In a week featuring the biggest international men’s soccer match in Cincinnati history. FC Cincinnati is emerging from another losing season. Sunken by an issue also effecting a team they once shared a stadium with.

Tonight will mark the first time Cincinnati hosts a 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying match. As the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team hosts Mexico at TQL Stadium. Starting at 9:10 PM Eastern on ESPN2, Univision and TUDN. The match is a major step for a city vying to host matches in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This match will unfold as FCC nears the end of the first week of their offseason. FC Cincinnati is emerging from another rough season. Finishing in last place in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference yet again.

While the last two seasons featured similar results record-wise. The club struggled for different reasons in those different seasons. After going through long scoreless streaks in 2020. Mirroring the offensive struggles of the 2020 Cincinnati Reds. FCC scored goals but couldn’t hold leads in many matches this year.

Meanwhile, Cincinnati Football will take on South Florida Football in Tampa Bay. Kicking off roughly three hours before the USMNT match on ESPN2. Up until TQL Stadium opened earlier this year; the Cincinnati Bearcats shared Nippert Stadium with FC Cincinnati. The Bearcats are also struggling to close out recent games. Though they’re still managing to close out those games with a win. Keeping their undefeated season and College Football Playoff hopes alive. While FCC let a season that could’ve featured more wins slip away from them.

Closer than expected games are one of the excuses the CFP Selection Committee used to rank Cincinnati No.6. In their initial rankings of the season revealed last week. Had it not been for Michigan State Football falling from the ranks of the unbeaten. Cincinnati’s eight-point homecoming win against Tulsa might’ve hindered their hopes for climbing up in the CFP rankings. Instead, the Bearcats moved up to No.5 in Tuesday’s CFP rankings. 

Blowing out opponents should not be a prerequisite for Cincinnati to move up in the rankings. The Bearcats have worked their way up into national prominence over the last three years. They’re proving they deserve to be considered a CFP contender. Through following up a conference title-winning 2020 season with a 9-0 record so far this season. The Bearcats began 2021 with a close loss to now consensus No.1 Georgia Football in the Peach Bowl. They also beat now No.9 (CFP) Notre Dame Football in South Bend. While reaching a program record No.2 in the AP Top 25.

UC might head into the CFP’s Selection Sunday in the nearly same position they were in last year. They’re striving to go into it as unbeaten American Athletic Conference champions for a second-consecutive season. The fault for UC not qualifying would fall squarely on the committee. Which repeatedly exhibits a lack of respect for Group of Five Conferences like the AAC. No committee can be blamed for FCC’s struggles.

FC Cincinnati collectively faded when it mattered most in matches. Their defense let late leads or ties collapse. While their offense struggled to mount late come backs. Such instances thrashed opportunities for FC Cincinnati to garner some positive momentum. Such as a brief stretch in the summer when FCC was avoiding losses. Winning back-to-back matches then tying back-to-back matches. In a stretch that went from late June into July.

In the last match of that stretch on July 9th; an early 2-0 lead against the rival Columbus Crew slipped away. FC Cincinnati wrapped up the home match with a two-all draw. That draw marked a turning point in the season. Cincinnati won just one match between then and the end of the season. A season that was beginning to show signs of progress went into a tailspin.

FC Cincinnati scored no goals in nine matches after July 9th. Aside from their home win on September 11th against Toronto FC. FC Cincinnati’s best stretch after July 9th was four consecutive draws from July 31-August 18. When FCC wasn’t getting shutout, blown-out or both. The club saw multi-goal leads dwindle away late in the season.

Along with this, FC Cincinnati endured more managerial shakeups in 2021. The club fired manager Jaap Stam late in the season. Becoming part of a revolving door of managers in FCC’s young history. FCC promoted Tyrone Marshall to serve as their interim manager. FC Cincinnati also hired Chris Albright to be their new general manager last month.

Ultimately, FC Cincinnati is gradually showing some signs of improvement on the pitch. Even though their record doesn’t reflect it. FCC had two goal-less streaks stretching over 1,000 minutes of play combined in 2020. This year, the club was more offensively aggressive. Particularly in the first half of their matches. Scoring in 37 goals in 34 matches during their 2021 campaign. Compared to 12 goals in 23 matches in their pandemic shortened 2020 season.

If FCC can manage to close out matches efficiently going forward. Along with having some managerial stability for a change. The gradual signs of improvement will begin to be seen in the win column.