Introducing Preseason Streams

Hello and welcome to this little venture. I picked this name a while ago, and even now that we’re firmly out of the preseason, we’re going to keep rolling with it. The idea came to me while following some FC Cincinnati preseason friendly exclusively through Twitter updates and seconds of video. What was actually happening and what did it mean for the season ahead? Was there anything interesting happening from a tactical perspective? Who looks poised to take a leap or is in the best shape of their life?

There’s only so much you can get from just watching a random January friendly but I’ve always tried to understand just a little bit more of what’s happening on the field, no matter how small, no matter the context. Like seeing a small part of ‘Mic’d Up’ video from Pat Noonan (the same clip that brought us “that’s great stuff, Yuya”) that seemed to highlight how important getting Lucho Acosta the ball in transition would be and jumping into the deep end from there. That’s what you can expect to find here.

So what to expect? I’m not quite sure. It’s going to be a place where I can send out stuff that I write for Cincinnati Soccer Talk if you’re interested in keeping up and don’t want to wade through the morass that is X formally known as Twitter or however the AP Style Guide suggests it be written these days.

So here are my two most recent things from CST about two new signings who will be vital for FCC’s success this season:

• Luca Orellano: Chris Albright was always going to have a big task to replace Álvaro Barreal when he eventually moved on. The choice to go with another winger-to-wingback transition project makes a ton of sense but carries some risk, too. But the early returns were bright against Toronto and it’ll be worth following all year. And FCC’s season, in large part, depends on this move working out.
• Pavel Bucha: Another signing who has the potential to change how the Orange and Blue play in 2024. Bucha struggled to impact his first MLS game on Sunday but his ability on the ball and to attack the box from deep should give FCC an added dimension in the final third.

I’ll try to semi-regularly post stuff here, maybe with some additional thoughts that don’t fit in elsewhere. Will there be any Preseason Streams Original Content? I don’t know yet. Will this just be me posting here into the internet void? Probably. But that’s okay. Having a place to keep track of everything isn’t a bad thing to have, either. Hopefully this will keep me a little more accountable about actually writing about the Orange and Blue, too. The 2024 season should be a fun one for FCC fans and hopefully I’ll be able to come up with enough interesting stuff to make what’s happening on the field just a little bit more accessible.