Including the friendly against Crystal Palace, this Saturday's match against the Charleston Battery brings to an end a four match home stand. It also serves as the last opportunity to watch the Orange & Blue at home for nearly a month, and as such we're expecting another rambunctious crowd to fill the stands of Nippert Stadium.
And as noted on social media earlier today, this is by no means just "another game" for either team. Playoff implications and revenge are both on the agenda for the night, and neither team will be willing to concede the other any ground.
So take a look ahead at what to expect, as always, in our latest match preview.
WHEN IS IT HAPPENING:
Saturday, July 30th, 2016, at 7:00pm EDT.
GET TICKETS
THE OPPOSITION:
Charleston, as noted in our previous write up, is one of the two oldest clubs in the USL having been established in 1993. And like most clubs that have been around for a while, the Battery have found success along the way, tallying 4 championships and making a few deep runs into the Open Cup. Last season they finished third in the conference and fell in the playoffs at the quarterfinal stage.
RECENT RESULTS:
FCC: Coming off one of the busiest stretches of their season -- a hefty seven matches in the month of July -- the Orange & Blue can feel pretty good about the position they find themselves in heading into the weekend. Currently in 3rd place in the USL Eastern standings, the boys bounced back from a midweek loss to 2nd place New York by registering a massive 2-0 win over league leaders and regional rivals Louisville. It wasn't an unfamiliar feat for FCC either, as they've won after all four losses they've suffered this season.
Charleston: Coming into the match, the Battery are one of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference. They're currently riding a 4-0-2 unbeaten streak -- though FCC have snapped longer ones more recently. That streak included drawing away to table-topping Louisville and a wild 3-2 win over 2nd placed New York last weekend. And though they aren't exactly the highest-powered offensive threat, they do boast a stout defense that's given up just 0.95 goals per match this season.
HEAD-TO-HEAD:
The sides have only met once before in their histories, and that was in the very first match of the season at a heavily waterlogged MUSC Health Stadium in Charleston. A nearly hour-long weather delay pushed kickoff back late and FCC looked like they would take a point in their first ever match before Romario Williams struck a winner for the hosts deep in injury time. So, revenge is definitely on the agenda.
WHO TO WATCH:
FCC: Last week, Coach Harkes opted for a different set up as he rolled out a 4-1-4-1 for the first time, at least in part due to injuries. Normally a wide man this season, Andrew Wiedeman slid into a withdrawn attacking role behind the lone striker and found the net as a result. Too, Corben Bone shifted back into the holding role behind the higher four midfielders and absolutely bossed the game. And it will be mighty interesting to see if Harkes sticks with that formation to see if he can't coax similar performances out of the pair, or reverts back to a the 4-4-2 we've more regularly seen in recent weeks.
Charleston: A well-balanced side, Charleston have spread the offensive output across their squad. But the two standouts are forward Romario Williams (#9) -- who scored the late winner against us in March -- and midfielder Maikel Chang (#12). Chang was recently named USL Player of the Week after registering a goal and assist in the 3-2 win at New York, while a very pacy Williams is leading the team in scoring with 8 goals.
THE VENUE:
Nippert Stadium at the University of Cincinnati
DIRECTIONS
FORECAST:
While there is rain in Saturday's forecast, at the time of publication, it appears that the rain should clear out well before the 7pm kickoff. Temperatures at game time are expected to be around 80° F with a humidity around 83% -- which will feel downright cool compared to the last two matches at Nippert.
HOW TO WATCH:
TV: This weekend’s match live broadcast will return to Star 64 (WSTR) after two straight matches on the CW Cincinnati. Most local providers’ station information can be found below:
- Over the Air: Channel 64
- Cincinnati Bell Fioptics: Channel 11 (SD) or 511 (HD)
- Time Warner Cable (OH): Channel 11 (SD) or 1011 (HD)
- Time Warner Cable (KY): Channel 11 (SD) or 915 (HD)
- DirecTV: Channel 64
- DISH: Channel 8354
Stream: Like all regular season home matches, the match will be available as a free livestream broadcast on YouTube as well as on the USL Match Center.
HOW TO LISTEN:
All FC Cincinnati home matches are broadcast live on local radio on ESPN 1530, which can be streamed for free through their iHeartRadio feed.
SOCIAL:
You can follow along with the action on our Twitter feed at @fccincinnati. For live looks during and after the game, follow us on Instagram, too. Halftime and full time updates will also be available on Facebook.
