This is one of the only times you will see FC Cincinnati smile after a playoff loss.
It was a season filled with broken records, fantastic goals, and yes - heartbreak (something Cincinnati has gotten used to). But when the referee blew his whistle for one last time at Nippert Stadium the fans still sang. The Bailey still remained on the North side of the stadium cheering on their team. Although the players were devastated by the shock loss, the fans would not let them forget how amazing the season was.
Humble Beginnings
Being from Cincinnati and loving soccer was difficult. With no professional team to represent the city, the choice of teams to support was limited. There was no real push for soccer in the Queen City. The Cincinnati Saints tried to gain some ground, but they just couldn't strike gold.
When Jeff Berding and company announced a new, professional team was coming to Cincinnati, things changed. Besides the Saints moving to Dayton (now known as the Dayton Dynamo), fan support shifted. The team is backed by the famous Lindner family, U.S. Men's National Team legend John Harkes is the coach, and now people are saying "Hey, this team doesn't seem so bad!"
What FC Cincinnati did best was not only promote their team but promote the sport of soccer. Now people are tuning into NBC Sports during the weekends. They're watching MLS and waiting for the national team to play. This is something the city of Cincinnati has never seen before.
It wasn't like Cincinnati lost its lust during the season. Not only did they compete, but they challenged the big teams. Despite losing six matches this season, five out of those six came by a margin of one. The other result was by two.
They managed to schedule a midseason friendly with Crystal Palace. Not only that, but they sold out the stadium and brought in 35,000 fans. Oh, and their playoff game drew 30,187 people.
FC Cincinnati also had the blessing of Golden Boot winner Sean Ugo Okoli, who had 16 goals this year.
What's Next?
30,000+ showed up to the playoff game against the Charleston Battery. 35,000 (sold out) attended the midseason friendly against Crystal Palace. It is known that MLS has Cincinnati on its list of possible expansion teams.
This is (technically) the third division of U.S. soccer. The first division (MLS) isn't the top tier of world soccer, and Americans naturally want the best of the best. Seats were being filled for a division nobody had heard of until the team was announced. Many never knew there were divisions lower than MLS. But that didn't matter. What mattered was this team made people stand and cheer. This team gave people something to talk about. Never would I have guessed the names Sean Okoli and Mitch Hildebrandt would be known by everyone because they are soccer players for Cincinnati's team.
The push for MLS expansion is alive and will be until it's official. The front office is doing their part, and the Bailey and the rest of FC Cincinnati's faithful will stand with their team - no matter what division they're in.