Author: Michael Walker

FC Cincinnati 2 – 1 Montréal Impact

Yoann Damet is off to a flying start as FC Cincinnati’s interim manager. Allan Cruz ended the Orange & Blue’s goalless drought 7 minutes…

Image: Connor Paquette

Yoann Damet is off to a flying start as FC Cincinnati’s interim manager. The fireworks started early when Allan Cruz ended the Orange & Blue’s goalless drought 7 minutes into the Saturday matinee at Nippert Stadium. FCC then doubled their lead in the second half courtesy of a cool finish by substitute Fatai Alashe. Montréal made matters interesting by grabbing a goal in the 75th minute, but FC Cincinnati held on for the win, ending a five-game string of losses.

FC Cincinnati 2, Montreal Impact 1

Nippert Stadium | Cincinnati, Ohio

Saturday, May 11, 2019

SCORING SUMMARY

CIN – Allan Cruz (Darren Mattocks) 7’

CIN – Fatai Alashe (Roland Lamah, Leonardo Bertone) 62’

MTL – Orji Okwonkwo (Maxi Urruti) 75’

FC Cincinnati: Spencer Richey, Mathieu Deplagne, Justin Hoyte, Kendall Waston ©, Greg Garza, Leonardo Bertone, Victor Ulloa, Frankie Amaya (Fatai Alashe 59’), Allan Cruz (Kekuta Manneh 81’), Darren Mattocks, Roland Lamah (Emmanuel Ledesma 75’’)

Bench: Przemysław Tytoń, Nick Hagglund, Alvas Powell, Fanendo Adi

Stats: Shots 6, Shots on goal 2, Saves 2, Corner kicks 1, Offsides 2, Fouls 10, Possession 55.0%, Passes 571(83.2%)

Montreal Impact: Evan Bush, Zachary Brault-Guillard (Bacary Sagna 71’), Zakaria Diallo, Rudy Camacho, Jukka Raitala (Anthony Jackson-Hamel 75’), Daniel Lovitz, Micheal Azira (Orji Okwonkwo 63’), Samuel Piette, Shamit Shome, Omar Browne, Maxi Urruti

Bench: Clément Diop, Saphir Taïder, Daniel Kinumbe, Ken Krolicki

Stats: Shots 10, Shots on goal 1, Saves 0, Corner kicks 6, Offsides 2, Fouls 13, Possession 45.0%, Passes 450 (81.1%)

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

MTL – Micheal Azira (caution) 47’

MTL – Bacary Sagna (caution) 87’

 REF: Joe Dickerson

 AR: Apolinar Mariscal, Claudiu Badea

 4TH: Victor Rivas

 VAR: Sorin Stoica

 AVAR: Cory Richardson

Weather: 62 degrees and sunny

Attendance: 26,258

Match Program: FC Cincinnati vs Montréal Impact

After a tumultuous week where FC Cincinnati fired head coach Alan Koch, the team attempts to regroup on home turf against the Montréal Impact

Design: CSDIV

After a tumultuous week where FC Cincinnati fired head coach Alan Koch, the team attempts to regroup on home turf against the Montréal Impact. Interim head coach Yoann Damet now leads the team, and interestingly, he was an academy coach with the Montréal Impact for three years prior to joining FC Cincinnati in 2017.

The Orange & Blue have lost five straight matches and have not scored a goal in that timeframe. Their most recent disappointment was in San Jose where they suffered a 1-0 defeat despite having a man advantage for most of the second half.

Montréal arrives in the Queen City buzzing after a 2-1 midweek win over the Red Bulls in New Jersey. They were without star playmaker Ignacio Piatti and rotated their roster, but still won. As a result, they occupy third place in the Eastern Conference. Further, they are tied on points with the two leaders in the East, but a -3 goal differential leaves them in a lower position. Piatti will also miss the match against FC Cincinnati on Saturday.

Greg Garza, Corben Bone, and Alvas Powell are all listed as questionable for this contest, although Garza did return to practice this week. Kickoff is at 1 pm Eastern Time.

