2018 FC Cincinnati season
2018 season | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
General manager | Jeff Berding | |||
Head coach | Alan Koch | |||
Stadium | Nippert Stadium | |||
USL | 1st (Eastern Conference) | |||
USL Playoffs | Conference Semifinals | |||
U.S. Open Cup | 4th round | |||
Top goalscorer | Emmanuel Ledesma (16) | |||
Highest home attendance | 31,478 (September 29 vs. Indy) | |||
Lowest home attendance | 22,532 (May 5 vs. Atlanta 2) | |||
Average home league attendance | 25,717 | |||
| ||||
The 2018 FC Cincinnati season was the club's third season of existence, and their third in the United Soccer League (USL). It was FC Cincinnati's second season as a second-tier team in the U.S. soccer pyramid, as the United States Soccer Federation provisionally promoted the USL from Division III to Division II for the 2017 season. FC Cincinnati played in the Eastern Conference of the USL.
This was the final season of the club's USL incarnation. On May 29, 2018, Major League Soccer awarded the FCC ownership group an expansion franchise, which began play in MLS under the FC Cincinnati name in 2019.[1]
On September 26, 2018, the club clinched their first USL Regular Season Championship with a 4–1 victory over the Richmond Kickers.[2]
Club
Coaching staff
Position | Staff |
---|---|
Head Coach | Alan Koch |
Assistant Coach | Yoann Damet |
Goalkeeper Coach | Jack Stern |
Technical Director | Luke Sassano |
Athletic Trainer | Aaron Powell |
Strength & Conditioning | Austin Berry |
UC Health | Dr. Angelo Colosimo Dr. Brian Grawe |
Roster
On October 25, 2017, general manager Jeff Berding held a press conference to make the first announcements about the 2018 roster. The return of nine players from 2017 was confirmed at this press conference: Matt Bahner, Kenney Walker, Danni König, Corben Bone, Jimmy McLaughlin, Garrett Halfhill, Justin Hoyte, Sem de Wit, and Josu. Six additional players from the 2017 roster—Austin Berry, Mitch Hildebrandt, Djiby Fall, Harrison Delbridge, Andrew Wiedeman, and Paul Nicholson—were mentioned as still under consideration for 2018, pending contract discussions and future announcements. Berding also confirmed they would not renew contracts or exercise options for any other former players.[3] In the following weeks, Djiby Fall implied he would not be returning via Twitter,[4] and Paul Nicholson announced his retirement from professional soccer.[5]
The club began announcing new signings in November 2017. The team signed Israeli defender Dekel Keinan on November 10,[6] as well as Canadian forward Daniel Haber on November 15.[7]
On April 16, 2018, the club announced they had mutually agreed to part ways with defender Josu.[8]
On April 17, 2018, the club announced they had reach an agreement for the free release of defender Garrett Halfhill. Halfhill subsequently join the New York Cosmos B of the NPSL.[9]
On July 9, 2018, the club announced the free transfer of forward Daniel Haber to Ottawa Fury FC.
On July 30, 2018, forward Fanendo Adi was acquired from the Portland Timbers as the first MLS designated player for FC Cincinnati.[10] The club also announced the acquisition of midfielder Fatai Alashe from the San Jose Earthquakes.[11]
On August 1, 2018, the club announced the acquisition of defender Pa Konate from Serie A S.P.A.L.[12]
Where a player has not declared an international allegiance, nation is determined by place of birth.
