Kipp Keller lands in Cincinnati excited for a fresh start, new opportunity

Kipp Keller waited at home in December 2021 to hear his name called in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft,

where he would begin his professional career.

To commemorate the event, friends, family, and even members of the local press visited his home.

There was a chance he would be the next in a long line of legendary

St. Louis-based players to join Major League Soccer and hear his name called first overall.

The junior college student knew he would be selected, but he was unsure of where,

so he departed early to sign a Generation Adidas contract.

A first overall pick would have been a lovely cherry on top,

but since he had already signed his contract, the stakes were reduced.

However, FC Cincinnati, the owners of the second pick in the draft

which was eventually applied to Roman Celentano—was at the top of his list.

The newly selected NCAA All-American has become more fond of FCC as a pre-draft destination.

He started picturing himself in Orange and Blue after his interview with the technical personnel.

But that day’s circumstances wouldn’t cooperate. Austin FC selected Keller sixth overall,

and the Verde would go on to open the first game of the season with him.

However, Keller lost favour sometime along the route.

Austin found it difficult to find opportunities to grow and thrive throughout

the difficult transition from NCAA to MLS. Over the following two seasons,

he would play 13 MLS games in Austin, starting just six of them.

He would play in the U.S. Open Cup,

the Leagues Cup, and even came on as a late substitute against Violette AC in

the Concacaf Champions League.

However, the once-highly anticipated draft pick discovered that he was invisible.

Chris Albright, the general manager of FC Cincinnati, continued to think highly of Keller in the meantime.

Although Celentano’s draft selection ultimately proved to be highly beneficial for The Orange and Blue,

Albright and his crew continued to keep an eye on Keller’s tremendous upside potential.

Thus, the belief persisted to sign the defender and bring him to Cincinnati when he became available two years later.

Keller will now perform in the Queen City.

Wearing an FC Cincinnati ball cap,

Keller remarked over a Zoom conversation from his family’s suburban St. Louis residence,

“I’m grateful for the past two years with Austin.”

Because of the special nature of the MLS SuperDraft,

Keller received goods for every MLS team in case he was selected by any of them.

The remaining Austin greens ended up in a box inside the house after being utilised.

Keller went through that package and took out the FCC part when he joined with FC Cincinnati.

FCC is the one club for whom he did not receive a scarf. But until he gets here for preseason,

the fashionable hat would have to do.

“I’m appreciative of what Austin taught me.

It is undoubtedly difficult to get from college to the first squad in the Major League Soccer

when you initially enter the league, Keller continued.

However, I’m excited about FC Cincinnati and am incredibly thankful for this new chance.

“I’ve discovered a lot. Mentally, it has only strengthened me.

As a result, I’ve become physically stronger.

And I can say that I’m appreciative of everything that has occurred.

I’m excited about this new opportunity, and I’m heading to the FCC.

I can’t wait to go to work and prepare for the season.

The teenage centre back’s acquisition also appears to be a

well-executed business deal with minimal risk for FC Cincinnati and a

new beginning for a player who was previously looking to play for his old team.

Following Austin FC’s rejection of Keller’s contract option,

FC Cincinnati acquired the defender’s rights with a third-round pick in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft.

Keller was then signed to a contract through the 2024 season,

with options for 2025 and 2026.

In other words, the team effectively traded a pick that has historically

yielded very little in terms of on-field success for a more experienced player with

MLS experience to at least bolster the depth chart at a position of need.

Keller, at best, has a high ceiling for potential,

and The Orange and Blue would profit from what was previously thought to be a

potential number one overall pick if he were to prosper in Cincinnati and realise that potential.

It’s a smart decision, and one that many in the MLS world have

come to anticipate from a general manager like Albright, given the balance of risk.

Currently, the goal is to extract the player’s potential.

While it may be entertaining to speculate that Keller will be recovered,

Pat Noonan and his team on the pitch will be responsible for

transforming Keller back into a high-capability prospect.

The Orange and Blue have demonstrated the capacity to nurture

SuperDraft selections and develop them into valuable MLS players.