Fast Facts

  • FC Cincinnati is second in the league in aerial duels won, with 19.4 per game. Only the New York Red Bulls can boast a higher rate.
  • FC Cincinnati and Montréal Impact have the second and third worst shots per game averages in MLS. However, Montréal at 10.6 shots per game have scored 14 goals and FC Cincinnati, at 10.2 shots per game have netted only 8.
  • The Montreal Impact have scored twice as many goals from open play, 10, as FC Cincinnati have, 5, this season. FCC ranks last in the league in this category.
  • The Impact lead MLS in successful dribbles with 148. In comparison, FC Cincinnati are 15th with 102 total. Keep in mind that Montréal has played one additional game at this point in the season.

All stats via mlssoccer.com and whoscored.com.

Montréal Insights

For some insights on this week’s opponent, we reached out to our friends in Montréal for perspective on FC Cincinnati’s new head coach, Yoann Damet and Saturday’s matchup.

Antony de Varennes, co-editor in chief of culturesoccer.com, shared the following on Damet’s philosophy as a coach.

“Yoann Damet is a coach that likes to be close to his players. He strongly believes that the human side of the players is as important as the tactical approach. On the pitch, he focuses on the players as a group and not as individuals as he thinks that a well-balanced group will enhance individual performance.”

For additional insights on Damet, check out the article below from Culture Soccer (you’ll need a browser translator if you don’t speak French).

Il était une fois Cincinnati E1 : Construire un effectif

Additionally, friend of the blog Hady Raphaël and co-editor in chief of culturesoccer.com, gave us some insights into Montréal’s squad rotation on Wednesday and who we might see line up on Saturday.

For Saturday, the lineup and formation all depends on our injured players. We had eight injured players on Wednesday, that’s why Garde changed his tactical system from a 4-3-3 to a 3-4-3.

If everybody’s healthy except Piatti, I’m pretty sure we’ll go back to our normal 4-3-3 (right to left):

Bush
Sagna-Diallo-Raitala-Lovitz
Azira-Piette-Taider
Novillo-Okwonkwo
Urruti

If we still have injuries we will keep our same tactical formation in 3-4-3 with Taider in the lineup for sure and I’m pretty sure we’ll see Sagna back in the lineup too.

Stay tuned to Orange & Blue Press for more coverage of FC Cincinnati versus the Montréal Impact.

San Jose Earthquakes 1 – 0 FC Cincinnati

A long-range effort from San Jose midfielder Nick Lima in the 22nd minute delivered the only goal of Saturday’s contest between…

Graphic: Connor Paquette

A long-range effort from San Jose midfielder Nick Lima in the 22nd minute delivered the only goal of Saturday’s contest between FC Cincinnati and the Earthquakes.

The Orange & Blue played the match with a man advantage for over 40 minutes but could not score a goal. San Jose midfielder Cristian Espinoza was dismissed after being issued a second yellow card in the 51st minute.

Fanendo Adi started the match on the bench but played 11 minutes as a substitute. It was his first time suiting-up since March 17 in FC Cincinnati’s home opener. Frankie Amaya, recently recalled from his loan to Orange County SC, made his first MLS start on Saturday and played 67 minutes.

FC Cincinnati remains in 11th place in the Eastern Conference. They tread water above the New England Revolution who lost 6-1 to the Philadelphia Union on Saturday and have a -14 goal differential.

San Jose Earthquakes 1, FC Cincinnati 0

Avaya Stadium | San Jose, Calif.

