The Columbus Crew had one hell of a night in Cincinnati on Saturday.
It happened again. Or, as Diego Rossi told Max Arfsten, it was déjà vu.
Black & Gold players sprayed water like popped champagne bottles and bounced beneath the Crew supporters in the southeast stands. Wise Men was sung again in TQL Stadium which is now becoming something of a tradition.
And so is Columbus conceding two early goals in Cincinnati, only to rally back and beat its biggest rival on FCC’s home turf.
Despite conceding 42 seconds into the match, then again in the fifth minute, the Crew seared FC Cincinnati, 4-2, on Saturday night in the latest Hell is Real Derby.
If not for Columbus-native (and teenager) Taha Habroune scoring in stoppage time, it would’ve been the same result as the famous Eastern Conference Final on Dec. 2, 2023.
“This is a good feeling obviously for the players because again, they are so strong mentally,” head coach Wilfried Nancy said of the comeback win. “We try to challenge them all the time that the difference between greatness and to be good is that mental aspect. If we're able to do it consistently, it can be really interesting. I'm happy for the fans, I'm happy for the club and I'm happy for the players.”
As Nancy told the media, the context is everything. So, here’s the context. Yes, the Crew have proven they can bounce back from adversity, but Saturday night was different – even if it was a familiar rivalry feeling.
FCC entered Saturday leading the MLS Supporters’ Shield. Through this point of the season, in theory, Cincinnati was the best team in the league. Then, the home side had a two-goal lead and could’ve piled on as the sold-out crowd exercised the demons of so many derby defeats.
But that didn’t happen.
Even as the “Sha-La-Las” and orange smoked filled the summer sky, and The Bailey danced, the Crew played through it. They also played through the FCC lines and played their way to a massive three points.
Diego Rossi trimmed the deficit in the 42nd minute with a lovely postage-stamp strike into the top right corner of the net. The goal was the Uruguayan playmakers’s team-leading 11th goal of the campaign.
Six minutes later, Max Arfsten produced the equalizer in his first match back with the Columbus since May 31. Arfsten had been away with the U.S. Men’s National Team at the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup. The goal was his fourth, matching his career high.
“I have to say that to come back from 2-0 halftime to 2-2, we had the momentum, and I felt it,” Nancy said. “I didn't know about the second half, but I felt that we had the momentum.”
The visitors eventually claimed the lead in the 59th minute when Miles Robinson smashed an attempted clearance into his own net. Habroune then sealed the win in the 93rd minute when he intercepted the ball and produced a lovely finish to become the second-youngest goal scorer in Crew history (19 years and 150 days). Ironically, the youngest goal scorer, Cristian Martínez, played for both Ohio clubs.
Yes, the Columbus kid’s first MLS goal came in the biggest match of his young career.
“It couldn't have been a better first goal,” Habroune said. “And here, in [Cincinnati], you know, growing up in Columbus, I always went to the games, and I know how big the rivalry is, so it means a lot to me to seal the game for us today.”
Nancy mentioned the context of the win for Columbus this season, but here’s what it means for this rivalry.
Hell is Real has been played 17 times in MLS. The Black & Gold are unbeaten in 14 of those matches, including eight wins. The four goals scored was also the Crew’s most in the derby since July 11, 2020 in the group stage of the MLS is Back Tournament in Florida.
The best parts of being a supporter are the senses of pride, belief and community. For the Black & Gold community traveling southbound on Saturday night, Hell is Real had all of that – and then some.
“This is a good example where we got beaten in the beginning, and we fought and we fought, and after that, the fans were with us and they had emotion and we gave them emotion,” Nancy said. “At the end, the connection, that's why we do this job. Yes, we won, but the performance also was unbelievable. I think that the fans are really proud of us, and this is the most important.”