No. | Position | Player | Nation |
---|---|---|---|
1 | GK | Evan Newton | United States |
2 | DF | Matt Bahner | United States |
3 | DF | Forrest Lasso | United States |
4 | MF | Tyler Gibson | United States |
5 | MF | Nazmi Albadawi | United States |
6 | MF | Kenney Walker | United States |
7 | FW | Russell Cicerone | United States |
9 | FW | Fanendo Adi | Nigeria |
10 | FW | Emery Welshman | Guyana |
11 | FW | Danni König | Denmark |
12 | DF | Pa Konate (on loan from SPAL) | Sweden |
13 | MF | Michael Lahoud | Sierra Leone |
16 | MF | Richie Ryan | Ireland |
17 | GK | Mark Village | Canada |
18 | GK | Spencer Richey (on loan from Vancouver Whitecaps) | United States |
19 | MF | Corben Bone | United States |
20 | MF | Jimmy McLaughlin | United States |
21 | DF | Dekel Keinan | Israel |
23 | DF | Blake Smith | United States |
24 | FW | Tomi Ameobi | England |
27 | MF | Fatai Alashe (on loan from San Jose Earthquakes) | United States |
29 | DF | Paddy Barrett | Ireland |
32 | DF | Justin Hoyte | Trinidad and Tobago |
45 | MF | Emmanuel Ledesma | Argentina |
51 | DF | Sem de Wit | Netherlands |
Competitions
Win Draw Loss
USL
Results Table
|text_H=Home|text_A=Away
Charleston Battery | 0–1 | FC Cincinnati |
---|---|---|
Guerra 51' van Schiak 80' Griffith 90+2' |
CIN Report CHS Report |
Smith 18' Laing 63' Lasso 85' König 90+2' Ryan 90+7' |
Indy Eleven | 0–1 | FC Cincinnati |
---|---|---|
Ferreira 41' McInerney 45+4' |
CIN Report IND Report |
Welshman 26' Keinan 54' Lasso 74' |
FC Cincinnati | 0–1 | Louisville City FC |
---|---|---|
Ledesma 35' Keinan 61' Laing 76' |
CIN Report LOU Report Box Score |
Lancaster 13' 47' Ilić 90+4' |
Bethlehem Steel FC | 1–1 | FC Cincinnati |
---|---|---|
Burke 15' 83' Chiluya 66' |
BTH Report | Albadawi 72' |
FC Cincinnati | 2–2 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds |
---|---|---|
König 59' Ledesma 68' Walker 78' Keinan 88' Laing 90+2' |
CIN Report PIT Report Box Score |
Dover 6' 36' Vancaeyezeele 73' |
Ottawa Fury FC | 0–3 | FC Cincinnati |
---|---|---|
Reid 63' | CIN Report OTT Report Box Score |
Lasso 50' Smith 57' Walker 68' Bone 69' Ledesma 56' 77' |
Indy Eleven | 2–3 | FC Cincinnati |
---|---|---|
Jack McInerney 24' Ayoze 30' (pen.) 88' |
CIN report IND report Box score |
Kenney Walker 7' (pen.) 75' Jimmy McLaughlin 41' Corben Bone 54' Forrest Lasso 60' Emery Welshman 72' |
FC Cincinnati | 4–2 | Atlanta United 2 |
---|---|---|
König 26' Ledesma 28' 48' Keinan 30' Bone 39' |
CIN Report ATL Report Box Score |
Gallagher 31' Kissiedou 37' 41' Carleton 87' |
Charlotte Independence | 4–1 | FC Cincinnati |
---|---|---|
Cato 38' Ekra 45+2' Voser 57' Martínez 68' Zayed 87' |
CIN Report CLT Report Box Score |
Ledesma 45+1' König 51' Ryan 71' Lasso 75' Keinan 85' |
FC Cincinnati | 4–1 | North Carolina FC |
---|---|---|
Smith 29' Albadawi 11', 45' Ledesma 62' (pen.) König 69' 75' |
CIN Report NCFC Report |
Bekker 65' Lomis 86' |
FC Cincinnati | 0–2 | Louisville City FC |
---|---|---|
Barrett 28' Ryan 33' Keinan 81' |
CIN Report LOU Report |
Lancaster 15' Craig 55' Davis IV 73' Williams 85' |
New York Red Bulls II | 1–2 | FC Cincinnati |
