FC Cincinnati stuns Columbus Crew in latest edition of "Hell is Real"

COLUMBUS − This win was sweeter than most for FC Cincinnati.

That fact was evident in a corner of Lower.com Field on Saturday where, after FC Cincinnati defeated Columbus Crew, 2-1, Cincinnati players, coaches and other staffers celebrated with a section of their traveling supporters seated in section 209.

In a venue where FC Cincinnati rarely scored and had never won, the club had finally prevailed. Pat Noonan, FCC's typically-stoic head coach, conceded quickly the victory was one of the most satisfying results of his FCC tenure.

"There was certainly a lot of talking points and previous disappointments but it was nice for (us) to, I don't want want to say put some of it to rest because it's one game, but there was enough talk about our struggles against a good team and tonight, we just focused on playing a good game and hoping that our performance would result in a good outcome, and I think we did," Noonan said.

"This is up there. It feels that way because of where both teams are at in this moment. I think, again, they're a very strong team. I give credit to Wilfried (Nancy, Crew head coach) and those players because they're a very tough team to play against . . . You could see how much it means. We've had some failures in the past as far as results go, and certainly in meaningful games. It's nice to go on the road and win this game."

It wasn't Noonan's first win against Columbus, but the disappointments against FC Cincinnati's arch-rival were starting to noticeably outnumber the successes, particularly after the Crew ended FCC's best-ever season in the Dec. 2 Eastern Conference final. That the celebrated rivalry was increasingly tilting in Columbus' favor was a point of conversation in the days leading up to Saturday's "Hell is Real" showdown at Lower.com Field.

FCC heard the dialogue clearly and sought to end it. They did.

"The goal is not to shut people up. The goal is to continue to progress as a group," Noonan said. "I think you see the progression over the last, you know, month, I would say. More consistency in how do you do it against top teams. And tonight guys stepped up."

For Columbus, the loss ended a 27-match unbeaten run at home. The streak spanned more than a year, and included playoff matches, the 2023 MLS Cup final, and late-round CONCACAF Champions Cup games against powerhouse Mexican clubs.

The win was FC Cincinnati fourth in a row, and the club improved to 7-2-3 with the win, moving to 24 points on the year. The victory allowed FCC to keep close in the standings with Inter Miami CF, which has played one more game than Cincinnati but is still pacing the Eastern Conference and all of Major League Soccer on an 8-2-3 record (27 points).

Snapping the scoring drought in Columbus

FC Cincinnati's plans for the contest came unglued early. In the 13th minute, Alvas Powell pulled up with a possible hamstring injury and was forced to leave the match. That forced 19-year-old attacker Gerardo Valenzuela into the game, and Yuya Kubo, the club's second-leading scorer, had to drop back from a forward position to fill in for Powell.

The assignment was the biggest of Valenzuela's impressive but young career, and the whole situation seemed to put a cap on what was possible for Cincinnati on the night. But the players took the impromptu adjustment in stride.

FC Cincinnati's last goal at Lower.com Field was scored Aug. 27, 2021. Isaac Atanga, who long ago departed FCC, scored it. Since that 74th minute goal in an eventual late collapse and 3-2 loss, Cincinnati had been blanked at the venue.

The drought stretched late into Saturday's match, but then FC Cincinnati captain Luciano Acosta made his mark.

In the 74th minute on Saturday, Acosta lofted a ball across the face of the Columbus net. Kevin Kelsy, the recently acquired and ballyhooed on-loan 19-year-old, was waiting at the back post to nod the ball home in front of the Nordecke, the Crew's supporters stand.

Two minutes later, and perhaps with the Crew still reeling from FCC's stunning opener, Acosta scored his team-leading sixth goal of 2024. It was also Acosta's fourth goal in four matches.

"It feels good. We came here with a job to do, and we did that well," Acosta said. "We knew we had to be at our best today because this is a really, really tough opponent. We did what we needed to to come home with three points."

Typical of "Hell is Real," there was late drama.

Max Arfsten curled a shot past FCC goalkeeper Roman Celentano for 2-1 in the 89th minute. That restored anxiety to the proceedings. Six added minutes of stoppage time gave Columbus plenty of opportunity to pull even, but Cincinnati fans were the ones dancing at the final whistle with their beloved team.

After exchanging handshakes with the opposition, FC Cincinnati joined their fans in the corner of Lower.com Field.

"Thank you for the traveling fans," Noonan said. "They were outstanding tonight. Thank you for those supporters groups who sent us off, you know, in such a unique way from (Mercy Health Training Center) yesterday, that was special. And now you start to see in those moments, just the love they have for this team and it's nice to share the joy of a moment like tonight. I know it's just one game, but to see what it means to them. that matters so I'm pleased for them."

Celentano made two saves in the victory. His effort was part of a generally strong showing from Cincinnati defensively.

To underscore FCC's defensive prowess, Crew leading scorer Cucho Hernandez was limited to one on-target shot − a free-kick in the first half that Celentano made comfortable work of denying.

"Defensively, we were very strong," Noonan said. "Yeah, he still makes so many plays, you know, I'm watching over there of getting pressure to him, our center backs having to really set the line and doing everything they can to prevent him from connecting a pass that gets him attacking the goal.

"And even, you know, towards the end there, he just makes plays, and gets them in front of goal. So I think we did a good job of limiting how close he could get to goal to finish off plays. You know, had a header there in the second half, but, you know, it's a credit to, you know, that performance defensively as a whole.

"But I thought the guys adjusted in the right moments for majority of the game to defensively be strong."

First impressions of "Hell is Real"

FC Cincinnati boasted consistency on the personnel side from the 2022 season to 2023, but 2024 has seen an injection of new talent into the squad. So, for players like Corey Baird, Pavel Bucha, Miles Robinson and others, the intensity of "Hell is Real" on Saturday was their first taste of the rivalry series.

Several first-year FCC players agreed the atmosphere was atypical when compared against other marquee matchups across the league.

"It was definitely a good atmosphere − loud, intense," Robinson said. "I felt that energy. Those are the guys that us as players love. We stepped up and played well."

Preview: Does FC Cincinnati have a Columbus Crew problem? Previewing 'Hell is Real'

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: FC Cincinnati stuns Columbus Crew in latest edition of "Hell is Real"