Sports stats

USL FC Cincinnati

Game Preview: FC Cincinnati vs. Charleston Battery

August 16, 2018 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
FC Cincinnati News Release


USL Regular Season | Match #24

FC Cincinnati vs. Charleston Battery

Saturday, August 18, 2018 | 7:30 p.m.

Nippert Stadium | Cincinnati, Ohio

TV: WSTR 64 | Stream: ESPN+ | Radio: WSAI 1360 AM

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

Team Records

FC Cincinnati: 14-3-6, 48 pts. | First in USL East

Charleston Battery: 11-3-10, 43 pts. | Third in USL East

LONGEST CURRENT UNBEATEN STREAKS IN USL GO HEAD-TO-HEAD

FC Cincinnati enters Saturday's match having played a club-record 12 matches without a loss (8-0-4) ... similarly, Charleston Battery enters the weekend claiming either a win or a draw in 11 consecutive contests (6-0-5)

The two unbeaten stretches are currently the longest unbeaten runs across both USL conferences

Orange County SC (5-0-2) currently has the third-longest unbeaten streak at seven matches, while Sacramento Republic FC (4-0-2) has the fourth-longest unbeaten streak at six matches

FC CINCY SEEKS SEEK FIRST HOME WIN OVER CHARLESTON

Cincinnati enters Saturday's match 0-0-2 at Nippert Stadium in all-time regular-season matches against the Charleston Battery

Charleston remains the only current Eastern Conference team that FC Cincinnati has played at home multiple times, but has not yet claimed a victory at Nippert Stadium

Overall, the Orange and Blue have defeated all but three Eastern Conference opponents at home in three seasons in USL play ... FCC drew their lone home meeting with Nashville SC on Aug. 4, 2018 and have not yet played a home contest against Indy Eleven

ORANGE AND BLUE TARGET FOURTH SERIES SWEEP OF 2018

Should FC Cincinnati defeat Charleston on Saturday, it will mark FC Cincy's fourth series sweep of the 2018 USL regular season.

FCC defeated Ottawa Fury FC on the road, 3-0, on Aug. 28 and at home, 2-0, on June 30.

The Orange and Blue beat North Carolina FC at Nippert Stadium, 4-1, on May 19 and at WakeMed Soccer Park, 2-0, on June 9

FC Cincinnati claimed wins over New York Red Bulls II on the road, 2-1, on June 2 and at home, 2-1, on July 21

FC CINCINNATI ON LONGEST UNBEATEN RUN IN CLUB HISTORY

FCC enters Saturday's match riding a 12-game unbeaten run during which time FCC is 8-0-4 in USL play

During the run, FCC is 6-0-2 at home and 2-0-2 on the road

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

FC CINCY CLOSING IN ON SINGLE-SEASON ATTENDANCE RECORD

With four home games left on the 2018 USL regular-season schedule, FC Cincinnati is set to surpass the club's single-season attendance record of 339,181 set in 2017

The Orange and Blue have already welcomed 325,567 fans to thirteen matches this season

Should FC Cincinnati have an attendance of at least 13,615 on Saturday, the club will set a new single-season USL attendance record with three regular-season home matches remaining

FCC PLAYOFF CLINCHING SCENARIOS

FC Cincinnati is a combined 17 points away from clinching a playoff spot ... this point total comes from FC Cincinnati's points gained combined with Ottawa Fury FC's points lost ... FC Cincinnati could clinch a playoff berth as soon as Aug. 25 at Tampa Bay

In addition, FCC is a combined 24 points away from clinching a home playoff match ... this point total comes from FC Cincinnati's points gained combined with Indy Eleven's points lost ... FC Cincinnati could clinch a home playoff match as soon as Sept. 1 against Pittsburgh

PREVIEW QUOTES

FC Cincinnati Head Coach Alan Koch

On if Saturday's match feels like a potential playoff preview...

"There's heightened senses, definitely. You're playing a team you're competing against near the top of the table. But, our approach is the same every single week, we try to approach every game as if it's our World Cup Final. We approached that last week. We'll continue the same this week. We'll do it next week. We prepare for every single game. But you definitely do have heightened senses because games like this aren't just three-point games; they're six-point games. So, we know we need to have a good week of training and then obviously go out and put in a better performance on Saturday and hopefully that will lead to a good result."

On what Charleston does well...

"Well, they're organized, very hardworking, well-coached, playing with confidence, finding a way to get results. They play in a certain formation, but we're very similar. We play in a different way, but our guys are working incredibly hard this season for each other. We're organized, we have a game plan in every single game. We'll be prepared, but we know they'll be prepared too."

FC Cincinnati Defender Blake Smith

On Charleston Battery...

"They are a strong side and they are chipping away at the table. They're doing pretty well now, on a little streak, so it's not going to be an easy game for sure."

On if this weekend feels like a gauge of where the team is...

"One game at a time, yeah, but you can't forget that they are on a hot streak and that they are doing really well. As I was just saying, it's a game that we're supposed to win. We're on top of the table and it's not going to be an easy game, because everybody that comes here has something to prove ... It's never an easy game for us, because everybody comes here and they're very up for the game."

FC Cincinnati Midfielder Corben Bone

On if Saturday's match feels like a potential playoff preview...

"I think people will probably say that, because it is a top-of-the-table type game, but then again, it is just another game for three points to kind of push ourselves and keep us towards the top of the table. I think potentially it is a team that we will find in the playoffs. But, essentially it is just another game for us to go out and get better and hopefully get three points at home."

FC Cincinnati Defender Forrest Lasso

On the importance of this weekend's match ...

"I think every time we step out on the pitch, every game is pretty big for us. We always want three points. So, whether we're playing a team that's at the top of the table or at the bottom of the table, you can't really take a game off. So, every 90 minutes is equally important. Obviously, when you play a team that's in the top-five, top-six, top-eight, whatever it may be, whenever you're fighting for that number one seed, there's a little extra weight attached to it. But, kind of how we've been doing the past couple of weeks, we just step out Saturday and try to get three points."

Check out the FC Cincinnati Statistics



United Soccer League Championship Stories from August 16, 2018


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.

OurSports Central