How FC Cincinnati honored the memory of Peter 'Big Pete' Noonan against Charlotte FC

Whether FC Cincinnati and the Noonan family realize it or not, Peter Noonan’s fingerprints are visible in the club’s successes over the last two seasons.

Noonan’s values – he was a hard-working family man, fair, accountable, and devoted to his family – were instilled in his son, FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan, and therefore have helped shape the club’s culture.

The image of a father can often be seen in his children, and in Pat Noonan, who stands as one of the main architects of championship-contending FC Cincinnati, Peter Noonan's image is seen clearly.

Accountability, respect, honesty, professionalism and family are values Pat Noonan brings to work with him each day, which is part of the reason FCC has transformed into one of Major League Soccer's frontrunners over this season and last.

On Saturday against Charlotte FC, FC Cincinnati players truly honored Peter Noonan, who died July 3.

FCC players conveyed a heartfelt pre-match gesture by posing with an orange FC Cincinnati kit with “BIG PETE” printed on the back – a nod to Peter Noonan’s nickname.

Then, the team honored their head coach’s late father with a rousing comeback for a 2-2 draw in front of 43,613 spectators at Bank of America Stadium.

Taken together, the gesture and the game’s result were impossible for Pat Noonan to separate from what was happening in his and his family's life away from soccer.

“It was just cool to see them fight like that,” Pat Noonan told The Enquirer after the match. “Certainly, a nice gesture before the game and then I don’t want to say it’s storybook, but their fight, their gesture, the character of the group, the strength of our unit came out and it reminded me of my dad.

“The family aspect. The team aspect. That’s how he raised our family.”

An unexpected absence

Players and some FCC staff attended a team barbecue later in the holiday weekend after FC Cincinnati’s 2-2 draw at TQL Stadium July 1 against New England Revolution.

Absent from the festivities was Pat Noonan, and his players noticed.

“That was kind of a weird thing,” FC Cincinnati defender Nick Hagglund said. “Before, they told us he was gone for personal reasons. The following day we found out Tuesday that his father passed away and then he came back on Wednesday.”

Pat Noonan, his mother Mary Beth Noonan, and his four siblings were at Peter Noonan’s side July 3 when he died. Peter J. Noonan, of Missouri, a passionate St. Louis sports fans who worked in medical sales, was 75 years old.

Peter Noonan graduated from the University of Missouri - Columbia. He served in the Army National Guard. Later in life, he was a grandfather, or "Grampy," of five.

It was obviously with a heavy heart that Pat Noonan returned to FCC training ahead of the Charlotte match. He wore the pain of his loss visibly, which conveyed his adoration for his father.

Many others adored him.

“He was a great man. Great father. Great husband. Good friend,” Pat Noonan said. “The amount of people reaching out in the last week for just people that we were connected with tells you everything. That’s not to include all the messages from all of my siblings. He had an incredible impact on so many people’s lives, and all of the relationships with these people were unique. They all felt special when they were around him. It’s pretty cool.”

Smiling, Pat Noonan couldn’t exactly trace the origins of the “Big Pete” moniker, but he said it was a nickname befitting of someone with the interpersonal touch and personality Peter Noonan possessed.

“I guess you pick up a few things of understanding how to interact with people within his  job, but if you take that job aside, he could have done anything and he would have still been ‘Big Pete,’” Pat Noonan said. “I can’t even pinpoint it but there’s a lot of people that loved him and he needed a nickname for how awesome of a father-figure he is for all of the kids, friends. Somebody along the way, I’m sure, referred to him as ‘Big Pete.’”

Once Pat Noonan returned to the Mercy Health Training Center, players and other colleagues tried to keep his spirit up.

This was another reflection of Peter Noonan in FCC’s culture.

“It’s bigger than soccer. Life happens and guys checked in on (Pat Noonan), sent text messages and he came back to training,” Hagglund said. “We tried to lift him up, tried to make him smile. You could obviously tell it was on his mind.”

An emotional return to the sideline

There was never a doubt in Pat Noonan’s mind that he would coach the match against Charlotte. Of course, he did so with some amount of his attentions shifted to his family back in the St. Louis area.

“I wanted to be with the group. Being with them was a welcome distraction, and I don’t want to call it a distraction,” Pat Noonan said. “It was just nice to get back to work. It was great to be there with and for my family but I wanted to be there with the group and… this helped.”

With Noonan present in the wake of his loss, FC Cincinnati’s players had obvious incentive to produce a positive result beyond wanting to improve on their MLS-best record. The match quickly went in the wrong direction, though, as Cincinnati trailed, 2-0, by the 24^th minute.

In normal circumstances, the 2-0 deficit would have been untenable for Hagglund, who felt personally accountable for the goals. Given what Pat Noonan was going through, it was an even worse feeling.

“I was pissed when we went down 2-0,” Hagglund said. “I was upset because I know it was on his mind. I think it was about putting the first half behind us and stepping on the field, supporting him, and fighting for him after a really tough week.”

Suffice it to say FCC's fight back was a tribute worthy of Peter Noonan.

Alvaro Barreal and Luciano Acosta ignited a second-half comeback, with both players scoring.

FC Cincinnati seemed primed to take the lead, too, but a red card reduced the side to 10 men. That forced Pat Noonan to scale back the attacking push in favor of a more conservative approach to safely see out the draw.

But after trailing by two goals at halftime on a hot, humid night in Charlotte that left players exhausted, the 2-2 draw was celebrated like a win in some ways. It certainly served as a worthy tribute to “Big Pete.”

And as the breaks started to go FC Cincinnati’s way in the second half, Pat Noonan said he couldn’t help but let his mind consider the possibility that Peter Noonan was playing his part in the momentum shift.

A penalty call went FC Cincinnati’s way. Charlotte’s Karol Swiderski, who scored twice in the first half, pinged a shot off the post and the ball caromed away from harm.

Was it “Big Pete” helping steer referee Ten Unkel’s arm in the direction of the penalty spot? Did Peter Noonan help push Swiderski’s shot off the post? Pat Noonan said he thought it was possible.

“It went there,” Pat Noonan said, “My mind went there.”

After the final whistle, Pat Noonan was on the field to greet the officiating crew and players from both teams as he always is. When he came upon his own players, though, there were firm embraces.

Few words, if any, were spoken. The silent message from each player to Pat Noonan was clear.

"Most of them couldn’t stand up because of the effort they put in but you could tell," Noonan said. "The hugs said it all. They didn’t need to say anything."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How FC Cincinnati honored the memory of 'Big Pete' Noonan