FC Cincinnati secured its fifth consecutive win Saturday, defeating the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 2-1 at Nippert Stadium.
With the win, FCC extended its unbeaten streak to 16 games since the beginning of June. It’s the longest streak in club history.
FCC and the Riverhounds battled back-and-forth during a scoreless first half, with FCC keeping possession for 67.5 percent of play.
The ball moved quickly between halves through one-touch passes, long crosses and intriguing combination plays from both teams. However, the Riverhounds tallied seven shots on goal to FCC’s three.
In the 56th minute, FCC fiddled with the ball too long and struggled to clear it from their half, allowing the Riverhounds to take the lead with a shot on-goal.
This was the first time FCC trailed in a match since June 13, when they were behind Bethlehem Steel in the second half. It had been 1,104 minutes since they found themselves losing in a match.
Despite being down, FCC used the energy of the 25,735 fans at Nippert Stadium to score two goals in the final 15 minutes.
Head coach Alan Koch seemed to be more excited about this win than he had been for any other.
“Being down, it’s never easy coming back,” Koch said. “They showed the character [and] the fight to come back. They’re the guys that work their backsides off every day. They went out and grabbed the opportunity. It wasn’t easy, but we managed the game and came out and won. I’m very, very proud of them. We’ll enjoy tonight. It’s not very often, to be honest, that I enjoy it. But I enjoyed this.”
The first goal was scored by defender Dekel Keinan with a header from a cross. The game-winning goal was scored at the top of the box by forward Fanendo Adi. It was Adi’s first goal since joining the club July 30.
“It’s only a game,” Adi said. “I was lucky enough that I went through and I was fast enough to get between the space and get a shot off through the defender’s legs. We work as a team, especially in the second half. I’m very excited for us.”
With the win, FCC gains three more points in the United Soccer League standings, furthering their lead in Group A with 60 points. The Riverhounds retain their third-place standing with 46 points.
There are seven games left in the USL regular season, as the playoffs begin Oct. 20 and 21.
FCC will return to action Saturday, Sept. 8, at Louisville City FC. The team will play again Sunday, Sept. 16, at home against Toronto FC II at 4:30 p.m.