FC Cincinnati Host CF Monterrey in Leg One of Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16

March 6, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – FC Cincinnati News Release

So rarely do you get the opportunity to take on the top club in the region, even more rarely do you get that chance five games into the season in the premier club tournament.

But that is exactly the situation FC Cincinnati have earned the right to play in. By winning the opening round aggregate series with Cavalier FC, The Orange and Blue have booked a match with CF Monterrey of Liga MX in the Round of 16 of the Concacaf Champions Cup.

CF Monterrey, aka Rayados (The Striped Ones), enter the Thursday match undefeated in league play and handily dispatched their opening round opponent to come to Cincinnati. Now the current Supporters Shield title holder will take on the current Liga MX leaders in a two-game aggregate series for the right to move on to the quarter finals.

“It’s not too early. It’s just good to be playing top teams in tournament play,” FCC head coach Pat Noonan said of the notion that top teams playing each other so early in the tournament. “I know it’s a different competition but it’s not too early and it’s good for us. Specifically it’s a good early test to see what some of our new faces look like against top competition and what the group looks like as we continue to evolve and grow together.”

Rayados, The five-time Concacaf Champions League (which was renamed to Champions Cup this year) winners, enter as one of the favorites to win the tournament as the top team in Concacaf per the delegations club index rankings. The added drama of who comes to TQL Stadium with The Striped One though is impossible to ignore.

Brandon Vazquez returns to TQL Stadium for the first time since his high profile transfer from FC Cincinnati to CF Monterrey this offseason.

“When we were away in preseason, watching (Monterrey’s) games, it was great seeing (Vazquez) production and the immediate impact. So yeah, when you walk out there tomorrow, maybe it’s interesting to see him on the other side of things,” Noonan said of seeing his former player again. “It’s something we’ve talked about and his teammates know from their time together that his movement in the box is difficult to handle. So that’ll be something that we need to be very good with and organized with when they’re in our attacking third of the field.”

The series will not be decided Thursday night as FCC will have to travel to Monterrey, Mexico and Estadio BBVA for the second leg of the competition. But earning a result will go a long way in…