Cincinnati Soccer Talk

Highlights from this week's show. Back-to-back home wins for FCC as the season starts to heat up. Cincinnati gets a big statement win under their belt while Matt Miazga shares wise words about not rushing into picking winners this early in the season. We can't help but take in the moment as we dive into this match and touch on the good and bad. Bryan, Brian, and Boston are joined by the rare Coach Gough appearance this week. Check it out Cincinnati Soccer Talk is sponsored by Apollo Home! Click that banner at the top of our site for all your home improvement needs. We love supporting local companies and are lucky enough to have partners that care about local soccer. Join us! #MLS #FCCincinnati #soccer Become a Patron! Special thanks to this week's newest Patrons Subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk Don't forget you can now download and subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk on iTunes today! The podcast can also be found on Stitcher Smart Radio now. We're also available in the Google Play Store and NOW ON SPOTIFY! As always we'd love your feedback about our podcast! You can email the show at feedback@cincinnatisoccertalk.com. We'd love for you to join us on our Facebook page as well! Like us at Facebook.com/CincinnatiSoccerTalk. The show's RSS feed is https://cincinnatisoccertalk.libsyn.com/rss

Time to break out the winter scarves for this weekend's first big away trip to the chilly confines of Saint Paul. FC Cincinnati makes another heralded trek to Minnesota United, hoping to stitch multiple solid performances together. The Orange & Blue have left their history in the past, winning their last two visits to Allianz Field and leaving all memories of their worst loss ever in the snowdrifts. As much as Cincinnati has kept their roster primarily constant in the offseason, the Loons have endured a very turbulent winter with a roster that looks quite different. The promise of superstar James Rodrigues has been tempered with the uncertainty of new head coach Cam Knowles, but the first match at least brought a point back to their home opener. We talk with Dan from The Loony Bin Podcast to analyze the roster shifts and expectations. Can Minnesota alter the trend of Cincinnati taking the wins? Will we hear "Wonderwall" or "Mr. Brightside" after 90 minutes? Tune in and trade threads with us! #MLS #FCCincinnati #soccer Become a Patron! Subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk Don't forget you can now download and subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk on iTunes today! The podcast can also be found on Stitcher Smart Radio now. We're also available in the Google Play Store and NOW ON SPOTIFY! As always we'd love your feedback about our podcast! You can email the show at feedback@cincinnatisoccertalk.com. We'd love for you to join us on our Facebook page as well! Like us at Facebook.com/CincinnatiSoccerTalk.

With the midweek win done and dusted, we can finally focus on the meat and potatoes of the MLS regular season! Just two months away from competition feels like a hunger strike, especially after watching That Team From Florida enjoy all the fine dining last December. FC Cincinnati heads into Season 5 under Pat Noonan with some big statements to make, but let's not forget that this weekend's opponent experienced bigger disappointment after promises of gold. Atlanta United brought the band back together by rehiring their best conductor, Tata Martino, to helm the sidelines. What can we expect out of the "5 Stripes" with a similar roster and a more familiar head coach? We've brought in an old friend to the show, Tyler Pilgrim from Scarves & Spikes, to set the table for Saturday. Can Atlanta bring back the golden days of the 2010s and get back on the medal stand again? What will the Starting XI look like under Martino's guidance? Tune in and trade threads with us! #MLS #FCCincinnati #soccer Become a Patron! Subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk Don't forget you can now download and subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk on iTunes today! The podcast can also be found on Stitcher Smart Radio now. We're also available in the Google Play Store and NOW ON SPOTIFY! As always we'd love your feedback about our podcast! You can email the show at feedback@cincinnatisoccertalk.com. We'd love for you to join us on our Facebook page as well! Like us at Facebook.com/CincinnatiSoccerTalk.

