Studs Up Soccer – FC Cincinnati match primer: Harrisburg City Islanders

by Chris Asbrock

FC Cincinnati vs Harrisburg City Islanders
7:00 pm EST
Nippert Stadium
TV: YouTube, Cin-CW

Last meeting: 2016, no meetings in 2017

Harrisburg City (6-8-5, 23 points, 9th Eastern Conference)
FC Cincinnati (7-6-6, 27 points, 6th Eastern Conference)

This is a matchup between two clubs in similar positions within the USL Eastern Conference. FC Cincinnati has received extensive press due to their incredible US Open Cup run this season. On the flip side, Harrisburg City has not received that same press and has had a quiet, successful season thus far, largely in part to their recent form.

The Islanders hit a rough patch from April 18 through June 20, where they suffered six losses and four draws in their 10 matches played. Their form since then has been nothing less that great. They have had a fun of 4-1-0 in their last five matches played, prior to Tuesday’s match against Charlotte. Harrisburg City used that form to propel them into the 8th and final playoff spot in the east. Harrisburg City and Charlotte battled to a 1-1 draw on Tuesday night, failing to gain more ground on the clubs above them. However, Harrisburg recently fell below the playoff spot as New York Red Bulls II overtook them with their win over Toronto FC II.

On the orange and blue side, FC Cincinnati got a much needed break from Mother Nature when massive storms forced the cancellation of their US Open Cup match at Miami FC last Wednesday. The postponement gave the orange and blue’s much needed rest, as their schedule has been incredibly congested with USL and US Open Cup matches. The break gave them a full week between their 2-0 victory over Richmond last weekend and their match last Saturday in Louisville.

FC Cincinnati took full advantage of that rest when they went down the river to take on their heated rival, Louisville City FC. The orange and blue’s conceded and early penalty before storming back and erasing that deficit on a goal by Djiby Fall. Harrison Delbridge and Danni Konig added goals to give FC Cincinnati a huge road win.

This is just another match that is crucial for each team. FC Cincinnati has continued to feed off the incredible crowds at Nippert. This will be the first visit to Nippert since last season for Harrisburg, so they will need to overcome the heat and the rowdy FCC crowd. A win over Harrisburg could propel FC Cincinnati into third place in the east with 30 points. A win for Harrisburg will still keep them just behind FCC, but in a playoff spot.

FC Cincinnati will continue to look to their leading scorer, Djiby, who is fifth in the league with 10 goals. FC Cincinnati has scored the 14th most goals in the league with 23. On the other side, Harrisburg City’s Paul Wilson leads the club with just three goals. Harrisburg City has had some trouble putting the ball in the back of the net. However, they do have a solid defense that doesn’t concede too many. They are currently tied for 10th in the league with six clean sheets.


Another factor in this matchup, just like the Rowdies, Harrisburg City concedes a lot of fouls. The Islanders have conceded the most fouls in the league, with a staggering 305. Both clubs haven’t been given the yellow cards at a frequent pace, however, they have combined to see a total of seven red cards. One thing is certain, the referee will have their eyes will be on these two teams, especially if the game does get a little chippy. If the game gets a little rough, expect both teams to see cards.

FC Cincinnati coach Alan Koch has done a great job so far this season in his handling of the players and implementing the tactics. With the focus on the US Open Cup run, FC Cincinnati got that much needed rest due to the cancelled match. With the club being somewhat rested and reinforcements on the way, this is a crucial stretch for FC Cincinnati in making their way up the Eastern Conference standings. The same can be said for Harrisburg City as a victory on the road, will give the Islanders much needed momentum.

You can watch the full Louisville City v FC Cincinnati match below: