FC Cincinnati

Team information

Inaugural season: 2016

Home field: TQL Stadium

Owner: Carl Lindner III

Team colors: orange and blue

Overview

FC Cincinnati is a Major League Soccer (MLS) team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. It formed in 2015 under the same name as a member of a lower division, the United Soccer League (USL). The team’s name stands for “Football Club Cincinnati.” (The “football” referenced is what Americans generally call “soccer.”) The team’s colors are orange and blue, leading to their nickname “The Orange and Blues.” FC Cincinnati’s logo, rendered in those colors and white, is a shield featuring the team name and a winged, sword-brandishing lion. The team held its debut game on March 26, 2016. Although they lost that one, they quickly improved their record. Through 2017, they competed to get their team promoted into the major leagues. This wish came true on May 29, 2018, when MLS officials announced that FC Cincinnati had been approved for an expansion bid. Players finished the 2018 season strong and secured the USL Supporters’ Shield. FC Cincinnati had its first MLS game on March 2, 2019. Since then, their fortunes have waxed and waned. As of November 2021, FC Cincinnati was ranked fourteenth in MLS. The team is owned by Carl Lindner III, and the president and general manager is Jeff Berding. FC Cincinnati played out of the University of Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium from the team’s beginning until 2021. In May of that year, a new stadium, known as the West End Stadium and ultimately the TQL Stadium, opened for the team in Cincinnati.

History

Soccer is one of the world’s most popular sports, but for many decades it had little success breaking into the mainstream sporting market in the United States. In 1968, the North American Soccer League (NASL) was the foremost soccer organization in the country, but that group ceased operations in 1985. Meanwhile, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, better known as FIFA, was growing on a worldwide scale.

In 1994, FIFA held its World Cup games in the United States, prompting interest in soccer to grow among Americans. This rise in interest led to the founding of an American soccer league known as Major League Soccer (MLS). MLS formed in 1995 with teams based in ten cities and began competing in 1996. The popularity of MLS spread, and its roster of teams expanded significantly with new entrants from major cities across the country separated into divisions.

On August 12, 2015, soccer players and supporters in Cincinnati announced the creation of a new team, FC Cincinnati. (“FC” in this title meaning “Football Club,” a nod to the international name of the sport; it has also been rendered in Spanish as fútbol or German as fussball.) FC Cincinnati would organize in the coming months and begin play in 2016. It would be part of the United Soccer League (USL), a third division of the MLS, although members of FC Cincinnati aspired to rise quickly to major-league levels of performance.

The team, led by president and general manager Jeff Berding, went to work filling its roster and designing its unique image. Players would brandish colorful orange and blue uniforms. The team chose a logo in the form of a shield split into three diagonal stripes. The top and bottom stripe carry the team’s distinctive blue and orange colors, while the middle stripe is white. The top stripe carries the letters “FC” while the middle stripe presents the city name “Cincinnati.” The lower, bright-orange stripe has a white emblem of a highly stylized, winged lion wielding a sword. The team also arranged to use the University of Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium as their home field.

The first game for FC Cincinnati took place on March 26, 2016. This debut performance was not an inspiring one. First, the game was delayed due to the risk of lightning storms. Then, FC Cincinnati took home its first loss, 1–0. Fortunes improved for FC Cincinnati the next month, however. On April 9, they faced the Charlotte Independence at Nippert Stadium, in front of 14,858 supporters, and secured a 2–1 win. Players Sean Okoli and team captain Austin Berry stood out with their successful performances, scoring both goals for the team.

FC Cincinnati’s status rose in the second half of 2016. First, the team hosted an international challenger, Crystal Palace, from the English Premier League. A record-breaking crowd gathered to watch the event, even though Cincinnati took the loss. That November, FC Cincinnati hosted MLS Commissioner Don Garber and began courting a promotion into higher divisions of the MLS. In 2017, FC Cincinnati continued building a case for full entry in the MLS with notable wins, including victories over Louisville City FC, Columbus Crew, and the Chicago Fire. On August 15 of that year, FC Cincinnati made it to the semifinals of the US Open Cup, though they did not come out on top.

FC Cincinnati’s efforts were rewarded on May 29, 2018, when MLS officials announced that the team had been approved for an expansion bid. At that point, FC Cincinnati became the 26th franchise in the MLS, although it would not officially compete as such until the 2019 season. Fueled by this news, FC Cincinnati took on its old rivals, Louisville City FC, and won 1–0 on September 11. They were on a roll now. Fifteen days later, they scored a decisive 4–0 win over the Richmond Kickers, starting their path to their first USL Supporters’ Shield trophy. The team proudly displayed this award after their final 2018 home game, a strong 3–0 win over Indy Eleven.

