LOUISVILLE, Ky. – On Jan. 7, the United Soccer League announced the addition of seven new clubs to the league, with six of the seven beginning play in 2016. One of the newest clubs and Louisville City FC’s closest geographic rival, FC Cincinnati, will kick off its inaugural season in March.
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The Eastern Conference newcomers will play Louisville City FC three times in the 2016 in the regular season — with meetings scheduled on June 25 at Louisville Slugger Field, and on April 16 and July 23 in Cincinnati.
The teams will play a total of three matches against each other in the 2016 regular season. With only 100 miles separating the two cities, much is to be played for. In the spirit of the rivalry, the Clubs will compete for an annual trophy to crown the winner of the season series.
A supporter-driven #NameTheCup campaign launched on Wednesday with four tickets to one of the three head-to-head matchups going to the fan that tweets the winning name.
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Louisville City FC will begin regular season play on March 26 at Charlotte Independence. LouCity then returns to Louisville Slugger Field on April 2 to host New York Red Bulls II in the home opener, with a special 3 p.m. kickoff.
Fans can stay up to date with all of Louisville City’s breaking news, roster updates and ticketing information by following the Club on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Season tickets are available for Louisville City’s historic second season via the Club’s official website.
FC Cincinnati was the second of the seven new clubs to announce its formation. The Queen City team announced its intentions to begin play in 2016 on Aug. 12, 2015. Carl Linder III, a former owner of Major League Baseball’s Cincinnati Reds, heads up the club.
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“It is with great excitement that we welcome FC Cincinnati to the USL,” USL CEO Alec Papadakis said. “We are equally excited and proud to welcome Carl Lindner III, a most distinguished resident of Cincinnati, to our league’s ownership. Mr. Lindner is known nationally for his vast business achievements, as well as his expertise in the sports business as the former owner of the Cincinnati Reds.”
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Jeff Berding, a former executive for the Cincinnati Bengals, will serve as the club’s president and general manager.
“In addition, we enthusiastically welcome Jeff Berding, a longtime senior executive with the Cincinnati Bengals, as a minority owner and President of FC Cincinnati. The combined experience of this ownership and management team will ensure that FC Cincinnati is destined to become a soccer stronghold on the Ohio River,” Papadakis said.
Due to the close proximity of the teams and the fact that both cities are on the Ohio River, Louisville City and FC CIncinnati expect to be competitive rivals for the foreseeable future.
The club will play its games at Nippert Stadium, which is the home of the University of Cincinnati football team. John Harkes, a former player in the English Premier League and for the United States Men’s National Team, was named coach of the team. FC Cincinnati will begin play in 2016 as part of the Eastern Conference.
