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USL FC Cincinnati

Game Preview: FC Cincinnati at Nashville SC

October 11, 2018 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
FC Cincinnati News Release


BONE CLOSES IN ON MILESTONE APPEARANCE

Corben Bone is just one appearance shy of reaching 100 career appearances with FC Cincinnati across all competitions, having made 99 appearances for the Orange and Blue in three seasons

Bone has made 99 appearances, including 91 starts, and has scored 13 goals and has added eight assists across all competitions ... Bone has made 89 USL regular-season appearances, two USL Cup Playoffs appearances, and eight U.S. Open Cup appearances for FCC

Jimmy McLaughlin made his 100th FCC appearance across all competitions when he started and played 90 minutes against Indy Eleven on Saturday, Sept. 29 ... McLaughlin has made 101 appearances, including 69 starts, and has scored 13 goals and has added 11 assists across all competitions ... McLaughlin has made 90 USL regular-season appearances, two USL Cup Playoffs appearances and nine U.S. Open Cup appearances for FC Cincinnati

FC CINCINNATI LOOKS TO SET USL'S UNBEATEN RECORD

FCC enters Saturday's match riding a 22-game unbeaten run during which time FCC is 17-0-5 in USL play ... this is the longest undefeated run in club history ... should FC Cincy register a win or draw against Nashville SC, the club will set the longest single-season unbeaten streak in USL history

With the scoreless draw against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Oct. 6, the Orange and Blue tied the Richmond Kickers' mark of 22 consecutive unbeaten matches, the longest single-season unbeaten mark in USL history

FC Cincinnati has completed four consecutive unbeaten months after posting an unbeaten record in June (4-0-2), July (3-0-1), August (4-0-1) and September (6-0-0) ... overall, FCC has tallied eight unbeaten months in club history

During the run, FCC is 10-0-2 at home and 7-0-3 on the road

The club's previous longest undefeated run was 11 games in the first half of the 2016 season (7-0-4)

ORANGE AND BLUE TARGET FIRST WIN OVER NASHVILLE SC

FC Cincinnati has defeated 13-of-15 of Eastern Conference opponents in 2018 ... the only two sides that FCC has not yet beaten are Bethlehem Steel FC and Saturday's opponent, Nashville SC

The two sides drew each of their first two matches this season ... The first match at Nissan Stadium on July 7 ended in a scoreless draw, while the second match at Nippert Stadium on Aug. 4 ended in a 1-1 draw

WELSHMAN CALLED UP TO GUYANA

FC Cincinnati forward Emery Welshman has been named to Guyana's roster for a CONCACAF Nations League Qualifier ... Welshman and Guyana will face Turks and Caicos Islands on Saturday, Oct. 13, at TCIFA National Stadium in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands

Welshman has six caps for Guyana, who has played one of four matches in CONCACAF Nations League qualifying ... Guyana will also play at French Guiana on Nov. 20, and against Belize on March 23, 2019 ... the Golden Jaguars played Barbados to a 2-2 draw on Sept. 6

Welshman joined Guyana on Thursday and is expected to be available for the start of the USL Cup Playoffs when FCC hosts an Eastern Conference Quarterfinal match at Nippert Stadium on Oct. 20 ... he will miss the Orange and Blue's USL regular-season finale at Nashville SC on Oct. 13

FCC'S KOCH, LEDESMA EARN USL MONTHLY HONORS

FC Cincinnati's Alan Koch was voted the United Soccer League's Coach of the Month for September ... the award is Koch's first Coach of the Month honor of 2018 after being nominated for the award in July and August

FCC's Emmanuel Ledesma was voted the United Soccer League's Player of the Month for September ... the midfielder has now claimed the USL's Player of the Month twice, having previously claimed the award in June

In six league games in September, the Orange and Blue posted perfect 6-0-0 record ... FCC recorded wins over Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, Louisville City FC, Toronto FC II, Penn FC, Richmond Kickers and Indy Eleven in that time and clinched the club's first-ever USL Regular-Season Championship

In 2018, Koch has guided FC Cincinnati to a 23-3-7 record, setting league records for wins and points in a season ... Ledesma has earned a place on the USL Team of the Week seven times, while capturing the league's Goal of the Week twice and Player of the Week once ... on the season, Ledesma has scored 16 goals and added 15 assists in 30 games

