FC Cincinnati beat their local rivals and USL Eastern Conference leaders Louisville City FC 2-0 on an extremely hot day at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati. Louisville had a 17 match unbeaten streak snapped by the shutout. Andrew Wiedeman and Sean Okoli both scored for Cincinnati. Another stellar crowd of 20,151 showed up for the final match of the River City Rivalry for this season. Cincinnati won the rivalry on goal differential of one due to each team winning and having a draw against each other.
John Harkes the head coach for Cincinnati called midfielder Corben Bone his player of the match stating, “The way he led from the midfield position was excellent. He created a lot, he defended as well. He put guys in good spots.”
The temperature today was 100°F with the pitch normally being 10-15 degrees hotter. Commenting on the heat Cincinnati’s Wiedeman said, “It was probably the hottest pitch I have ever played on. Ten minutes in we are walking on the sides of our feet because it was so damn hot.”
The result today combining with the New York Red Bulls II loss against the Charleston Battery means Cincinnati was able to pick up three points on both of the teams ahead of them in the table. They continue to sit third, four points behind New York and five behind Louisville with one game more to play.
Cincinnati was able to control play this match for periods of the match, unlike the last two against Louisville where they were on their heels for the majority of the matches. Louisville outshot Cincinnati 15 to 10 but could only manage to get three on target to Cincinnati’s seven. They were able to put shots close to goal hitting the woodwork twice, just none finding the back of the net.
The goal for Wiedeman was his fourth of the season and it was Okoli’s ninth, increasing his team lead in goals to four over Jimmy McLaughlin. Hildebrandt was able to get his fifth shutout after a solid day from him and the rest of his back line.
The first half was a little bit of a chippy affair with six fouls and a caution for the hosts and eight for the visitors with two yellow cards. Wiedeman scored first for Cincinnati collecting the ball off a missed header and fired it into the net.
In the second half Cincinnati was able to continue to give Louisville a rough way to go but their defense was giving up some quality chances to Louisville. Okoli doubled Cincinnati’s lead off a header off a corner sent in by Bone. Hildebrandt had a very good half, making two saves and responding well to balls sent into the box.
Moments in the Match
Starting off with a handful of Louisville fouls through the first ten minutes.
Harrison Delbridge clattered into goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsing in the 11’ off a set piece committing a foul off a set piece from the midfield. On the ensuing possession for Cincinnati there was a penalty shout when Sean Okoli was tripped just inside the box by a Louisville defender before the ball went out for a goal kick.
The first yellow card of the game went to Louisville’s Andrew Lubhan in the 16’ for a foul on Bone. Louisville’s Guy Abend gained the second in the 30’ after a foul on Jimmy McLaughlin.
Cincinnati got on the score sheet first in the 39’ by way of Wiedeman who came across the ball in the box and hit it across the face of goal past the keeper. The goal came off a set piece where Louisville’s Paco Craig missed the second header and Wiedeman collected the ball and put it in from the top of the six yard box.
Austin Berry picked up the first yellow for Cincinnati in the 45 + 1’ for a foul just outside the box. The resulting free kick ended up in the side netting for a goal kick from Aodhan Quinn.
Louisville’s Aodhan Quinn picked up the third yellow for his team after taking down Eric Stevenson just past midfield in the 50’.
Louisville had a good shot from Magnus Rasmussen from outside the box that hit the post and came back into play. The scrum for the ball turned into nothing from a dangerous position.
Okoli scored the second goal for Cincinnati in the 59’ off a corner from Corben Bone. The ball was perfect from Bone, right at the edge of the six-yard box where Okoli powered a header home to double the lead. Okoli was subbed off four minutes later for Omar Mohomed.
Bone picked up a delayed yellow in the 72’ for an infraction seen by the linesman on the far side.
Louisville put on the pressure in the 74’ when Mark-Anthony Kaye hit the top crossbar on a shot from the outside the box leading to a goal kick.
In the final few minutes Louisville was able to put on a little pressure but never had a quality chance. Cincinnati was able shut down their attack and counter a couple times putting shots toward the goal.
