FC Cincinnati enters Decision Day at DC United and determines their own destiny, seeking the club’s top spot in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. Kick-off for the final game of the Orange and Blue regular season will take place on Sunday, October 9 at 2:30 p.m. ET at Audi Field in Washington.
FCC would secure a post-season spot with a win or draw against last-place DC United. If the game between Orlando City SC and Columbus Crew does not end in a draw, the Orange and Blue will also book their ticket to the playoffs, regardless of the result against DC United.
Fans are encouraged to attend the Official Watch Party Sunday at the Rhinegeist Brewery from 2:30pm
FC CINCINNATI at DC UNITED – SUNDAY OCTOBER 9, 2022 – 2:30 PM ET – AUDI FIELD
HOW TO WATCH?
Local television: star64
Local Stream: fccincinnati.com
Out of market flow: ESPN+
Radio: FOX Sports 1360 AM
Talent: Tom Gelehrter (play-by-play), Kevin McCloskey (analyst), Alex Stec (sideline)
Make sure to follow @FCCincinnati on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for live updates from the game.
GO TO THE OFFICIAL WATCH PARTY
Fans are encouraged to attend the Official Watch Party Sunday at the Rhinegeist Brewery from 2:15pm
During the Official Watch Party, Gary the Lion and the FC Cincinnati Street Team will perform with giveaways and activities.
Fans can also catch up on the action at one of the 14 official Pub Partners across the region, presented by Coors Light.
ALL-TIME SERIES
DC United lead the all-time MLS series over FC Cincinnati, 4-0-3 (1-0-1 in DC)
SCOUTING DC UNITED (7-20-6, 27 PTS, 14TH EASTERN CONFERENCE)
It’s a season to forget for DC United, who will finish the season at the bottom of the Eastern Conference table. United won their first two games of the season, including a 1-0 win against the Orange and Blues at the TQL Stadium on March 5, before dropping four of their next five.
The Black and Red managed to take a win against the Houston Dynamo on May 7 before going through a brutal spell in which United earned just seven points over the next three months.
DC United said goodbye to head coach Hernan Losada in April, in the midst of a turbulent season. Assistant Chad Ashton took over interim duties before United appointed Wayne Rooney as first-team manager on July 12. Rooney’s coaching debut for United, a 2-1 win against Orlando City on July 31, brought life to a struggling DC side, but that momentum was short-lived. They would go pointless for the next five, leaving the lowest scoring team in the league in search of answers.
On August 5, DC United completed the signing of Crystal Palace Belgium international Christian Benteke to boost United’s attack. Benteke made his debut in late August, scoring his first goal against Inter Miami CF on September 18.
Despite big name moves, United have failed to improve on their years of struggle as the season draws to a close. The Black and Red are 0-3-2 heading into Decision Day, having scored just two goals in that span.
Taxi Fountas and Ola Kamara together score 21 of United’s 34 goals. Michael Estrada and Steven Birnbaum, the only other players to score two or more goals, will have to back the dangerous attacking duo if DC wants to play spoilers on Sunday.
FC CINCINNATI COMMENTS:
CINCINNATI, HERE WE GO! – The season comes down to Decision Day for FC Cincinnati. For the Orange and Blue to earn a spot in the 2022 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, Pat Noonan need only win or draw against DC United. If Orlando City SC and Columbus Crew beat each other, FCC will play after the season, no matter what the 90 minutes at Audi Field looks like.
LOOKING FOR A FIRST WIN AGAINST BLACK AND RED – FC Cincinnati has never beaten DC United, with a 0-4-3 record against the Black and Red. They are one of two Eastern Conference foes that FCC never got all three points (New York City FC).
In this season’s campaign, the Orange and Blue have already defeated seven opponents’ MLS clubs (ORL, MIA, MIN, PHI, CLT, SJ, RSL) for the first time in franchise history.
ACOSTA ASSISTANTS – FC Cincinnati midfielder Luciano Acosta has the chance to become the first FC Cincinnati statistical leader to finish an MLS season. His 18 assists lead the league, three more than any other player going into Deciding Day (15: Diego Fagúndez, ATX and Kai Wagner, PHI).
Lucho also leads MLS in open play assists (11) and ties for the lead in assist-ending carries (5).
A RETURN TO THE NATION’S CAPITAL – Acosta (2016-19) and Junior Moreno (2018-21) return to DC to take on their old club. Each spent four seasons in Black and Red, with Acosta leaving after 126 MLS appearances, 24 goals and 35 assists. Moreno has played in 97 MLS games, scoring 1 goal and providing 9 assists.
Both played with current DC Head Coach Wayne Rooney, who played two seasons from 2018-19.
VAZQUEZ, 33 – Should Brandon Vazquez appear in the clash on Sunday, the forward will make his 33rd appearance in 34 appearances for FC Cincinnati, the most on the team this season.
He would be the fourth player in club history to appear in as many games in one season. That record is shared by Mathieu Deplagne (2019), Álvaro Barreal (2021) and Brenner (2021).
BOOKEND MATCHES – Come kick off on Sunday, it will be 218 days since FC Cincinnati last matched DC United, meeting on March 5 at TQL Stadium. That will be the longest same-season difference between matchups in club history.
Four of the upcoming eight all-time meetings between FCC and DC have served as either decision day (2019 and 2022) or the home opener for FC Cincinnati (2020 and 2022).
20×3 – Luciano Acosta (27 – 9 goals, 18 assists), Brandon Vázquez (22 – 17 goals, 5 assists) and Brenner (20 – 15 goals, 5 assists) have all contributed to 20 goals this season, making Cincinnati the only team with three players with at least 20 target contributions this year, per Opta. Prior to this season, not a single Cincinnati player had contributed to 20 goals in a single season.
NOONAN’S TAKE
Head Coach Pat Noonan in Sunday’s game vs. DC United
“We know as a group what we have to do to be a playoff team. So that part is clear. And it’s important that when we’re on the pitch, we play to win a game, not a to play a match not to lose it. Those are two completely different approaches. We go out on the field with a group who are confidently going to play a match to win the match. And sure, as the game goes on, you have to understand what you need to be a playoff team in terms of the final score.”
2023 FC Cincinnati Season Pass memberships are now available. Season ticket members are guaranteed to get the best seats at the best prices for every match at TQL Stadium in 2023, as well as access to exclusive events, discounts on merchandise and more!
Season tickets for 2023 are on sale now at fccincinnati.com/tickets. Fans seeking more information may contact a dedicated FC Cincinnati representative at (513) 977-5435 or email tickets@fccincinnati.com.
FC Cincinnati will play their fourth season of the MLS league in 2022 and their second appearance at the TQL Stadium. For current information about FC Cincinnati, visit the team’s official website at fccincinnati.com, or follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FCCincinnati. In addition, fans are encouraged to download the team’s official mobile app from the Apple App Store or Google Play for instant access to mobile tickets, team content and match notifications.
0 Comments