Enquirer editorial board

Major League Soccer officials need to take a long and serious look at the Queen City as they consider potential markets for team expansion.

MLS officials met last week in San Jose during the league’s All-Star Game to discuss possible expansion among other agenda items. Futbol Club Cincinnati President and General Manager Jeff Berding, along with Chief Financial Officer Sarah Huber, traveled Wednesday to San Jose for the United Soccer League’s Thursday board of governors meeting and while there attended the MLS’ Homegrown Game, All-Star Game and other social events. The meetings and events provided the ideal opportunity for FC Cincinnati officials to share what has been one of the more remarkable sports stories of the year.

FC Cincinnati’s rookie campaign has obliterated the expectations of many people in just about every way imaginable. Before the season, team officials had hoped to draw an average of 10,000 fans per home game. With four regular-season home games remaining, FC Cincinnati is averaging about 17,000 per home game, Berding said. FC Cincinnati hosted more than 71,000 fans over three games at Nippert Stadium over a week ago and has already broken the single-season attendance record. The team’s game against Crystal Palace produced the largest crowd – 35,061 people – to witness a soccer match in the history of Ohio, according to Berding. The team is currently in third place in the USL’s Eastern Conference standings and recently gave conference-leading Louisville City FC a decisive beatdown. Berding said the team is eyeing the playoffs with aspirations of bringing a championship to Cincinnati in its inaugural season.

FC Cincinnati receives praise at MLS All-Star Game

All of that put together should be very attractive to the MLS. FC Cincinnati is already drawing more fans than any other team in the USL and more than some teams in the MSL. The only question mark hanging over expansion hopes might be FC Cincinnati’s home field, Nippert Stadium, as the MLS might prefer a soccer-only facility as some other cities with professional teams have. But Berding said it’s the teams goal to stay at Nippert for the time being, while also making upgrades to the stadium.

“Nippert is a great venue,” Berding said. “It makes for a fun event and has been an enormous part of our success so far. We look forward to inviting MLS officials to one of our games at Nippert to see our facilities.”

If expansion talks heat up, so might the sense of urgency in developing plans for a soccer-only facility. And if FC Cincinnati’s ownership and Berding are pondering plans privately, they certainly aren’t discussing them publicly. Berding said the MLS has its own time line and process for expansion, and he wants to respect that and not look too far ahead. He said the USL is a strong league that FC Cincinnati is proud to be a part of. However, Berding admits that Cincinnati is a “big league sports town” and FC Cincinnati wants to be a big league franchise.

“Our goal is to be at the highest level. If there is an opportunity (for MLS expansion), we would welcome it,” he said.

So would Cincinnati. Futbol fever has infected this predominantly baseball and football crazy town, and it’s not just diehard soccer fans draped in the team colors, flying flags, chanting songs and unleashing smoke bombs after goals. As Berding put it, “We are drawing 17,000 Cincinnati fans. Many people who come to the games have little knowledge of soccer, but they have a love of Cincinnati.”

Grand ambitions achieved in club's year one

And FC Cincinnati has been good for the city beyond its revenue and entertainment value. Millennials love soccer and providing them with another quality of life amenity only makes Cincinnati more attractive to a demographic the city is desperate to draw and keep here. The team has also given local people something to unite around and cheer on. At a time of division in our country, Cincinnatians of all races, religions and economic classes are rallying around FC Cincinnati and enjoying their highly competitive games together. In fact, FC Cincinnati is asking fans to submit their stories of how the team has helped them to make new friends.

And perhaps best of all, soccer is a world sport, and the world seems to be taking notice of what’s happening in Cincinnati. The International Federation of Association Football, also known as FIFA, is doing a short documentary film on FC Cincinnati, Berding said. That’s publicity the team and this city can’t buy. It provides an added opportunity for Cincinnati to showcase its many touchstones and treasures on a world stage.

There are lots of good reasons to support FC Cincinnati and cheer for its continued success. Let’s just hope the MLS recognizes an awfully good bet when it sees one.