FC Cincinnati know the feeling when magic happens and everyone in the stadium – once they’re done celebrating or scratching their eyes – realized they witnessed something special and unforgettable.
After all, moments like those got FC Cincinnati to MLS. The Djiby goal against Columbus. Those Mitch Hildebrandt saves. Leo Bertone’s volley.
For Cincinnati, those were some of its greatest moments. Wednesday night was one of its worst.
The poor first half saw the Orange and Blue treading water.
But if Saint Louis FC were going to score, it should’ve happened then. Not when Cincinnati outplayed their lower-league opponent in the second half and surrounded the home side’s 18. Not after Fanendo Adi went down injured, and if the visitors could just hold on for four minutes, Rashawn Dally could replace him and play another 30.
But that’s not how it happened, and that’s not how it happened when FC Cincinnati were the history makers themselves.
Instead, midway through stoppage time, 10-man Cincinnati left Sam Fink free on a corner and he thumped a header past Przemysław Tytoń - past the Orange and Blue - and sent STLFC into the 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals.
The moment was beautiful – for Saint Louis.
Sparks literally flew in the air beneath the plumes of navy and green smoke. The 4,033 fans erupted in euphoria, with emotions of simultaneous belief and disbelief. In the span of one week, the club with MLS ambitions just upset two MLS clubs.
Sound familiar?
The only difference now is FCC were the losers, and the glorious triumph they always realized saw the tables turned on them.
As the ball rippled the net, the visitors stood undaunted – like soldiers knowing they were defeated.
When the final whistle chirped, Saint Louis continued the theatrics and smoke. Players ran toward the St. Louligans supporters section. The FC Cincinnati players still on the field could only watch.
In truth, because they never capitalized on their earlier chances, they blundered and left themselves with no time for a response.
Post-match remarks admitted as much.
Interim Head Coach Yoann Damet tried to find the right words to capture his emotions and the bleak reality the Orange and Blue played themselves into. Center midfielder Victor Ulloa stood confidently and stated, “It’s tough being an FC Cincinnati player right now.”
What happens next is pretty straightforward.
Cincinnati was eliminated from the U.S. Open Cup. If the club wins a trophy in 2019, it could only come via the MLS Cup in November. And considering the Orange and Blue dwell at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, the next 18 regular season games need a drastic turn.
That’s not to say it can’t happen.
If FC Cincinnati proved anything getting to MLS, it was their constant ability to defy odds and create magic from nothing. Just like Saint Louis FC did Wednesday night.
When the players and coaching staff arrive home Thursday morning, frustration and disappointment will certainly be on the mind. Saturday’s match against the LA Galaxy will be, too.
But for the fans who watched the match and wake up Thursday morning, there’ll wake up with a bitter and hollow feelings from the night before. It must be how all those other MLS opponents felt when USL FC Cincinnati made Cup magic.
It’s the feeling Cincinnati had never known. And now that it does, it’s the feeling it’ll never want to feel again.