One week until meaningful soccer and the launch of a promising FC Cincinnati season! We enter Year 11 the same way as last season, with the Orange & Blue leaving the country for CONCACAF Champions Cup coverage. Soon enough, the MLS season also starts with designated players Evander, Miles Robinson, and Kevin Denkey leading a talented roster. But what are we really looking at? How promising and hopeful are we that this roster can use consistency and build from last season's hard work? We ask the FC Cincinnati radio broadcast team, Tommy G. and Kevin McCloskey, what they think about this roster and the long road ahead. (And perhaps a bit about the big tournament this summer!) Tune in and trade threads with us! #MLS #FCCincinnati #soccer Become a Patron! Subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk Don't forget you can now download and subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk on iTunes today! The podcast can also be found on Stitcher Smart Radio now. We're also available in the Google Play Store and NOW ON SPOTIFY! As always we'd love your feedback about our podcast! You can email the show at feedback@cincinnatisoccertalk.com. We'd love for you to join us on our Facebook page as well! Like us at Facebook.com/CincinnatiSoccerTalk.

FC Cincinnati has officially played ten years of soccer for the Queen City. Fans have experienced a decade of the highest highs and lowest lows, and we here at Cincinnati Soccer Talk have been there every minute along the way. We've held wooden spoons and supporter shields with the fans. We've held the microphones in front of the players and coaches. Ever since the hosts met for their first podcast in February of 2016, CST has worked to paint the picture of Cincinnati as a soccer city. (In some cases, that paint involved actual body paint!) To open the year's first Jersey Swap podcast, we've brought in some of our alumni—Nick Seuberling, Bryan Weigel, and Bill Wolf—to talk about CST's origins and best moments. Additionally, we ask them about how confident we feel about the 2026 season. And maybe we wrap things up with a quiz to see how well the triad remember that first season! Tune in and trade threads with us! #MLS #FCCincinnati #soccer Become a Patron! Subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk Don't forget you can now download and subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk on iTunes today! The podcast can also be found on Stitcher Smart Radio now. We're also available in the Google Play Store and NOW ON SPOTIFY! As always we'd love your feedback about our podcast! You can email the show at feedback@cincinnatisoccertalk.com. We'd love for you to join us on our Facebook page as well! Like us at Facebook.com/CincinnatiSoccerTalk.

The year 2025 was a mixed blessing for FC Cincinnati fans, but there's always more promise on the horizon. As much as the Orange & Blue left points on the table, they were still much closer to success than the 2024 season provided. However, 2026 is already weeks away, bringing with it big challenges for both club and country. What can Cincinnati do to build for the next year? What teams have already started to pack their shopping carts with talent? And while we're at it, how does the recent World Cup draw look for all of its qualified teams? We mosey up to a table with our special guest Tom Bogert from The Athletic and Soccerwise to close the book on the past season and open the next for 2026. What teams does Tommy Scoops see capitalizing on the transfer market? Tune in and trade threads with us! #MLS #FCCincinnati #soccer Become a Patron! Subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk Don't forget you can now download and subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk on iTunes today! The podcast can also be found on Stitcher Smart Radio now. We're also available in the Google Play Store and NOW ON SPOTIFY! As always we'd love your feedback about our podcast! You can email the show at feedback@cincinnatisoccertalk.com. We'd love for you to join us on our Facebook page as well! Like us at Facebook.com/CincinnatiSoccerTalk.

The sun has sadly set on FC Cincinnati for 2025. At least we can take pride in taking down our in-state rivals, but the cataclysmic wipeout against the eventual MLS Cup winners left fans searching for answers. What is it that we can glean from our 2025 squad, considering how much had to be fixed in the past offseason? Has the ship been steered toward a productive 2026, or are we still patching the leaks in the hull? We go on location to talk with stats insider Nate Gilman to crack the Orange & Blue's eggshell before we figure out to put them back together. Tune in and trade threads with us! #MLS #FCCincinnati #soccer Become a Patron! Subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk Don't forget you can now download and subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk on iTunes today! The podcast can also be found on Stitcher Smart Radio now. We're also available in the Google Play Store and NOW ON SPOTIFY! As always we'd love your feedback about our podcast! You can email the show at feedback@cincinnatisoccertalk.com. We'd love for you to join us on our Facebook page as well! Like us at Facebook.com/CincinnatiSoccerTalk.