Saturday, May 4, 2019

SCORING SUMMARY

SJ – Nick Lima (Cristian Espinoza) 22’

FC Cincinnati: Przemysław Tytoń, Justin Hoyte (Fanendo Adi 79’), Mathieu Deplagne, Forrest Lasso, Kendall Waston ©, Caleb Stanko, Fatai Alashe, Victor Ulloa, Frankie Amaya (Roland Lamah 67’), Kenny Saief, Darren Mattocks (Emmanuel Ledesma 65’)

Bench: Spencer Richey, Nick Hagglund, Allan Cruz, Kekuta Manneh,

Stats: Shots 11, Shots on goal 3, Saves 0, Corner kicks 7, Offsides 0, Fouls 13, Possession 48.1%, Passes 404 (81.4%)

San Jose Earthquakes: Daniel Vega, Tommy Thompson (Guram Kashia 81’), Nick Lima, Harold Cummings, Florian Jungwirth, Magnus Eriksson, Cristian Espinoza, Jackson Yueill, Anibal Godoy, Shea Salinas © (Judson 72’), Danny Hoesen (Chris Wondolowski 90’)

Bench: Eric Calvillo, Marcos Lopez, Andrew Tarbell, Valeri Qazaishvili,

Stats: Shots 11, Shots on goal 1, Saves 3, Corner kicks 8, Offsides 5, Fouls 15, Possession 51.9%, Passes 448 (83.3%)

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

CIN – Caleb Stanko (caution) 6’

SJ – Shea Salinas (caution) 13’

SJ – Cristian Espinoza (caution) 15’  

SJ – Nick Lima (caution) 29’

CIN – Forrest Lasso (caution) 31’

SJ – Cristian Espinoza (second yellow, ejection) 51’

CIN – Fatai Alashe (caution) 67’

Referee: Dave Gantar

Assistant Referees: Mike Rottersman, Diego Blas

Fourth Official: Elton Garcia

VAR: Daniel Radford

AVAR: Peter Balciunas

Weather: 62 degrees and sunny

Attendance: 16,743

Match Program: FC Cincinnati at San Jose Earthquakes

FC Cincinnati will have a chance to stop their Eastern Conference freefall on Saturday when they take on the San Jose Earthquakes…

Design: CSDIV / Image: Joe Craven

FC Cincinnati have a chance to stop their Eastern Conference freefall on Saturday when they take on the San Jose Earthquakes at Avaya Stadium. A midweek defeat to the Philadelphia Union means four consecutive losses for Alan Koch’s men, and five losses in their last six matches played. The biggest concern now is the team’s extended goal drought, which stands at 431 minutes.

FC Cincinnati may have picked the wrong time to visit San Jose. After losing their first three matches at Avaya this season, Matias Almeyda’s side surprised MLS with a 3-0 drubbing of the Portland Timbers at home on April 6th. They are 1-1-2 since that win with results that include a 4-1 home victory over Sporting KC and road draws with the Seattle Sounders and FC Dallas.

Fanendo Adi, Greg Garza, Kenny Saief, and Corben Bone are all listed as questionable for this contest. Kickoff is at 10:00 pm Eastern Time.

Fast Facts

  • The San Jose Earthquakes have more disciplinary infractions than any team in MLS with 24 yellow cards and 1 red card after 9 matches. Expect a physical opponent on Saturday.
  • In contrast, FC Cincinnati has accumulated 11 yellows this season (tied for third fewest) and 0 reds. They also have the fifth-fewest fouls per game in MLS. Could Alan Koch’s side find success with a more physical approach?
  • Both teams allow their opponents a lot of looks at goal. San Jose allows an average of 16.1 shots per game and FC Cincinnati allows 15.9 per game. Those are the second and third highest shots allowed per game averages in MLS.
  • San Jose score 1.6 goals per game at home on average and FC Cincinnati concede 1.7 goals per game away from home. FCC will have to score 2-3 goals to get something out of this match if those averages hold up —not a great stat for FCC given their current offensive form.
  • San Jose averages the third most key passes per game in MLS at 11. FC Cincinnati, by comparison, is last in the league at 6.9 per game.
  • Want a statistical category where FC Cincinnati leads the league? FCC has the fewest dispossessions per game, at 6.9, of any team in MLS. Dispossessed is defined as “Player is dispossessed on the ball by an opponent – no dribble involved.” Basically, it represents being caught on the ball.

All stats via mlssoccer.com and whoscored.com.

Stay tuned to Orange & Blue Press for more coverage of FC Cincinnati versus the San Jose Earthquakes.