---|---|---|
Moreno 7' Stauffer 69' |
CIN Report NYRB Report Box Score |
Welshman 52' Barrett 61' Ledsema 65' Ryan 71' König 77' |
North Carolina FC | 0–2 | FC Cincinnati |
---|---|---|
CIN Report NCFC Report |
Ledesma 36' König 37' 52' Hoyte 72' McLaughlin 87' |
FC Cincinnati | 2–2 | Bethlehem Steel FC |
---|---|---|
Albadawi 66' Cicerone 68' |
CIN Report BTH Report |
Jones 29' Mbaizo 52' Herbers 69' 86' |
FC Cincinnati | 4–0 | Richmond Kickers |
---|---|---|
Ledesma 8', 67' Albadawi 36' König 60' Welshman 82' Keinan 90+1' |
CIN Report RIC Report |
Cordovés 33' Williams 90' |
Toronto FC II | 3–3 | FC Cincinnati |
---|---|---|
Akinola 28' Bjornethun 45' Boskovic 70' Hamilton 75' Campbell 88' |
CIN Report TOR Report |
Albadawi 8' Welshman 38' Ledesma 40' |
FC Cincinnati | 2–0 | Ottawa Fury FC |
---|---|---|
König 16' Smith 86' Albadawi 90+2' |
CIN Report OTT Report Box score |
Oliveira 71' |
Nashville SC | 0–0 | FC Cincinnati |
---|---|---|
Moloto 15' | CIN Report NSH Report |
Keinan 17' |
FC Cincinnati | 2–0 | Tampa Bay Rowdies |
---|---|---|
Ledesma 54', 63' König 84' |
CIN Report TBR Report |
Flemmings 23' |
FC Cincinnati | 2–0 | Charlotte Independence |
---|---|---|
Keinan 7' Lasso 20' Ledesma 67' Welshman 87' |
CIN Report CLT Report |
Duckett 28' Zayed 65' Voser 87' |
FC Cincinnati | 2–1 | New York Red Bulls II |
---|---|---|
Lasso 17' Barrett 22', 35' Smith 60' |
CIN Report NYRB Report |
Tinari 14' König 25' (o.g.) Barlow 53' Stauffer 80' |
FC Cincinnati | 1–1 | Nashville SC |
---|---|---|
König 1', 71' Lasso 30' Walker 60' |
CIN Report NSH Report |
Hume 85' Mensah 90+1' Davis 90+3' |
FC Cincinnati | 1–0 | Penn FC |
---|---|---|
Ledesma 80' | CIN Report PENN Report |
Baffoe 43' Tribbett 79' Mkosana 83' |
FC Cincinnati | 3–0 | Charleston Battery |
---|---|---|
Ledesma 13', 21' Bone 45+1' Barrett 53' Thomas 90+5' (o.g.) |
CIN Report | Anunga 30' Svantesson 87' |
Atlanta United 2 | 1–5 | FC Cincinnati |
---|---|---|
Bello 16' Nicklaw 65' Gallagher 90+1' |
CIN Report ATL Report |
Bone 18' Albadawi 25', 55' Konate 36' Alashe 45+1', 53' Welshman 87' |
Tampa Bay Rowdies | 1–2 | FC Cincinnati |
---|---|---|
Taku 1' Cole 15' Poku 43', 75' Portillos 68' Oduro 80' Diakité 82' 85' |
Report | Ledesma 2' (pen.), 86' (pen.) Smith 50' 62' Barrett 88' Newton 90+2' |
FC Cincinnati | 2–1 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds |
---|---|---|
Lasso 38' Keinan 80' Adi 88', 88' |
USL Report CIN Report |
Parkes 57' |
Louisville City FC | 0–1 | FC Cincinnati |
---|---|---|
DelPiccolo 90+3' | USL Report CIN Report |
Bone 23' Richey 90+2' |
FC Cincinnati | 4–3 | Toronto FC II |
---|---|---|
Lasso 31' Adi 45+2' Bone 78', 88' |
Report CIN Report |
Endoh 24', 45+4', 73' Johnson 29' Hundal 63' |
Penn FC | 1–2 | FC Cincinnati |
---|---|---|
Calvano 7' Paulo 33' Osae 45+1' |
CIN Report PENN Report |
König 7' Ledesma 32', 68' Bone 84' |
Richmond Kickers | 1–4 | FC Cincinnati |
---|---|---|
Eaton 14' Cordovés 32' Luiz Fernando 50' Sekyere 72' Shanosky 85' |
CIN Report RIC Report Report |
Albadawi 16' Ledesma 40', 44', 45+3' Alashe 45+5' Welshman 63' |
