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FCC bests Nashville SC in overtime for first playoff win

Drowning in a tidal wave of blue, No. 1 FC Cincinnati (FCC) shot its way past No. 8 Nashville SC on a sixth penalty kick for an opening victory in the United Soccer League (USL) playoffs at Nippert Stadium.

History seemed to repeat itself for a fourth time during Saturday’s quarterfinal game, leaving the teams tied 0-0 at 90 minutes and 1-1 at 120 minutes. FCC played for the second week in a row after tying three times earlier in the season, and it was no surprise that the two teams needed penalty kicks to decide a winner.

“[Nashville] changed the way they played a little bit, and we changed the way we played a little bit, too,” said head coach Alan Koch. “I think every time you play teams, it is a bit of a chess match.”

Despite a low attendance of 20,217 (roughly 5,000 fewer than the season average), spirits never quelled as the teams battled back and forth. With every corner kick, fans began to hoot and holler.

FCC kept possession for 67.3 percent of the match and took 22 shots on goal. Nashville was held to 16.

“We’re a team,” Koch said. “People speak about original players. People speak about potential MVPs and individual awards, and all that kind of jazz. But it doesn’t mean a single thing. We’re a team. We win as a team.”

Each team made the first five penalty kicks effortlessly. Tides turned when Justin Davis, Nashville’s sixth kicker, overshot the net in his attempt.

FCC goalkeeper Spencer Richey stopped his team from rushing the field in celebration before the final shot, which was taken by midfielder Kenney Walker.

Walker hadn’t taken a penalty kick since the U.S. Open Cup in June, which he missed against Minnesota United FC. But Saturday was a different story.

“There’s a little added pressure,” Walker said. “At the same time, you just have to go out there and score. Either pick your spot and put it there and he saves it, or you beat him there. That’s as simple as I can put it.”

Takeaways:

The Orange and Blue came close succumbing to the dreaded Cincinnati curse of being knocked out in the first playoff game.

Both teams are formidable opponents to one another. Looking at game stats alone, it’s a wonder how FCC didn’t defeat Nashville in regulation. Their combination plays were spot-on, with 79.3 percent accuracy on passing both with crossing the ball and tight plays.

Many plays led FCC the corners, causing most of the team’s shots to miss the target.

Predictable plays weren’t the only thing to hinder FCC’s play, as wind was also a major factor. Napkins and confetti snowed, stopped balls rolled and kicks never seemed to go where they were intended. Nonetheless, both teams pushed through.

FCC stayed on Nashville’s side of the field for much of the first half. Midfielder Corben Bone scored in the first five minutes of overtime, growing the fans’ momentum.

But Nashville came back in the 113th minute. While it led to penalty kicks, it also led to FCC’s win.

FCC will host No. 5 seed New York Red Bulls II in Saturday’s USL Eastern Conference Semifinal at Nippert Stadium.

http://www.newsrecord.org/sports/fcc-bests-nashville-sc-in-overtime-for-first-playoff-win/article_5e69f3bc-d6c6-11e8-bd26-d3171f751640.html

 

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FCC returns to Nippert as No. 1 seed in playoffs

FC Cincinnati (FCC) will enter the 2018 United Soccer League (USL) playoffs as the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed after the team’s 3-3 draw Saturday at Nashville SC.

The Orange and Blue will face the to-be-determined No. 8 seed Oct. 20 at the University of Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium. Kick-off is set for 4 p.m.

FCC is currently riding the momentum of a 23-match unbeaten streak — the longest in USL history.

“It’s fantastic,” said Lynn Olberding, a season ticketholder and avid soccer fan. “I think it’s great for the city. I think it’s great for soccer. I think it’s great for them going into the MLS. My husband and I have been playing soccer for nearly our entire lives — him since the 70s’ and for me, probably ’86, I believe. We love it. It’s always a great time, both playing and watching.”

Cincinnati midfielder Corben Bone is focused on embracing a winning mentality for the team’s enthusiastic and loyal followers.

“We did a great job winning the regular season, and now we can concentrate on winning the first game and moving on, and hopefully, moving toward other trophies that our fans deserve and that this club has worked so hard for,” Bone said.