Philadelphia Union 2 – 0 FC Cincinnati

After a scoreless first half, the Philadelphia Union capitalized on their superior performance with goals by Kacper Przybylko and Fafa Picault.

Graphic: Connor Paquette

After a scoreless first half, the Philadelphia Union capitalized on their superior performance with goals by Kacper Przybylko and Fafa Picault. Without a heroic six-save performance by Spencer Richey, the score could have been much more lopsided. The Philadelphia Union move into first place in the Eastern Conference with Wednesday night’s victory.

Philadelphia Union 2 , FC Cincinnati 0

Talen Energy Stadium | Chester, Pa.

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

SCORING SUMMARY

PHI – Kacper Przybyłko (Olivier Mbaizo) 64’

PHI – Fafa Picault (Ilsinho) 70’

FC Cincinnati: Spencer Richey, Alvas Powell, Nick Hagglund, Kendall Waston ©, Mathieu Deplagne, Eric Alexander, Caleb Stanko (Fatai Alashe 76’), Leonardo Bertone, Allan Cruz, Darren Mattocks (Emmanuel Ledesma 82’), Roland Lamah (Kekuta Manneh 76’)

Bench: Przemyslaw Tyton, Justin Hoyte, Forrest Lasso, Victor Ulloa

Stats: Shots 15, Shots on goal 3, Saves 6, Corner kicks 8, Offsides 3, Fouls 6, Possession 42.6%, Passes 345(71.6%)

Philadelphia Union: Matt Freese (Carlos Miguel Coronel 40’), Auston Trusty, Raymon Gaddis, Jack Elliott, Olivier Mbaizo, Brenden Aaronson (Ilsinho 67’), Alejandro Bedoya, Jamiro Monteiro, Haris Medunjanin, Fafa Picault (David Accam 74’), Kacper Przybyłko

Bench: Sergio Santos, Fabinho, Aurélien Collin, Warren Creavalle

Stats: Shots 20, Shots on goal 8, Saves 4, Corner kicks 7, Offsides 5, Fouls 10, Possession 57.4%, Passes 464(81.3%)

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

PHI – Auston Trusty (caution) 81’

Referee: Guido Gonzales Jr.

Assistant Referees: Nick Uranga, Kathryn Nesbitt

Fourth Official: Rubiel Vazquez

VAR: Alan Kelly

AVAR: Jozef Batko

Weather: 55 degrees and cloudy

Attendance: 12,890

Along with a fourth consecutive loss comes a slew of bad stats, specifically FC Cincinnati have not scored a goal in 431 minutes, and have not scored a goal from open play in 565 minutes.

FC Cincinnati remains in 11th place in the Eastern Conference after the loss. Their goal differential of -8 keeps them just ahead of the New England Revolution who are bottom of the East.

Alan Koch’s squad now heads west for a Saturday matchup against a resurgent San Jose Earthquakes. FC Cincinnati will look to end their free fall on the West Coast and avoid a fifth straight defeat.

Deeper Cuts: Opposite Halves, Searching for Offense, and the Captain on Frustration

Photo Credit: FC Cincinnati

Despite an improved second-half performance, FC Cincinnati couldn’t recover from a 38th-minute Connor Lade strike and lost the fourth match in their last five outings. This edition of Deeper Cuts takes a look two very different halves, the Orange & Blue’s struggling offense, and the bright spot in the captain’s performance.

Tale of Two Halves

For the second straight match, FC Cincinnati maintained an overall possession advantage (albeit slight) but didn’t score a goal. In this match, New York had the majority of possession (55%) in the first 45 minutes, but the roles shifted in the second half as FCC found a spark and the home side protected a slim lead.

New York had an 8-2 shot advantage in the first half, while FC Cincinnati had a 6-4 shot advantage in the second. The Orange & Blue made 2 successful dribbles in the first half, but 9 in the second. They had only 2 recoveries in New York’s half in the first 45 minutes, but 10 in the second 45.

After the match, Kendall Waston, FC Cincinnati’s captain, bemoaned the team inability to start the game with the same intensity they played with after the break.

