See FC Cincinnati's New 2023 Kit That Pays Tribute to the Ohio River

As FC Cincinnati's 2023 season opener nears, the team is debuting a new look.

The Ohio River takes center stage in FC Cincinnati's latest kit, which was unveiled during a special event at the team's store at TQL Stadium on Feb. 15. Dubbed the "river kit," the gear features watery imagery and local landmarks. The river is "a symbol of power, evolution and the ever-changing landscape of the dynamic Queen City. It represents the literal and philosophical movement of Cincinnati," a news release said. Scroll down to see photos of the new kit.

Royal blue is featured throughout most of the jersey, with deep navy covering the sleeves and multiple shades adding water-like droplets across the chest. Orange and white stripes accent the shoulders and sleeves. On the back, a player's name and number are spelled in a white font that looks vaguely Art Deco, while a Cincinnati word mark that's illustrated like a bridge is at the player's neck.

FC Cincy's recognizable orange-and-blue shield is at the top left of the chest and on the left sleeve, while a new jock tag at the bottom left on the jersey's front features an illustration of the Roebling Bridge. The club says the tag "not only [is] an iconic Cincinnati landmark, but a symbol of FC Cincinnati’s identity as a progressive, forward-thinking club."

Mercy Health, the team's primary sponsor, is promoted on the jersey's chest along with an Adidas mark. On in-game uniforms, Kroger appears on the right sleeve, while the left sleeve features the MLS crest and Apple TV logo, something all 29 MLS clubs will share for the first time this season, the release said. Players primarily will wear navy blue shorts and socks with the jersey. Scroll down to see photos of the kit.

Authentic river kits are available at the team store at TQL Stadium this week during special extended hours: noon-7 p.m. Feb. 15 and Feb. 16, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 17. Normal hours will resume on Feb. 18. For the first 48 hours following the kit's reveal, it will be available exclusively at the team store, online with local pickup at forcincyforclub.com and online at mlsstore.com.

The river kit and orange Juncta Juvant kit, which was introduced in 2022, will be used throughout 2023. FC Cincinnati will debut the new uniform during the home opener against the Houston Dynamo FC on Feb. 25 at TQL Stadium. It will be the team's first-ever season opener at home.

FC Cincinnati had a banner 2022 season, including its first-ever MLS Cup postseason berth, a postseason win against a higher seed and a club record for consecutive scoring games. Cincinnati went 12-9 with 13 draws in the regular season, clinching its spot in the playoffs with a win over D.C. United during the final game Oct. 9. The Orange and Blue followed that up with an MLS Cup playoff victory against the New York Red Bulls, with the season coming to a close on Oct. 20 with a playoff loss to Eastern Conference top seed Philadelphia Union. The 2022 season also marked the first time Cincinnati did not finish in last place in the Eastern Conference.

According to FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan, 2022's successes will spur new challenges in 2023.

"Now we're not surprising anybody in 2023. It's only going to get more difficult, which is a good thing," Noonan said in October. "I've been around this league long enough to know that year in and year out is very difficult to maintain success. It's only going to get more difficult. 2022 was about culture, identity, ways to progress the team to be competitive, and we got there. Now we need to improve on that and have some specific things that we're going to target from the very beginning."






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