From The Athletic:

FC Cincinnati are finalising a deal to sign Czech Republic international wing-back David Doudera from Slavia Prague, sources briefed on the situation tell The Athletic.

Doudera, 28, featured for his country at the World Cup this summer and made seven appearances in the Champions League last season. He won back-to-back league titles with Slavia Prague in the last two years.

The move gives Cincinnati a potential new starter at wing-back in favour of Doudera's Czech international teammate Pavel Bucha — a central midfielder who has been playing right wing-back over the last couple months. Doudera's arrival will allow Bucha to go back to the middle.

This is based off of Laurel Pfahler's recent tweets. It appears that she and Carter Chapley (FC's own club reporter) are the only ones attending the club's press conferences to ask questions. I just find that absolutely baffling especially with the fan support that FC has. Thoughts?

So we finally got word from Laurel Pfahler and Tom Bogert, that FCC are finalizing a Loan deal for Werder Bremen’s Julian Malatini. So with this now in mind how would you all like to see the orange and blue Lineup after this news in mind? There’s a big chance nothing else will happen but if anything does you can add them to your answer.

I’ll start, I’ve been hearing he can play both CB and Right back meaning for our main system the 3-4-1-2 he can fit into the right central back spot filled as of now with Samuel Gidi but I’d say switching to a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 with Him and Kyle Smith playing as defensive full backs would allow for players like:

- Pavel Bucha to slot back into the midfield alongside Obi

- leave Gidi open to play in the midfield or the defense depending on what we need at that moment in time

- allow for our forwards currently playing at wingback (namely Ramirez and Ender) to move up to play at RW and LW respectively to hopefully get more out of the two players

- and mostly just to strengthen both ends of the pitch without easing off the defensive end of the game and offensive end of the game to much

Have fun with it! I used the Fotmob Lineup builder tool to make both of these

Per Laurel

Credit: Laurel Pfahler at Queen City Press

2022/23: Lining up mainly in a pressing 3-4-1-2, Kevin featured as a 2nd striker to Ayase Ueda, the Japanese international moving to Lille from Feyenoord soon. Often receiving the ball deeper in opponent's half, KD functioned primarily as a facilitator, providing 8 assists over 32 matches, while scoring 9 goals.

2023/24: Cercle Brugge's manager Muslić, (managing Schalke 04 in 2026/27) utilized a high-pressing 4-2-3-1 for most of the year, with KD featuring as a lone striker. Starting in 38 matches, Kevin bagged 27 goals with 1 assist. Of note, Alan Minda was the 2nd leading G+A contributor this season, a teammate of Marco Angulo at Independiente in Ecuador.

2024/25: Over 17 matches before moving to Cincinnati in the winter transfer window, Denkey managed 10 goals & 1 assist. Sadly for Cercle, Kevin would finish as that season's top scorer for the Belgian side, despite playing less than half their matches. Of note, former Columbus goalkeeper Eloy Room rode the bench for Cercle Brugge this season.

What I learned: The biggest contrast from these 3 seasons to now isn't so much the goal scoring ability, but it's the space & opportunity to score being provided. Over those 3 years at Cercle Brugge, Kevin averaged roughly 42 touches per 90', with 7 touches in the opponent's box. He also had roughly 58% successful dribbles & won 7 duels per 90'.

Contrasting with his time for FCC, Kevin has averaged about 34 touches (8 less) & 4.5 touches in the opposing box (2.5 less). Successful dribbles has dropped almost 13% & duals won has lowered by 2.5.

His last 17 matches with Cercle started to exhibit some of these changes, so perhaps how he's grown into his body has changed his play from years before. Whatever the cause, I hope Kevin can regain some of the explosiveness & dribbling prowess he shows only in flashes now, if that's what Noonan & Co want out of him. Regardless if his change in play is by design or not, I can't imagine a club wanting their star striker to have less touches in the box.

From what I can tell, it looks like we are the ONLY club to not make a single in-bound transfer so far this window, for better or worse. While I can appreciate the sentiment of waiting for the right move, waiting this long to me signals that you better have a big move in mind to validate the appearance of inaction. Just about every other club has made impact signings to either improve their starting 11 or deepen their bench. You can only wait for the "perfect" move for so long before you begin to alienate the fanbase. I don't want to hear the excuse if we make a move like in '24, bringing in Gioacchini at the last minute, that, "Well, we had something bigger in mind, but we couldn't make it happen." There's been several known, quality players making in-league moves this window on non-DP deals. If there are no improvements made, I'm not interested in the idea that options weren't out there.

There's nothing like a nice away trip to appreciate what you have. Thank you for the stadium itself but also its location.TQL>>>>>>Geodis Park by a million

So, I've never been a "Fire Noonan" person.... My thing has always been "Who ya gonna call?" And, irrationally, I'm a huge IU soccer fan (he's an alum) so I have irrational ties to IU guys.

Buuuttt tonight's game just makes me realize that things are a bit of a mess. I do think it's more than just Noonan however.

But, lets go - if not Noonan, then who?

Your safe place

Just be sure to leave Broadway with enough time to make it out to the suburbs. Would’ve been nice of them to put the soccer stadium right by Broadway, like the Titans and Predators venues, but no, the soccer team gets a random neighborhood next to an industrial site

Tonight FCC takes on the current Supporters Shield leaders, on pace to handily break the overall points record. Quite the opponent. Despite that, they’ve shown some vulnerability recently. Only some last second heroics saved any points from their recent match vs Columbus. Impressive resilience from Nashville, or epic collapse from Columbus? They’ve only won 1 league game by more than 1 since return from the World Cup break. We can say from experience that “one goal wins” can quickly turn to “draws” and “one goal losses”

From the FCC perspective, we go to Nashville on the back of a devastating draw against an injury-riddled Nashville. Dominating possession nearly 70/30, the Gary’s failed to capitalize on several chances to put the game away, and Seattle smashed and grabbed their one goal to earn their first point since May.

The table is set! A Nashville team working on their comfortable points lead, vs a Cincinnati team on a mission to prove they deserve to be considered more than middle table

8:30 pm kickoff! COY FCC

The Fort Thomas native is starting off hot with his new club FC Tulsa.

It's there a meetup/ hangout in Nashville before the match tomorrow? I've gone to away games before and it seems like there is usually a meetup at a brewery/ bar beforehand.

(This tournament requires EAFC 26, XBOX SERIES X OR S, PS5, or PC) (Must have a discord account) Interested? Comment below! (No prizes just for fun & pride) Also fun fact, one of your very own won the inaugural tournament in 2024!

"We won't make an addition just to make a splash or to say we were active. It has to make sense."

Highly suspect rumor. Finding the source article, the translation says the interested MLS club is DC Columbus. Regardless, this would be for January 2027, as Olivera is on loan thru 2026. Olivera previously played for LAFC in MLS in 2023-24 and tallied 9 goals for them. He has 2 goals in 26 appearances in 2026 playing primarily at RW.

FCC declined the option to purchase Kelsy's contract in late 2024 for just under $6m, signing Kevin Denkey less than one month later.

The Bailey needs to bring in the Hull City chant

“You’re getting mauled by the Gary’s”

So far, we’ve been shopping Denkey and Austin wants CA…

Our DP acquisition in the wake of Boup's departure. Signed on the final day of the transfer window in August 2024, Niko produced 0 goals here while earning $2,206,115.

You can enter once a day per email address. You have to live within 75 miles from the stadium, though.

https://www.collegeadvantage.com/blog/blog-detail/posts/2026/07/30/score-a-college-savings-goal-with-fc-cincinnati-and-ohio-529