CINCINNATI -- FC Cincinnati President and General Manager Jeff Berding is calling on fans to curb "abusive comments posted online" after the team's controversial loss to Rochester that many attributed to penalties called against FC Cincinnati.
Cincinnati lost the match 3-2 Saturday after penalties allowed Rochester to score twice between the 78th and 82nd minutes. FC Cincinnati finished with eight cards.
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Berding said in a written statement Monday that the team has been in communication with the United SOccer League since then and that the team and league "have strongley expressed our mutual concerns" to PRO, the organization which scheduled referees for USL matches.
"In sports, calls do not always go your way, and successful teams must find ways to persevere despite questionable calls," Berding said. "As a club, we hold ourselves to a high standard to behave professionally whether we are on the pitch or on the sidelines and therefore we accept the penalties handed down by the League. We do not have to agree with each of the underlying official judgements to professionally accept the results from the match. While we were not able to overcome the circumstances dealt to us, I know our team has learned from the match and we will be better at handling adversity going forward."
Berding applauded the fans at the match for demonstrating restraint.
"Emotions were running high and what I saw was our passionate fans defending our players and our club," he said.
However, Berding also said that some of the comments posted online after the match were "not consistent with our club's core values."
"We wronged as we felt, we ask that in such situations, you take a step back to consider how your comments will be seen and read by others in reflecting on our club and city," he said.
