Hell is real and we’re still in purgatory. (That’s a good thing, Crew fans.)
Needing a victory to keep the season alive, Columbus battered FC Cincinnati, 4-0, on Sunday night at Lower.com Field, forcing a Game 3 next Saturday. Kickoff time at TQL Stadium is set for 6 p.m., and tickets are available.
But Sunday night wasn’t just a win to extend this Round One Best-of-3 series. It was a Hell is Real statement win. Yet another statement win for the Black & Gold in this mostly one-sided rivalry.
“We play at home, and it's a do-or-die. Not easy as a context,” head coach Wilfried Nancy said. “That's why I love my team because they are able to focus on the task and they are able to play – don't think about the future, don't think about the past; stay in this game, stay in the present moment. I think that they did well. That's why they were able to win the battle of power.”
From the kickoff, there was never any doubt which team was playing to win. Cincinnati, which finished with 10 men, also finished with a lone shot and an expected goal stat of 0.1.
On the other end of the pitch, though, Game 2 was wave after wave of gold shirts pounding the FCC box, causing chaos. Eventually, this led to the breakthrough in the 33rd minute, when Max Arfsten put the Crew ahead.
Diego Rossi left Alvas Powell sitting on the grass on a breakaway before playing Arfsten in. From there, the USMNT wideman rounded Roman Celentano before roofing a shot into the south-end goal.
Columbus' lead doubled eight minutes later, when Dylan Chambost curved a freekick into the bottom-right corner, past a diving Celentano. The goal was the ensuing kick following Yuya Kubo’s dismissal.
The Ohio clubs played a second half, but only one side pressed for more goals. A third was added by Andrés Herrera in the 65th minute, while Jacen Russell-Rowe earned the fourth in the 69th minute.
Game 2 was the second time the Crew have put four goals past FCC this season. It’s worth noting Cincinnati only allowed 1.18 goals per match during the regular season.
“I think that during this game, we had at certain moments we had the flow,” Nancy said. “The flow is a mix between the skills that we have and also the good energy that we have.
“Sometimes we don't think about the game; we just play. The connection helps all the players to have this kind of flow. That's why I think they had a really good game and they didn't think about the do-or-die. They just wanted to get better.”
Hopefully, the flow flows into next Saturday’s elimination match. Once again, it will be do-or-die. Once again, can it be the Columbus Crew who end FC Cincinnati’s season at TQL Stadium?
“Now, obviously the next game is going to be really interesting because they are upset and we have the momentum,” Nancy said.
Time and time again, we’ve seen Nancy’s players respond to the biggest moments with massive results. If Sunday night was the last match at Lower.com Field, it was a fitting end at the Fortress – complete domination against the biggest rival in the biggest home match of the year.
As this series returns south down Interstate 71, the Crew will travel with confidence and momentum. What will be on the minds of the Orange and Blue? Game 1, or all the Hell is Real results of prior years?
