, that all the tarps covering seats in Nippert Stadium had been removed to accommodate the crowd because this was going to be one of the BIG ones. Even SBNation‘s daily soccer email newsletter, Backheel Breakfast made note of tonight’s match at Nippert Stadium…
When I got home off the bus, I switched backpacks, grabbed our tickets, we hopped in our Uber and we were off to one of the most highly anticipated matches of this soccer season…
We got to Nippert super extra early just in case there were silly, massive crowds or ridiculously long lines…
But we got there so early that I think we beat most everyone to the stadium…
Up there was the ESPN MLS video truck…
A mere seventy minutes before kick-off. That was cutting it kinda close. đđ
There’s Bastian Schweinsteiger. He’s the former captain of the German National Team and the fourth most-capped German player of all time. Before joining Chicago Fire at the beginning of the season, he used to play for Bayern Munich and then Manchester United. And now he’s at Nippert Stadium…
I didn’t know this until after the match but Chicago Fire has lifted the US Open Cup four times and been runners-up twice. The most of any MLS team.
There were a fair number of Chicago Fire supporters who came out to the match…
That guy on the right held his two-sticks backward for most of the pregame…
O say can you see…
Cool tifo for today’s match…
Cincinnati, Here We Go!
Here we go…
Sooo many people…
Both teams had more than a few good chances but neither team could capitalize on their opportunities, and the score was 0-0 at the half. And we were pretty happy with that. Chicago Fire really came out on er… um, fire. They really took the game to FC|C in the beginning of the matchbut the orange and blue stood their ground. Eventually, FC Cincy got more of the ball and created some really good chances…
SPRINKLES!
It was another beautiful night for a soccer match indeed…
Here’s the complete shootout as we saw it from our seats…
This match tops the Columbus Crew match but not by much. I put this night right next to being at GABP when Todd Frazier won the Home Run Derby. NUTS. Just nuts. A raw outpouring of emotion and pride for your city and your team. And there really aren’t words. After the match was over and after the smoke had cleared, Genifer and I were standing on our seats, looking around, mouths hanging open and all we could muster was, “WOW!” I didn’t want to leave because I was afraid I might wake up for this incredible dream I was having. Only it wasn’t a dream. This was really happening.
It was simply unbelievable. There really aren’t words.
Eventually, we managed to finally pull ourselves away and head for home…
499Â â Number of minutes since the last time FC Cincinnati conceded a goal in U.S. Open Cup play. Ever since the 11th minute in the loss at Tampa Bay June 1st of last year, the combination of Hildebrandt and backup Dallas Jaye have completely shut down the opposition over the four games this year (three 1-0 wins and the 0-0 result vs. Chicago). All of Hildebrandtâs 10 saves came in the second half and extra time, not including those stellar three blocks in PK time.
FC Cincinnati shows there is no limit to what American soccer can become
On Wednesday night, over 32,000 people showed up to watch a minor-league team play in a scarcely covered secondary competition. It was incredible.
And there was this article by Forbes. I’m sure there were a million others, all making note of what is going on here and what took place tonight just like Taylor Twellman and Alexis Lalas. Not surprisingly, one of them was ESPN’s Sportscenter…
We stopped at Mac’s Pizza Pub again before the match…
Such good stuff. Speaking of good stuff, they were giving away FC Cincinnati license plate frames before the match. We already have on one our car from last season…
But we got another one for as a backup…
And look who we saw walking to our seats…
O say can you see…
It was Pride Night as tonight’s FC Cincinnati match…
The closest thing I saw at tonight’s match was the rainbow corner flags but wouldn’t know I completely forgot to get a photo of them. By the way, did you happen to see the USMNT & USWNT pride jerseys? Those were pretty sweet. I wished FC|C would have done something special to their kit for tonight’s match to further celebrate pride…
FC|C looked really good tonight. The best they’ve looked in quite some time…
WEDNESDAY…
It was just a perfect night for a soccer match. Absolutely beautiful night.
