Know Your Enemy: Cincinnati
Happy Friday my fellow Hounds supporters as we are finally rolling in to the weekend and the big match with FC Cincinnati, it’s another 5pm kickoff on the Mon.
FC Cincy are coming in to their second season in the USL riding a wave of momentum from a very successful inaugural campaign which saw them go 16-6-8 and reach the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. FC Cincy lost to the Charleston Battery in the playoffs last season and they also opened the 2017 season with a loss to the same Battery, falling 2-1 in Charleston. This will be a team desperate not to start the season 0-2 and also to appease the bus loads of traveling supporters that will join us at Highmark on Saturday.
Before I get in to the roster and how the team will be looking this weekend I will touch briefly on the organizations aspirations as they are one of a handful of teams that are vying for the attention of the almighty Don Garber. Garber, the commish of the MLS who has made a trip to Cincy in November to check out the digs, which he also has done with other USL teams Sacramento, St. Louis and Cincy rivals Louisville. Assuming the meeting went well, another successful season will bode well for the chances for Cincinnati to be one of the cities that MLS looks to for expansion.
Back to on the field, where despite losing last week in Charleston, FC Cincy controlled a lot of the possession and would have come away with a point barring a second half penalty to the Battery. As longtime followers of the USL know, Charleston is not an easy place to go and the Battery always defend well on home soil. New signing, Senegalese striker Djiby got the lone goal for Cincy and looks to be a threat for the Hounds unsure defense that surrendered 3 goals last week. Another signing of note was Cincy recently bringing in is defender Justin Hoyte who has spent most of career in Europe. Hoyte spent long spells in London with Arsenal and Millwall, while also enjoying time in Middlesbrough and Sunderland. Hoyte is at the tail end of career for sure, but it is a noteworthy signing for sure and it looks like he will be making the trip to Pittsburgh this weekend.
As we all have probably heard by now, Cincinnati will be bringing a decent amount of supporters to Highmark on Saturday and the Army will look to enjoy some beers with them beforehand. FC Cincy has an impressive number of independent supporters groups for a team that has only been around a season, but it looks like the main group that will be coming to Pittsburgh will be Die Innestadt, the name goes back to the Dutch heritage of the team. Other groups include “The Bailey” and the pride. Supporters sections at the home matches for FC Cincy are divided by ‘family friendly” sections and some sections that are made up of mostly college kids. Well whoever shows up this Satruday, let’s show them a good time and hopefully send them back with no points, only pints.
#UNLEASH