Draft selections Ian Murphy (17th overall in 2022) and Roman Celentano (2nd overall in 2022) have

not only developed into starters but have also been crucial to

the club’s success since the Albright/Noonan era at FCC started prior to the 2022 MLS season.

Another example of this type of situation is Bret Halsey, who joined FC Cincinnati following

his signing of a Generation Adidas contract and his 2021 draft selection by Real Salt Lake.

Halsey was left on the outside at RSL despite being taken seventh overall

due to injury and other unlucky circumstances.

After a brief loan at Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC,

Halsey was let go by the Utah team because they were unsatisfied.

Albright signed him on an MLS NEXT Pro contract right away,

and he was soon elevated to the first squad at FCC,

where he played in 13 games across all competitions and immediately

established himself as an effective wingback with attacking ability.

D.C. United draft pick Ben Stitz was signed to a second team contract after declining a deal with DCU.

In July, Stitz made his team debut following a call-up during a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls.

He assisted in leading the FCC2 offence in 2023.

He would score seven goals for the second team and make two more appearances for the top squad.

There are many such instances; very few are as skilled as Noonan and Co.

at turning highly skilled players into valuable first team members.

Now that Keller is a part of the system,

let’s hope he stays on that course and realises the potential Albright thought he could in 2022,

even though he was a few years older.

Keller would be a huge asset to FC Cincinnati 2’s back line should he get time there.

He will bring a leadership and poise that the young team lacked in 2023.

Keller will undoubtedly get opportunities with the first team,

especially with the Leagues Cup and Concacaf Champions Cup already cramming the calendar in 2024.

Keller participated in sixteen games for Austin FC II,

the team that won the MLS NEXT Pro Cup in 2023.

Noonan and Keller have long-standing ties.

Both participated in the St. Louis Scott Gallagher academy system while growing up in St. Louis.

Although Keller’s Principia School and Noonan’s De Smet Jesuit High School are in

different classes and have not competed,

they are both powerful schools in their respective cities and have

won state titles quite frequently (Keller was named MVP during their 2015 state title run,

while Noonan won in 1997).

After enrolling at Indiana University,

Noonan was awarded an All-American three times.

While Noonan’s teammate at Gallagher,

Kevin Kalish, would coach Keller at Saint Louis University Billikens,

the latter stayed in STL and became an All-American in 2021 while Keller captained the team to

an A-10 conference championship and a trip to the NCAA Men’s Soccer Quarterfinals.

Regarding his new head coach Noonan, Keller remarked, “He’s kind of a legend in St. Louis.”

Since he was accomplishing goals that I had set for myself when I was younger,

it goes without saying that I respect him and looked up to him.

So it’s like a dream come true for me to be here right now and get the call from him.

The tissue is there to create a smooth connection, that is the objective.

Many of the same individuals that influenced Noonan’s career also influenced Keller’s football instruction.

The young centre defender was trained by someone from the same branch of soccer school as Noonan

when he was playing his greatest soccer,

which he freely acknowledges was not while he was with Austin FC.

With Keller, there are no promises. However, that street is bidirectional.

Playing time is not guaranteed with so many talented centre backs already on the squad,

including MLS Defensive Player of the Year Matt Miazga, SuperDraft success story Ian Murphy,

Nick Hagglund from Cincinnati, Alvas Powell, Joey Akpunonu, London Aghedo, and Isaiah Foster.

Keller will have to fight for playing time.

As a team, we all share the same objective. With regard to his new centre back group,

Keller stated, “We want to win.” “I just want to improve every single day by learning from them.”

Keller is also a cheap bet in this scenario because of what he offers to the table off the pitch.

Coaches of old speak highly of Keller’s dedication and leadership qualities both on and off the field,

despite the fact that he already makes up a large portion of the team’s defensive depth chart.

Sources told FCCincinnati.com that although he did not receive the playing time that

a draft pick of his calibre would typically receive,

he remained a model professional and his disposition never soured.

Kipp Keller has discovered a second opportunity in Cincinnati. Although it didn’t work out in Austin,

he is eager to start over with a coach who has not just followed a

similar road but also has the knowledge and documentation to support this kind of endeavour.

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