“If we start every game the same way we did in the second half, we are going to have more chances to win than to lose,” said Waston. “We’ve just got to continue fighting and the minimum thing is we have to show that we find a togetherness. Second half, we did it.”

Still Searching for Offense

Two months into their 2019 season, FC Cincinnati is still searching for success in the final third. They have been shutout in their last three matches and haven’t scored from open play since Week 4 against the New England Revolution.

The players may feel unlucky not to have scored against the Red Bulls after hitting the woodwork three times. However, after nine matches they have the third lowest goal total in MLS and are lowest in the league in both shots per game, and shots on target per game.

Stats via whoscored.com

Emmanuel Ledesma, who recently returned from a hamstring injury, started this match at forward as a change-up to Darren Mattocks. FCC is still without Fanendo Adi, who did not travel to New Jersey despite being reinstated by MLS last Thursday.

Ledesma had 34 touches, 1 blocked shot, 4 unsuccessful crosses (3 were corner kicks), a 74% passing accuracy, but also 10 unsuccessful passes in the opposition half. The offense wasn’t clicking, and Manu likely needs more time to play into good form. He was substituted in favor of Darren Mattocks in the 63rd minute.

The Jamaican forward injected some pace into FCC’s attack, but produced just 1 off-target shot, which was one of the three that hit the post. He had 17 touches and completed 8 passes at a 50% accuracy. Had his angled shot found the back of the net, the narrative might be more upbeat, but the total offensive numbers are pretty sparse in this game and this season.

The Red Bulls aren’t exactly setting offensive records either. They started Brian White in place of the injured Bradley Wright-Phillips and mustered only 1 shot on target in 12 attempts. That shot from Connor Lade decided the match and brings them up to 9 goals on the season, the fifth-lowest total in MLS.

Waston on Frustration

Not many FC Cincinnati player stats from this match paint a favorable picture, but Waston’s numbers are an exception. He had 92 touches (most on the team) and won 10 aerial duels. He also won 3 tackles, made 3 interceptions and 4 clearances, and completed 7 of 13 long passes. The captain hit the woodwork in stoppage time, in another “almost” moment for FCC.

“We feel frustrated with ourselves because we tried our best,” said Waston after the match. “We were thinking before the game, okay this is the game we have to win . . . Sometimes in football things don’t go your way, but this is where the real character of the individual shows.”

Up next are two more on the road, including FC Cincinnati’s first midweek match against the Philadelphia Union, a team that defeated them soundly one month ago at Nippert. Stay tuned to Orange & Blue Press for more coverage of the busy week ahead.

New York Red Bulls 1 – 0 FC Cincinnati

A Connor Lade goal in the 38th minute was the difference in this contest at Red Bull Arena. FC Cincinnati improved their performance …

Graphic: Connor Paquette

A Connor Lade goal in the 38th minute was the difference in this contest at Red Bull Arena. FC Cincinnati improved their performance in the second half and hit the woodwork three times but could not find an equalizer.

“You cannot go anywhere in this league and not play and give everything for a full 90 minutes and expect to get anything out of the game,” said head coach Alan Koch. “The first 45 minutes was a challenge and we had a momentary lapse in concentration to allow the Red Bulls to score a goal. But I think Kendall’s spot on: the response in the second half was excellent. It was exactly what we needed and something we’ll have to build on. But we have to come out and play with a required intensity for a full 90 minutes.”

New York Red Bulls 1 , FC Cincinnati 0

Red Bull Arena | Harrison, N.J.

