Hell Is Real Derby


Hell Is Real Derby, also known as the Ohio Derby, is a rivalry between the two Major League Soccer clubs based in Ohio: Columbus Crew SC and FC Cincinnati. Under current MLS regular season scheduling, the series occurs twice per season as both teams are members of the Eastern Conference.

Background

On June 15, 1994, MLS announced that Columbus would be home to one of the ten founding members of the new top-flight North American professional soccer league. Cincinnati joined the league in 2019 as an expansion team under the same name as their United Soccer League club, which had started play in 2016, thus creating the first top-flight derby in Ohio. Two weeks after the Cincinnati expansion announcement, the clubs met for the first time with lower-league Cincinnati winning 1–0 in the U.S. Open Cup.
In October 2017, Columbus Crew 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. Precourt's proposed relocation sparked outrage in the American soccer community, creating the #SaveTheCrew movement. After a year of support by fans, rival teams, local businesses, and politicians, the Crew committed to staying in Columbus in November 2018, when the Haslam family purchased the club.

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.
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. Columbus earned their first win of the series in that season's reverse fixture with a 3–1 victory.

Moniker

The derby'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" and is located on Interstate 71, which connects Columbus and Cincinnati–a distance of. 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.

Match results

No.DateCompetitionVenueHome teamScoreAway teamAttendance
1.U.S. Open CupNippert StadiumFC Cincinnati1–0Columbus Crew SC30,160
2.MLSMapfre StadiumColumbus Crew SC2–2FC Cincinnati20,865
3.MLSNippert StadiumFC Cincinnati1–3Columbus Crew SC30,611
4.July 11, 2020MLS is BackESPN Wide World of Sports ComplexFC Cincinnati0–4Columbus Crew SC0

Competitions

Top goalscorers

PositionNameTeamGoals
1 Gyasi ZardesColumbus Crew5
2 Luis DíazColumbus Crew1
2 Youness MokhtarColumbus Crew1
2 Pedro SantosColumbus Crew1
2 Lucas ZelarayánColumbus Crew1
2 Djiby FallFC Cincinnati1
2 Emmanuel LedesmaFC Cincinnati1
2 Kekuta MannehFC Cincinnati1
2 Darren MattocksFC Cincinnati1

Players who played for both clubs