The more things change, the more they remain the same.
The Columbus Crew reiterated their Ohio superiority yet again on Sunday night when they defeated FC Cincinnati, 2-0, at TQL Stadium in the final regular-season Hell is Real Derby. The Crew swept the rivalry with wins in both matches in 2026.
If bragging rights is most important to you, then Sunday cemented that Columbus has a better club, and that’s not changing anytime soon. The Black & Gold are unbeaten in their last four regular-season matches in Cincinnati. Of course, don’t forget about the heroic 3-2 comeback win in the 2023 MLS Eastern Conference Final.
But looking beyond the rivalry, the Crew are getting hot at the perfect time.
Including the win, they’ve won five-of-their-last-six fixtures across all competitions. And not only that, but they’re earning positive results by tinkering with tactics and the matchday squads.
“It's a testament to this team, to be able to win in different styles, different fashions,” interim head coach Laurent Courtois said following the win at FCC. “We dominated the game on the ball more so against Orlando. But then this one, I felt like we dominated the game on the defensive end. And yeah, the players, not even just the back line, but the midfielders getting out, blocking crosses, limiting guys like Evander's time on the ball and the backline doing what the backline does. It's incredible to just take a back seat and be able to watch.”
At a time when the Crew need results most to keep postseason dreams alive, players are rising to the occasion.
Gonzalo Tapia produced the game winner – his second for Columbus – in the 22nd minute when he nodded home a Brais Méndez corner beneath The Bailey. Méndez owns nine goal contributions (five goals, four assists) in his first 13 MLS contests, including at least one in eight of those matches.
A red-hot Taha Habroune scored his third goal in as many matches in the 54th minute when his back-post strike doubled the Crew’s advantage.
But the story was as much about denying Cincinnati as it was continuing to have success in the final third, as goalkeeper Patrick Schulte earned his first clean sheet since Sept. 19 at CF Montréal.
“Obviously, this can be used as momentum, but I think just also, it can be used as a reminder that we can win in any way,” he said. “No matter if we're on the ball for 70 minutes, and you need to defend for the last 20, we showed tonight that we can do it, and we can fall back on games like this to kind of you know uplift us going into the Final on Wednesday.”
And that’s where the Black & Gold are now focusing. Yes, the recent results now have Columbus back in the postseason race, but those thoughts are being shelved for a few days. The Crew have a cup to win.
On Wednesday night, the Crew host St. Louis City SC in the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field. Get your ticket to the U.S. Open Cup Final.
The Black & Gold are seeking a second-ever Open Cup title and a first since 2002, when they beat Los Angeles Galaxy, 1-0, at Historic Crew Stadium.
Following the win over Cincinnati, Habroune said the rivalry result was great, but Columbus is chasing something more.
“I mean, it gives us confidence, but you know we kind of stay humble because we weren't like this the whole season, so we know we kind of just have to be grateful, but we also have to keep going,” Habroune said. “And right now, the main focus is obviously the Final, so that's a different game, and we change the mentality for that.”
