It won't be a question of motivation for FC Cincinnati over its final six matches. The club should have plenty of that.
What might end up being problematic for FC Cincinnati, which was eliminated from playoff contention last week and is now beginning early preparations for the 2022 season, is most of its remaining opponents might simply have more motivation as a result of playoff contention.
That's not a knock on FCC, which has a new general manager in Chris Albright, players playing for their place in next year's team and an interim head coach in Tyrone Marshall that's stated his interest in being a permanent fixture in that capacity.
All those circumstances are reason enough for FC Cincinnati to seek results.
However, those factors were present last week, and the club wasn't nearly good enough an eventual 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Union. So, there's reason for concern ahead of Saturday's match at TQL Stadium between FCC and Orlando City SC, a team in a similar situation to Philadelphia in the playoff race,
Orlando City is in fourth place in the Eastern Conference and fighting for its collective playoff life. The club has claimed 20 combined results on an 11-8-9 record (40 points). All that's earned Orlando ahead of its third and final meeting with Cincinnati this season is a three-point cushion between being in position to host a playoff match and missing the playoffs entirely.
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“We know Orlando is a very good team," Marshall said during a Thursday interview. "Coach Óscar Pareja is a very good coach. (I) played under Óscar and I’ve seen his work over the years and know that he’s a coach that is going to bring his team in prepared for us, so we have to make sure we’re ready as well to match their intensity from the get-go.”
That kind of motivation drives on-field performance in a way the individual concerns of FC Cincinnati players and staff simply might not be able to muster.
So far, Cincinnati is winless under Marshall and looking to end the 2021 season in a way that lays a foundation for 2022 and buoys confidence among supporters.
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The Game
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m., TQL Stadium
TV/Radio/stream: Star64/Fox Sports AM 1360/fccincinnati.com.
Series info: Orlando leads the all-time series against FC Cincinnati with a 2-0-2 record.
Cincinnati.com prediction: Orlando City 2, FC Cincinnati 1
FC Cincinnati
Record: 4-16-8, 20 points; 14th in Eastern Conference
Goals for: 29
Goals against: 54
Coach: Tyrone Marshall - interim head coach
Projected starting lineup:
Przemysław Tytoń (GK)
Nick Hagglund, center back (right)
Geoff Cameron, center back (middle)
Tyler Blackett, center back (left)
Zico Bailey, wing back
Florian Valot, wing back
Allan Cruz, midfielder
Luciano Acosta, midfielder
Yuya Kubo, midfielder
Alvaro Barreal, forward
Brenner Souza da Silva, forward
Orlando City SC
Record: 11-8-9, 42 points; fourth place in Eastern Conference
Goals for: 41
Goals against: 41
Coach: Óscar Pareja - second season as Orlando head coach
Projected starting lineup:
Pedro Gallese, GK
Ruan Gregório Teixeira, right back
Antônio Carlos, center back
Robin Jansson, center back
João Moutinho, left back
Júnior Urso, midfielder
Sebas Méndez, midfielder
Benji Michel, forward
Mauricio Pereyra, forward
Nani, forward
Daryl Dike, forward
Player to watch: Orlando City SC's Daryl Dike – Take a close look at Dike if he hits the TQL Stadium field this weekend, and savor what you see, because you might be looking at one of the next great American soccer exports to the European game.
Dike is already a feared MLS goal-scorer but proved his ability to ply his trade abroad during a four-month loan period earlier this year at Barnsley, a second-division English Championship side. There, Dike scored nine times in 19 matches and was key to helping lift Barnsley into the promotion playoffs, which could have resulted in the club rising to the English Premier League but saw them eliminated in the semifinal round.
Dike's been valued at $20 million, and Barnsley balked at the opportunity to permanently take him on after his loan expired but clubs will undoubtedly be back in the market for the player. Dike, who also featured for the U.S. men's national team this past summer, has an eye-popping scoring record in MLS of 14 goals in 24 appearances over the last two seasons.
Noteworthy: Don't expect to see FC Cincinnati left back Ronald Matarrita against Orlando after he played in all three FIFA World Cup qualifying matches for Costa Rica during the recently-concluded international window.
Matarrita played 161 minutes over three matches in Concacaf "octagonal" World Cup qualifying, and assisted on Costa Rica's opening goal against the USMNT in Wednesday's eventual 2-1 "Los Ticos" loss at Lower.com Field in Columbus.
During his Thursday interview, Marshall indicated Matarrita would likely be unavailable against Orlando because of his recent use by the Costa Rican national team. Matarrita has two goals and three assists in 19 appearances for FCC this season.
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