
FC Cincinnati to Play First MLS Game at Nippert Stadium on March 17
December 20, 2018 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
FC Cincinnati News Release
CINCINNATI - FC Cincinnati will open its 2019 home schedule on Sunday, March 17, when the team hosts MLS Cup finalist Portland Timbers at 5 p.m. at Nippert Stadium in its first-ever Major League Soccer contest in the Queen City.
FCC will formally open the 2019 season with back-to-back road games in front of MLS' two largest average crowds. Major League Soccer announced all 24 teams' home openers on Thursday afternoon.
FC Cincinnati will play its first-ever MLS game at CenturyLink Field against Seattle Sounders FC at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 2.
In Week 2, FCC will meet MLS Cup champion Atlanta United FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium at 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 10.
The Orange and Blue will play its first-ever home game as a member of MLS one week later in Week 3, officially welcoming MLS to Cincinnati for the first time.
Tickets to the FCC home opener, which is Presented by Mercy Health, are currently only available through Season Ticket Memberships, which start at $199. Fans can be guaranteed to secure the best seats for the March 17 game by purchasing season tickets at fccincinnati.com/tickets or by calling 513-977-KICK (5425).
"We've been deep in preparations for our entry to MLS, between roster building and construction on both our stadium and training facility, but the matches have always seemed a bit off in the future," FC Cincinnati President and General Manager Jeff Berding said. "Now, to finally have firm dates and opponents on the start of a schedule, it's truly real now. We have clear destinations where we begin competing for Cincinnati.
"We are ecstatic to open the season at Seattle and then play at Atlanta, a recent MLS champion and then the reigning MLS Cup winner. But we couldn't be any more excited to know we're going to play our first MLS game at Nippert Stadium and show North America and the world what Cincinnati has to offer MLS," Berding said.
Major League Soccer is expected to release the league's entire 2019 schedule in early January.
Cincinnati will enter MLS as the league's 24th team in 2019, having earned an expansion bid to the league in May 2018.
While Cincinnati smashed USL attendance records in each of its three seasons in the lower division, FCC's 2018 home attendance average of 25,717 would have ranked fourth in MLS. Atlanta (53,002) and Seattle (40,641) ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in MLS average attendance in 2018.
FC Cincinnati has already surpassed its 2018 season ticket membership numbers and is fast approaching the 19,000 tickets sold mark.
Major League Soccer Stories from December 20, 2018
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- Houston Dynamo Select MF Tommy McNamara in MLS Re-Entry Draft - Houston Dynamo FC
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- LAFC Announces New Club Spaces at Banc of California Stadium - Los Angeles FC
- Timbers Announce 2018 Club Awards - Portland Timbers
- Orlando City Launches 2019 MLS Campaign at Home on March 2 - Orlando City SC
- Atlanta United to Open 2019 MLS Season at D.C. United - Atlanta United FC
- MLS Announces 2019 Philadelphia Union Home Opener - Philadelphia Union
- Sounders FC to Open 2019 Season at Home March 2 vs. FC Cincinnati - Seattle Sounders FC
- FC Cincinnati to Play First MLS Game at Nippert Stadium on March 17 - FC Cincinnati
- New York Red Bulls 2019 Home Opener Announced - New York Red Bulls
- Houston Dynamo Open 2019 Season March 2 against Real Salt Lake - Houston Dynamo FC
- Real Salt Lake to Face Vancouver Whitecaps in 2019 Home Opener - Real Salt Lake
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- LA Galaxy to Open 2019 MLS Season March 2 at Dignity Health Sports Park - LA Galaxy
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- Whitecaps FC to Kick off 2019 MLS Season March 2 at BC Place - Vancouver Whitecaps FC
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- Minnesota United Announces 2019 Allianz Field Home Opener - Minnesota United FC
- MLS Announces 2019 Home Openers for All 24 Clubs - MLS
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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
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