IMG Academy Preseason Games

First, thank you to everyone who has become a member so far. We just placed our scarf order and should arrive before the Xavier match in mid-March! If you know anyone who is interested in becoming a member send them our way.

Until then, FCC is playing at the IMG Academy in Florida for the next week. They already had a scrimmage against the U-17 USMNT earlier in the week.

We are joining The Pride for the first and third matches. The second match we are hosting at Rhinehaus.

Today, February 20 at 5pm - KR Reykjavik at Molly Malone's Covington

The first competitive match for FC Cincinnati is against Icelandic team Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavik. KR Reykjavik is the most successful team in Iceland and has 26 national championships since their founding in 1899. We are joining The Pride's event at Molly Malone's in Covington.

Wednesday, February 24 at 5pm - NYCFC at Rhinehaus
VS

This is the second competitive match for FC Cincinnati and is against a stateside team most should be familiar with: New York City FC. NYCFC is one of the newest teams in MLS along with Orlando City. Stacked with international legends, NYCFC is the home for Italian midfielder Andrea Pirlo, English defender Frank Lampard, Spanish stiker David Villa, and American midfielder Mix Diskerud. We're hosting this event at Rhinehaus!

Saturday, February 27 at 5pm - HB Køge at The Brass Tap
VS

The final IMG Academy match is against Danish 1st Division team HB Køge. The Danish 1st Division is the second level of the Danish soccer pyramid. Again, we will be joining The Pride's event at The Brass Tap on Calhoun Street.

So come on out and cheer on our team for the first competitive matches, grab some beers, and let's get together for the first official FCC matches!

The Inaugural Season Scarf!

We had a great time at rhinehaus last night for the official unveiling of our inaugural scarf. Members enjoyed 15% off their tabs and we got to put more faces to names. Christina, our graphic designer, finished the scarf and we got the opportunity to showcase it for everyone at the meeting. See our scarf below:

The front of the scarf features "Die Innenstadt" over a blue background with orange river waves taken from the city flag (and our logo). On either side of the front is half of the logo which, when draped around your neck, forms the entire logo.

The reverse side features the words "Juncta Juvant", the city's official motto meaning "strength in unity". It is featured on the city's flag and seal as well as the seal of the University of Cincinnati. On the left side of the back are various city skyscrapers and landmarks including the Carew Tower, Music Hall, and Union Terminal. In small print on the right is "est. 2016".

The only way to get the scarf is by becoming a member. Memberships are $20 ($21 online) and include the scarf with purchase. The initial run of scarves will arrive in March well ahead of our first matches. We will have more information on when you can pick them up once we are closer to their arrival.

If anyone wants to become more involved with Die Innenstadt this year than simply going to match days, we will be having a planning meeting in the next week or two to delegate additional responsibilities and start ramping up for the inaugural season! We will send details to all of our members on when that is shortly via email.

This is a really exciting time for Die Innenstadt, the club, and the city. We hope you will join us as we cheer the club to victory.

Online Memberships and FCC Schedule!

The season is rapidly approaching and excitement for the team is building!

On Wednesday we launched our online store where you can purchase your 2016 Membership. Memberships online will be $21 instead of the $20 cash in person because of service fees, but this does give you the convenience to purchase online on your own time. You can find the online store by clicking on the "Store" tab above or by clicking the link here.

The club has had a busy week as well. On Tuesday the full USL Schedule was released! FCC also has our schedule posted on their website. Several things to point out about the schedule:

• Our first two matches are on the road against Charleston, SC (3/26) and Bethlehem, PA (4/3).
• Our first home match is on Saturday, April 9 at 7:00 pm against the Charlotte Independence!
• We play Louisville twice at home and once away this season and the first time is our second home match of the year on April 16. This will be an exciting rivalry and we need everyone to come out in full force to defend one of the biggest matches of the year!
• Our other closest rival will be the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. We play them in Cincinnati on May 14th and then we play in Pittsburgh twice in September (Wednesday the 14th and Saturday the 24th).
• The only team from the Western Conference that we play is St. Louis. When they come into town on Labor Day the Reds will have just finished a weekend series against the Cardinals. Our match in St. Louis will be held on Saturday, July 9th.

In total there are 15 home games. Twelve games are on Saturdays. Two games are on Wednesdays. The other game is our Labor Day match against St. Louis. Season tickets in The Bailey are still available and are among the cheapest in the league at $120 for 15 matches. The Bailey is the supporters section on the north end of the field and is all general admission. We recommend everyone gets season tickets to The Bailey to ensure you can sit with Die Innenstadt in Section 135 every match day.

Finally, FCC and Louisville City have a contest to name the cup we will be competing for every year. This will likely be one of the best rivalries in USL since both teams have a great number of season ticket holders who are excited for the new season and a quality team to root for. Simply tag @fccincinnati and @loucityfc on Twitter with the hashtag #NameTheCup and submit your name for a chance to win 4 tickets to any match between the two sides this season. Because of Louisville and Cincinnati's history surrounding bourbon and beer, respectively, we suggested the cup rivalry be named the Beer and Bourbon Bout. Feel free to suggest your own in the next couple of days for your chance to win!

Special thank you to the people who have already become members of Die Innenstadt. We are excited for the new season. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates on the club and supporters group. If you have any questions, feel free to email us or tweet at us.

Juncta Juvant!

Introducing Die Innenstadt!

Hello!

Welcome to the newest FCC supporters group! A group of passionate fans banded together in early December 2015 to establish a unique supporters group. Aside from being passionate about FCC, the one thing we all have in common is that we love the center of the city. Sometimes this is referred to as downtown, other times as the inner city, and occasionally as the urban basin. These neighborhoods in the inner city represent some of the oldest architecture, deepest history, and most passionate civic boosters in the region. Because of our strong pull to the urban basin, we decided a name that reflects where our heart is would be the best.

We are proud to announce that "Die Innenstadt" [pronounced dee inn-enn-shtat] is the name of this new group. Die Innenstadt translates from German to mean "the inner city". This reflects the history of Cincinnati - in particular the urban core - for it's overwhelming German heritage and influence. The name is also a direct reference to where we will meet before and after matches, as well as host various events throughout the year.

The core neighborhoods of Die Innenstadt include the Central Business District, Over-the-Rhine, Queensgate, Pendleton, and West End. Paired with parts of Fairview, Clifton Heights, Lower Price Hill, and Mt. Auburn, these neighborhoods are the historic center of the city. We are looking to channel the energy of the city's urban core to boost the club and the community.

An annual membership will include a unique scarf each year and various special events available only to members and will only cost $20. Residency within the boundaries of Die Innenstadt is not required to become a member - we only ask that you find a sense of community within the group. Membership is also not required to attend pre-game or post-game events or to interact with the organization.

We will have an open social at Rhinegeist on Friday, January 22 at 6:00 pm for anyone who is interested in finding out more about the group or meeting other FCC fans! We hope to see everyone there!

We will update you when we have further developments! Until then, please feel free to follow us on various social media platforms and ask us any questions. We are looking forward to our inaugural season in the United Soccer League.

Cheers!

Facebook: Die Innenstadt
Twitter: @DieInnenstadt
Instagram: DieInnenstadt