Here's what we learned from FC Cincinnati's MLS preseason

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Pat Noonan didn't move on quickly from the end of FC Cincinnati's 2023 playoff run.

"I've been around long enough to know that those opportunities and those moment are hard to come by," Noonan said. "You want to take advantage of them and because of where we were in the game and on our home field, there are certain things that made it more difficult to accept but I'm in a good place... But to say that that's not something I'll think about again is a lie. We were close."

General Manager Chris Albright had a slightly different take on processing that defeat to Columbus Crew to end last season – he indicated he was likely finished processing the loss, but with one significant caveat.

"I won't watch that game," he said. "I've never watched any of it."

Many in Cincinnati still share in the pain Noonan and Albright conveyed about the playoff loss that shattered hopes of an MLS Cup championship. The defeat to arch-rival Columbus in the Eastern Conference final remains a fresh wound. But FC Cincinnati's road to possibly, eventually avenging the loss is fast approaching. The club's first competitive match of 2024, a CONCACAF Champions Cup game against Jamaica's Cavalier FC, arrives Feb. 22. Then, the MLS regular season begins three days later back at TQL Stadium.

Redemption and deliverance could be that close for a club still savoring the lingering afterglow of the 2023 Supporters' Shield, FC Cincinnati's first major trophy, and mending the wounds from a playoff collapse.

The work toward redemption has been ongoing for weeks, first in Cincinnati and more recently in Clearwater where the club has trained at the Walter C. Campbell Sports Complex. FCC has also traveled around Florida's gulf coast for preseason games.

The Enquirer observed a weekend of training sessions, team activities, a Friday scrimmage against the Philadelphia Union and conducted hours of interviews in Clearwater ahead of FC Cincinnati's 2024 campaign. Here are the big-picture takeaways from The Enquirer's glimpse into preseason:

FC Cincinnati is a work in progress

It's one thing to draw up a team up paper and justify acquisitions based on projections. It's another thing entirely to roll the team out on grass and get to work. So far, and with a considerable number of new faces in the mix and some major contributors (Brandon Vazquez, Dominique Badji, Santiago Arias, Yerson Mosquera, Junior Moreno) out the door following 2023, FC Cincinnati is happy with the roster its decision-makers assembled for Noonan.

There have been promising glimpses - such as four unanswered goals against Philadelphia - that reveal what FCC might be capable of in 2024. Preseason predictions are once again lofty for the club and its place in the conversation with other viable contenders is strong. Of course, it's going to take time for all the new players to build consistency with Cincinnati's established veteran core. That process could last well into 2024, and Noonan said he won't put a timeline on when he expects everything to come together.

Year-over-year continuity allowed FC Cincinnati to dominate MLS as soon as the 2023 season kicked off. If the club aspires to another Supporters' Shield, or any other trophy for that matter, the path to it will inevitably look different because the 2024 team still has gelling to do.

"We like what we've seen in preseason for sure, but it's preseason," Albright told The Enquirer. "You've got to temper expectations when you're watching preseason games. You never want to get caught up in, kind of, your own preseason results and hype. But that being said, I think the challenge this year was... how do we get better or at least stay there (with the Supporters' Shield)? I think some of the changes that happened will hopefully allow us to evolve. That's the kind of what we're talking about. To think that we're gonna replicate last year and do it the same way? That is impossible. So, we bring in some new faces and freshen it up, bring in some guys that do some things differently. I think we're going to have a different look."

Center-back is now a strength

One of the lasting memories of the 2023 playoff run for FC Cincinnati was the center-back fiasco that unfolded. Suspension, injury and a lack of depth all coincided to make the playoffs a very tricky, and ultimately unsuccessful, proposition. But consider those problems addressed now. The trio of Miles Robinson, Matt Miazga and Ian Murphy is a tall, athletic and formidable center-back triumvirate. You'll be hard-pressed to find a more decorated and talented center-back group in MLS. Behind them, Kipp Keller looks like a very solid depth piece. Also, Nick Hagglund is on track for a successful recovery from his offseason surgery and he's very optimistic about the upcoming season, which will have ample opportunities for him to contribute.

If needed in an emergency, Alvas Powell also remains a versatile depth piece who admirably filled in at center-back during the 2023 playoffs. That makes six players with varying degrees of MLS experience at the position when Hagglund is at full health.

Mosquera is gone. FC Cincinnati ultimately couldn't find a way to bring him back after his loan expired. After dressing for a handful of matches for Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, Mosquera was sent back out on loan with Villarreal in Spain's top-flight. But Robinson is viewed as a comparable talent with the added benefit of experience and maturity that the 22-year-old Mosquera might have lacked at times. In the aggregate, Robinson is probably an upgrade at the position.

