Photo Credit: FCCincinnati.com

by Chris Asbrock

For soccer fans here in the Queen City, this is an exciting time as the inaugural season for USL franchise FC Cincinnati, is gearing up to start. The staff is in place, the players are signed, the schedule has been released and friendly matches have been played. Season ticket holders and fans alike now know who will be lining up against the orange and blues of FC Cincinnati in 2016.

The leadership group, including owner Carl Linder III and Club President Jeff Berding, made a splash when they brought in one of the greatest U.S. soccer players of all-time, in John Harkes, to coach this team. Harkes brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table and will certainly use that to his advantage. Along with making a splash on the sidelines, FC Cincinnati has done a great job in bringing in some solid talent in their first two classes of player signings. Both classes are headlined by players with local ties and MLS experience.

The first class, signed in December, was highlighted by Austin Berry, who played for Summit Country Day school and was MLS Rookie of the Year in 2012. The second class, announced a few weeks after that, features Jamaican international and MLS veteran, Omar Cummings. Cummings has played 185 games in the MLS and has 35 caps with Jamaica. Cummings, was added for the shear leadership and experience he will provide to this team. Cummings is no stranger to this city, as he played collegiate soccer at Cincinnati State and for the University of Cincinnati.

To kick off their preseason campaign, the squad headed south to Bradenton, Florida where they faced MLS side NYCFC, Danish Superliga club HB Koge and Icelandic club KR Reykjavik in the IMG Suncoast Pro Classic. The preseason tournament was a success as the team won the preseason tournament, giving them silverware before the regular season kicked off. The club followed with a 1-1 draw against Indy Eleven and a 2-0 victory over Xavier University.

The club now is set to get their inaugural season rolling as they take on the Charleston Battery in the first match franchise history, tonight at 7:30 pm Eastern. Taking on a club with four league championships is a great way to start off your season. The Battery are coming off a solid 2015 campaign where they finished third in the Eastern Conference and made it to the conference semifinals.

Charleston is traditionally one of the best teams in the league and one of the toughest to play against. The Battery are a great test for the boys from the Queen City and will certainly look to shut down the FCC offense. Charleston is also coming off a solid preseason as well so tonight’s clash is crucial for each team looking to make their mark early on in 2016.

If you are interested in watching tonight’s match from home, you can check out the link here for your viewing pleasure. If you are unable to watch the match, you can certainly follow +FC Cincinnati on twitter for all match updates. A win tonight puts FC Cincinnati in a great spot to start the season as they head into next Sunday’s match against the Bethlehem Steel.

Chris Asbrock is a staff writer and analyst for FTI Sports and can be followed on Twitter  and