FC Cincinnati won its group in Leagues Cup, thanks to a late furry of goals to come back against New York City FC for a 4-2 victory. FCC also collected a 1-0 win against Queretaro.

In this episode we discuss both the games, the situation with Aaron Boupendza and the summer transfer window, Chidozie Awaziem's immediate impact and more. Plus, hear a full interview with goalkeeper Paul Walters after his debut and Pat Noonan's response to an extra game being added onto his red card suspension from the July 17 send-off against Chicago.

We also go a bit off topic to discuss our experience at the Manchester City-Chelsea friendly Saturday at Ohio Stadium, with a guest appearance to this podcast, as it was much different from covering and/or attending an FCC game.

And we wrap up with a few mailbag questions.

Be sure to find Queen City Press Podcast now on Spotify through your Patreon subscription and give us a rating so others can more easily stumble upon this unique FC Cincinnati podcast. You can easily link your Spotify and Patreon accounts if you are using the same email address for both apps.

Also, for those who use Apple Podcast app (or other podcast apps), did you know you can make it so episodes automatically load into your library? Just click the membership tab on your Patreon account, copy the RSS link that should show up on that page. Then, go into your Apple Podcast library, click the three dots in the upper right corner and you’ll see where to paste that link. This podcast will then automatically appear in your library feed as soon as it is uploaded. Patreon does not currently sync with Spotify, but there are other apps that will have this option as well. Reach out with questions!

And as always, thanks for tuning in!

Special thanks to Queen City Press sponsors:

Hoist (@DrinkHoist), 333seat.com; Agustin Caceres (@caceresagustin), Rhinehaus (@RhinehausOTR), The Richards Firm, Hangar937 (@Hangar937) on behalf of Mike Bowman, the Cincinnati Lions (@AVFC_Cincinnati), The Hart Family, Adam Weigand, The Stumpf Family, Roger Hayner, Mike Hudson, Duke Thomas (#UpTheGarys), Matt (@FCCincinnatus), Bryan Weigel, Nick Armstrong, David McDaniel, the Rexroad Family, Tim Miller and Jeremy Kelley. Join the sponsorship tier (check your membership settings) to have your name, organization or business recognized as well.

EDITORS NOTE: This was recorded before news of Ian Murphy's contract extension. There is one comment in this episode about Murphy's unsettled future that can be disregarded.

FC Cincinnati has been idle since the July 20 loss at New York Red Bulls, but the Orange and Blue resume play Thursday in a Leagues Cup group stage match against Club Queretaro.

We discuss Leagues Cup in this episode, but first dive into recent FCC news with the signing of centerback Chidozie Awaziem, the injury to Alec Kann and the state of the squad with several absences this week. Hear more from coach Pat Noonan on the goalkeeper group and the approach to Leagues Cup, and we'll briefly touch on the All-Star events and Sunday's interview with Chief Revenue Officer Jeff Smith regarding season ticket sales.

The episode wraps up with a couple mailbag questions as well.

Be sure to find Queen City Press Podcast now on Spotify through your Patreon subscription and give us a rating so others can more easily stumble upon this unique FC Cincinnati podcast. You can easily link your Spotify and Patreon accounts if you are using the same email address for both apps.

Also, for those who use Apple Podcast app (or other podcast apps), did you know you can make it so episodes automatically load into your library? Just click the membership tab on your Patreon account, copy the RSS link that should show up on that page. Then, go into your Apple Podcast library, click the three dots in the upper right corner and you’ll see where to paste that link. This podcast will then automatically appear in your library feed as soon as it is uploaded. Patreon does not currently sync with Spotify, but there are other apps that will have this option as well. Reach out with questions!

And as always, thanks for tuning in!

Special thanks to Queen City Press sponsors:

Hoist (@DrinkHoist), 333seat.com; Agustin Caceres (@caceresagustin), Rhinehaus (@RhinehausOTR), The Richards Firm, Hangar937 (@Hangar937) on behalf of Mike Bowman, the Cincinnati Lions (@AVFC_Cincinnati), The Hart Family, Adam Weigand, The Stumpf Family, Roger Hayner, Mike Hudson, Duke Thomas (#UpTheGarys), Matt (@FCCincinnatus), Bryan Weigel, Nick Armstrong, David McDaniel, the Rexroad Family, Tim Miller and Jeremy Kelley. Join the sponsorship tier (check your membership settings) to have your name, organization or business recognized as well.

