After navigating through a brief offseason full of arrivals and departures. FC Cincinnati kicks off a new season with some continuity and a packed schedule.

FC Cincinnati began their season in earnest this week. Beginning their first CONCACAF Champions Cup campaign with a win on Thursday. Beating Cavalier FC 2-0 in the first leg of that tournament in Jamaica. Along with starting their MLS Supporters Shield title defense this weekend. Hosting Toronto FC this Sunday at 2:30 PM Eastern on Apple TV and WSAI-AM (1360).

The orange and blue head into this season amid a winter of changes. Earlier this week, reports surfaced that midfielder Alvaro Barreal could be heading to Brazil. Through a loan with Brazil’s Cruzerio Esporte Clube. Brandon Vazquez transferred to Liga MX’s Monterrey earlier this year. Meanwhile, FC Cincinnati added Vazquez’s United States Men’s National teammate Miles Robinson to their roster.

Last December, FC Cincinnati declined their club options for five players. Santiago Arias, Dominique Badji, Ray Gaddis, Yuya Kubo and Harrison Robledo. Leaving their futures with the club in doubt heading into the start of winter. Junior Moreno’s contract also expired, along with Yerson Mosquera’s loan from England’s Wolverhampton Wanderers. The club engaged in off-season talks with all of those players. 

Kubo is the only one of those five players returning to FCC this year; after he re-signed with the club last December. Santiago Arias is now with Brazilian club Bahia. Dominique Badji is now playing for a club in Turkey. Junior Moreno now plays in Saudi Arabia and Yerson Mosquera now plays for Spanish La Liga club Villarreal. Ray Gaddis, who came out of retirement to play for FCC last year, is not on FCC’s roster this year. Harrison Robledo was elevated to the roster from FC Cincinnati’s academy. Robledo isn’t listed on FC Cincinnati’s roster as this season begins.

After the success FC Cincinnati had in the last two seasons. Along with some players expressing their desire to play in a higher profile league. It was hard to imagine FC Cincinnati would be able to keep last year’s roster intact. Despite losing Vazquez and likely Barreal too. Several familiar faces will be back with the team this season.

2023 MLS Most Valuable Player award winner Luciano Acosta is staying in Cincinnati. Acosta is joined in the midfield by FCC’s new midfielder Pavel Bucha. The 25-year-old Bucha was acquired from top-tier Czech Republic club Viktoria Plzen earlier this month. Forward Aaron Boupendza is also staying with FC Cincinnati. Defenders Matt Miazga and Ian Murphy are back with FC Cincinnati too. Along with goalkeepers Roman Celentano and Alec Kann. Veteran defender and greater Cincinnati native Nick Hagglund is sticking with FCC as well.

Along with this, FC Cincinnati’s coaching staff is sticking together. Earlier this week, FCC announced long term extensions with several coaching staff members. Assistant and development coach Ricardo Paez and director of goalkeeping Paul Rogers received contract extensions. Along with assistant coaches Kenny Arena and Dominic Kinnear. All four have been part of head coach Pat Noonan’s staff since Noonan was hired by FCC in 2021. 

Meanwhile, Major League Soccer has several issues to deal with as this season begins. Those issues include an ongoing referee lockout. MLS matches will feature replacement referees until the lockout concludes. This is the first time since 2014 that MLS referees are being locked out. That lockout lasted through the first two weeks of the season.

Meanwhile, MLS is refusing to have their senior teams compete in the U.S. Open Cup. To the disapproval of the U.S. Soccer Federation and dismay of other American soccer leagues. Presenting uncertainty for America’s oldest soccer tournament. MLS Next Pro teams including FC Cincinnati 2 could play in their MLS counterpart’s place. Frustration over schedule congestion is a motivating factor behind MLS’s move.

For example, FC Cincinnati had several weeks where they played more than one match. They had to juggle between MLS regular season play, the U.S. Open Cup and the Leagues Cup. The success FCC had last season stretched their season from February into early December. Then add national team commitments into the mix. That gave FCC and other MLS teams little time to rest between games.

Even if FC Cincinnati doesn’t participate in the U.S. Open Cup. A tournament that helped put FC Cincinnati on the national soccer map. The orange and blue will have a lot on their plate this year. Presenting the club with the challenge of continuing their recent success. The club’s off-season moves leave the club in decent shape to take on that challenge.