We've gotten the dirt sheet on the opposition, but is there more to surmise? Can FC Cincinnati ride momentum to achieve the heights from two years ago? What actually are the chances that the underdog wins? (And when we say "underdog", are we actually talking about Inter Miami?) We sit down with Jake Zivin, the play-by-play broadcaster for Sunday's Eastern Conference semifinal matchup at TQL. It's easy to give opinions on the MVP candidates and designated players, but who does Jake think could play the X-factor? Is there anything either squad should avoid from their respective mid-series losses? Tune in and trade threads with us! #MLS #FCCincinnati #soccer Become a Patron! Subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk Don't forget you can now download and subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk on iTunes today! The podcast can also be found on Stitcher Smart Radio now. We're also available in the Google Play Store and NOW ON SPOTIFY! As always we'd love your feedback about our podcast! You can email the show at feedback@cincinnatisoccertalk.com. We'd love for you to join us on our Facebook page as well! Like us at Facebook.com/CincinnatiSoccerTalk.

Has your pulse returned to normal yet? After scratching out a seismic win that may have altered the soccer landscape in Ohio, the Orange & Blue have to take on the GOAT in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The victor between FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami just might be the heavy favorite to win the East. While Cincinnati has had Miami's number this season, we know what happened the last time both teams squared off in an elimination game. Can either side reverse-jinx the other? We bring back Kris from the Battered Herons to ask his thoughts on this season's Miami squad. Yes, Messi has just about everyone else's number, but is it possible to constrain the potent offense and pierce the susceptible defense? Does Miami need to tinker with the team, or is the performance displayed against Nashville enough to move on? Tune in and trade threads with us! #MLS #FCCincinnati #soccer Become a Patron! Subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk Don't forget you can now download and subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk on iTunes today! The podcast can also be found on Stitcher Smart Radio now. We're also available in the Google Play Store and NOW ON SPOTIFY! As always we'd love your feedback about our podcast! You can email the show at feedback@cincinnatisoccertalk.com. We'd love for you to join us on our Facebook page as well! Like us at Facebook.com/CincinnatiSoccerTalk.

Saturday's pivotal match between FC Cincinnati and Columbus Crew will give local fans fits of dread and positivity. So many phantoms lurk from the past two seasons alone. Still, from the perspective of a third party, what are the chances that snowball in hell melts or freezes? Can Cincinnati rebound from the devastation of Match #2? Can Columbus avoid another letdown in the Queen City? To get finer points on the match, we've asked MLS Season Pass color commentator and analyst Danny Higginbotham to provide his two cents. Where does this season's "Hell Is Real" derby belong in the pantheon of soccer rivalries? What does it take for a team to capitalize in elimination games like these? Who from either side needs to produce an individual performance that lifts their team to the next round? Tune in and trade threads with us! #MLS #FCCincinnati #soccer Become a Patron! Subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk Don't forget you can now download and subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk on iTunes today! The podcast can also be found on Stitcher Smart Radio now. We're also available in the Google Play Store and NOW ON SPOTIFY! As always we'd love your feedback about our podcast! You can email the show at feedback@cincinnatisoccertalk.com. We'd love for you to join us on our Facebook page as well! Like us at Facebook.com/CincinnatiSoccerTalk.

