FC Cincinnati are back on the road this weekend and are headed to the Pacific Time Zone, jetting off to San Diego, California, to close out a three match week. The Orange and Blue will be playing in their third state this week and looking to rebound quickly from a loss on Wednesday night.
Kickoff is set for 9:30p.m. ET on Apple TV at Snapdragon Stadium. Ahead of this game, let’s look at a few key stories to keep in mind as The Orange and Blue look to earn all three points on the road!
The offense is clicking, build on it
The FC Cincinnati defense has struggled of late but one place that Head Coach Pat Noonan has highlighted as being a positive to build on is the offense as The Orange and Blue continue to be goal dangerous at all times. In eight of FC Cincinnati’s last nine games they have scored multiple goals, and in five of those nine matches they have scored three or more times.
That goalscoring output can be attributed to a lot of different things, including some strong individual play by guys like Evander and Kévin Denkey who have scored 11 of the last 12 goals for FCC. Head Coach Noonan sees improvements in relationships on the field and chance creation. However, there are still issues with decision-making and pressure on the ball that need to be addressed.
Can’t feel sorry for yourself
With a poor result on Wednesday reminding FC Cincinnati of some feelings from earlier in the season, they will have little time to rest on that with a game just three days later. The short turnaround can be seen as an opportunity to prove themselves once again and not dwell on the disappointment of a midweek loss.
Both players and coaches emphasized the importance of not feeling sorry for themselves and getting right back to work. The trip to San Diego presents a unique situation with the early departure and training in San Diego before the match, disrupting the regular routine.
Find answers before the break
With just two weeks before Major League Soccer pauses for the FIFA World Cup, FC Cincinnati is looking to go into the break strong and find answers to build on during the break. The focus is on consistency in play and making marginal improvements to show signs of progress. The coaching staff is keen on eliminating mistakes that cost goals and momentum and working towards becoming a strong defensive team consistently.
San Diego FC enter the game with confidence after a big win in their previous match. FC Cincinnati will face them before returning home to play Orlando City SC before the break in game action.
