Columbus crushes first-placed Cincinnati in MLS's Ohio derby
MLS is finally back from its annual summer break — and for the Columbus Crew, it's back with a vengeance.
The founding MLS club beat local rivals (and current MLS leaders) FC Cincinnati 3-0 in front of a packed crowd in downtown Columbus.
"There's a lot of weight behind this game," Crew midfielder Aidan Morris laughed after the win. "For sure that was a statement, especially at 3-0. I think we know what color Ohio is, huh?"
This was the 13th meeting of Columbus and Cincinnati, a matchup that has become known as the "Hell is Real" Derby for the ferocity of the fan support and the infamous corresponding billboard on Interstate 71 that away fans must pass on their way to either stadium. Despite Cincinnati's place at the top of the MLS East this season, Columbus has the all-time head to head advantage--and its performance last night proved why.
Despite being a relatively small market, Columbus has built quite the reputation for itself as a soccer city. Much of that comes down to the Crew's continuity--it was one of MLS's Original Ten founding clubs and has operated consistently in the league since 1996--but it's also about the Crew's signature style. It has always been a club by the fans and for the fans; one that cares just as much about entertainment as it does about making the playoffs. And in French coach Wilfried Nancy, it's found the perfect tactical leader to turn that signature style into a winning one.
"I want my players to be brave," Nancy said. "We know they [the opposition] are going to drop, but we don't want to drop. We stay high. Do not drop. Stay high and be brave."
That intense offensive philosophy has spurred the Crew into its best performances in decades. The team scored more goals in the first three games of the season under Nancy than it had in any previous season in MLS history. And while it still hasn't quite caught up to Cincinnati's MLS points tally, it's not far behind in fifth place, and should be a lock for the 2023 playoffs.
Cincinnati, for its part, hopes to shake off this defeat before its U.S. Open Cup clash with buzzy Inter Miami.
"There's no relief after a performance like that," Cincinnati coach Pat Noonan said. "So we'll try to use some of the things that we saw tonight in a negative way to have a better overall team performance on Wednesday [against Inter Miami.]"
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