Saturday, April 27, 2019

SCORING SUMMARY

RBNY – Connor Lade (Daniel Royer, Brian White) 38’

FC Cincinnati: Przemyslaw Tyton, Mathieu Deplagne, Nick Hagglund, Kendall Waston ©, Justin Hoyte (Alvas Powell 81’), Leonardo Bertone, Victor Ulloa, Kenny Saief (Allan Cruz 69’), Kekuta Manneh, Roland Lamah, Emmanuel Ledesma (Darren Mattocks 63’)

Bench: Spencer Richey, Forrest Lasso, Eric Alexander, Caleb Stanko

Stats: Shots 8, Shots on goal 1, Saves 0, Corner kicks 5, Offsides 3, Fouls 17, Possession 54.2%, Passes 496 (71.2%)

New York Red Bulls: Luis Robles, Tim Parker, Connor Lade, Aaron Long, Amro Tarek (Kemar Lawrence 77’), Alex Muyl, Sean Davis, Marc Rzatkowski, Daniel Royer, Omir Fernandez (Michael Murillo 69’), Brian White (Mathias Jørgensen 86’)

Bench: Ryan Meara, Vincent Bezecourt, Derrick Etienne, Andreas Ivan

Stats: Shots 12, Shots on goal 1, Saves 1, Corner kicks 4, Offsides 3, Fouls 13, Possession 45.8%, Passes 409 (66.5%)

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

CIN – Justin Hoyte (caution) 47’

CIN – Leonardo Bertone (caution) 51’

RBNY – Alex Muyl  (caution) 56’

CIN – Kendall Waston (caution) 60’

RBNY – Tim Parker (caution) 78’

RBNY – Mathias Jørgensen (caution) 90+4’

Referee: Tim Ford

Assistant Referees: Michael Kampmeinert (AR1) and Chris Elliott (AR2)

Fourth Official: Thomas Snyder

VAR: Jorge Gonzalez

AVAR: Kyle Longville

Weather: 59 degrees and sunny

Attendance: 16,848

Match Program: FC Cincinnati at New York Red Bulls

Alan Koch and company begin a three-game road trip at Red Bull Arena on Saturday. The big news, of course, is that Fanendo Adi…

Design: CSDIV / Image: Joe Craven

Alan Koch and company begin a three-game road trip at Red Bull Arena on Saturday. The big news, of course, is that Fanendo Adi has been reinstated. He returned to training Thursday and is available for selection in this match.

Joe Goldstein of the Red Bulls News Network and Seeing Red podcast joined Orange & Blue Press for some Q&A on FC Cincinnati’s next opponent.

How badly does the team miss Tyler Adams? Do current problems stem from his absence or other factors?

I wrote a lengthy article this week chalking up the Red Bulls struggles to the loss of Adams in ways that are expressed outside of the midfield. The answer is, immensely. Adams ferocity and personality were a big part of the 2018 team, and they haven’t figured out how to replace him just yet.

How big of a loss is Kaku right now as he faces an additional two-match suspension?

Kaku’s absence for the next few games is a negative, but don’t overlook that the Red Bulls have not won an MLS game with Kaku on the field in 2019. Not a huge data set to work with. As the Red Bulls are playing a lot of long-ball this season, Kaku’s best attributes have been sort of negated. They will miss him but not as much as they would have at the beginning of last season.

Are Armas and RBNY are looking at Cincinnati, who are struggling also, as a good opportunity to get things moving in the right direction?

I don’t think they are approaching this match as a way to right the ship, but the fans are certainly looking at it that way. Armas feels that the Red Bulls are doing a lot of the right things, but paying for all of their mistakes in 2019. Their issues up the field are compounding their backline struggles, but it isn’t as bad as it looks for the most part. Given FCCs struggles scoring in their last four matches, it may relieve some of the pressure the Red Bulls have been under. Still, FCC poses a significant counter-attack risk, so even if FCC bunker and let Red Bulls get into a rhythm, they need to be careful not to overcommit.

What else should Cincinnati fans should know about RBNY ahead of this match? Were people in NY taking the Henry rumors seriously?

Because of the slow start, many Red Bull fans were hoping the Henry rumors were true, more than strictly believing them to be true. My sources remained consistent throughout saying there was no truth to the rumor, but that didn’t stop the restless Red Bull fans from trying to will the move simply to remove Armas. While they have started poorly this season, many parallels can be made back to the 2016 season, where the team started slowly under Jesse Marsch and their high hopes for their Argentine DP (Gonzalo Veron) didn’t come to fruition. It is too soon to call this a disaster, but should they lose this weekend at home to expansion FCC, fan ire will intensify.

