( Cincinnati, OH ) - Major League Soccer’s newest team is in Cincinnati.
Officials made the announcement at 5:30 p.m. to an electric crowd at Rhinegeist Brewery in Over-The-Rhine.
During its run as a minor league soccer club, FC Cincinnati set records for game attendance, drawing larger crowds than some Major League Soccer teams.
The league told us last week they were coming to Cincinnati today for a “major announcement.” Newsradio 700WLW’s Bill Cunningham first reported that announcement was going to be the invite to the league.
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It’s a move that’s been more than six months in the making. Rumors of FCC becoming a professional team started late last year.
The move to Major League Soccer has not been without controversy. FCC signed an agreement with the West End Community Council earlier this month, which allows them to build their proposed stadium in the neighborhood.
FC Cincinnati officials announced today that they’ll be playing at Nippert Stadium for the next two years until the West End facility opens in 2021.
Fans of FC Cincinnati filled Fountain Square this afternoon in anticipation of the announcement. Those who got invites to the announcement tell Newsradio 700WLW they’re “ecstatic.”