We're back from vacation, and after watching the last three games, it seems there are more questions than answers right now for FC Cincinnati.

A three-game losing streak in an eight-day span isn't the end of the world, but following the first two of those matches from afar, Laurel had her own questions to ponder. FCC coach Pat Noonan was suspended for Saturday's match at New York Red Bulls, and assistant Dom Kinnear did his best to provide some answers in the press conference afterward, but admitted his own limitations in doing so.

There should be opportunities to learn more about the team's plans in the near future, but in this episode, we dive into the 10 things we wondered about during our break. Plus, after Eric attended the game at Red Bull Arena with kids in tow, he provides his thoughts on his fan experience while Laurel worked from the best press box in MLS.

You'll also hear some audio clips of interviews with Kinnear and Roman Celentano, and we wrap up with mailbag questions as usual.

Be sure to find Queen City Press Podcast now on Spotify through your Patreon subscription and give us a rating so others can more easily stumble upon this unique FC Cincinnati podcast. You can easily link your Spotify and Patreon accounts if you are using the same email address for both apps.

Also, for those who use Apple Podcast app (or other podcast apps), did you know you can make it so episodes automatically load into your library? Just click the membership tab on your Patreon account, copy the RSS link that should show up on that page. Then, go into your Apple Podcast library, click the three dots in the upper right corner and you’ll see where to paste that link. This podcast will then automatically appear in your library feed as soon as it is uploaded. Patreon does not currently sync with Spotify, but there are other apps that will have this option as well. Reach out with questions!

And as always, thanks for tuning in!

Special thanks to Queen City Press sponsors:

Hoist (@DrinkHoist), 333seat.com; Agustin Caceres (@caceresagustin), Rhinehaus (@RhinehausOTR), The Richards Firm, Hangar937 (@Hangar937) on behalf of Mike Bowman, the Cincinnati Lions (@AVFC_Cincinnati), The Hart Family, Adam Weigand, The Stumpf Family, Roger Hayner, Mike Hudson, Duke Thomas (#UpTheGarys), Matt (@FCCincinnatus), Bryan Weigel, Nick Armstrong, David McDaniel, the Rexroad Family, Tim Miller and Jeremy Kelley. Join the sponsorship tier (check your membership settings) to have your name, organization or business recognized as well.

FC Cincinnati stunned with a dominant performance over Inter Miami CF on Saturday, an impressive result even with the Herons missing Lionel Messi. That capped a busy stretch in which the Orange and Blue collected all nine points available over three matches in eight days.

In this episode, we discuss the 6-1 win over Miami to move to first place in the Supporters Shield standings, as well as the 3-2 victory at D.C. United last Wednesday, and what Miles Robinson's call up to the Olympic team means for the player and FCC. Hear most of his press conference to discuss the opportunity in this episode, as well as clips of interviews with Luciano Acosta and Luca Orellano.

Then, we close with a few mailbag questions.

***Apologies on any sound discrepancies. Eric and Laurel were recording from different states, and Laurel didn't have her usual equipment. We're on vacation after this, so no podcast next week, but Laurel is keeping up with the team in the meantime and will still have content coming your way. Back in full July 20 with live coverage of the game at New York Red Bulls. We're stopping at Red Bull Arena on our way back from vacation.***

Be sure to find Queen City Press Podcast now on Spotify through your Patreon subscription and give us a rating so others can more easily stumble upon this unique FC Cincinnati podcast. You can easily link your Spotify and Patreon accounts if you are using the same email address for both apps.

Also, for those who use Apple Podcast app (or other podcast apps), did you know you can make it so episodes automatically load into your library? Just click the membership tab on your Patreon account, copy the RSS link that should show up on that page. Then, go into your Apple Podcast library, click the three dots in the upper right corner and you’ll see where to paste that link. This podcast will then automatically appear in your library feed as soon as it is uploaded. Patreon does not currently sync with Spotify, but there are other apps that will have this option as well. Reach out with questions!

And as always, thanks for tuning in!

