C
rowds have been showing up at Nippert Stadium this spring wearing the blue and orange of their team. They sing. They chant. They let loose colorful smoke bombs that add to the atmosphere of FC Cincinnati games — the newest game in town, courtesy of the world’s most popular sport (sorry, NFL).
FC Cincinnati’s ascension from new soccer team on the block to a burgeoning professional franchise breaking league attendance records has left many local sports fans wondering if this city really could see a pro soccer team demonstrate longevity in this market. In fact, the club’s upper management has been clear in its efforts to someday join Major League Soccer, the highest U.S. and Canadian league. FC Cincinnati’s owner Carl Lindner III already let MLS know the plan.
Backed by Lindner’s deep pockets and run by general manager Jeff Berding, the team secured the recently renovated Nippert Stadium on the University of Cincinnati campus for its home games and has lined up more than enough corporate sponsorships to get MLS’s attention — MLS already included FC Cincinnati on a short list of potential expansion candidates.
But to attract crowds, a sports franchise has to build a culture, and that starts by winning games.
Through the first 11 weeks of play in the United Soccer League (USL), the club’s 6-2-2 record was good for third place in the Eastern Conference. An average of 14,102 have attended the team’s first six home games on the UC campus, including a USL-record crowd of 20,497 on April 16 against Louisville City FC. That record was short-lived, as 23,375 came out to see a May 14 home game against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.
FC Cincinnati has drawn from considerable experience in order to find such early-season success. Its head coach, John Harkes, played for the U.S. in the 1988 Olympics and then in the 1990 and 1994 World Cups. He was the first American to play in the English Premier League and the first player for D.C. United when MLS began in 1996. He helped the club win the inaugural MLS Cup.
Harkes’ squad is comprised of a number of players with MLS experience.
“They’re guys that have great character, guys that have the resilience and mentality to never say die,” he says.
There are two words he uses over and over to drive home what he and assistant Ryan Martin look for in a player: hungry and humble — qualities found in midfielder Corben Bone.
Bone was among the first 11 players signed by FC Cincinnati last December. Of those first 11, five have MLS experience, including 27-year-old Bone. Signing players like Bone, midfielder Kenny Walker and Cincinnati native Austin Berry, who was MLS rookie of the year in 2012 with the Chicago Fire, gave Harkes greater credibility when he was selling his vision to other potential players.
Name recognition alone, however, won’t sell FC Cincinnati.
“I was trying to look for the best options for me,” says forward Sean Okoli, 23, who played for New England of the MLS last season. “When I got the call from John and Tino (Martin), they made it sound like it would be a good place not only for me to get better, but for me to keep working on my game and to continue to grow as a player and as a person.”
Okoli leads FC Cincinnati with four goals and two assists through the team’s first 10 games. Harkes’ system of play focuses on ball possession and creativity. It has led to an aggressive offensive attack — the team ranks No. 1 in the USL with 63 shots on goal — while the defense has produced the first two shutouts in franchise history in the last two games.
“Soccer is an elegant game that’s played at a pace where there’s not a lot of stoppages,” Harkes says. “You have to look at the small details, the little combination plays, the movement of players off the ball. It’s a chess game.”
The experienced soccer fan understands this, but there are plenty of casual fans who are being drawn in deeper and will need to develop their knowledge. Yet, even those in the know are still learning about this team.
Andrew Hesse from Cincinnati brought his sons to the game against Harrisburg City. The two boys were taking photos and securing autographs from forward Omar Cummings, a former UC player who played eight seasons in MLS. Hesse knows of Cummings, but the rest of the team is taking more study time.
“I don’t know most of them, but it’s fun trying to learn a little bit about them,” said Hesse. “It’s part of becoming part of the fan base.”
That would include goalie Mitch Hildebrandt, who played the last four seasons with Minnesota United FC in the North American Soccer League. “We’re rivaling MLS teams with their fan bases,” Hildebrandt says. “We’re very accessible. We train out here (at Nippert) every day and people can come talk to us.”
At some point, the honeymoon period will end for FC Cincinnati. The team’s regular season ends on Sept. 24 at Pittsburgh. A top-eight finish in the conference would earn a playoff berth. FC Cincinnati will also host an exhibition — a “friendly” in soccer parlance for novices out there — against Brits Crystal Palace of the Premier League on July 16.
Just how good of a foundation Harkes and the front office have built will be tested.
“I love it. I’ve always wanted to take down that challenge of building something,” Harkes says. “What a unique opportunity. It’s absolutely tremendous to go and put your stamp on something.”
FC CINCINNATI
’s next home game is 7 p.m. Saturday against Richmond. Tickets are $10-$25; $5 students. More info: fccincinnati.com.
This article appears in Jun 1-8, 2016.
