Football Season Guide

FC Cincinnati will look to avoid the teething problems suffered by expansion clubs but have been handed a tough start to their inaugural season in the MLS. Of the last five expansion clubs, only Atlanta United and Los Angeles FC have enjoyed successful first year in the MLS but the two teams had been backed by heavy investment to build up their roster. There has not been any such luck for Alan Koch though Cincinnati have brought in a few solid options. There has not been any big name DP signing for Koch with Fanendo Adi and Allan Cruz currently occupying the two Designated Player slots. Adi comes with loads of MLS experience, having been with Portland for five years, but his output has been on a downward trajectory in the last three years. He is expected to be supported by Kekuta Manneh, Darren Mattocks and Roland Lamah in the attack, with Manneh desperate to recapture the potential he had shown with Vancouver while Lamah also enjoyed some decent outings with FC Dallas. With regards to the midfield, Victor Ulloa has been a consistent performer for Dallas in recent campaigns while Cruz will be a regular once he gets acclimatized to the league. Eric Alexander has been the preferred option for Koch during pre-season and the midfielder is expected to be first choice when the campaign kicks off Cincinnati have also bagged Kendall Waston who has been one of the best central defenders in the Western Conference in the last couple of years and is expected to be paired with Nick Hagglund while Alvas Powell and Greg Garza will be manning the flanks of the defense. All in all Cincinnati do have a decent roster but are expected to struggle near the bottom end of a highly competitive Eastern Conference