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FC Cincinnati

FC CINCINNATI ADDS SEYMORE, VILLAGE, CICERONE

November 21, 2017 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
FC Cincinnati News Release


CINCINNATI, OH - FC Cincinnati continues the process of building the team for the 2018 season and have added midfielder Will Seymore and goalkeeper Mark Village from Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2, and forward Russell Cicerone (sis-er-RONI) from Portland Timbers 2, pending federation and USL approval.

Seymore and Village will join former teammate Sem de Wit, who was a mid-season acquisition last season. Seymore spent three seasons with WFC2, playing in 24 games while starting 13 and assisting on a goal in 2017. He had two assists in 2016 over 18 starts and featured in WCFC2's playoff wins after joining the club in 2015.

"Will is a very determined and talented midfielder. He has the flexibility to play several positions and I am excited about working with him again," said Head Coach Alan Koch. "I don't think he has peaked as a footballer and will continue to flourish in our training environment. I have personally seen him before at a high level in big games and expect him to have the same success with FCC."

Seymore was a four-year letterwinner at Oregon State, where he was a two-time All-Pac 12 honorable mention and an all-league second-team choice. As a collegian, Seymore started in 73 games and totaled seven goals and nine assists.

On the youth soccer scene, he competed with the Soham Town Rangers in Soham, England and totaled 14 goals while helping the U-16 and U-18 teams win a Cambridgeshire County Cup.

Village spent three seasons with Whitecaps FC 2 playing from 2015-17. This season, the product from Abbotsford, British Columbia made one appearance in goal, posting four saves and collected a USL Save of the Month accolade. He also played one season with Fraser Valley Mariners FC of the USL Premier Development League (PDL). In that season, Village recorded a league high 103 saves with a season-best 11 saves on the final match day against Whitecaps FC U-23.

"Mark is a fantastic team guy and will come in and fight for playing time," said Head Coach Alan Koch. "He has improved every year as a pro and I know will embrace the challenge that lies ahead here in Cincinnati. We look forward to welcoming him to FCC and working with him to have an imprint on our team culture and the quality of our daily work environment."

He graduated from the University of Fraser Valley (UFV) in 2014 after a five-year career with the Cascades. Village was voted a 2012 Canada West All-Star and team Most Valuable Player after leading UFV to their best league record at 5-5-4. He made 57 saves in 13 games and broke the team's single-season record with four clean sheets.

Cicerone joins FCC from Portland Timbers 2. Selected in the fourth round of 2017 MLS SuperDraft, the forward saw action for the Timbers' senior squad in the U.S. Open Cup.

"Russell is an incredibly talented young player," said Koch. "He has the ability to score goals as he showed in college. He had a tough introduction to professional soccer this season but I believe that this experience has set him up for future success. We look forward to working with him and helping him maximize his abilities at the pro level."

Cicerone played collegiate soccer at the University of Buffalo from 2013-16, where he totaled 42 goals and 22 assists in 71 games played. The Bloomfield, Mich. native grabbed the Mid-American Conference's Player and Freshman of the Year awards and was an all-league first-team choice after scoring six goals and two assists. He earned his second all-league nod as a sophomore, contributing a career-high 10 goals with three assists to finish fourth in the MAC. Cicerone added a feather to his cap his senior season after being named the 2015 MAC Player of the Year and over a four-year career Cicerone was a two-time all-region first-team choice, totaling 42 goals and 22 assists.

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