Studs Up Soccer – FC Cincinnati match primer: Bethlehem Steel FC

by Chris Asbrock

FC Cincinnati v Bethlehem Steel FC
3:00 pm EST
Goodman Stadium
TV: ESPN+, Star 64

Last meeting: 2-1 FCC (5/20/17 @ FCC)

Bethlehem Steel FC (1-2-1, 4 points, – 10th Eastern Conference)
FC Cincinnati (2-1-0, 6 points, – 8th Eastern Conference)

With the expectations as high as they are for FC Cincinnati this year, one result can be expected for the orange and blues today, victory. FC Cincinnati are coming off a devastating loss at the hands of their arch rivals, Louisville City in front of a huge crowd at Nippert Stadium last weekend. In that match, FC Cincinnati was held scoreless for the first time all season when Louisville City frustrated them, holding them to very little opportunities.

A win or a draw would have kept FCC in a great spot in the standings, taking at least a point away from the defending USL champions. With FCC playing one of the last games on the weekend, they come into the game, sitting in the final playoff spot in the East. Obviously being three games into the 2018 it doesn’t mean everything but momentum does. A win today could put the orange and blues in a tie for third in the East. That would keep them in line with the massive expectations placed on this club for this season.

On the other side, Bethlehem Steel come into this match with a chance to jump back into the top eight with a home victory. Bethlehem does face a very tough opponent who has been solid on the road. FCC won their first two matches away from Nippert, both in 1-0 results. Bethlehem has conceded five goals so far through their first four matches of the season. The orange and blues have conceded one goal, that being the one last week that sunk them against Louisville City. Offensively, these two teams are relatively alike. Aside, from their 4-1 opening match victory against Richmond, Bethlehem has struggled to find the back of the net. Both FCC and Bethlehem will need to get their forwards rolling, if either have any hope of making a serious playoff push.

FC Cincinnati has played the far tougher schedule so far this season and has fared pretty well. That experience so far should help the orange and blues as they play away from Nippert for the third time already this young season. One of the major keys in this match will be the movement and play of the FC Cincinnati midfielders. FCC has seen their offense struggle to get going this season, and will need their veteran-laden team to step up and get the job done. This club has a lot of talent but has struggled to see them gel into the force we all expected.

Another major key will be the physical play and the discipline aspect. FC Cincinnati has racked up seven yellow cards already this season, while Bethlehem has been booked a total of five times (four yellow cards and 1 red card). The orange and blues have won 31 fouls, while conceding 49 fouls. Bethlehem players have won 47 fouls, while conceding 52 fouls. That ratio must flip for either team to snag the three points. FC Cincinnati look to have the advantage with their experienced team and must use that experience against a team that will try to bait them into a tough, physical match.

This is the perfect situation for FC Cincinnati to rebound from their tough loss last week. The atmosphere will most likely be more like a training match as opposed to a hostile away environment. That makes communication much easier for all on the field and FC Cincinnati will need to take advantage of the atmosphere to put together a major statement game.

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