Between the MLS bid in late May, the unbeaten streak, a new stadium underway and national accolades, 2018 has been a season to remember for Cincinnati’s growing soccer fanbase.

FCC is first team in USL history to have four players score more than 10 goals in one season. Midfielder Emmanuel Ledesma leads the team with 16, while Bone, midfielder Nazmi Albadawi and forward Danni König each have 11.

Head coach Alan Koch commended the team for its accomplishments this year.

“I think I just use the word ‘team’ — this is a team,” said Koch. “Having four guys that have scored double digits is amazing. We’ve got other guys that can score goals too, obviously. It just shows that we’re very, very multidimensional in terms of our group.”

Koch was named USL’s Coach of the Month for September after leading the team to a 6-0-0 record during that span. He was previously nominated in July and August.

“There’re no such things as individual awards,” Koch said. “Every individual award is about the team, and that’s why we built a very, very special team this year. It took a lot of work in the offseason to put it in place. Little accolades like this for individuals are really a testament to our entire group, to our coaching staff, to our players, to everybody involved within our organization. It’s been a fun, historic year so far. We’ve enjoyed the successes, and hopefully we can continue this down the road.”

Tickets are on sale and range between $10 and $60 depending on section. Parking passes can be purchased for $10 in advance.

The club no longer offers student tickets or sections, according to FCC’s website. The club welcomes college students to sit in the general admission section at the southern end of Nippert Stadium.

If FCC pulls out a win this Saturday, the team will return to Nippert Stadium for another playoff test Oct. 27.

http://www.newsrecord.org/sports/fcc-returns-to-nippert-as-no-seed-in-playoffs/article_7b06e8d4-d07e-11e8-9735-2712c4e725dd.html

 

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‘Venom’ takes superhero lovers by storm

“Venom,” the first installment in Sony’s Marvel Universe, is proof that Sony can maintain its presence in a comic book franchise that is heavily dominated by Warner Bros. and the ever-popular Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Released Oct. 5, the new sci-fi thriller excites and entertains. But if you’re looking for immediate action, don’t get your hopes up — and expect little more than a quick “How do you do?” from your friendly neighborhood Spiderman.

In March 2016, Sony officially announced plans to launch a standalone Venom film — nearly 10 years after the spider-villain made his theatrical debut in Spider-Man 3. But based on hints throughout the movie, it’s safe to say that Venom’s character is poised for a very long line of villainous flicks.

Director Ruben Fleischer links his human characters to their fictional Symbiotes quite nicely; however, doing so takes up a significant chuck of the movie.

Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy)’s destructive behavior is shown early on as everything he cares about is taken away from him, to the point where plants literally crumble in his care. It mirrors Venom’s behavior almost instantly after Eddie becomes his host, making them the perfect pair.

Despite its slow start, “Venom” keeps fans entertained with unique action scenes and a harmonious storyline between the protagonist, Eddie; and antagonist, Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed).

It was mysterious — almost to the point of creepy — that keeps audiences on the edges of their seats as they watch sentient alien Symbiotes kill person after person.

If you’re looking for the lighthearted, comical filmmaking that Marvel is famously known for, think again. Although “Venom” has its fair share of funny scenes, it’s more of a dry, murderous, eat-their-heads-and-destroy-the-world-type funny. It’s ultimately a darker tone than some fans may be used to seeing.

“Venom” is a gritty movie in a cinematic universe that mirrors reality. It’s a bit of a far cry from the colorful, “what zany thing will they do next” universe that Marvel fans have grown accustomed to.

Due to the Sony-Marvel-Disney deal last year, Sony still owns the rights to the Spider-verse, meaning the beloved Tom Holland’s Spiderman is still out on loan while many of the story’s more infamous villains are not.

With Marvel having little say in the production of “Venom” and the other villains to come, executive producer Kevin Feige will not risk bringing characters he cannot control to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So, sadly, die-hard comic fans will not be seeing a Spidey/Venom showdown anytime soon.

As a standalone film, “Venom” did OK. But for Sony to set up a new universe dedicated to the amoral? It did its job and then some. Here’s hoping fans can prepare to see bad guys like Carnage, Mobius, Silver Sable and Black Cat return to the big screen in years to come.

http://www.newsrecord.org/arts_and_entertainment/venom-takes-superhero-lovers-by-storm/article_7af0c49e-cd6a-11e8-82de-dba204ad2bc0.html

 

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FC Cincinnati trounces Pittsburgh for fifth straight win

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.

http://www.newsrecord.org/sports/fc-cincinnati-trounces-pittsburgh-for-fifth-straight-win/article_30f3315e-b0ac-11e8-9321-5b9a44727cd9.html

 

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Bearcats sweep the Tigers

The University of Cincinnati Bearcats baseball team took down the Memphis Tigers for the third consecutive game, closing out the series 8-7.

When the Bearcats matched up against the Tigers for the seventh and final time in the 2017, they were defeated 15-14 in a ten-inning game during American Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament play.

The last time the Bearcats won a three-game series sweep was against Northwestern in March 2016. However, nearly seven years have passed since the Bearcats swept a team in conference play.

“Obviously, it feels really good,” head coach Scott Googins said. “It puts ourselves in a good position for our conference. That’s ultimately what we want to do. It’s tough to sweep teams, so it felt really good. We made a lot of mistakes and, fortunately, we were able to overcome some of them.”

For the first four innings, the Bearcats shut out the Tigers with a 6-0 lead. In the top of the fifth, there were a few mistakes — such as a foot being inches shy of the base or dropping easy fly balls — that awarded the Bearcats three errors and the Tigers three runs, giving them hope for a possible comeback.

Senior catcher Joey Thomas ran to the mound to settle down junior left-handed pitcher Cam Alldred when the bases were loaded.

“Cam [Alldred] is a guy where, if he starts to get hit around or [the game] starts to get tough, he blames himself,” Thomas said. “We made three errors in just that inning, and he was making good pitches. We just weren’t playing good defense behind him. So, if he throws the ball into play or the ball moves enough, and he can hit spots, then he’s going to get people out.”

The Bearcats managed to score twice more — once on a home run by sophomore first baseman Eric Santiago in the sixth. The Bearcats did it again in the eighth as the Tigers fought to catch up, with a bases-loaded walk from senior second basemen Kyle Mottice.

By the end, Thomas helped bring in five of the eight runs while recording his second collegiate big fly.

“It feels awesome,” Thomas said. “Second career — that’s my second this year, too. Trusting the swing and seeing the ball well and putting a good swing on it.”

The Bearcats are now second in the AAC with an overall record of 15-14 and conference record of 6-3.

Next up is a rematch with the Wright State University Raiders in the Joe Nuxhall Classic in Oxford, Ohio, at 3 p.m. Tuesday.

http://www.newsrecord.org/sports/bearcats-sweep-the-tigers/article_e53e9a88-3cbf-11e8-9ce3-1f0f569d0de8.html

 

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Women’s basketball preps for AAC tournament

After an excruciating fourth quarter, the University of Cincinnati Bearcats women’s basketball team took down the University of Houston Cougars, sliding them into fourth place going into the American Athletic Conference tournament.

The Bearcats will depart for Storrs, Connecticut, this Friday and will have a bye in the first round, sending them to the quarterfinals where they will play the winner of game four.

Game four features the No. 12 seed Tulsa (9-20, 3-13) competing against No. 5 five seed Houston (20-10, 9-7).

Should probabilities play out, they will play their most recent opponent again — a Cougars squad whom the Bearcats have defeated twice this season.

“We stay humble, we stay hungry,” head coach Jamelle Elliott said. “We need to keep relying on our defense wanting to guard guys because that fuels our offense. If we get unemotional on the offensive end and give everything we got on the defensive end, we’ll give ourselves a chance to win.”

After beating Houston for the second time on senior night, Elliott is not the only one who is excited in this team’s abilities going into the tournament.

“[This is] a confidence booster,” senior guard Ana Owens said. “Going into conference play, knowing that you got that bye, it feels good.”

With the bye, Elliott rewarded the women a much-needed two days off before hitting the court again in preparation for their next contest.

Despite under a week remaining before the Bearcats tipoff again in a tournament that will decide if they make the Big Dance, nerves have yet to set in.

“No reason to be nervous,” Owens said. “This game is fun. We just go out there and play free. You may get butterflies in your stomach, but once you get out on the court, it’s just different. It’s a stress reliever. You go out there and you play. Nothing else matters.”

