Fans rejoice in opening of FC Cincinnati’s ‘world-class’ stadium

The chants and drumming from The Bailey echoed throughout the $250 million, 26,000-seat facility in the West End and only stopped for a brief moment after Inter Miami stunned the home crowd with a deflating seventh-minute goal. Coach Jaap Stam and players after the game said they were appreciative of the energy provided by the crowd.

“Everybody’s been looking forward to the first home game in the new stadium, so the atmosphere was fantastic,” Stam said. “I think the fans were great as well. The fans -- and that’s a very important thing to know -- even when we are falling behind, they keep on cheering, they keep on making noises, they keep on helping the team. And I think that is a very important thing to do because it helps the players. They feel more comfortable. They feel the excitement from the fans as well.”

Stam said the facility ranks with some of the best stadiums in the world -- and he would know as a former Manchester United center back who played for top teams in England, Italy and Holland. FC Cincinnati enjoys now having their own space, a full locker room, a grass field and all the amenities necessary to compete with top clubs.

Right winger Alvaro Barreal, who scored FCC’s first goal in the stadium, said the atmosphere was enjoyable Sunday. He joined the team last August and had not yet experienced a home crowd. Only six players on the current roster were with the team in 2019.

“I am very happy that I was able to play my first game in front of the fans,” Barreal said through a translator. “It was really nice for me to get to know them, even though we cannot have the full capacity yet. I am excited to play in front of a full stadium. Today, I felt good. I felt comfortable. The fans were cheering the entire game, that helps me. It gives me confidence. Again, I am sorry we could not give them a victory.”

FC Cincinnati president Jeff Berding admitted he couldn’t fully enjoy the opening of TQL Stadium until full capacity crowds permit the 17,000 season ticket holders to attend and until the team proves worthy of the palace that is the team’s new home. FCC spent the past five years, including the first three years in the United Soccer League, as a tenant at the University of Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium.

Governor Mike DeWine is lifting restrictions June 2, which will allow FCC to be at or near full capacity by the June 19 game against Colorado. Now, the Orange and Blue need to do their part to give the fans something more to cheer about at TQL Stadium, as they are coming off back-to-back last place finishes and are 0-3-1 through the first four games this season.

“Candidly, I won’t enjoy it until the team’s also playing well, because it’s part and parcel,” Berding said.  “They have to come together. And so I’m still grinding with (general manager) Gerard Nijkamp and (coach) Jaap (Stam) to make sure we have a team worthy of the stadium and worthy of this community and our fans. So I just want to be honest, I’m not completely enjoying it just yet. But look, 100%, I am quite confident this is the best soccer stadium in the United States.”

One of the signature features of the stadium wasn’t even on display Sunday, as the 4:30 p.m. kickoff on FOX didn’t allow for the light show that will occur during night games when the LED-laced fins of the exterior are lit and synchronized to the beat of the drums and chants of the supporters. The first night game is that June 19 match.

But even without the light show, the stadium drew rave reviews from those in attendance Sunday. The grandeur of the facility still manages to capture an intimate setting with seats dropping right down to the field, and it perfectly captures some of the history of Cincinnati in the finer details.

“It’s world class in every way, and that’s great for this city and great for our league,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said in a halftime interview with media. “The finishings, the hospitality, the fan amenities, the supporters section, the size and scale of it, which to me is the most dramatic -- you walk around this building and it just feels so grand, and I think that’s in many ways what is going to be one of its distinctive characteristics.”

Garber had attended the ribbon-cutting event May 1 but said it was even better to see on matchday.

“It’s great to be here in this stadium when it’s up and operating and fans in the stands,” Garber said. “Just think of how loud it is now, what it will look like when it’s packed with 25,000 FC Cincinnati fans. So it’s a good day for our league.”