We got all the color, contrast, spirit and spite we’ve come to expect from Hell is Real, ranging from The Bailey supporters section’s noir-themed “Cin-City” tifo to the 28 fouls and generally edgy tenor on the pitch.
It was goals that went missing in Saturday’s 0-0 draw between FC Cincinnati and the Columbus Crew at TQL Stadium, though not for lack of trying by chief protagonists Lucho Acosta and Cucho Hernández, the South American creative cogs who inspire these Ohio rivals.
“Two of the best in our league. I think the talk around them is deserved, because they're so important to both teams,” Cincy head coach Pat Noonan stated postgame.
“With Cucho, his ability to impact the game in different ways, in different parts of the field, his movement, his shot creation, his vision – he's just so difficult to play against," said Noonan. "And all he needs is a yard or two, and if he can create separation from a defender, his ability to play inside passes and move off of that, his ability to play in behind or to switch play. He's just got great awareness and field vision, as does Lucho, and it's what makes them so tough to prepare for and for opponents to try to limit.”
Indeed, the duo’s contributions conveyed the story of this deadlock. For all his playmaking genius, Acosta had to provide inspiration via perspiration on this occasion thanks to Columbus’ possession wizardry, leading his team in both tackles and key passes – despite it being his first start in two months – as Cincy dug in to avoid defeat on home turf, boosted by the shot-stopping of goalkeeper Roman Celentano.
“He was outstanding,” said Noonan of his side’s diminutive talisman. “I know the attacking production that we're accustomed to seeing was limited tonight, for him and our group. But what he did for us defensively, in recognizing how we needed to get pressure to the ball, it's just clear to what his teammates need to be doing around him, his leadership, the way he was communicating.
“He stepped up in this moment, because he's not 94 minutes fit, and he got to that point. He was clearly not thrilled with coming off, because he wants to see out the game, and he's a competitor, he wants to win. It felt like in that moment, there was some serious fatigue.”
More to come?
So it was the visitors who walked away with more reason to rue dropped points, having generated 1.8 expected goals compared to FCC’s 0.5, as they sought to keep climbing the Eastern Conference standings. Thus, Cincy remain a nose ahead of the Crew in the Eastern Conference table, two points ahead of Columbus, who retain a game in hand. The night’s combined results officially clinched Audi MLS Cup Playoffs qualification for both teams, though both now see that as the first of multiple boxes to be checked every year.
In the end, this fixture felt more like a prelude, amid a nagging sense that these combatants will cross swords again with higher stakes come the postseason, just as they did epically last fall.
“I have the feeling that I sleep with them,” Crew coach Wilfried Nancy said with a laugh when asked about that scenario. “The league is like this. It's true that we might face them again. Again, it's going to be good because we know each other and we have to find ways all the time to adjust certain things. This is the system, so we have to accept that.”
That possibility may excite neutral viewers and test the participants in equal fashion: As watchable as these Ohio derbies have become, they clearly pose real labor of a physical, mental and emotional nature to the players and coaches.
“With Columbus, there's a lot of adjustments that they're capable of making in-game. So if you're having success for a 10- or 15-minute stretch, expect something to change, because they're not going to sit and not be able to find solutions,” explained Noonan. “We've seen that from them. So guys needed to understand there was going to be adjustments that they need to be prepared for.”
Messi & Miami shine
Both the standings and the leaguewide context, however, underline the daunting nature of the challenge ahead for both these clubs. With “Lucho vs. Cucho” also a talking point in the race for the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award, some observers had posited that the winner of this Hell is Real edition would also boost the MVP prospects of their showcase star.
Yet the absence of a victor left both Acosta and Hernández shaded by the triumphant return of Leo Messi a thousand miles to the south in Inter Miami’s win over Philadelphia, a fifth straight W for the Herons, who have sprinted out a full 10 points ahead of the Ohioans. The GOAT’s 2g/1a performance in his first MLS appearance since June 1 reminded everyone of the cheat code he represents, especially considering how successful IMCF were in his absence.
“We’ve taken charge,” said Messi in Spanish during a postgame interview on MLS Season Pass. “The truth is that during the year we had a lot of bad luck with injuries. We never had everything at our disposal for one thing or another, we always lacked players and the group always came out ahead. Today we are first by a big difference and deservedly so.”
Miami, Cincy and Columbus are in a class unto themselves in the East. The gap between the conference's third- and fourth-placed teams (0.37 PPG) is bigger than the gap between its seventh- and 15th-placed teams (0.36 PPG), yet IMCF’s form is such that the gap between them and FCC (0.35 PPG) is nearly as large. Can FCC and the Crew find an answer to the overwhelming star power of Messi & Friends, or has the balance of power well and truly shifted to South Florida?
It’s now only a matter of time before Lucho and Cincy must hand over the Supporters’ Shield to Miami. It remains to be seen whether Cucho’s Crew will have to do the same thing with MLS Cup by winter.