Special thanks to Queen City Press sponsors:

Hoist (@DrinkHoist), 333seat.com; Agustin Caceres (@caceresagustin), Rhinehaus (@RhinehausOTR), The Richards Firm, Hangar937 (@Hangar937) on behalf of Mike Bowman, the Cincinnati Lions (@AVFC_Cincinnati), The Hart Family, Adam Weigand, The Stumpf Family, Roger Hayner, Mike Hudson, Duke Thomas (#UpTheGarys), Matt (@FCCincinnatus), Bryan Weigel, Nick Armstrong, David McDaniel, the Rexroad Family, Tim Miller and Jeremy Kelley. Join the sponsorship tier (check your membership settings) to have your name, organization or business recognized as well.

FC Cincinnati collected a 1-0 win at FC Dallas on Saturday, marking the team's first clean sheet since May 15. It was a much-needed performance ahead of another big week with a short turnaround to Wednesday's match at D.C. United and Saturday's home game against first-place Inter Miami CF.

In this episode, we discuss the matches and dive into the news of the week with the MLS All-Star announcement and Nick Hagglund's scheduled surgery. Hear clips from Pat Noonan's recent press conferences and wrap up with a couple mailbag questions.

Hope everyone enjoys the holiday this week!

Be sure to find Queen City Press Podcast now on Spotify through your Patreon subscription and give us a rating so others can more easily stumble upon this unique FC Cincinnati podcast. You can easily link your Spotify and Patreon accounts if you are using the same email address for both apps.

Also, for those who use Apple Podcast app (or other podcast apps), did you know you can make it so episodes automatically load into your library? Just click the membership tab on your Patreon account, copy the RSS link that should show up on that page. Then, go into your Apple Podcast library, click the three dots in the upper right corner and you’ll see where to paste that link. This podcast will then automatically appear in your library feed as soon as it is uploaded. Patreon does not currently sync with Spotify, but there are other apps that will have this option as well. Reach out with questions!

And as always, thanks for tuning in!

Special thanks to Queen City Press sponsors:

Hoist (@DrinkHoist), 333seat.com; Agustin Caceres (@caceresagustin), Rhinehaus (@RhinehausOTR), The Richards Firm, Hangar937 (@Hangar937) on behalf of Mike Bowman, the Cincinnati Lions (@AVFC_Cincinnati), The Hart Family, Adam Weigand, The Stumpf Family, Roger Hayner, Mike Hudson, Duke Thomas (#UpTheGarys), Matt (@FCCincinnatus), Bryan Weigel, Nick Armstrong, David McDaniel, the Rexroad Family, Tim Miller and Jeremy Kelley. Join the sponsorship tier (check your membership settings) to have your name, organization or business recognized as well.

Just when things couldn’t get worse with FC Cincinnati’s back line concerns, the club received disappointing news regarding Matt Miazga‘s season now being done.

But before anyone knew the centerback position would be gutted by injuries, it came to light the club was reportedly pursuing the acquisition of U.S. national team midfielder Weston McKennie.

We discuss that possibility and what it would mean for the team, as well as how the transfer window approach could have been altered over the past week.

A week after Miazga’s injury, FCC lost Nick Hagglund for an extended period with a broken fibula during a 2-1 loss to the New England Revolution. Miazga underwent surgery Wednesday and was placed on the Season-Ending Injury List.

The injuries and the loss to the Revs were a focal point of this episode, but we also touch on Aaron Boupendza’s return to the pitch and hear the exclusive interview Laurel had with him after the game Saturday.

 Be sure to find Queen City Press Podcast now on Spotify through your Patreon subscription and give us a rating so others can more easily stumble upon this unique FC Cincinnati podcast. You can easily link your Spotify and Patreon accounts if you are using the same email address for both apps.

Also, for those who use Apple Podcast app (or other podcast apps), did you know you can make it so episodes automatically load into your library? Just click the membership tab on your Patreon account, copy the RSS link that should show up on that page. Then, go into your Apple Podcast library, click the three dots in the upper right corner and you’ll see where to paste that link. This podcast will then automatically appear in your library feed as soon as it is uploaded. Patreon does not currently sync with Spotify, but there are other apps that will have this option as well. Reach out with questions!

And as always, thanks for tuning in!

Special thanks to Queen City Press sponsors:

Hoist (@DrinkHoist), 333seat.com; Agustin Caceres (@caceresagustin), Rhinehaus (@RhinehausOTR), The Richards Firm, Hangar937 (@Hangar937) on behalf of Mike Bowman, the Cincinnati Lions (@AVFC_Cincinnati), The Hart Family, Adam Weigand, The Stumpf Family, Roger Hayner, Mike Hudson, Duke Thomas (#UpTheGarys), Matt (@FCCincinnatus), Bryan Weigel, Nick Armstrong, David McDaniel, the Rexroad Family, Tim Miller and Jeremy Kelley. Join the sponsorship tier (check your membership settings) to have your name, organization or business recognized as well.

