A disappointing road draw against D.C. United for the Columbus Crew midweek sets up a fiery match for the Black & Gold against Ohio rivals FC Cincinnati at Lower.com Field. The Crew welcomes the team’s Interstate-71 counterparts back to the state capital for another installment of the Hell Is Real Derby, a rivalry that has been quietly taking Major League Soccer by storm since the two teams first met in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2017 when Cincinnati was in the USL Championship.
The Orange and Blue come into this matchup after their own midweek 2-2 draw against the Vancouver Whitecaps, and currently are looking to get first dibs on bragging rights this season when they visit the Black & Gold.