HISTORIC FOURSOME OF GOAL SCORERS

So far in 2018, Emmanuel Ledesma, Danni König, Nazmi Albadawi and Corben Bone have combined for 46 of FC Cincinnati's 69 goals ... that is more than 20 USL clubs have scored this season

When Albadawi scored at Richmond on Sept. 26, it marked the first time three FC Cincinnati goal scorers have reached double digits in a single season ... The Orange and Blue became the third USL club to ever record the feat, joining LA Galaxy II (2018) and New York Red Bulls II (2017)

Should Bone score another goal this season, it will mark the first time in USL history that a team has had four 10-goal scorers in a single season

2018: Emmanuel Ledesma (14), Danni König (11), Nazmi Albadawi (10), Corben Bone (9)

2017: Djiby (12), Danni König (11), Jimmy McLaughlin (5), Harrison Delbridge (3)

2016: Sean Okoli (16), Andrew Wiedeman (7), Jimmy McLaughlin (4), Three Players (3)

PREVIEW QUOTES

FC Cincinnati Head Coach Alan Koch

On what he anticipates from a Nashville side that still is fighting for playoff seeding...

"The same we anticipate every time we've played them. We played them twice and we played against a good team in both games, home and away, and they were both big challenges. Saturday will be a big challenge. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves on Saturday, and I don't know by the time Saturday comes how much pressure will be on them, I would anticipate quite a bit. They'll have to embrace their pressure, but we will embrace the pressure too."

On if he will make changes to the team based upon results that will affect Nashville's playoff positioning...

"No, I'm sure I'll look at it. I'm sure I'll know exactly who is where, because we'll start scouting all the different teams that we may play in that first game. We'll definitely look at it, because there are a few teams that could finish in the eight spot. We'll go analyze those teams and we'll start analyzing now. Nashville is one of those teams that could finish in that spot, so we'll analyze them when we play against them, but we're not going to change the way we play or change based upon different permutations. We get a chance to look at them, which is great, but we're also looking at the other teams that we might play in video right now, too."

On if Richie Ryan might factor into Saturday's game...

"I anticipate Richie is going to get minutes this weekend. He got through his first full training session [on Wednesday], hopefully he'll get through a full session [on Thursday]. We'll have to assess exactly how many minutes we feel he's comfortable playing, but I would like to get him back in this weekend at some stage, if not start, come off the bench."

FC Cincinnati Defender Forrest Lasso

On if it's nice to be named to the USL's Team of the Week...

"Yeah, I think it's always great. I've kind of said it before, but when a defender gets Team of the Week, credit kind of goes to the whole backline, especially the keeper and even the guys in front of us. [It's] a little cliché, but defending starts at the top, it starts with our number nine and trickles all the way back to us. We get credit for it sometimes with the shutout, especially the keeper. I guess it's nice to be recognized, but it takes all 11 of us."

On what he anticipates from Nashville...

"They're going to bring the bus. They're in a similar position, where we're preparing for playoffs. So, they're definitely going to bring everything they got. I guess, they're kind of fighting for points right now, they need "em, but so do we. I think every time we go out, we want three points, so it's going to be a battle, that's for sure."

On if there's any added motivation to get a win after drawing twice against Nashville earlier this year...

"Absolutely, I think whether you play a team at the top or in the middle or at the bottom, you want a win. Especially, when you haven't gotten the results throughout the year in the regular season that when you finally have that chance, you definitely want to get it, especially with momentum going into the playoffs. They're a side we could see early on, so we know we want to get the three points and have a good performance before doing so."

USL Regular Season | Match #34

FC Cincinnati at Nashville SC

Saturday, October 13, 2018 | 8:30 p.m. ET

First Tennessee Park | Nashville, Tenn.

TV: WSTR 64 | Stream: ESPN+

Talent: Tom Gelehrter (play-by-play), Kevin McCloskey (analyst)

Team Records

FC Cincinnati: 23-3-7, 76 pts. | First in USL East

Nashville SC: 12-9-12, 48 pts. | Seventh in USL East

Check out the FC Cincinnati Statistics

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