With one win under their belt, FC Cincinnati looks to close things against their bitter rivals, but how dangerous is a wounded animal? Columbus has the potential to keep the series alive with a trip back to Lower.com Field this weekend, but what are we to say after everything that took place in Match #1? Do the Crew have a lifeline left? We sit down with Patrick, the managing editor from Massive Report, to process and dissect the 1-0 Cincinnati win last Monday. What went right enough for fans in Columbus to feel good about their chances in the next match? Where do the likes of Daniel Gazdag and Jacen Russell-Rowe fit into a possible Starting XI? What does Nancy need from his team to extend this to a third match? Tune in and trade threads with us! #MLS #FCCincinnati #soccer Become a Patron! Subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk Don't forget you can now download and subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk on iTunes today! The podcast can also be found on Stitcher Smart Radio now. We're also available in the Google Play Store and NOW ON SPOTIFY! As always we'd love your feedback about our podcast! You can email the show at feedback@cincinnatisoccertalk.com. We'd love for you to join us on our Facebook page as well! Like us at Facebook.com/CincinnatiSoccerTalk.

With the Supporters' Shield landing just out of their reach, FC Cincinnati turns the page and walks the treacherous path to the MLS Cup. The first obstacle is, unfortunately, one they have had trouble climbing. The "Hell Is Real" Derby again takes place in the postseason, but this one requires two wins to advance. The Orange & Blue take on Columbus Crew in the first round, the first matchup taking place at home on Monday. Columbus had the upper hand at TQL Stadium this season, but that was over three months ago. Both teams have made it to the playoffs, but while Cincinnati has managed to stay above water, the Crew have been decimated by the injury bug that hit FCC hard last year. We ask Ty Fisher from Massive Report about the hardships the Crew have endured, but also about what could work against Cincinnati. Will Diego Rossi's return be enough of a spark to supercharge the offense? Has Daniel Gazdag been a bust, or is his just lying in wait? Who takes this best-of-three series in the end (and will Geoff stop predicting disasters)? Tune in and trade threads with us! #MLS #FCCincinnati #soccer Become a Patron! Subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk Don't forget you can now download and subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk on iTunes today! The podcast can also be found on Stitcher Smart Radio now. We're also available in the Google Play Store and NOW ON SPOTIFY! As always we'd love your feedback about our podcast! You can email the show at feedback@cincinnatisoccertalk.com. We'd love for you to join us on our Facebook page as well! Like us at Facebook.com/CincinnatiSoccerTalk.

One more match at TQL, and the FC Cincinnati regular season is officially in the books. It may depend on who you ask, but the Noonan-Albright Era appears to be the gold standard, achieving heights that were not expected on Day 1. It's easy to call a finish in the Top 3 a success. On the other hand, how did this season look from the outside? For such promising transfer markets in the winter and summer, did FC Cincinnati fall short of the mark? David Gass joins Geoff and Coach Gough for a special double-wide Jersey Swap to close out the regular season. We ask the founder and host of Soccerwise about the launch of his new endeavor this year and his perception of FC Cincinnati from a distance. What are his thoughts on the roster and staff as they power into the postseason? What is holding the Orange & Blue back from another trophy in the case? Most of all, who from FCC does he feel would fit his theorem and have a terrific year in 2026? Tune in and trade threads with us! #MLS #FCCincinnati #soccer Become a Patron! Subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk Don't forget you can now download and subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk on iTunes today! The podcast can also be found on Stitcher Smart Radio now. We're also available in the Google Play Store and NOW ON SPOTIFY! As always we'd love your feedback about our podcast! You can email the show at feedback@cincinnatisoccertalk.com. We'd love for you to join us on our Facebook page as well! Like us at Facebook.com/CincinnatiSoccerTalk.

