Notebook: Will FC Cincinnati be able to make another US Open Cup run in 2022?
FC Cincinnati has a special relationship to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and for now, the club can look forward to participating in the event again.
After two consecutive years of cancelling the U.S. Open Cup due to the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Soccer on Wednesday announced the competition format for the 107th edition of the tournament to be staged in 2022.
The 2022 Open Cup will see changes that were ratified after the 2019 edition, including MLS clubs entering in the third round of matches – one round earlier than in 2019.
FC Cincinnati is slated to be one of 17 MLS clubs to begin play in the third round, and the tournament is designed to produce more matches between MLS clubs and lower-league sides.
The third-round draw is scheduled for April 8 with matches to be staged April 19-21.
The championship match is tentatively scheduled to take place Sept. 6 or 7, or Sept. 13 or 14.
It's important to note that while the announcement of the format for the 2022 tournament is encouraging, it's still not guaranteed to occur.
Plans to stage the tournament amidst the pandemic could be upended, just as they were in 2021.
U.S. Soccer originally planned for a qualification process for MLS sides based on early-season league results, but that plan and the entire tournament were later jettisoned.
Cincinnati fans should be itching to see a return to cup competition, though.
FC Cincinnati's history in the Open Cup is well-documented and the 2017 competition was crucial to the club earning a bid to join MLS.
FCC went 4-1-1 in the 2017 Open Cup and advanced to the semifinal round, where the club was within touching distance of its first-ever major cup final but squandered a 2-0 lead against New York Red Bulls and bowed out in front of a raucous and emotional Nippert Stadium crowd.
The 2017 Cup run saw FC Cincinnati, then of the second-division United Soccer League, famously beat AFC Cleveland, rival Louisville City FC, Columbus Crew SC, advance past Chicago Fire on penalty kicks and defeat Miami FC of the North American Soccer League prior to losing to New York.
In 2018, FC Cincinnati's final year in USL, the club went on another attention-grabbing cup run and went undefeated in three matches but lost on penalty kicks at Nippert to Minnesota United FC.
FC Cincinnati's most recent Open Cup journey was a forgettable one. In 2019, FC Cincinnati slipped past rival Louisville again but was the victim of a "cupset" – an Open Cup upset – when it lost on a late goal at St. Louis FC.
FC Cincinnati's all-time record in the Open Cup is 8-2-3.
Women's soccer coming to Cincinnati
It's not the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), but higher-level, non-collegiate women's soccer is coming to Greater Cincinnati.
Kings Hammer FC on Thursday announced it would field a team for the USL W League's inaugural season in 2022.
The USL W League is a women’s pre-professional league, and will see Kings Hammer FC bring the United Soccer League back to the Cincinnati market again after field a team under the club's banner for USL League 2 in 2021.
“All of us here at Kings Hammer are excited to announce our USL W League team,” said Paul Nicholson, a former FC Cincinnati player and Kings Hammer FC Technical Director. “As a club we are very proud of our female programming and the strong pathway we have been able to create. The addition of the USL W League will allow our female alumni as well as other talented pre-professional soccer players from around the country to compete at a high level right here in Cincinnati.”
Kings Hammer FC is scheduled to host USL W League tryouts Jan. 6 from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Town & Country Sports Complex in Wilder, Kentucky.
“We are excited to welcome Kings Hammer FC to the W League for our inaugural season in 2022,” said Betsy Haugh, USL Director of Women’s Soccer Operations, in a news release. “By joining the W League, Kings Hammer is taking a huge step towards offering players in the region equal opportunity on both the men’s and women’s side of the game. We look forward to seeing all that this team will accomplish in its first season in the League.”
FC Cincinnati adds defender in re-entry draft
FC Cincinnati requires depth at left back behind Ronald Matarrita and might have found a man for that job in 23-year-old John Nelson. FCC selected Nelson in Thursday's re-entry draft.
Nelson made 30 appearances for FC Dallas over the last three seasons. In 2020, he made a personal best eight starts.
Nelson isn't on the FC Cincinnati roster yet, though. Cincinnati will be required to make a genuine contract offer to Nelson within seven days.
If an agreement isn't reached between the parties, Cincinnati will hold first Rights of Refusal for Nelson in MLS, the team said in a Twitter statement.
Cincinnati's already added goalkeeper Alec Kann and right back Alvas Powell this offseason. The club also opted to retain the services of defender Zico Bailey, whose stay at the club was extended by a year this offseason.