After 48 days away from game action, FC Cincinnati return to TQL Stadium to kick off once again! The FIFA World Cup summer break that has put Major League Soccer on hiatus is coming to an end, and The Orange and Blue will be making their return to the limelight with a summer friendly against a historic English side to help tune up ahead of the official start to the MLS season.Â
Burnley FC come to Cincy this Friday night for the first European friendly for the club since 2018. With kickoff set for 7:30 p.m., this is the first chance to see FC Cincinnati since the start of summer break and the last chance to see them before league play resumes.Â
The only way to see the match will be live, as there will be no broadcast or streaming options.
With a duo of friendlies on the horizon for FC Cincinnati, this friendly with Burnley FC – who are known for their Claret and Blue kits and over 140 years of history competing at the highest levels of English football – serves as an important check-in point for the club as they look to improve after a mixed bag of performances in the first half of the season. The Orange and Blue have spent the last three weeks meticulously training, and this friendly presents a new opportunity to check in on their progress.
But while there are elements of on-field performance the club is looking to get out of this match, FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan says he’s just excited to be back in front of the FC Cincinnati supporters and competing in the energetic environment TQL Stadium is known for.Â
“For players, coaches, it's always better to be in front of our fans,” Noonan said ahead of the Friday friendly. “For the fans that show up, hopefully they get a glimpse at what it looks like for us returning. That part is helpful, especially as far as the motivation that players would have to find within themselves when you eliminate the fan base. So that energy will be good for everybody, and hopefully it's a good performance. It doesn't matter whether it's a friendly, whether it's a league opponent, or an out of league opponent, you have to be professional and understand as part of this process of where we're at, stepping on the field and being ready to perform.”Â
Burnley FC come to Cincinnati after most recently playing in the English Premier League, but struggled to keep their footing and were ultimately relegated to the second division of the English Football Pyramid, the EFL Championship. This friendly also serves as a tune-up for them as they embark on their campaign to be promoted back to the Premier League, with their new season starting on August 7.
On FC Cincinnati’s side, they are looking to use this competitive opportunity to assess where they stand and continue developing the concepts they’ve been working on. While it is a friendly, this game will be a competitive match between two sides looking to improve, which makes it hardly meaningless or an exhibition.
“There’s a lot of the ideas over these first couple weeks of training that we've been working on, so to see if guys have improved in those areas, those relationships,” Noonan said of what they’re looking to get out of the match. “A lot of its engagement, and in different phases of play, understanding how we connect a group and how we could be more efficient and more active with our movements on and off the ball, so hopefully we see that.”
Another element of the match FC Cincinnati leaders are excited about is the relative unknown nature of what to expect from an opponent like Burnley. While yes, there is last season's team to watch, the group they are expecting to play will be different. Similarly, Burnley is currently without a Head Coach as they continue to search for a replacement after parting ways with their manager from last season.
All of this creates a new kind of match where FC Cincinnati players will have to be prepared for anything, and to succeed, those on the field will have to problem-solve as a group on their own, largely without the coaching staff's aid, once the game gets going.
That unfamiliarity makes for a useful learning experience ahead of the restart of the regular season, especially considering it has been a point of emphasis in training for The Orange and Blue of late.
Like any new opponent, there's a lack of familiarity…so you don't know all the specifics of it, but I like new opponents,” Noonan said of Burnley. “I like the uncertainty of it. It's obviously going to be a strong team and will cause us a lot of problems in different ways. It's an unfamiliar opponent, and one that we're excited to play, and will certainly challenge us.”
“So it’s just ownership and game management of problem solving,” Noonan added, as to what he’s looking for from his team this match. “Being able to think and not be told. That's a lot of how I'll look at situations like this.”Â
Action kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at TQL Stadium on Saturday night, and with tickets still available, this will be the last chance to see The Orange and Blue before the restart of the MLS season. For more information on attending the match, click here.