The 2025 MLS regular season finally comes to an end with FC Cincinnati hosting CF Montreal for the finale. A win for Cincinnati gets them the #2 seed in the East, while a Montreal win will provide some morale for a disappointing season. Both teams have a lot to review over the offseason, but for Montreal, that review comes much sooner. Le Bleu-Blanc-Noir endured a difficult season with a premature sacking and a fire sale to salvage what assets could be recaptured. However, Montreal still have a fear factor in them, having won four of their six matches on the road. We invite Andy from The Ball Is Round to understand how the team can build anew in the offseason and the sort of coach Montreal needs for the future. (And we talk a little bit about the Canadian National Team's roster build on the way to the World Cup.) Tune in and trade threads with us! #MLS #FCCincinnati #soccer Become a Patron! Subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk Don't forget you can now download and subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk on iTunes today! The podcast can also be found on Stitcher Smart Radio now. We're also available in the Google Play Store and NOW ON SPOTIFY! As always we'd love your feedback about our podcast! You can email the show at feedback@cincinnatisoccertalk.com. We'd love for you to join us on our Facebook page as well! Like us at Facebook.com/CincinnatiSoccerTalk.

Ask any FC Cincinnati fan who they consider to be our biggest rival during the Noonan-Albright Era, and you'll likely get an overall consensus in Columbus. However, in terms of sheer frequency, some may suggest the New York Red Bulls. The 2017 U.S. Open Cup semifinal loss, the Frankie Amaya trade, the MLS playoff tangles, the Matt Miazga "Pizza-Gate" game...need we say more? However, before this late-season matchup could take place, fate had different plans. Chicago's win over Miami means that the Red Bulls have missed the playoffs for the first time since 2009. The degree of competitiveness may be lower, but the match still should mean something in the standings. We ask Mark from the Seeing Red Podcast to pass judgement on this season's Red Bulls, especially after last season's deep advancement. What went wrong with the roster build? What happened with the rumored summer transfers? How should we view the upcoming matchup? Tune in and trade threads with us! #MLS #FCCincinnati #soccer Become a Patron! Subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk Don't forget you can now download and subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk on iTunes today! The podcast can also be found on Stitcher Smart Radio now. We're also available in the Google Play Store and NOW ON SPOTIFY! As always we'd love your feedback about our podcast! You can email the show at feedback@cincinnatisoccertalk.com. We'd love for you to join us on our Facebook page as well! Like us at Facebook.com/CincinnatiSoccerTalk.

What's better than one Jersey Swap? Two of them in one week! That's how meaty this matchup between Cincinnati and Orlando is. To kick off a special "Sunday Night Soccer" version of the pod, we chat with MLS Season Pass on AppleTV's very own Andrew Wiebe to talk soccer in the Queen City. It's been over six years since Andrew attended the first march to Nippert Stadium in the FCC MLS era, so we reminisce a little before chewing the fat and biting through this exciting matchup. All this talk of food reminds us--perhaps there is a Cincinnati chili parlor we could recommend to Andrew? Tune in and trade threads with us for this special podcast! #MLS #FCCincinnati #soccer Become a Patron! Subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk Don't forget you can now download and subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk on iTunes today! The podcast can also be found on Stitcher Smart Radio now. We're also available in the Google Play Store and NOW ON SPOTIFY! As always we'd love your feedback about our podcast! You can email the show at feedback@cincinnatisoccertalk.com. We'd love for you to join us on our Facebook page as well! Like us at Facebook.com/CincinnatiSoccerTalk.

It's time for the MLS Cup playoffs to come into form, and the top of the table is getting crowded. Your Orange & Blue are nipping at the leaders' heels, but they need to look over their shoulder to see the peloton looming close, including a solid Orlando City SC team wanting silverware. FC Cincinnati rode an Evander brace to take the away leg, but Orlando's still performed well at TQL. We bring Luis from Loud & Proud Orlando to talk about the Wingless Lions and their typically strong push for the postseason. Can Orlando aim higher than last season's finish? Does head coach Oscar Pareja have the talent in their high-risk-high-reward roster build? Who will play the role of spoiler to capture all three points? Tune in and trade threads with us! #MLS #FCCincinnati #soccer Become a Patron! Subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk Don't forget you can now download and subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk on iTunes today! The podcast can also be found on Stitcher Smart Radio now. We're also available in the Google Play Store and NOW ON SPOTIFY! As always we'd love your feedback about our podcast! You can email the show at feedback@cincinnatisoccertalk.com. We'd love for you to join us on our Facebook page as well! Like us at Facebook.com/CincinnatiSoccerTalk.

