We begin our in-depth coverage of the newly promoted teams with analysis of USL Outfit FC Cincinnati.
FC Cincinnati make their long awaited Major League Soccer debut in 2019 after learning of their schedule yesterday afternoon. It will be interesting to see how the new team does as in the last couple of season's barring Orlando City SC have at least made the MLS playoffs.
Alan Koch’s side will be hoping they can make a real impact this season and so will we from an MLS Fantasy point of view. FC Cincinnati kick off their inaugural MLS campaign with two "road" games against Seattle Sounders and Atlanta United.
THE MANAGER
A central midfielder in his playing days, Koch began his managerial career in 2003 with a two-year stint at Baker University. Having led the University side to the semi-finals of the NCAA Tournament, Koch was presented with a coaching opportunity with Vancouver Whitecaps Women's Team.
Koch also had a spell in charge of the Vancouver Whitecaps Women's Team in 2009, leading them to 5th place in the Western Conference narrowly missing out on the playoffs.
Koch with the Vancouver Whitecaps gained a reputation for identifying talent and fast tracking player development. This was displayed while identifying Tim Parker during the MLS Super Draft in 2015. Koch gave Parker his pro debut in the Whitecaps || side in USL, Parker progressed into starting in central midfield for Vancouver Whitecaps and was part of the team that made the 2015 playoffs.
THE SQUAD
The FC Cincinnati squad right now could look very different to the one that takes the field on opening weekend. So, with that in mind, we are going to look at some of the players that you could see come Round One of MLS Fantasy.
Przemyslaw Tyton
Having spent the vast majority of his playing career in Europe, Tyton joined FC Cincinnati having previously spent between 2016 and 2018 with Deportivo la Coruna in La Liga making 15 appearances for the Spanish side.
Tyton spent most of his playing career in Holland and Germany, namely with Roda JC and PSV Eindhoven in Holland and Vfb Stuttgart in Germany. Roda JC and Stuttgart (with and loan move to Elche) was the most Tyton played in his career
Tyton is now 32 years old, but will be hoping that FC Cincinnati and the MLS will be the start of a rejuvenation period in his goalkeeping career.
Greg Garza
Bit of a weird fact to start of with Greg Garza, even though he is a USA International, he spent his youth career in Brazil with Sao Paulo and Portugal with Sporting Lisbon. His senior career was spent in both Portugal and Mexico with Estroil Praia and Tijuana respectively, while with Tijuana, he did spend 2017 on loan with Atlanta United.
Bit of a weird fact to start of with Greg Garza, even though he is a USA International, he spent his youth career in Brazil with Sao Paulo and Portugal with Sporting Lisbon. His senior career was spent in both Portugal and Mexico with Estroil Praia and Tijuana respectively, while with Tijuana, he did spend 2017 on loan with Atlanta United.
Atlanta United would in 2018 lift their first MLS Club, having only been in existence for 2 years. Greg Garza was part of the defensive structure while with the Georgia outfit.
Alvas Powell
FC Cincinnati acquired Alvas Powell from Portland Timbers in the 2019 Super Draft for $250,000 General Allocation Money. Alvas Powell is a defender and for Portland performed quite well in MLS Fantasy.
FC Cincinnati acquired Alvas Powell from Portland Timbers in the 2019 Super Draft for $250,000 General Allocation Money. Alvas Powell is a defender and for Portland performed quite well in MLS Fantasy.
Other than that Alvas Powell began his professional club career with Portmore United between 2012 - 2014. In the 2013/14 season's he spent this time on-loan with Portland Timbers. Alvas Powell made 101 appearances for Portland Timbers so he is coming to FC Cincinnati with big credentials.
Kendall Waston
Kendall Waston is a Canadian International but in terms of his Club career, until he settled in Vancouver with the Whitecaps, he kind of bounced around from Club to Club. He spent time with Clubs in Uruguay, Puerto Rico and Costa Rica, between 2007 and 2013.
Kendall Waston is a Canadian International but in terms of his Club career, until he settled in Vancouver with the Whitecaps, he kind of bounced around from Club to Club. He spent time with Clubs in Uruguay, Puerto Rico and Costa Rica, between 2007 and 2013.
Kendall Waston then settled with Vancouver Whitecaps in MLS in 2014. Between 2014 and 2018 the Canadian, Waston would go onto feature 115 times for the Whitecaps before joining FC Cincinnati on 11th December 2018.
Emmanuel Ledesma
Emmanuel Ledesma has actually played games for FC Cincinnati, his record is: 31 starts, 16 goals in USL in 2018. Before that though, Emmanuel Ledesma spent a lot of time in Europe bouncing around the Clubs like Kendall Waston in South and Central America.
Emmanuel Ledesma has actually played games for FC Cincinnati, his record is: 31 starts, 16 goals in USL in 2018. Before that though, Emmanuel Ledesma spent a lot of time in Europe bouncing around the Clubs like Kendall Waston in South and Central America.
Ledesma started his professional career with Genoa in 2008 with a loan move to Queen's Park Rangers for the 2008/09 season. Emmanuel Ledesma spent time on loan with Walsall in 2011 and 2012.
From 2012 to 2015 Ledesma settled for a time in England with Middlesbrough. But, he did not stay with Boro for long, going out on loan to Rotherham United and Brighton in 2014 and 2015.
He would sign for Rotherham United for the 2015/16 season, but in 2016 he would ply his footballing trade for Brentford in 2016 and New York Cosmos in 2017.
Good news though, Emmanuel Ledesma looks to now be settled in USL / MLS with FC Cincinnati.
Roland Lamah
For those of you who have been playing MLS Fantasy over the last number of years, the name of Roland Lamah will have cropped up from time to time. The Belgian international spent the last two seasons in MLS with FC Dallas, making 61 appearances and scoring 19 goals.
Before that, he started off in Belgium with Vise between 2003 and 2005 making 17 appearances and scoring one goal. Lamah in 2005 got a big money move to Anderlecht and would spend until 2008 there making 6 appearances with a loan move to Roda JC making 32 appearances for the Dutch.
Le Mans, Osasuna and a loan move to Swansea City were to follow, before the Belgian would settle for a time in Hungary with Ferencvaros.
Darren Mattocks
Darren Mattocks is more or less a MLS veteran, having spent all of his professional career in Major League Soccer with Vancouver Whitecaps, their rivals Portland Timbers and a stint at DC United for the 2018 season just gone.
Mattocks best time in MLS came in the four seasons between 2012 and 2016 with the Vancouver Whitecaps. The Jamaican international across his time with the Whitecaps would make 93 appearances and score 19 goals.
He then moved to Cascadia rivals the Portland Timbers from 2016 to 2017, Mattocks was a little less prolific for the Timbers, only making 43 appearances and scoring a measly 5 goals.
Perhaps, things will turn out to be different for him in Ohio with FC Cincinnati.
Fanendo Adi
Fanendo Adi like Emmanuel Ledesma has made appearances in USL for FC Cincinnati, he made 9 appearances, scoring 3 goals. Fanendo Adi also like Darren Mattocks have MLS pedigree also having first joined the Club on loan from FC Copenhagen for the 2014 season, making six appearances and scoring 4 goals.
Fanendo Adi would sign a full time contract with Portland Timbers in 2014 and would spend 4 seasons until 2018 with the Timbers. The Nigerian international would go onto make 120 appearances scoring 50 goals.
Fanendo Adi will be back for the 2019 MLS season with FC Cincinnati and will hopefully be an asset to the Ohio side in MLS and MLS Fantasy this season.
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