Patrick Brennan and Charlie Hatch

The Enquirer, pbrennan@enquirer.com

If Jeff Berding took a call from Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber tomorrow and heard the words, "you're in and we need you for 2018," which players from the 2017 Futbol Club Cincinnati squad would you use to help the club transition smoothly and competitively into MLS?

To answer the question, Enquirer contributor Charlie Hatch and I acted upon this hypothetical: FC Cincinnati has been selected as something of an emergency inclusion for the 2018 season (Miami Beckham United came online faster than expected and they needed one more team to balance out the conferences, OK?).

Also, we can take just four players from the current roster of 28 and use that to lay the personnel groundwork for FC Cincinnati's first season in MLS.

The point here is that there's definitely MLS-caliber talent in the team, and should FC Cincinnati actually make the jump to MLS one day, there's no guarantee the club would undergo a complete overhaul with flashy and expensive transfers. It's possible a few players on USL contracts could make the jump with the club.

So, since FC Cincinnati is building for the future today and every day, which players project as the most likely candidates to be part of the club's long-term plans?

PATRICK BRENNAN'S FOUR MLS ROSTER INCLUSIONS: My selections - Harrison Delbridge, Corben Bone, Djiby Fall and Aodhan Quinn - would give FC Cincinnati a strong spine up the middle of the park and a quartet of players that are hell for opposing teams to deal with.

Harrison Delbridge, full back – Tall. Athletic. Can get forward, stay calm on the ball and feed the club's playmakers Great stamina. Big ups and dominant in the air. Leader on and off the field in more ways than fans know (and wore the captain's armband in extra time Wednesday against AFC Cleveland). He's already one of the best players at his position in the United Soccer League, and his game is still evolving. I was surprised he wasn't picked up by an MLS team last offseason and I'm confident he'll end up there eventually.

Corben Bone, midfielder – What more could you want from a midfielder? In Bone, FC Cincinnati has a players whose presence is robust. He fights, he has passion and chases lost causes. Games change on his foot. When he's on (and he's usually on) Bone looks like he's two or three steps ahead of the man marking him.. No brainer - Bone to MLS.

Djiby Fall, forward – For context, let's refer to former FC Cincinnati talisman and USL MVP Sean Okoli, who is suddenly playing a considerable role at New York City FC and on Wednesday scored his first-ever MLS goal against Real Salt Lake. Djiby's and Okoli's responsibilities for FC Cincinnati are/were strikingly similar, and based on the eye test, Djiby appears to be the more dynamic and physical of the two players. If Okoli is making it in MLS, doesn't it stand to reason Djiby could just as easily be finding his way in the league right now? Djiby's finishing ability is instinctive while Okoli's finishing always felt a bit laborious. He certainly strained to get to 16 goals in 2016. Djiby could still eclipse that sum even with his current six-game suspension. Also, there are reports MLS clubs are already eyeing Djiby, so he may end up in the league soon enough. If FC Cincinnati went to MLS tomorrow, bringing Djiby along for the ride is a no-brainer.

Get the latest FC Cincinnati news. Download the FC Cincinnati Soccer app on both the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Aodhan Quinn, midfielder – A player that has MLS experience. Also, his pedigree is off-the-wall impressive (Google search: "Aodhan Quinn's father"). Quinn has an edge to him, too – he has goals to achieve in the game, hasn't sustained the kind of success he expects but is going to get there come hell or high water. If you aren't buying his intangibles, at least buy his loaded résumé. MLS SuperDraft-ee, member of USL title-winning side, USL Goal of the Year winner (2015), set-piece extraordinaire.

CHARLIE HATCH'S FOUR

Kenney Walker, center midfielder –The best way to appreciate Kenney Walker is to think of him when he’s not there. Recently, that’s been easy to do. With the holding center mid injured, FC Cincinnati’s midfield is injured, too. Walker is the go-between for the backline and midfield. No disrespect to anyone filling in for Walker, but to do so is to fill a role of FC Cincinnati’s most influential player. As the leader of the defense and the anchor of the attack, he’s positioned in a labyrinth, tasked to unsolved the crisis. More often than not, his solution is better than that of anyone else. The squad needs him healthy.

Djiby Fall, forward –Skepticism seemed fair when his signing was announced. Djiby, a former Senegal-international, was 31, played in Kazakhstan, hadn’t scored more than six goals in a year since 2010 and was expected to replace the reigning USL MVP. (By the way, congrats to Ugo on his first MLS goal Wednesday night.). Djiby has already exceeded Sean Okoli’s influence. He’s a bully, but more importantly, he sweats goals. For anyone who dismisses him for taking 16 shots to score one goal against a fourth-tier AFC Cleveland side, it should be noted his ability to even position himself for as many shots shows how dominating he can be. He has a graceful first touch similar to that of his fellow countryman: Demba Ba, who once played for Chelsea and now plays in Turkey. Yeah, he could be more clinical, but Djiby has a swagger unlike anyone else in club history. Oh, and he’ll probably lead the league in goals. What else can you want from a no. 9?

Kadeem Dacres, right wing – I thought he was the best player FC Cincinnati didn’t have last year. Now they do. Compare him with Jimmy McLaughlin. For as hard as McLaughlin works — and you can see his emotions and pride in every step — Dacres can do that without, but does it while looking effortless. It’s a blessing, and shows raw, natural talent. He might not score often, but he’s a walking mismatch with gangly defenders trying to go 1 v.1 with the clever winger. Alongside McLaughlin and Djiby up top, Cincinnati should have the best up front in the league.

Matt Bahner, right back – Some might say Harrison Delbridge is the right answer, but I’d argue differently. Since Bahner has arrived, he’s started every match as Delbridge. That means any praise of a stronger backline should also boast that Banner is the only new component. But Banner is as influential defensively as he is moving forward. He has the awareness to know when to join attacks and when to conserve energy. It’s a trait few right-backs perfect. Bahner fits the billing. He’s clever on the ball, as his statistics suggest: two assists, good for joint-top of the category for the team. Like Walker, compare him to his counterpart. In this case, it’s Pat McMahon. Buccaneering down a flank is an under-appreciated art. I appreciate it. And seeing as both Pat Brennan and I were right-backs at one time (he played in college, kids!), we concur.