It took a few attempts, but FC Cincinnati finally punched their ticket to the playoffs for the fourth time under Pat Noonan. There are still some obstacles along the way to the MLS Cup, including the team that won the entire hill of beans last season. The public was sufficiently amazed when the Los Angeles Galaxy tiptoed around the competition and beat the Red Bulls for their sixth cup. However, their rough stumble out of the blocks this season was perhaps even more shocking. Still, is it wise to dismiss this year's Galaxy squad as being inefficient and toothless? We sit down with Edgar from News Across the Galaxy to ask what has gone wrong this season, but also what could go very right under the right conditions. Could the Galaxy be the first Western Conference squad to beat the Orange & Blue this season? Just how can Greg Vanney get his team to pull off a big win on the West Coast? Tune in and trade threads with us! #MLS #FCCincinnati #soccer Become a Patron! Subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk Don't forget you can now download and subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk on iTunes today! The podcast can also be found on Stitcher Smart Radio now. We're also available in the Google Play Store and NOW ON SPOTIFY! As always we'd love your feedback about our podcast! You can email the show at feedback@cincinnatisoccertalk.com. We'd love for you to join us on our Facebook page as well! Like us at Facebook.com/CincinnatiSoccerTalk.

It's been a while since both teams have had similar levels of playoff fever, but FC Cincinnati and Nashville SC are both in positions to qualify for the MLS Cup playoffs. The big question then becomes...which team qualifies first? While Pat Noonan's branch of the Philadelphia coaching pipeline has produced repeated dividends, let's not forget that B.J. Callaghan was coaching aside Jim Curtin first with the Union. Callaghan has Nashville on the brink of returning to the playoffs after missing it in 2024. We chat with Wes from Club & Country to dissect the Nashville squad and ask if the recent swoon is a cause for concern. On the heels of a 12-match undefeated streak and a deep U.S. Open Cup run, was the team wise to not bring in new talent during the transfer window? And when the rubber hits the road—we both loved that tire pun—which team will leave TQL with the better result? Tune in and trade threads with us! #MLS #FCCincinnati #soccer Become a Patron! Subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk Don't forget you can now download and subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk on iTunes today! The podcast can also be found on Stitcher Smart Radio now. We're also available in the Google Play Store and NOW ON SPOTIFY! As always we'd love your feedback about our podcast! You can email the show at feedback@cincinnatisoccertalk.com. We'd love for you to join us on our Facebook page as well! Like us at Facebook.com/CincinnatiSoccerTalk.

It's time to travel the globe for another Jersey Swap! With the international break upon us, the podcast also strays over the borders to talk FIFA World Cup soccer. With the world's biggest soccer event less than 300 days away, how prepared are the national teams getting? The United States have been notable for their chaos during the preparation stages, but what about their next friendly opponents? South Korea and Japan have already qualified, so the United States will be seeing teams that could be close to the finished product. We bring in our friend across the globe Dan Orlowitz after the jet lag to discuss the upcoming match between the United States and Japan. Head coach Hajime Moriyasu has Japan equipped for 2026, but does Mauricio Pochettino have the same command of the United States roster? What sort of play could we see out of Japan's own "golden generation" of superstars? How big of a result do both teams need in their Tuesday night matchup at Lower.com Field? Tune in and trade threads with us! #MLS #FCCincinnati #soccer Become a Patron! Subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk Don't forget you can now download and subscribe to Cincinnati Soccer Talk on iTunes today! The podcast can also be found on Stitcher Smart Radio now. We're also available in the Google Play Store and NOW ON SPOTIFY! As always we'd love your feedback about our podcast! You can email the show at feedback@cincinnatisoccertalk.com. We'd love for you to join us on our Facebook page as well! Like us at Facebook.com/CincinnatiSoccerTalk.