FC Cincinnati Travel to Face Columbus Crew in First Leg of Hell Is Real Derby
MLS FC Cincinnati

FC Cincinnati Travel to Face Columbus Crew in First Leg of Hell Is Real Derby

Published on July 24, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
FC Cincinnati News Release


FC Cincinnati head up I-71 north to take on the Columbus Crew in the first leg of the Hell is Real derby presented by TourismOhio on Saturday, July 25. Kickoff from ScottsMiracle-Gro Field is set for 7:15 p.m. ET and the match airs on Apple TV, FS1 and Fox Deportes. The Official English Radio home of FC Cincinnati, iHeart Media ESPN 1530 and the official Spanish Radio home - La Mega 101.5 FM - will broadcast the match.

The Orange and Blue (6-5-5, 23 points) kicked off the second half of the 2026 season Wednesday on a high, defeating Western Conference leaders Vancouver Whitecaps, 4-3, at TQL Stadium. The Crew (4-8-4, 16 points) fell at home to New York City FC, 2-1.

Saturday marks the first meeting between the Ohio rivals since the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs, when the Round One Best-of-3 series went the distance as FC Cincinnati earned a dramatic come-from-behind 2-1 win in Game 3 to knock off the Crew.

Fans not traveling to Columbus are encouraged to head to the Official Watch Party at Madtree's Oakley Taproom (3301 Madison Rd.) to gather to cheer on the Orange and Blue. Fans can also head to an official FC Cincinnati Pub Partner. For a full list of Pub Partners and for more information on the program, visit FCCincinnati.com/Matchday/Pub-Partners.

HOW TO WATCH AND FOLLOW #CLBvCIN on SATURDAY, JULY 25 (7:15 p.m. ET)

Watch: Apple TV (English and Spanish)

Watch: FS1 (English) | Fox Deportes (Spanish)

English Local Radio: iHeart Media ESPN 1530 | SiriusXM FC 157

Spanish Local Radio: La Mega 101.5 FM

FC Cincinnati Social Media: X/Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

FC Cincinnati Official Mobile App: iOS | Android

FC CINCINNATI ALL-TIME AGAINST THE COLUMBUS CREW

Saturday marks the 22nd all-time meeting - the 21st since FC Cincinnati joined MLS in 2019 - between the Orange and Blue and in-state rivals Columbus Crew in the Hell is Real derby. The Crew hold a 9-6-9 advantage in all competitions.

FC Cincinnati have won just once in Columbus, posting a 1-5-2 record in the state capital.

FC CINCINNATI NOTES

Hell is Real Returns - For a third-straight season, the first leg of the regular season battle for Ohio takes place in the state capital in Columbus. Saturday marks the first meeting between the sides since the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs, when FC Cincinnati earned a 2-1 series victory over the Crew in the Round One Best-of-3 series.

After going down a goal in the 63rd minute, goals from Brenner in the 67th and 86th minutes gave Cincy the come-from-behind decisive Game 3 win.

Strong On Short Rest - Following Wednesday's match against Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Saturday marks a quick turnaround for FC Cincinnati. Since 2022 under Head Coach Pat Noonan, FCC are 22-11-11 in 44 matches playing a game just three days following another, across all competitions.

Historic Scoring Streak -FC Cincinnati have scored multiple goals in nine consecutive games. Per Elias Sports, FC Cincinnati's current streak is tied for the fourth-longest streak in MLS history. Only seven such streaks have reached 9+ games.

Cincinnati look to keep scoring 2+ goals to reach the record of 12, set by the 1996 LA Galaxy

Regaining Road Form - FC Cincinnati's 30 road wins since the start of the 2023 season lead all teams in MLS over that span. Despite a slow start in 2026 on the road, Cincinnati enter Saturday unbeaten in five straight away from home, tied for the second-longest active streak in MLS (MIA, 8) and the fourth-longest streak in FCC's MLS history.

Red Hot Evander - With a goal and assist on Wednesday against Vancouver, FC Cincinnati All-Star Evander extended his goal contribution streak to six games, the third-longest single-season streak in club history. He approaches Luciano Acosta's nine-game club record streak from 2024.

The Kardiac Kids - FC Cincinnati's 13 goals scored from the 75th minute onwards are tied for most in MLS (MIA) and 16 of FC Cincinnati's 23 points this season have come in matches in which FC Cincinnati trailed at some point in the match - including Wednesday night when FCC erased a 2-1 deficit and won 4-3.

S COUTING COLUMBUS CREW

Record: 4-8-4 (16 points)

Standings: 11th, Eastern Conference

Head Coach: Laurent Courtois (Interim since May 17)

Leading Scorer: 6 - Diego Rossi (Transferred to CF Monterrey July 3)

Last Three Matches: 2-1 loss vs New York City FC (July 22) | 2-0 win vs Atlanta United FC (May 24) | 1-1 draw at Philadelphia Union (May 16)

Columbus enter Saturday's Hell is Real derby in a period of transition. Laurent Courtois is the current interim manager for the club, taking over after Henrik Rydström was relieved of his duties after just five months of service. Appointed as Head Coach in December, with Courtois joining his staff as an assistant, Rydström was relieved in May, just before the pause of the MLS season for the summer with Courtois taking over.

Courtois comes with head coaching experience, having served as CF Montréal's manager in 2024 and 2025. Otherwise, the French native who first came to MLS as a player in 2011, has been a long time staff member at the Columbus Crew, serving as an assistant and as head coach of their MLS NEXT Pro side prior to his turn as interim.

This summer - during the World Cup break - the Columbus Crew transferred out their leading scorer and talisman Designated Player Diego Rossi to CF Monterrey of Liga MX. Other current Designated Player, Palestinian striker Wessam Abou Ali, is out on season ending injury after suffering a torn ACL in his right knee.

The Crew's active start to the transfer window began with several additions. First to be announced was Argentine midfielder Lautaro Giaccone, who joined Columbus from Argentinos Juniors on loan through June 2027. Then the big domino fell when new Designated Player, Brais Méndez of Spain, was announced. Méndez, 29, has played for the Spanish National Team and joined the club from La Liga side Real Sociedad. Eric Bailly of Ivory Coast with Premier League experience signed with the club as a free agent to help shore up their defensive line. The availability for Saturday's match for the three newcomers is not for certain.

Of those who are likely to appear on Saturday night are two World Cup players, USMNT winger Max Arfsten and Cape Verde standout Steven Moreira, who have been key contributors for the Crew over the past few seasons. Arfsten has also shown a scoring touch and now, by virtue of Rossi's departure, is the active leader in goals scored for Columbus with four goals and four assists.

Between the pipes for the Crew is another familiar face in Patrick Schulte, who has played every moment possible for Columbus and is now in his fourth year as the starting keeper. An MLS Superdraft selection, Schulte has logged 99 starts in MLS action so far, and will look to make it to the century mark on Saturday. This season he has made 39 saves while conceding 25 goals, and earned 3 clean sheets in total.

Stay up-to-date and connected with FC Cincinnati! Select your schedule of choice to receive the latest match details, events and other relevant messages directly to your digital calendar. For up-to-the-minute information about FC Cincinnati, visit the team's official website at fccincinnati.com, or follow the team on X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok at @FCCincinnati. Additionally, fans are encouraged to download the team's official mobile app on iOS or Android for instant access to mobile tickets, team content and match notifications.

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Major League Soccer Stories from July 24, 2026


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