See you on Wednesday for the huge US Open Cup match against Chicago Fire. ESPN is going to be there. It’s going to be a soccer party in Cincy. And we’re all invited. We simply can’t wait! đâ˝ď¸â¤ď¸
ITâS FC CINCINNATI MATCH DAY EIGHT! FC Cincinnati was taking on Charleston Battery. It was another big match for FC|C! Coming into today’s match, the Battery was sitting on top of the USL’s Eastern Conference…
We got into Nippert Stadium just ahead of the march of the supporters groups…
O say can you see…
FC Cincinnati head coach Alan Kock started both big forwards, Djiby and Danni KÜnig!
IT’S HERE! IT’S MATCH DAY! It’s the Inaugural Hell Is Real Cup! The first ever Battle for Soccer Supremacy in Ohio! FC Cincinnati versus Columbus Crew. At Nippert Stadium!
A fair number of Crew fans made the drive down to Cincinnati for the match…
The Crew brought their “A” team to Cincinnati tonight. In the red pinnie is the Crew’s star player Frederico Higuan…
Just to put tonight’s attendance in perspective, the highest ever home attendance for a Columbus Crew match was 31,550. Per Bailey Banter:
FC Cincinnati has an average attendance of 19,132 as of Week 11 with a total attendance of 114,790 off of just 6 home matches (far and away the highest
in the USL).
Columbus Crew has an average attendance of 13,050 and total attendance
of 104,402 as off Week 14 off of 8 home matches (lowest in the MLS).
(Attendance stats provided by SoccerStadiumDigest.com)
It seemed like a smoked grenade accidentally went off in the middle of the traveling Crew supporters…
Or were they conceding the match? The fourth official signaled there would be an agonizing six additional minutes of time added on…
BLOW! THE! WHISTLE! đđđ
AND THERE’S THE FINAL WHISTLE! 1-0 FC CINCINNATI! FC|C JUST KNOCKED THE COLUMBUS CREW OUT OF THE 2017 US OPEN CUP! HELL IS REAL FOR COLUMBUS!
FC|C take on first-placed Charleston Battery this Saturday at Nippert Stadium…
It was such an unbelievable night. Electric atmosphere. Pretty indescribable. There really aren’t words. And the game actually made Scott Van Pelt’s SportsCenter.
UPDATE: FC Cincinnati were placed in the South Region of the US Open Cup. The draw for the Fifth Round of the US Open Cup pits FC|C against Bastian Schweinsteiger and the MSL’s Chicago Fire. And once again as the luck of the draw would have it, FC Cincy’s Sweet Sixteen USOC match will be played at Nippert Stadium on June 28th…
And of course, we’ll see you there! đâ¤ď¸â˝ď¸đđŻ
ITâS FC CINCINNATI MATCH DAY SEVEN! This evening FC Cincinnati was taking on Charlotte Independence in the battle for the Queen City Cup. Coming into today’s match up at Nippert Stadium, Charlotte Independence was sitting in near the bottom of the USL’s Eastern Conference in 12th place and our FC|C was residing in 7th place. It seemed like it would be a great place to pick up a much needed three points and start to climb up the table a bit…
We stopped at Mac’s Pizza Pub again before the match. When I went to the restroom,
I came back to find this photo on my phone…
Silly head. We headed over to Nippert…
Sam the Cincinnati’s Zoo’s Bald Eagle made an appearance at today’s match…
And we’re underway…
It was a beautiful evening for soccer…
Charlotte Independence was on the board first courtesy of a near post screamer…
Not surprisingly, Justin Hoyte was the Man of the Match…
WEDNESDAY!Â
After the match, there were postgame fireworks set to the music of Bunbury…
Eagerly awaiting the start of the fireworks…
At the start of the fireworks, I sat my Polaroid Cube on the wall next to us. This is the video I captured of the FC Cincinnati fireworks…
It was a pretty spectacular fireworks display. And speaking of fireworks, there are going to even more fireworks happening at Nippert Stadium this coming week as our FC Cincinnati welcomes an MLS squad into Nippert for the very first time. As mentioned, they will host the Columbus Crew on Wednesday in the fourth round of the 2017 US Open Cup. And then Saturday, FC|C hosts the USL Eastern Conference first-place side, Charleston Battery at Nippert as well. Talk about a couple of really big matches!