FC Cincinnati collected a pair of wild wins since we last recorded, starting with a comeback 4-2 win at the San Jose Earthquakes and including last night's 4-3 victory on Luciano Acosta's 100th-minute stoppage time goal.

We discuss both matches ahead of Saturday's match against New England, as well as Matt Miazga's injury and the state of the defense amid some high-scoring affairs. Plus, hear an interview with DeAndre Yedlin, and we wrap up with a few mailbag questions as usual.

(Note, this episode was recorded prior to a report of FCC making a bid for U.S. national team midfielder Weston McKennie).

Be sure to find Queen City Press Podcast now on Spotify through your Patreon subscription and give us a rating so others can more easily stumble upon this unique FC Cincinnati podcast. You can easily link your Spotify and Patreon accounts if you are using the same email address for both apps.

Also, for those who use Apple Podcast app (or other podcast apps), did you know you can make it so episodes automatically load into your library? Just click the membership tab on your Patreon account, copy the RSS link that should show up on that page. Then, go into your Apple Podcast library, click the three dots in the upper right corner and you’ll see where to paste that link. This podcast will then automatically appear in your library feed as soon as it is uploaded. Patreon does not currently sync with Spotify, but there are other apps that will have this option as well. Reach out with questions!

And as always, thanks for tuning in!

Special thanks to Queen City Press sponsors:

Hoist (@DrinkHoist), 333seat.com; Agustin Caceres (@caceresagustin), Rhinehaus (@RhinehausOTR), The Richards Firm, Hangar937 (@Hangar937) on behalf of Mike Bowman, the Cincinnati Lions (@AVFC_Cincinnati), The Hart Family, Adam Weigand, The Stumpf Family, Roger Hayner, Mike Hudson, Duke Thomas (#UpTheGarys), Matt (@FCCincinnatus), Bryan Weigel, Nick Armstrong, David McDaniel, the Rexroad Family, Tim Miller and Jeremy Kelley. Join the sponsorship tier (check your membership settings) to have your name, organization or business recognized as well.

FC Cincinnati hasn't played a game in two weeks, but returns to action Saturday at San Jose, a match that will take the Orange and Blue across the midway point in the season. Since we had no games to recap, we used the break to recap how things are going so far with some midseason awards and what to expect in the second half.

Laurel also reveals her MLS All-Star ballot, featuring three FCC players, and we very briefly touch on the upcoming match against the struggling Earthquakes before closing with a couple of mailbag questions to preview a written version soon to come.

Be sure to find Queen City Press Podcast now on Spotify through your Patreon subscription and give us a rating so others can more easily stumble upon this unique FC Cincinnati podcast. You can easily link your Spotify and Patreon accounts if you are using the same email address for both apps.

Also, for those who use Apple Podcast app (or other podcast apps), did you know you can make it so episodes automatically load into your library? Just click the membership tab on your Patreon account, copy the RSS link that should show up on that page. Then, go into your Apple Podcast library, click the three dots in the upper right corner and you’ll see where to paste that link. This podcast will then automatically appear in your library feed as soon as it is uploaded. Patreon does not currently sync with Spotify, but there are other apps that will have this option as well. Reach out with questions!

And as always, thanks for tuning in!

Special thanks to Queen City Press sponsors:

Hoist (@DrinkHoist), 333seat.com; Agustin Caceres (@caceresagustin), Rhinehaus (@RhinehausOTR), The Richards Firm, Hangar937 (@Hangar937) on behalf of Mike Bowman, the Cincinnati Lions (@AVFC_Cincinnati), The Hart Family, Adam Weigand, The Stumpf Family, Roger Hayner, Mike Hudson, Duke Thomas (#UpTheGarys), Matt (@FCCincinnatus), Bryan Weigel, Nick Armstrong, David McDaniel, the Rexroad Family, Tim Miller and Jeremy Kelley. Join the sponsorship tier (check your membership settings) to have your name, organization or business recognized as well.

