FC Cincinnati: Matt Miazga suspension reduced, Luca Orellano confirmed
Fresh off its first win of 2024, FC Cincinnati had two positive developments revealed on Friday.
Major League Soccer announced Matt Miazga had the balance on his suspension from the 2023 MLS Cup playoffs reduced from two games to one. While Miazga remained available to help FC Cincinnati open its CONCACAF Champions Cup campaign Thursday as it's a separate competition, he'll now be available in league play after he serves the final game of his suspension Sunday against Toronto FC.
FC Cincinnati also officially announced the acquisition of Luca Orellano, the left wing back who will replace the departing Alvaro Barreal.
Both pieces of news followed FCC's 2-0 Champions Cup win over Cavalier FC in Kingston, Jamaica on Thursday. The club returned to Cincinnati early Friday and was scheduled to train Friday afternoon.
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Miazga's suspension stemmed for a much-publicized and controversial post-match incident Nov. 4 at Red Bull Arena in which Miazga was accused by the Professional Soccer Referee's Association, the referee's union, of forcibly entering the game official's locker room after the match.
Important elements of the accusation remained contested throughout an autumn appeals process by FC Cincinnati, but Miazga was ultimately handed a three-match suspension for the incident, in addition to a one-match suspension for yellow card accumulation. The result of the punishment was Miazga missed FC Cincinnati's Eastern Conference semifinal and final matches against Philadelphia Union and Columbus Crew.
The balance of the suspension also carried over to 2024 with the stipulation that Miazga could appeal to have the games reduced after completing an offseason behavioral program, which he did.
FC Cincinnati's newest headline acquisition
Orellano joins FC Cincinnati on loan from top-flight Brazilian club Vasco da Gama. FCC also has a "purchase option" as part of the deal, meaning they can permanently acquire Orellano for a set price from Vasco at the end of the MLS season.
Like Barreal, the 23-year-old Orellano is a product of Argentine side Velez Sarsfield. The two players were teammates at Sarsfield in 2019. Orellano notched 12 goals and 14 assists over 119 appearances and four seasons at the club. He then joined Vasco for a little over a year.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: FC Cincinnati: Matt Miazga suspension reduced, Luca Orellano confirmed
