FC Cincinnati Start Preseason Training with Similar Mindset, But More Experience

January 20, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – FC Cincinnati News Release

It was a short offseason break for FC Cincinnati, but not one that went unvalued or unappreciated. While there were only 45 days between the official end of the 2023 season and the first day of preseason training earlier this week, the time to step away and reflect on the season was needed.

The short turnaround is part of the “new normal.” Historical reference to that phrase aside, a short offseason is the reward for being successful. Going deep into the MLS Cup Playoffs and earning entry to the Concacaf Champions Cup means you are going to have a shorter offseason than other MLS clubs. It’s a feature. Not a bug.

“The break was short. But you know, that’s a good thing,” Pat Noonan said at his first press conference of 2024. “That means you went far in the playoffs and added another competition with the Champions Cup. So it’s a quick turnaround, but it could be worse. I don’t think we need to be complaining about those things.

“I’m excited that we’re back at it and I think the guys are too.”

Success means playing games early and late in the calendar.

Given the additional cup competition being so early in the year, with the first match of the Concacaf Champions Cup kicking off on February 22 prior to opening day of the MLS season, a quick start to preseason training would be ideal when considering the expectations for the season Noonan clarified on Thursday.

While 2023 was a long, demanding year in terms of fixture congestion, with 45 matches across all competitions and the irregular scheduling created bizarre gaps in the calendar, the successes of the season were defined in those terms, not detracted by them. FCC persevered through difficult stretches and overcame them by empowering members of the club who may not have always been called on to stand out in big moments.

What Noonan made clear was that despite all those challenges – all the successes FCC earned along the way and how the 2023 season ended – the expectation remains the same. Consistent success is the standard and despite even more fixtures on the calendar in 2024, the attitude the team will take into the season will remain the same.

“We’ll look for consistency. We will continue to search for trophies. We were able to win the first one (the 2023 Supporters’ Shield) and the expectations have obviously changed since the beginning of 2022,” Noonan said, referring to his first season with FCC. “So how can we be consistent?…