Since we recorded last, FC Cincinnati stretched its win streak to seven games with a wild 4-3 win at Toronto FC last weekend, but then saw it come to a close at home with a 2-0 loss to Nashville SC on Wednesday.

Both games exposed some areas of weakness in the defense and the inconsistency of the attack to this point, but FCC also showed a lot of progress during that five-week stretch going 7-1. Now the Orange and Blue have some time to rest up, recover and get to work on some of the little details that can be improved ahead of the next match June 15 at San Jose.

We discuss both the Toronto and Nashville games in this episode, plus hear clips of interviews with coach Pat Noonan and Miles Robinson, who is off to U.S. national team camp and could be gone for an extended period if called into the Copa America squad if expected. Robinson discussed playing for the national team and the possibility of doubling up if added to the Olympic roster as well.

And we wrap up with a few mailbag questions as usual.

Be sure to find Queen City Press Podcast now on Spotify through your Patreon subscription and give us a rating so others can more easily stumble upon this unique FC Cincinnati podcast. You can easily link your Spotify and Patreon accounts if you are using the same email address for both apps.

Also, for those who use Apple Podcast app (or other podcast apps), did you know you can make it so episodes automatically load into your library? Just click the membership tab on your Patreon account, copy the RSS link that should show up on that page. Then, go into your Apple Podcast library, click the three dots in the upper right corner and you’ll see where to paste that link. This podcast will then automatically appear in your library feed as soon as it is uploaded. Patreon does not currently sync with Spotify, but there are other apps that will have this option as well. Reach out with questions!

And as always, thanks for tuning in!

Special thanks to Queen City Press sponsors:

Hoist (@DrinkHoist), 333seat.com; Agustin Caceres (@caceresagustin), Rhinehaus (@RhinehausOTR), The Richards Firm, Hangar937 (@Hangar937) on behalf of Mike Bowman, the Cincinnati Lions (@AVFC_Cincinnati), The Hart Family, Adam Weigand, The Stumpf Family, Roger Hayner, Mike Hudson, Duke Thomas (#UpTheGarys), Matt (@FCCincinnatus), Bryan Weigel, Nick Armstrong, David McDaniel, the Rexroad Family, Tim Miller and Jeremy Kelley. Join the sponsorship tier (check your membership settings) to have your name, organization or business recognized as well.

FC Cincinnati added another six points in two games since we recorded last, beating Atlanta United FC 1-0 on May 15 and St. Louis City SC 3-1 on Saturday to extend its win streak to six games.

In this episode, we discuss both of those matches and this weekend's tilt at Toronto FC, as well as the news of the week with Stefan Chirila's homegrown contract, Miles Robinson's call-up to the U.S. national team and the MLSPA's salary data drop.

Plus, hear clips from Pat Noonan's press conference after the win against St. Louis and a locker room interview with Nick Hagglund.

We wrap up with a preview of an upcoming written mailbag with a couple of reader questions answered right on this podcast.

Be sure to find Queen City Press Podcast now on Spotify through your Patreon subscription and give us a rating so others can more easily stumble upon this unique FC Cincinnati podcast. You can easily link your Spotify and Patreon accounts if you are using the same email address for both apps.

Also, for those who use Apple Podcast app (or other podcast apps), did you know you can make it so episodes automatically load into your library? Just click the membership tab on your Patreon account, copy the RSS link that should show up on that page. Then, go into your Apple Podcast library, click the three dots in the upper right corner and you’ll see where to paste that link. This podcast will then automatically appear in your library feed as soon as it is uploaded. Patreon does not currently sync with Spotify, but there are other apps that will have this option as well. Reach out with questions!

And as always, thanks for tuning in!

Special thanks to Queen City Press sponsors:

Hoist (@DrinkHoist), 333seat.com; Agustin Caceres (@caceresagustin), Rhinehaus (@RhinehausOTR), The Richards Firm, Hangar937 (@Hangar937) on behalf of Mike Bowman, the Cincinnati Lions (@AVFC_Cincinnati), The Hart Family, Adam Weigand, The Stumpf Family, Roger Hayner, Mike Hudson, Duke Thomas (#UpTheGarys), Matt (@FCCincinnatus), Bryan Weigel, Nick Armstrong, David McDaniel, the Rexroad Family, Tim Miller and Jeremy Kelley. Join the sponsorship tier (check your membership settings) to have your name, organization or business recognized as well.