Columbus Crew MLS playoffs: What to know about first-round series vs. FC Cincinnati
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Columbus Crew is back in the MLS Cup playoffs and will face its in-state rival in the opening round.
FC Cincinnati stands in the Crew's way of making the Eastern Conference semifinals and will look for revenge in the second "Hell is Real" playoff matchup. The series begins Monday at 6:45 p.m. with Game 1 at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati before the teams come to Lower.com Field for Game 2 on Sunday.
Although FCC is raring to avenge a 2023 playoff loss to Columbus, the Crew is limping into the postseason. Here is everything to know ahead of this "Hell is Real" playoff series.
Which Crew players could return from injury?
The Crew finished the regular season with 54 points (14 wins, 12 draws and 8 losses) for seventh place in the Eastern Conference, good enough to avoid the wild card round.
The 2023 MLS Cup champion had its worst season under coach Wilfried Nancy but were held back all season because of injuries. The team won just two of its last 10 MLS games as its top attackers Diego Rossi and Wessam Abou Ali missed a chunk of those games. Mo Farsi, Rudy Camacho, Sean Zawadzki, and Patrick Schulte also missed games during the season.
For Monday, Crew fans will hope Rossi, the top scorer this season, returns as he was listed as questionable for the regular season finale against the New York Red Bulls because of a thigh injury. Abou Ali (ankle) and Farsi (pelvis) look likely to be out again but could be back for Game 2.
Although most of the defense and midfield is in tip top shape, the key for the Crew is to have Rossi and Abou Ali back in some capacity so the team can have a stronger attacking presence.
FC Cincinnati now a model of consistency
FC Cincinnati started its MLS journey in the dregs of the league, but coach Pat Noonan has lifted it from the cellar into an annual contender. This is the fourth consecutive season Cincinnati is in the playoffs after finishing second in the Eastern Conference with 65 points (20 wins, 9 draws and 5 losses).
Cincy's success was due in no small part to its defense, which ranked second in the East with just 40 goals allowed. Keeper Roman Celentano and defensive leaders Miles Robinson and Nick Hagglund will be the ones to watch in the back.
The danger man in the attack is Evander, who had 18 goals and 15 assists in his first season with the team. Brenner will be in the striker spot, and former Crew player Kei Kamara could pose a threat.
'Hell is Real' derby history
One of the best-named rivalries in sports earned the moniker in 2017 with fans taking the words from a highway sign on Interstate 71 between the cities. That year was the first and only time the clubs met while FCC was part of the United Soccer League. The Crew lost the inaugural meeting 1-0.
Since Cincinnati joined MLS in 2019, the Ohio rivals have met 17 times, with the Crew winning on eight occasions. One of those wins was in the 2023 Eastern Conference final, when Columbus came back from down 2-0 to win Cincinnati 3-2 in extra time at TQL Stadium, eventually leading to the Crew's title.
The Crew has been the better team in the rivalry this season, with a 1-1 draw at home on May 17 and a 4-2 win on the road on July 12. If Cincinnati wants to beat Columbus in the playoffs for the first time, it will have to win at least twice in two weeks. FCC has just four wins against the Crew over eight years.
How the MLS Cup Playoffs work
This is the third season that the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs is a best-of-three series. Eight teams from each conference have made this stage with matchups seeded based on the conference standings.
The Crew sits as the second-lowest seed in the East and will need to win at least one game in Cincinnati to book a conference semifinal spot. In the first round, games that end in a draw in regulation go straight to penalty kicks to determine a winner.
If the Crew and FCC split the first two matches on Monday and Sunday, a deciding game three would be played on Nov. 7 at TQL Stadium. After the first round, the remaining playoff rounds are single-elimination, with the higher-seeded team hosting.
The winner of the "Hell is Real" playoff series will meet Inter Miami or Nashville SC in the conference semifinal on Nov. 22 or 23. Miami beat Nashville 3-1 in Game 1 of its series behind two goals from MLS Golden Boot winner Lionel Messi.
Miami is favored by oddsmakers to win its first MLS Cup title with the Philadelphia Union, Vancouver Whitecaps, and San Diego FC trailing behind. Despite being one of the lowest seeds in the bracket, the Crew have better odds than seven other teams to win MLS Cup.
Last season's No. 7 seed in the East, the New York Red Bulls, won the conference and became the lowest-seeded team to make an MLS Cup final. Can that spot give the Crew good luck?