FC Cincinnati | 3–0 | Indy Eleven |
---|---|---|
König 31', 65' Adi 34' Mitchell 74' (og) |
CIN Report IND Report Report |
Matern 31' |
Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 0–0 | FC Cincinnati |
---|---|---|
CIN Report PIT Report Report |
Lasso 35' |
Nashville SC | 3–3 | FC Cincinnati |
---|---|---|
Hume 5' LaGrassa 40' Allen 80' Akinyode 90' |
CIN Report | Albadawi 39', 63' Bone 52', 81' |
Standings
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | FC Cincinnati (X) | 34 | 23 | 8 | 3 | 72 | 34 | +38 | 77 | Conference Playoffs |
2 | Louisville City FC (C) | 34 | 19 | 9 | 6 | 71 | 38 | +33 | 66 | |
3 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | 34 | 15 | 14 | 5 | 47 | 26 | +21 | 59 | |
4 | Charleston Battery | 34 | 14 | 14 | 6 | 47 | 34 | +13 | 56 | |
5 | New York Red Bulls II | 34 | 13 | 13 | 8 | 71 | 59 | +12 | 52 |
Rules for classification: 1) total wins; 2) total goal differential; 3) total goals scored; 4) points earned against top four Conference finishers; 5) disciplinary points; 6) coin toss or drawing of lots
(C) Champions; (X) Regular Season League Champion
References
- ^ "Cincinnati awarded MLS expansion club, will start play in 2019". MLSSoccer.com.
- ^ "USL REGULAR-SEASON CHAMPIONS". FCCincinnati.com. Retrieved 11 October 2018.[permanent dead link ]
- ^ Kimura, Fumi (October 25, 2017). "Nine Return for 2018". FC Cincinnati. Archived from the original on October 26, 2017. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
- ^ Fall, Djiby [@baye_djiby] (October 31, 2017). "Thank Mr carld Jeff. Alan and all the staff my teammates people in the administration and the fantastic fans wish the klub all the best 🙏🙏🙏" (Tweet). Retrieved November 7, 2017 – via Twitter.
- ^ Kimura, Fumi (November 6, 2017). "Paul Nicholson Announces Retirement". FC Cincinnati. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
- ^ Kimura, Fumi (November 10, 2017). "FCC Inks Maccabi Haifa Captain Dekel Keinan". FC Cincinnati. Archived from the original on November 16, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
- ^ Kimura, Fumi (November 15, 2017). "FCC Signs Forward Daniel Haber". FC Cincinnati. Archived from the original on November 16, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
- ^ Kimura, Fumi. "FCC JOSU AGREE TO PART WAYS". FCCincinnati.com. Archived from the original on 26 April 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
- ^ Switzer, D.J. "FC CINCINNATI RELEASE HALFHILL, JOINS NEW YORK COSMOS". FCCincinnati.com. Archived from the original on 26 April 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
- ^ "FCC ANNOUNCES ADI AS FIRST MLS DESIGNATED PLAYER". FCCincinnati.com. Retrieved 14 August 2018.[permanent dead link ]
- ^ "FC CINCINNATI ADDS FATAI ALASHE FROM SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES". FCCincinnati.com. Archived from the original on 14 August 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ^ "FC CINCINNATI TAKES PA KONATE ON LOAN FROM SERIE A'S S.P.A.L". FCCincinnati.com. Archived from the original on 14 August 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2018.