The ‘Hell Is Real’ derby is literally Hell
When FC Cincinnati found out they would be joining MLS in 2019, the fuel that would start the fire of being Columbus Crew’s biggest rival, turned out that it would be much more than just a geographical rivalry. Not only did distance matter, but the on-field product would too.
“I think there’s always little things; I don’t know if you guys notice it as much as we do, little gestures, little actions within games where you pick up that it means a little bit more than just a regular match,” said Crew midfielder Aidan Morris.
“There’s obviously some tension, with the distance of both teams but when that happens guys say a little more than they normally would, guys tackle a little harder than they normally would.”
FC Cincinnati got their first whiff of the Columbus Crew in 2017, when the Black & Gold made the trek down Interstate 71 South for a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match that was held at Nippert Stadium, on the campus of the University of Cincinnati.
The Crew, followed by over 1,000+ Crew fans, witnessed their first ‘Ohio Derby’ and the fire that it could bring when the Orange & Blue joined the league later on.
However, it was Cincinnati that had the last laugh when a Djiby header in the second half found the back of the net, lifting the Cincinnati to a 1-0 win over their Columbus counterparts.
“I felt a presence about them,” said defender Josh Williams when asked when he thought was the turning moment that the rivalry turned from geographical, to something more.
“As soon as you get into the league, there’s that rivalry that kindling there but you really need them — again no disrespect, I’m not trying to be funny — but you need both sides to bring that heat to a rivalry.”
When fans got word that Cincinnati would be granted their MLS expansion franchise, the rivalry quickly was dubbed its rightful name as ‘Hell Is Real.’
League Play
During the first year of Cincinnati’s existence, the Orange & Blue didn’t defeat Columbus in their two meetings. A 2-2 draw at then MAPFRE Stadium, saw the Crew travel back to Nippert Stadium for revenge. Capturing all three points in front of a sellout crowd with over 3,000+ traveling away supporters, the Crew won 3-1.
Columbus would take the first leg of the 2020 season in Orlando, Florida during the MLS Is Back tournament, weeks after COVID-19 forced the league to halt play. FCC would then defeat Columbus 2-1 back at their home turf months later.
2021, again saw Columbus get the better of Cincinnati, earning a 2-2 road draw at Cincinnati’s TQL stadium. However just a mere weeks later, Columbus earned all three points at their new home in Lower (dot) come Field, with a 3-2 result behind a Miguel Berry Brace.
“It’s huge. It’s massive,” Morris said when asked about actual stakes in the game.
“You look at all the rivalries in the world they’re all top teams within their leagues and it brings a little bit more tension. It gives a little bit more meaning to the game.”
Williams went on to say that the rivalry is good. “It’s good for us, it’s good for them, it’s good for fans of the league, it’s good for soccer in Ohio in general. It feels like something bigger than it has in the past.”
At the end, when looking at the head-to-head record, Columbus hold the edge 4-2-3 (W-L-T) and want to improve on it.
“We have a chance to go over the top of them in the standings, or obviously they have a chance to go further away from us,” said head coach Caleb Porter.
A fight between two cities where fans deem that ‘anything less than three is a felony,’ rings true against their most hated rivals, shows that this isn’t just another MLS regular season match and that “whoever is on the wrong end of the result, you feel like you’re in hell.”
