Hell_is_Real_Derby

Hell Is Real derby

Hell Is Real derby

Soccer rivalry between the Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati


Hell Is Real is a rivalry between the two Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs based in Ohio: the Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati. Under current MLS regular season scheduling, the series occurs twice per season as both teams are members of the Eastern Conference. The teams first met in 2017 in the U.S. Open Cup before Cincinnati joined MLS in 2019.

Quick Facts Location, First meeting ...

Hell Is Real takes its name from a Christian highway billboard located on Interstate 71 between Columbus and Cincinnati. The two team's MLS Next Pro affiliates, the Columbus Crew 2 and FC Cincinnati 2, parody Hell Is Real for their matches and use the name Heck is Plausible.

Background

FC Cincinnati was founded in 2015 as a United Soccer League club. After three seasons in the second-division league, Cincinnati moved to MLS in 2019 and joined the Columbus Crew, who had been a league member since their inaugural season in 1996.[1] The Ohio clubs met for the first time with lower-league Cincinnati winning 1–0 in the 2017 U.S. Open Cup.[2]

In October 2017, Columbus owner Anthony Precourt threatened to move the team to Austin, Texas, putting the prospect of an MLS rivalry between the two Ohio teams in jeopardy.[3][4][5] Precourt's proposed relocation sparked outrage in the American soccer community, creating the #SaveTheCrew movement. After a year of support by fans, rival teams,[6] local businesses, and politicians, the Crew committed to staying in Columbus in November 2018, when the Haslam family (owners of the NFL's Cleveland Browns, which had been the subject of a controversial relocation in the 1990s) purchased the club.[7]

History

The two teams met for the first time in the fourth round of the 2017 U.S. Open Cup, while FC Cincinnati was still a member of the United Soccer League. Cincinnati won the match 1–0 on a goal from Djiby, knocking Columbus out of the tournament and advancing to the quarterfinals.[8][9]

On August 10, 2019, the two sides played against each other in MLS league play for the first time, ending in a 2–2 draw at Mapfre Stadium.[10] Columbus earned their first win of the series in that season's reverse fixture with a 3–1 victory.[11] The highest-scoring match came in 2021, when the Crew pulled off a late comeback at their new Lower.com Field; holding a 2–1 lead in the 75th minute, FC Cincinnati surrendered two late goals to lose 3–2.[12]

The first MLS Cup Playoffs match between the two teams took place in the Eastern Conference Final on December 2, 2023. The match was hosted by FC Cincinnati and resulted in a 3–2 victory for the Columbus Crew after FC Cincinnati led 2–0 in the first half but conceded two goals in the second half. The Crew went on to score the winning goal in the 25th minute of extra time, enabling them to win the MLS Cup the following week.[13]

Name

The rivalry's name was inspired by a sign erected along the section of Interstate 71 that connects Columbus and Cincinnati.

The rivalry's name was created by fans of both teams in 2017, prior to the first competitive meeting in the U.S. Open Cup. It is derived from a religious sign that reads "HELL IS REAL" located on Interstate 71, the highway that connects Columbus and Cincinnati–a distance of 110 miles (180 km).[14] The sign was installed in 2004 on a local farm in Chenoweth by a Kentucky developer who had installed similar religious signs in other states.[15]

The rivalry has an alternate name, Heck is Plausible, between both club's MLS Next Pro teams, Columbus Crew 2 and FC Cincinnati 2.[16][17]

Statistics

Match

As of December 2, 2023
More information Competitions, Matches ...

Honors

As of December 9, 2023
More information Honor, Columbus Crew ...

Match results

  Columbus Crew win   FC Cincinnati win   Draw

More information Season, Date ...

† Matches played behind closed doors or reduced capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

‡ Although the match was part of the MLS is Back Tournament, group stage matches count toward regular season MLS statistics.

Eastern Conference standings finishes

  Columbus Crew   FC Cincinnati

More information P. ...

Total: Columbus with 3 higher finishes, FC Cincinnati with 2.

Top goalscorers

Alex Crognale of Columbus and Baye Djiby Fall of Cincinnati battle for a header in the 2017 U.S. Open Cup.
As of December 2, 2023

Own goals

Players who played for both clubs

As of December 10, 2023
More information Player, Columbus career ...
  1. Played for FC Cincinnati in the United Soccer League, before they joined MLS.

See also


References

  1. "FC Cincinnati to join MLS as an expansion team next season". ESPN.com. May 29, 2018. Archived from the original on July 15, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  2. "FC Cincinnati 1, Columbus Crew SC 0 2017 U.S. Open Cup Recap". mlssoccer.com. Archived from the original on May 12, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  3. "Columbus Crew Angling Toward Relocation to Austin in 2019". SI.com. October 16, 2017. Archived from the original on April 7, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  4. "FC Cincinnati on the verge of losing its biggest MLS rival, Columbus Crew SC". WCPO.com. August 15, 2018. Archived from the original on July 15, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  5. "Hell is Real: Saving the Budding FC Cincinnati – Columbus Crew Rivalry is a Must". cincinnatisoccertalk.com. July 26, 2018. Archived from the original on July 17, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
  6. "FC Cincinnati fans heading to Columbus to Save the Crew". abc6onyourside.com. June 9, 2018. Archived from the original on July 17, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
  7. "Save The Crew stopped a bad sports owner from relocating their team, and so can you". SBNation.com. November 13, 2018. Archived from the original on July 15, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  8. "FC Cincinnati douses Columbus Crew SC in 'Hell Is Real Derby'". soctakes.com. June 15, 2017. Archived from the original on July 15, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  9. ""Hell Is Real": Welcome to the Ohio derby Columbus vs. Cincinnati". YouTube.com. Major League Soccer. Archived from the original on August 15, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  10. "Columbus Crew SC 2, FC Cincinnati 2 – 2019 MLS Match Recap". mlssoccer.com. MLS. August 20, 2019. Archived from the original on August 12, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  11. "FC Cincinnati 1, Columbus Crew 3". MLSSoccer.com. Archived from the original on August 26, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  12. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on September 25, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. "CINvsCLB 12-02-2023". MLSSoccer.com. Major League Soccer. December 2, 2023. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  14. Bengel, Chris (August 23, 2019). "Ranking the best rivalry names in Major League Soccer ahead of Rivalry Week 2019". CBSSports.com. Archived from the original on August 23, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  15. Myers, Jacob (August 9, 2019). "How the 'Hell Is Real' rivalry between Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati got its name". The Columbus Dispatch. Archived from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
  16. Buchanan, Tyler; Widman Neese, Alissa (August 18, 2023). "It's "Hell Is Real" soccer rivalry weekend". Axios Columbus. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  17. "Crew host inaugural Hell is Real Pig Roast prior to Crew 2's Heck is Plausible match against FC Cincinnati 2" (Press release). Columbus Crew. August 14, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2023.

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