CINCINNATI – There’s likely to be a playoff atmosphere at Nippert Stadium on Saturday night, not just because of the sense of anticipation felt within FC Cincinnati’s fanbase as the club closes in on clinching a third successive trip to the USL Cup Playoffs, but also because visitors Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC are one of the sides that could be a serious challenger to FCC’s USL Cup aspirations when the postseason arrives.

Add in the historic rivalry between the two cities that has played out in both the National Football League and Major League Baseball for decades and there’s the potential for one of the biggest games of the regular season. After the sides played to a 2-2 draw in their first league meeting of 2018 back in April, the evolution of both teams since that meeting will be at the fore this time around.

“I think we both have grown a lot,” said FCC midfielder Jimmy McLaughlin. “They’ve put together an incredible season and a put together a team that is really tough to play against, and extremely tough to break down, so it’s going to be a great challenge for us and it’s going to be a fun opportunity towards the end of the year to play one of the top teams in the league, so it’s a massive game for us. We’ve grown so much as a club as well, and as a team, so it should be a top match between two top teams in the league.”

McLaughlin was among the scorers in the most recent meeting between FCC and the Hounds, which came not in the league but in the Third Round of the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup when Cincinnati took a 3-1 victory at Highmark Stadium on May 23. Cincinnati suffered defeat three days on from that contest in the league, falling 2-0 to River Cities Cup rival Louisville City FC, but hasn’t suffered a loss since then in compiling a 15-game undefeated streak in league play. Should it come through Saturday’s game unscathed, it would match Reno 1868 FC for the longest undefeated streak in the USL this season.

With the flexibility and speed Pittsburgh brings to the table, though, FCC Head Coach Alan Koch is expecting an interesting tactical battle from the top-four clash.

“Our lineups in terms of players that have actually played and how we’ve put them out on the chessboard has been very, very different and I’m sure Saturday will probably be a game like that too,” said Koch. “[Riverhounds SC Head Coach] Bob [Lilley] will have his plan, we’ll have our plan, and we’ll start in that manner, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we have to adjust during the course of the game, because games like this are huge games. They’re very exciting for the players, very exciting for the coaches, too. We know it’s going to be a challenge and if we have to adjust during the course of the game, we’ll gladly adjust.”

The Hounds are coming off another high-intensity clash with Indy Eleven on Wednesday night that saw the side hold a second-half lead through goals by Joe Greenspan and Christiano Francois before a stoppage-time equalizer by Indy’s Jack McInerney saw the game end in a 2-2 draw. Pittsburgh will have changes to its lineup, with the boost of seeing midfielder Thomas Vancaeyezeele – who scored when the Hounds visited FCC in April – return from suspension tempered by the absence of Ray Lee following his red card against Indy.

As has been the case throughout arguably the best season in the club’s long history, there will be no letting off the gas pedal for Riverhounds SC as it looks to close the gap on the conference leaders.

“We put pressure on ourselves to go out, not sit back and try to bring a point or two points home,” said Hounds Assistant Coach Mark Pulisic. “We want to go out and win. It’s going to be difficult, but that’s what you play for. You play for these types of challenges.”

RELATED: USL Race for the Playoffs – Aug. 28-Sept. 3

But as Pittsburgh looks to close the gap at the top, Cincinnati is aiming to capitalize on results elsewhere around the USL from the past few days and move closer to the USL Regular Season Championship. With both Louisville City FC and Western Conference-leader Real Monarchs SLC having suffered defeat in their midweek contests, the door has opened even wider for FCC to claim its first silverware as a club.

With a visit to Louisville up next after the visit from the Hounds, however, the hosts know there’s nothing that can be taken for granted, even as the postseason beckons.

“Any lead in this sport can easily be erased,” said McLaughlin. “We want to put as much distance between us and second place as we can and give ourselves the best chance to finish at the top of the table at the end of the season.”