Praise for the soccer atmosphere within Nippert Stadium isn't new.

Two seasons ago, then-Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew said Nippert's crowd felt like a cup final. Last year, former player Djiby Fall said it reminded him of playing in European competition. Former New York Red Bulls head coach Jesse Marsch claimed "Cincinnati would be the feather in the cap for MLS."

In a story published last weekend, Futbol Club Cincinnati head coach Alan Koch spoke with The Enquirer and said Nippert was made for soccer.

On Monday, Koch said the statement was paraphrased, but it does show how much he and FC Cincinnati enjoy using the venue until the club's West End Stadium opens.

"I do think Nippert is a very special soccer stadium," he said. "Just the vibe and the feeling – I remember the first time I walked in here when I came for my interview, it just felt like a very, very special soccer environment."

Koch also mentioned how the field being widened in 2017 changed the environment into a "cauldron" of noise on matchdays. During the 2018 regular season, FC Cincinnati averaged 25,717 supporters per game.

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Based on the sellout crowd against Red Bulls last season in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinal, Nippert holds 33,250 for a soccer match. Before the renovation, Cincinnati saw 35,061 attend its international friendly with Crystal Palace of the English Premier League.

"It's a bit of a cauldron how The Bailey is right on top of you on either side of the field," Koch said. "It's right behind you, too. Even that arc – I don't know what that far side is called – you could see the atmosphere those fans created on Saturday night was very, very special."

Last Saturday, Cincinnati advanced in the first round of the playoffs after beating Nashville SC 6-5 in a penalty shootout. For the first time in club history, the kicks were taken in "the arc" portion of Nippert, with The Bailey as the backdrop behind kickers.

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Once the shootout's direction was announced, thousands of fans stormed down the stairs toward the bottom of the section behind the goal. During the kicks, they mocked Nashville and delivered choruses of "F-C-C" between kicks.

"We talk about The Bailey and how special it is, and it is very, very special," Koch began, "But how special was the support on that side Saturday night when those fans were fully into it and created an awesome little cauldron to help our guys get the result."

FC Cincinnati hosts No. 5 New York Red Bulls II in an Eastern Conference semifinal matchup Saturday afternoon. With a win, Cincinnati will host No. 2 Louisville City FC or No. 6 Bethlehem Steel FC.