Aaron Boupendza is on fire

It's early and the results don't matter yet but don't tell that to Aaron Boupendza. He's on five goals through three preseason games and that doesn't tell half the story. He's sharper now than he ever was after joining FC Cincinnati midway through the 2023 season (and he was still scoring at a very good clip last year). What's different now - and what's likely a benefit of having a full preseason with the club as opposed to jumping in midstream like he did in 2023 - is that he looks more comfortable playing with captain and 2023 MLS Most Valuable Player, Luciano Acosta. The two stars are truly connected now, and that could mean big things for the duo in 2024. Their ability to combine, play off one another and anticipate movement is miles ahead of where it was at any point in 2023.

Boupendza made waves during Friday's scrimmage against Philadelphia for his emphatic back-heel goal that led to a shoving match. It has been suggested that both teams let their rivalry play too big of a role in a preseason game both teams needed for fine-tuning, but if you wanted evidence that Boupendza was eager, engaged, and bought-in as an FC Cincinnati player, you got it in that moment.

There are other considerations when evaluating Boupendza, of course. For instance, his partner in any two-striker formation is the newly-acquired Corey Baird, who only recently scored his first goal of the preseason. Boupendza and Baird are still working out how best to play together. There again, the club is a work in progress and might need months to find the best version of itself.

But consider "Boup" ready for 2024. Even if the relationship with Baird needs polishing, which is to be expected, having one reliable goal-scorer is enough to keep the club in solid standing well into 2024.

Be excited about Pavel Bucha

Like most of his teammates, Pavel Bucha, FC Cincinnati's newest acquisition, didn't look good in the opening 17 minutes of the game against the Union. Philly carved Cincinnati up and took a 3-0 lead. But once FC Cincinnati woke up, it quickly clawed back into the match. Bucha probably had an "off" day and still managed to impact the game significantly.

Bucha is a polished midfielder who likes the ball at his feet whenever possible, he told The Enquirer. And if the biggest knock on him is that he's more attack-minded and might leave something to be desired defensively, he's been addressing that. Bucha said he has frequent film-study sessions with members of the Cincinnati coaching staff to analyze his work defensively.

FC Viktoria Plzeň, Bucha's previous club, is a place the player will always hold close to his heart, he said. Leaving for Cincinnati wasn't an easy decision. Initially, Bucha said, he had significant reservations about moving to MLS after FC Cincinnati made an initial approach to Plzeň. But he warmed up to the idea. Now, his excitement for FC Cincinnati is very evident. Fans can be just as excited for him given his pedigree and wealth of experience in the European game.

"To be honest, I was like 'who is it? What is it? Where is it?,'" Bucha said of possible transferring to FCC. "At the beginning of that, I felt like it's not what I want. I just was like 'it's too far for me and it would be like a big change for me and for my family as well, so at the start I was like that. But after time, I was getting more information about Cincinnati, about staff, about (Noonan), about facilities, about city, I was like 'wow, I'm starting to like it.' So after a month of getting information, I think it would be the right step for me."

Alvaro Barreal is back (for now) 

Plenty of people, including many inside the FCC organization, didn't expect to see Alvaro Barreal back for the 2024 season. All the decision-makers in the club were ready to thank him for contributing greatly to FCC's first major trophy in 2023 and then sign-off on a transfer to a European club. A move to Europe never materialized, though. A variety of factors contributed to that, including a slow January transfer window across the global marketplace. For now, he's an FC Cincinnati player. And sure, he's disappointed a move didn't materialize. But he was in good spirits and actively contributing on and off the field upon rejoining his teammates this past weekend.

The plan is still to help Barreal take the next step in his career. Albright said conversations are ongoing about whether that means a summer move to Europe or a transfer to a South American club sooner.

A window into preseason for fans?

The preseason is a notoriously tricky time to be a fan of an MLS club. Broadcasts and live streams of games are rare. It's an accepted practice to list players as unidentified trialists, which is frustrating for fans and reporters alike. FC Cincinnati does a good job of peeling back the curtain via in-house beat reporter Carter Chapley's live game blogs and dispatches from Florida, plus near-daily video and photo content. Fans still want to see more, though. Next preseason could look a lot different, Albright said, as the club is aiming to offer a chance to see preseason in-person.

"We're actively looking at a fan trip opportunity for preseason that would be annual. Without spilling too many of the beans, having a weekend, a few day trip to head down, check out some trainings, maybe get some VIP experiences and see a game - that's something that I think we'll have online for next season. And we should. We're a pretty accessible, generally speaking. We're in Tampa and the weather is better than Cincinnati, so it all makes sense."

FC Cincinnati hasn't offered anything like this before. Fans have attended preseason matches but not in an organized way since the 2019 Carolina Challenge Cup in Charleston, which was a ticketed, days-long event. If you caught a match at IMG Academy or in Clearwater in the past, it was probably during a game that was officially closed-door but without any enforcement. The doors will likely be very much open for some part of the 2025 preseason, though.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: MLS preseason lessons learned from FC Cincinnati