On March 2, 2019, FC Cincinnati had its first MLS game, a face-off against the Seattle Sounders FC. Despite a strong showing early in the match, FC Cincinnati ultimately fell 4–1. They returned to their winning ways fifteen days later on their home field, with a 3–0 victory over the Portland Timbers. More than 32,000 hometown supporters turned out to root for them. By that summer, plans had been set for FC Cincinnati to say goodbye to the Nippert Stadium. Officials announced and unveiled plans for a new stadium, the West End Stadium, to be constructed for the team in Cincinnati.

Unfortunately, the construction of that stadium—along with the 2020 soccer season—were severely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 12, MLS suspended future games before FC Cincinnati had even had a home game that season. By the summer of 2020, MLS resumed games in the so-called “MLS Is Back Tournament,” in which FC Cincinnati put in a strong showing. Their new stadium, rechristened the TQL Stadium, opened in May of 2021. However, the team’s success rate suffered in the 2021 season. By November 22 of that year, FC Cincinnati’s regular season record stood at 4 wins, 8 draws, and 22 losses, for a win rate of less than 12 percent and the fourteenth position in the rankings. Also in 2021, FC Cincinnati hired Pat Noonan as the team's new head coach. The team placed fifth during that season. The team defeated the New York Red Bulls during the playoffs but ultimately lost in the conference semifinals to Philadelphia Union. FC Cincinnati tied for the MLS record for consecutive home wins in one season in 2023. The team also qualified for the 2024 CONCACAF Champion's cup and won the MLS Supporters' Shield in 2023.

Notable players

Dozens of talented soccer players have spent time on the FC Cincinnati roster. Two early standouts were Sean Okoli and Austin Berry, who scored goals that helped FC Cincinnati win their first home game on April 9, 2016, against the Charlotte Independence. Okoli, a forward, only spent one season with the team, although he played in 29 games and scored 16 goals. His contributions took the team to the third spot by the end of their debut season. Berry, a defender, is a Cincinnati native and a professional soccer player since 2012. That year he earned MLS Rookie of the Year honors. He was one of the first players signed to FC Cincinnati at its beginning and served as team captain. He put on good performances until his play was hampered by injuries, and he retired as a player at the end of the 2017 season.

Another historic performance for FC Cincinnati was courtesy of former goalkeeper Mitch Hildebrandt. On June 28, 2017, Hildebrandt stopped three penalties during a match seen around the country on television. One of the viewers, watching live, was MLS Commissioner Don Garber. Later, Garber cited FC Cincinnati’s big win that night over the Chicago Fire, including Hildebrandt’s stunning performance, as a major reason he would ultimately support the team’s bid for inclusion in the MLS.

A few other notable FC Cincinnati roster members have included Allan Cruz, Emmanuel Ledesma, and Przemysław Tytoń. In the 2021 season, as of November 22 of that year, the team leaders in goals included Brenner Souza da Silva (8), Luciano Acosta (7), Brandon Vázquez (4), and Álvaro Barreal (3). The highest number of assists (10) belongs to Luciano Acosta; runner-ups include Ronald Matarrita (5) and Álvaro Barreal and Geoff Cameron (3 each). The highest number of appearances is tied between Barreal and Souza da Silva, at 33 each. Acosta and Vázquez have had 31 appearances each.

Bibliography

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“FC Cincinnati.” Sports Team History, 2024, sportsteamhistory.com/fc-cincinnati. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.

“FC Cincinnati.”The Athletic, 2024, theathletic.com/team/fccincinnati/. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.

Hatch, Charlie. “A Two-Year Timeline of FC Cincinnati’s Key Moments.” The Enquirer, 13 Dec. 2017, www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/soccer/fc-cincinnati/2017/12/13/fc-cincinnati-timeline/950442001/. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.

“FC Cincinnati Logo.” Logos World, 2024, logos-world.net/fc-cincinnati-logo/. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.

Hatch, Charlie. “The FCC Timeline: 8/12/2015 to Now.” FC Cincinnati Website, 12 Aug. 2020, www.fccincinnati.com/news/fcc-timeline-8122015-now. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.

Rucker, Jael. “Major League Soccer History: How MLS Became A Big Business.” ONE37pm, 18 Feb. 2021, www.one37pm.com/strength/sports/major-league-soccer-history. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.

Singleton, Keenan. “‘This City Is Ready to Explode’: An Oral History of FC Cincinnati’s First Year.” ABC 9 WCPO, 13 May 2021, www.wcpo.com/sports/fc-cincinnati/this-city-is-ready-to-explode-an-oral-history-of-fc-cincinnatis-first-year. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.