A big thanks for Joe for his time and insights. Go check out his work on The Red Bulls News Network, Seeing Red and Raising Bulls podcasts. Stay tuned to Orange & Blue Press for more coverage of FC Cincinnati versus New York Red Bulls.

UPDATED: Adi Reinstated and Available Saturday after OVI Ruling

UPDATED: At 7 pm on Wednesday, FC Cincinnati released a statement that Major League Soccer had reinstated Fanendo Adi.

Image: Joe Craven

UPDATED: At 7 pm on Wednesday, FC Cincinnati released a statement that Major League Soccer had reinstated Fanendo Adi. An independent review of the forward’s OVI incident was completed by the league. Additionally, he was cleared to play by MLS’s SABH (Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health) doctors. He will be available to play on Saturday against the New York Red Bulls.

Alan Koch explained at training earlier on Wednesday that he hoped to get the Designated Player back to training with FC Cincinnati’s full squad soon.

“Fanendo is making progress. I just had a chat with Gary (Walker) and he’s working on the side. We hope to include him very, very soon, maybe even tomorrow in terms of training with the team.”

Adi returned to Cincinnati last week but had not been able to fully participate with his teammates until he was cleared by the league.

“He’s doing work on the side,” said Koch earlier on Wednesday. “We have to wait for the proper authorities to make their decisions. He’s allowed to do work and PT on the side, and he’s making significant progress, but we have to wait for decisions to be made obviously before we can move forward.”

Adi had been missing from the squad since March 17th, when he left the match against the Portland Timbers with an ankle injury. That injury, plus an OVI incident on March 31st, resulted in an extended absence for FCC’s target man.

According to today’s reports and court documents, Adi appeared in court on Tuesday and received a $250 fine for his OVI. He was also given a suspended 30-day jail sentence and a 6-month suspension of his driver’s license.

FC Cincinnati went into their mid-April clash with LAFC surprisingly banged-up, but several players are on the mend. Roland Lamah, Alvas Powell, and Kekuta Manneh recovered fully for the match against Real Salt Lake last week. Also, FC Cincinnati will likely add another name to the list of players available for selection for this weekend’s match.

“Ledesma’s been back and training completely for two days now, so that’s exciting,” said Koch.

Things don’t look quite as good for Greg Garza, who was limited to physical therapy on Wednesday, but is making “significant progress.”

Given Adi’s upcoming return, the improved injury outlook, and the new grass playing surface in Milford, morale was high for FCC’s squad on Wednesday, despite a difficult loss just four days ago.

“It’s awesome, and I think I speak for the entire team,” said Koch about the grass surface at the team’s new fields at Mercy Health Training Complex. “We’re incredibly grateful for the club to provide this to us. It feels like we’ve had to play on the turf for a long time, but you can see it in the players, they are energized after training on grass. It makes the adjustment, in terms of going on the road to NY, Philly, and SJ and having to play on grass, and the fact that we can actually train on grass all week long. It’s great from that perspective.”

Stay tuned to Orange & Blue Press for our Match Program preview and coverage of Saturday’s matchup with New York Red Bulls.

Photos: FC Cincinnati 0 – 3 Real Salt Lake

Here are images of FC Cincinnati’s match with Real Salt Lake on Friday, April 19th, courtesy of Ryan Meyer and Joe Craven.

Here are images of FC Cincinnati’s 3-0 loss to Real Salt Lake on Friday, April 19th.

When browsing the gallery below, after clicking on any given image, a high-resolution version can be found by scrolling down and clicking “View Full Size.” All images are courtesy of Joe Craven and Ryan Meyer.

All images are copyright protected to safeguard the creative rights of our photographers. We’re very open to sharing our work with those who want to show support for FC Cincinnati. We simply request that you ask (via DM on Twitter or email) and give credit where it’s due. Thanks!

Stay tuned to Orange and Blue Press for more coverage of FC Cincinnati’s 2019 MLS season.