Senior forward Shanice Johnson agreed wholeheartedly with her teammate.

“We don’t have anything else to lose,” she said. “Whoever we come up against, we make sure we give our best effort before we head on out of here after our last couple of games.”

The Bearcats are prepared to take the stress of the tournament and leave it on the court by tackling one game at a time.

“We grind it out every day,” Elliott said. “We missed the chance of going into postseason play [last year], and this year we don’t want any questions. We want to make sure that the committee doesn’t ask any questions. We want our play, our record and everything to speak for itself. We want to be a part of this selection committee, but first … we have to win a game. And win a game and win a game. Go 1-0 for as long as we can to extend Shanice’s and Ana’s careers as long as possible.”

The first round of the AAC tournament will begin Friday. The Bearcats will tipoff in the quarterfinals at 8:30 p.m. Sunday.

http://www.newsrecord.org/sports/women-s-basketball-preps-for-aac-tournament/article_6be1970a-1c88-11e8-a23b-2b616732d189.html

 

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‘Thor: Ragnarok’ lives up to its Marvel Predecessors

With classic one-liners, bright colors, epic action scenes and a fantastic soundtrack bringing light to the end of a world, “Thor: Ragnarok” was a smashing success.  In true Marvel fashion, this movie answers all the questions from previous movies about his — as well as Hulk’s — long absences.

Directed by Taika Waititi, this film remained consistent with the other Marvel films while breaking its own barriers in the process. This is Waititi’s first directed film in the Marvel family, and he did not disappoint. Letting Chris Hemsworth (Thor) improvise a majority of his lines, each joke was well timed with an easy flow into the storyline.

Since the premiere of “Iron Man” in 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown up along with its loyal fan base over the past nine years. The humor has grown more adult-like with each passing movie, and this shows in Thor through innuendos and an alcoholic hero that becomes an unlikely ally.

In spite of the plot about the destruction of the Asgard realm being slightly depressing, the film is far from depressing. The colors are bright and flashy showing respect to the original comic flares for the dramatic. It makes fun of what it means to be a “hero,” as nothing goes right whenever Thor proclaims his own heroism. However, he never loses hope after being defeated.

“Thor: Ragnarok” started out with Thor being imprisoned and describing to an unknown party how he landed in prison and where he has been since Sokovia two years prior in “Avengers: Age of Ultron.”  Thor finds a way to escape back to Asgard through the first of many action-packed battle scenes of the movie, which are characteristically packed with intensity, humor and perfectly fitted music to go along with it.

With many returning characters such as Loki, Dr. Strange, Odin, Bruce Banner and the Hulk, Marvel also introduces their fans to new characters such as Hela, Grandmaster and Valkyrie.  Each interaction between characters is engaging to the viewers with a natural ease for comprehension.

Throughout the film, one of the most humorous and growing interactions to watch is the relationship between Thor and Loki.  In a back-and-forth duel of rivals and brotherly love, these two learn to work together despite their actions in past movies. Their wacky relationship continues in “Thor: Ragnarok,” as they openly say that they are enemies, yet they treat each other as brothers would.

Another relationship filled with turmoil is that of Bruce Banner and the Hulk. In past Marvel movies, we see Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) struggling to remain in control of “The Green Guy.”  It portrays him as almost scared to let Hulk out. Yet, in “Thor: Ragnarok” not only is Hulk unleashed, but he has been for the past two years. While Hulk smashes his contenders in an arena that would make the Romans drool with jealousy, he is worshipped among the crowd. The longer the Hulk is out and becomes his own character, pushing Banner to the side.

Overall, the movie was a blast to watch. It kept viewers entertained as it easily glided through the plot with a natural feel. While it was made to be comedic, there were many parts that toyed at the heartstrings for what might potentially happen to Thor and the Asgardians.  This movie was action-packed and full of suspense and laughter, making it another great Marvel movie.

http://www.newsrecord.org/arts_and_entertainment/thor-ragnarok-lives-up-to-its-marvel-predecessors/article_94997ab8-c27f-11e7-9b33-0fec4f98f682.html

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Students pay while Bearcats play, price tag placed on transportation

As the University of Cincinnati men’s basketball team prepares for an entire season away from home, many students have only one thing on their mind: transportation.