We’ll see you there!
IT’S MATCH DAY! And it’s the Dirty River Derby US Open Cup edition. Our beloved FC Cincinnati were taking on heated rival Louisville City FC at Nippert in thethird round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup 2017. And if just knocking Louisville out of the Cup wasn’t motivation enough, the winner of this match gets to host Columbus Crew in the fourth round of the USOC…
Kind of a sparse crowd in attendance tonight for such a big match…
Digging the guy in the full FC Cincinnati goalkeeper kit…
The fourth official signalled for three minutes to be added on…
And that’s the way the match ended, 1-0 to FC Cincinnati!
After the match, we took an Uber back to Northside and stopped into Second Place for a celebratory bourbon slush…
It was a pretty terrific evening. FC Cincinnati is back at Nippert Stadium this Wednesday as they take on rival Louisville City FC in the third round of the US Open Cup. Djiby will be looking for some revenge. Louisville City FC is the team that Djiby got sent off against and suspended for six matches after allegedly biting an LCFC player. Hopefully, FC|C can knock LCFC out of the US Open Cup. We’ll see you there! đ â¤ď¸ â˝ď¸
ITâS FC CINCINNATI MATCH DAY FIVE! Today, FC Cincinnati was taking on Bethlehem Steel. Somehow, this was the already third time this season the two teams had met. FC Cincy travelled to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in both of the two prior meetings, and they lost both matches. The first 2-0 and the second 1-0. In both matches. And FC|C had a player sent off in both matches. So we were hoping that our boys in blue could exact a little revenge on the team from the Lehigh Valley…
HERE WE GO…
FC|C’s Corben Bone took a nasty knock on the noggin…
I set our Polaroid CUBE on the row in front of us to record some of the atmosphere and actually captured FC Cincinnati’s first goal. And even though you can’t see the goal, the crowd reaction is still pretty great…
1-0 to FC CINCINNATI!
The referee gave Bethlehem Steel a penalty…
Which they converted…
Â
We thought we felt raindrops so we moved over to watch the match from under the protection of an overhang…
And that’s how the first ended 1-1…
SPRINKLES!
2-1 FC CINCINNATI!
FC Cincinnati new boy Danni Konig scored both FC|C goals!
In the 90th minute, the match was suspended due to lightning in the area…
We headed out to try to beat the raindrops. Our friend JJ gave us a ride home and as soon as we got in her car, it started pouring down rain. Eventually, the match was called final. And the match ended 2-1 to FC Cincinnati.
FC Cincinnati returns to Nippert Stadium next Saturday at 5pm to take on Toronto FC II.
We’ll see you there! đ â¤ď¸ â˝ď¸
Tonight, FC Cincinnati was playing host to the 2016 NPSL National Champions and neighbors to north, AFC Cleveland. Tonight’s match at Nippert Stadium was a second round match up in the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup…
Here comes the march of the supporters groups into The Bailey…
Sprinkles was standing right next to us…
HERE WE GO!
FC Cincinnati had some good chances in the first half but at the half, it was still 0-0…
SPRINKLES!
Here we go. the second half is under way…
At the end of regulation, it was still 0-0…
And finally in the 115th minute, Djiby headed home to give FC|C a 1-0 lead…
After 120 minutes of regulation, there were two additional minutes to be added on…
When I got home off the bus, I switched backpacks, grabbed our tickets, we hopped in our Uber and we were off to one of the most highly anticipated matches of this soccer season…
 
T+G 