CINCINNATI – With a flurry of signings and acquisitions in a three-day period last week, FC Cincinnati tripled their roster size in preparation for their inaugural Major League Soccer season in 2019.
Three other player announcements have trickled in since then, and FCC president and GM Jeff Berding said Tuesday a few more are on the way.
The club would like to have the bulk of the roster – other than those expected to be added through the SuperDraft on Jan. 11 – to be completed by Christmas.
“We think we're going to have a very exciting, winning team,” Berding said after a groundbreaking ceremony for the club’s new soccer-specific stadium, set to open in 2021. “The final pieces are still coming together. I might be traveling abroad this weekend to go meet with someone. The work doesn't stop. That's the exciting part.”
Cincinnati signed six more players from their final United Soccer League roster in the two days leading up to the expansion draft on Dec. 11, then added six more players on that day, including acquiringAtlanta United defender Greg Garza and Vancouver Whitecaps defender Kendall Waston by trade.
The roster will grow to as many as 30 players but currently is at 17, excluding left winger Roland Lamah, who is still negotiating a contract after the club acquired his rights from FC Dallas through the expansion draft. Berding doesn’t anticipate signing any more USL players, as the nine from FCC’s 2018 roster was the limit the club felt it could take.
“The last few weeks, and especially the last 10 days, have been a whirlwind as we begin to craft our inaugural roster that will take the field for us in March, proudly representing Cincinnati,” Berding said.
Berding said at least one more “pretty big” signing is expected Wednesday, but when asked about specific players who have been linked to FCC, he declined to comment.
Among those Cincinnati is rumored to have interest in are Chilean attacking midfielder Matias Fernandez, who plays for Necaxa of Mexico’s Liga MX, and defender Mathieu Deplagne, who plays for Troyes AC of France’s Ligue 1. FCC also has reportedly shown interest in Portland Timbers defender Alvas Powell.
Berding would only say that a European player is expected to be announced Wednesday. Head coach Alan Koch flew overseas last week and has been meeting with players in several different European countries since shortly after the end of the USL season.
Newly-acquired midfielder Leonardo Bertone, of the Swiss Super League’s BSC Young Boys, said in a news release Tuesday that his personal meeting with Koch – the first coach to come to Switzerland to see him – was what pushed him toward signing. Berding said that is the way he and Koch have been doing it the past two years.
“I think it's important, the coach meeting a player and having a sense of his character and for the coach to be able to talk about the system and the expectations and ensure the player has full buy-in,” Berding said. “We talk about people signing onto the project, and I think to hear directly from Alan what the project represents and what we're requiring, there's a certain character that we like and I think Alan being able to measure them up, and them measure Alan up, and hear about the project ensures it's a good fit.”