With some UC students lacking their own vehicle, they must find alternate ways to attend UC’s “home” games this year.

UC athletics is providing shuttle service to the games, however the bus pass is not complimentary with the provided student tickets.

Students are being asked to pay a $15 fee per month for the bus pass when picking up their tickets from the ticket office.

Even with a mass email being sent to students regarding the upcoming season with information about tickets and transportation, people have still been surprised by the extra charge.

“I bought the bus pass when I went to go pick up my tickets, but I was very much caught off guard by the $15 price tag,” said Grant Matwiejczyk, a second-year electrical engineering student.  “I assumed that this meant I would have a bus pass for the rest of the basketball season. After realizing that the $15 price was only for the November games, I would have decided against buying it if given the opportunity over again.”

As stated at the bottom of the email, students can purchase a monthly bus pass to travel to the games for $15, which can be purchased when claiming tickets either online or at the ticket office anytime from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday.

For November, the bus pass would be roughly $3 per game if a student attended every game.

“They didn’t tell me the pass was only for this month, they just asked if I wanted a bus pass for $15, so I said, ‘Sure,’” Matwiejczyk said. “I only realized it was for a month when I checked the pass after buying it. I did not realize it was $3 per game, or that I could buy passes for individual games per my need. I feel like my money will be worth the price as long as I go to at least half of the games I paid for, but asking students to pay is absurd in my opinion.”

While some students may be disgruntled about paying for a bus pass, others deem it a reasonable expenditure in order to go.

“It’s reasonable and fair, but I don’t think that it is ideal,” second-year computer engineering student Andy Miller said.  “If I drove myself, I would probably get lost and use up more gas than the pass actually cost. It’s only $3 a game if you get a mini pass. However, I think that it will impact attendance even more because of it. My roommate doesn’t have much expendable cash so hearing that he had to pay was a deal breaker for him.”

This is not the first time that UC has charged for a bus pass. In 2014, UC Athletics charged $10 for a season pass to see the Bearcats football team compete at Paul Brown Stadium, alongside the cost of tickets.

While the price is more expensive this year, it is 8.9 miles further to BB&T Arena than Paul Brown.

Busses will be on site by the Bearcat statue two hours prior to game time, and will wait for a minimum of 25 students before departing. The last bus will depart 30 minutes prior to tip-off.

http://www.newsrecord.org/sports/students-pay-while-bearcats-play-price-tag-placed-on-transportation/article_18f6a6b6-beaa-11e7-bff7-ebf976302083.html

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Cardiac Cats: Bearcats come from behind against Vikings

The University of Cincinnati men’s soccer team played the role of comeback kid with a win against Cleveland State University by a score of 2-1.

In a back-and-forth first half, the Bearcats seemed to dominate the field with communication, constantly keeping the ball moving. They had several long runs to which led to shots on goal, but could not put one in.

Eventually the Vikings were able to counter UC’s attack, getting the first goal of the game in the 22nd minute.

After losing momentum, the Bearcats fought for control of the ball, leading to an equalizer in the 37th minute.

The first goal for the Bearcats was scored by freshman midfielder Mason Volker, who found the back of the net for the first time in his collegiate career.

“I was shocked more than anything,” said Volker. “I didn’t know what to do. I froze up, so I just went to my teammates and gave them hugs, it was a great feeling.”

Starting the second half, both teams viciously fought for control of the ball, trying to get the upper hand.

Each team played aggressively, attempting their share of long balls up field, with the hopes of breaking the tie in their heads.

Sophomore midfielder Ryan Melink broke that tie, putting the Bearcats ahead in the 75th minute after converting on a penalty kick.

From there, UC fought to keep Cleveland State at bay, preserving their lead, while still maintaining a mix of attacks.

Both teams continued to find opportunities, putting the ball in the box and creating shots on goal.

Head coach Hylton Dayes was pleased with the way his team was able to fight in the second half, although he believed they could have capitalized a bit more.

“I thought that second half we had a lot of the play,” said Dayes. “I thought that we showed really good initiative, probably could’ve had another goal or two, maybe early in the second half but then obviously the goal came and the penalty kick and Ryan had a good job of finishing it off.”

