LouCity, FC Cincinnati Meet Again in Open Cup’s Third Round

April 25, 2023 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – Louisville City FC News Release

Louisville City FC defender Manny Perez
(Louisville City FC, Credit: EM Dash Photography)

Nearly four years since they last clashed in a competitive game, Louisville City FC and FC Cincinnati will renew their “Dirty River Derby” rivalry series Wednesday in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Third Round game.

The clubs are set to kick off at 7 p.m. inside Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium, with away section tickets still available and broadcast coverage airing on B/R Football’s YouTube channel.

LouCity and FC Cincinnati maintained the USL Championship’s fiercest rivalry from 2016-2018 until the orange and blue made their move to Major League Soccer. City held the edge in league games with a 4-3-2 record, while FC Cincinnati won both prior Open Cup contests in 2017 (Third Round) and 2019 (Fourth Round).

The only meeting between LouCity and FC Cincinnati since that 2019 Open Cup fixture came in a 2021 preseason game won 3-0 by the boys in purple.

Six players from the old Derby River Derby days are still on LouCity’s roster. That sort of continuity has helped the boys in purple maintain their status as a USL Championship power over the years, most recently winning the 2022 Eastern Conference title. City enters Wednesday on a four-game unbeaten run across all competitions.

FC Cincinnati’s fortunes have turned for the better, too, after a rocky start to its MLS era. The orange and blue won only 14 games in their first three seasons in the league before making a run to the 2022 playoffs. Cincinnati’s second in MLS’ Eastern Conference having lost just once this year going into the Open Cup.

Open Cup format: LouCity-FC Cincinnati is one of 24 Third Round games to be played on Tuesday and Wednesday as part of U.S. Soccer’s annual national championship tournament. The 18 MLS teams entering the competition are all matched up against lower-division clubs looking to advance to the Round of 32 played from May 9-10. The field continues to whittle down until the Cup final on Sept. 27.

TQL Stadium: Opened in 2021, this 25,513-capacity venue replaced the University of Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium as FC Cincinnati’s permanent home. The $250 million facility is located in Cincinnati’s West End and has already twice hosted U.S. Men’s National Team games. TQL Stadium is also slated to stage 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup Quarterfinals later this summer.

Cincy’s stars: FC Cincinnati, as with LouCity, will play its…