FC Cincinnati will be facing the Columbus Crew in the 16th installment of the Hell is Real derby. This time, it will be taking place at TQL Stadium.
THE OPPOSITION
Columbus has been putting together a dynasty. Ever since the hiring of Wilfried Nancy from CF Montreal, they have won two trophies and reached three finals—and they show no sign of slowing down.
Their additions in the summer window are further proof of this. They acquired DeJaun Jones and Andres Herrera, despite already having a very strong wing-back core. They also acquired Aziel Jackson and Dylan Chambost to provide depth in the attack. It is clear that they are ready for the home stretch.
Many are familiar with their tactical style that, for MLS, is in a league of its own. Nancy’s attacking style suffocates you and forces you to concede. It is this style that has given them so much recent success.
Their last match, however, was disappointing. They sank with a 4-0 home loss against the Seattle Sounders; it was a chaotic affair that saw them have to play Sean Zawadzki as a goalkeeper for most of the second half. Most of the loss can be attributed to the international break, though.
One could even label the match as a fluke. The Crew are still as dangerous as ever, coming off their second trophy, with new additions ready to clinch even more down the stretch. Looking at that match as a drop-in-form will only cause disappointment.
Their form before that was fantastic: winning eight matches in a row, outscoring their opponents 20-9. They won the Leagues Cup, their second of two Nancy trophies, during that span too.
THE ORANGE & BLUE
The Orange and Blue’s last match was a 4-1 home rout over CF Montreal. It saw an Orellano brace that included his “bomb voyage” goal from beyond the halfway line, and a Kelsy goal that broke his streak of non-scoring. It was a convincing win despite the absence of Lucho Acosta.
Miles Robinson and Ian Murphy received cautions and became suspended due to yellow card accumulation, so they will be missing this match. There were hints of an appeal for Robinson’s card, but nothing came to fruition. New-signing Teenage Hadebe has arrived in Cincinnati with an approved Visa, so he may fill in, but that is not a sure thing.
On the positive side, Laurel Pfahler reported about a week ago that anyone available participated in training. That means we’ll see Lucho Acosta and Yamil Asad playing a part on Saturday. They have been sorely missed.
It remains to be seen what formation Noonan will use, as he has recently played with a 3-4-2-1—dubbed “the Sword.” It hasn’t brought much success, so they could switch back to the usual 3-4-1-2. That is plausible, considering they’ve rarely used any other formation under him against the Crew.
There has been an air of negativity surrounding the team in the past few months. This match could either tremendously reduce or increase that. A win would allow the club to be more comfortable near the top of the table and heavily boost the fanbase’s confidence—since this is the derby.
As was mentioned before the match against Miami, this is the home stretch. The Orange & Blue failed to rise to the occasion in that previous match, and this upcoming one is every bit as difficult. They will need to bring their absolute best.
A stat in their favor is the fact that all but one of the club’s total derby victories have been at home. Their underdog victory in the 2017 U.S. Open Cup took place at Nippert, as did the 2-1 win in 2020 and the 3-2 win in 2023.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Cucho Hernandez is Columbus’ player to watch. He has been in MVP form this season, with four goals and one assist in his last five matches. He is the focal point of their attack and easily their best player. He has two goals in the rivalry, but neither of them has been scored at TQL. He’ll be ready to break that streak come Saturday night.
Luca Orellano is Cincinnati’s player to watch. He has proven himself as a potent attacker for this team. In his last match, he scored two goals and assisted once, and he has consistently performed at a high level for multiple matches now. It is his first home Hell Is Real since arriving.
WHAT TO EXPECT
The Crew hasn’t been to TQL since that devastating match that need not be mentioned. Cincinnati is doubtlessly looking for revenge against a team that utterly ruined their best-ever season.
But unlike that match against the Sounders, the Crew will be fully available and will be treating this as a match of utmost importance. There are higher stakes than just the rivalry, as these two sides are competing for the peak of the table.
Rivalry matches are always feisty. But the fact that Cincinnati is looking for revenge, and both sides are so high in the table, adds a deeper layer to this rivalry that is one of the biggest in American soccer. You can expect a very hard-fought and vengeful match.
What you can also expect is a high-scoring match. Ever since the rivalry was first played at TQL in 2021, neither side has scored less than 2 goals in a match. That is an aspect of these matches that has made them even more entertaining.
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