In the final two minutes of the game, sophomore defender Elias Helbig was given a red card, forcing the Bearcats to play down a man.

The 10 men remaining on the field were able to keep the Vikings from finding the back of the net, securing a victory for the Bearcats.

At the end of the day, Dayes will take the wins any way he can get them.

“It’s never easy, but we’ll take the win,” Dayes said.

With the win over Cleveland State, the Bearcats improve to 7-7-1 on the season. Cincinnati will hit the road to take on the University of Tulsa on Saturday in search of their first conference win of the season. The game kicks off at 8 p.m.

http://www.newsrecord.org/sports/cardiac-cats-bearcats-come-from-behind-against-vikings/article_445f7f82-bb29-11e7-b09d-db8d921fa6de.html

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Potential Columbus Crew move could impact FC Cincinnati

The Columbus Crew Soccer Club’s owner Anthony Precourt announced that he is set to move the team to Austin, Texas in 2019 if a new stadium is not built in downtown Columbus.

Austin is the largest market in North America without a major league sports franchise and the team would be widely accepted if they were to move.

However, many loyal fans in Columbus took to Twitter to express an overwhelming amount of displeasure with the news.

“How does it feel to be the Art Modell of the MLS?” crew fan Richie Lee tweeted at the owner.

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Richie Lee @Untgradd

How does it feel to be the Art Modell of the MLS @APrecourt?#CrewSC

7:47 AM – Oct 17, 2017

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Another fan, Gage Magoto, also took to the popular social media site to let his voice be heard.

“Hey renew those season tickets, come support the team in the playoffs, oh and we might be moving the team in 2019,” Magoto said.

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Gage Magoto @GMPunk

“Hey renew those season tickets, come support the team in the playoffs, oh and we might be moving the team in 2019.” #CrewSC

11:10 PM – Oct 16, 2017

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Crew fans and students alike were left with jaws agape upon hearing the news.

“I was very upset and angry, because the crew are an MLS original franchise and have a great fan base,” first-year biology and anthropology student Drew Hardin said. “It was very upsetting because the owner is trying to move a franchise for a profit.”

Despite the Crew making it to the playoffs this year, attendance has not been meeting their level of play.

Many in Columbus agree that they have outgrown the stadium and that being four-miles north of downtown is too far away from the central commerce of the city.

Columbus mayor Andrew Ginther said he is committed to saving his city’s soccer team.

“We are resolved to do our part to keep the Columbus Crew in Columbus,” Ginther released in a statement. “Over the weekend, we made contact with Columbus Crew SC owner Anthony Precourt and MLS Commissioner Don Garber. We reiterated our views to each very directly and have requested in-person meetings with both to discuss options for keeping the team in Columbus.”

“I have met with the owner and business partners of the Columbus Crew SC and shared our thoughts on ways to find the best solutions to keep the team in Columbus,” Ginther tweeted. “Unfortunately, we did not receive full engagement from the team’s ownership.”

However, with a possible move in the near future, many fans have begun to wonder what this means for FC Cincinnati.

While the United Soccer League team is only two years old, they have already outperformed many original predictions and have begun to compete for fans with the Crew, who are less than two hours away.

With record-breaking attendance at Nippert Stadium, FCC has been considered for an upgrade to a Major League Soccer team.

If the Crew were to move, this could possibly increase FCC’s chances, as the next closest MLS team would then be the Chicago Fire.

“It makes Cincinnati more attractive to become a MLS team because there is a gap in teams in this area, and because it will be the only one around, it will increase interest and potentially attendance even more,” second-year electrical engineering student Mark Beaulieu said.

However, some fear that this could mean that FCC moves to Columbus, since Cincinnati still lacks a soccer specific stadium, and there would be a vacant stadium in the state capitol. However, nothing has yet been discussed.

At this point, all predictions are left to speculation, as FC Cincinnati president Jeff Berding has left no comment at this time.

Fans will just have to wait and see the fate of their beloved teams in the upcoming years.

 

http://www.newsrecord.org/sports/potential-columbus-crew-move-could-impact-fc-cincinnati/article_57df662e-b90f-11e7-8f91-7b93f8bb0a2d.html