Preview: FC Cincinnati resumes MLS campaign with "Hell is Real" match at Columbus Crew

If this were any other moment in FC Cincinnati's history, a nationally-televised "Hell is Real" derby against Columbus Crew would be all the talk around the Cincinnati fan base. It would account for a sizable chunk of the conversation around Major League Soccer in general, most likely.

But there's a new trend dominating the headlines in MLS these days: The whereabouts and happenings of Lionel Messi, the world-beating megastar who arrived to play in MLS in July, has proven effective at dominating the conversations around the league.

FC Cincinnati and the Crew meet Sunday at Lower.com Field in Columbus to close out their two-game season series. FCC will look to build on its MLS-leading 15-2-6 record while Columbus, sitting in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, will look to pull FCC back toward the pack chasing the Orange and Blue.

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The match holds plenty of significance but from the Cincinnati perspective, Messi and his Inter Miami CF loom over Sunday's game with Columbus with Messi's side scheduled to come to the Queen City for a semifinal match in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday.

Since FC Cincinnati was knocked out of Leagues Cup by Nashville SC, an eventual finalist in the competition, Messi tore the tournament apart. Having already helped Miami successfully qualify for CONCACAF Champions Cup play next year by reaching the cup final, Miami defeated Nashville in penalties Saturday to win the entire tournament.

Messi, whose introduction to soccer in North America far exceeded even the loftiest hopes for his arrival, ended Leagues Cup with a tournament-best 10 goals and two converted penalty kicks in shootouts.

Organization-wide, FC Cincinnati's been prepping for Messi's arrival for weeks − except on the technical side of the organization. There, Cincinnati's focus has been on Columbus even as the club was tasked with blocking out considerable noise surrounding Wednesday's semifinal.

Messi's dominance since arriving to Miami has given new life to an already-vibrant MLS, but the player is also causing consternation for fans of other clubs with championship aspirations in 2023.

FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan indicated during a Friday news conference he was confident Messi's starpower wouldn't impact his club on Sunday.

"I'm not talking too much about Miami," Noonan said. "You know, like I said, it's what does the week look like, and we know what's on the back end of the Columbus game. But the guys have done a good job of just thinking about the next challenge. And we know this is a big one. To be thinking about Wednesday would be so detrimental to what Sunday could look like. This (Columbus) is a very important game for obvious reasons. For the table, for the rivalry, for the fan base, all of it. So, that's what we've talked about. And, you know, hopefully I think from the intensity and the focus in training, I see a group that's ready for Sunday."

Columbus expects to debut Diego Rossi

One of the stunning developments since the MLS season was paused for Leagues Cup in July was the Crew's decision to part with Lucas Zelarayan, who was sold to Saudi Pro League side Al-Fateh. Zelarayán made 97 appearances for Columbus and scored 38 goals, including several heartbreaking stunners against FC Cincinnati over the years.

The move caused an uproar in Columbus until the club's full plans came into view. Shortly after Zelarayan departed, the Crew announced the acquisition of Diego Rossi from Turkish club Fenerbahçe S.K.

Rossi, a midfielder, added flair and skill to Los Angeles FC of MLS from 2018 to 2021, playing 104 matches and winning the 2019 Supporters’ Shield before going to Turkey. He is expected to make his first appearance for Columbus on Sunday.

The move was a dramatic shakeup for a steady Columbus side but is thought to be an upgrade in material ways.

"Well, (they) certainly lose a very quality top-end player with (Lucas) Zelarayán. For me, he was one of the best in the league. You know, Rossi coming in, he knows this league," Noonan said during a Friday news conference. "He's a very dynamic player, a little bit different in terms of their qualities. But, you know, I think they have a coach that understands how to deploy teams to bring out the best in his players, because they've utilized a lot of different bodies and in a successful way. So, you know, whether it's a little bit different shape with two underneath and one high or two high and one underneath, those are things that we've looked at. And you know, without having seen him on the field - Rossi that is for a game, you anticipate something, but you have to be prepared for multiple things. So, you know, he certainly gives them I think more speed, more of a threat in behind along their frontline. But, you know, again, I think they're a very good team. And with one player going out and one player coming in, they're still going to give us a lot of challenging situations with how we want to play, with how they want to play, and we're looking forward to it. But like I said, I think they have a coach that understands how to put their guys in a position to succeed."

What FC Cincinnati's been up to

While the Crew are still onboarding Rossi, FC Cincinnati's big summer acquisition arrived long before him in the form of Aaron Boupendza, who debuted July 15 and scored in a 3-1 win over Nashville SC.

Cincinnati didn't make any other personnel additions in the weeks that followed during the secondary transfer window, which is a period in which the club can complete transfer acquisitions.

Perhaps more significant were the moves FC Cincinnati didn't make in the window. In a sign of its commitment to chasing and winning trophies this year, FCC did not offload any of its talent even as rumors swirled around the likes of Brandon Vazquez and Alvaro Barreal.

Vazquez's scoring touch is surging after a prolific summer with the USMNT, plus Leagues Cup play. He finds himself on 15 goals across all competitions for club and country including friendlies (one goal), CONCACAF Gold Cup (three goals), Open Cup (two goals), Leagues Cup (five goals) and league play (four goals).

Barreal is thought to have been scouted by Dutch powerhouse Ajax. He was able to showcase some of his promise during the MLS All-Star Game in Washington, D.C.

After being eliminated from Leagues Cup by Nashville on Aug. 4, Cincinnati players enjoyed a four-day respite from full team training.

Health- and availability-wise, Cincinnati's had better days in 2023 ahead of Sunday's game. Center back Yerson Mosquera picked up a "knock" in the first day back after the four-day break and is considered day-to-day ahead of the Columbus match. Noonan said the club was committed to moving forward with Mosquera using a cautious approach.

Matt Miazga won't be available for the match due his one-match suspension triggered by accumulating too many yellow card infractions.

Forward Dominique Badji, who was unavailable for the entirety of Leagues Cup, is still "a couple of days away," Noonan said Friday, adding striker Sergio Santos was available for Sunday's match.

The game

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m., Sunday | Lower.com Field, Columbus

Stream/radio:  FS1, FOX Deportes, Apple TV/ESPN 1530

All-time series: Columbus leads the all-time series against FC Cincinnati with five wins, three losses and four ties (5-3-4).

Cincinnati.com prediction: FC Cincinnati 2, Columbus Crew 2.

FC Cincinnati

Record: 15-2-6, 51 points, first place in Major League Soccer

Goals for: 39

Goals against: 25

Coach: Pat Noonan - second year at FC Cincinnati

Projected starting XI:

Roman Celentano, goalkeeper

Santiago Arias, right back

Alvaro Barreal, left back

Alvas Powell, center back

Ian Murphy, center back

Nick Hagglund, center back

Junior Moreno, midfielder

Obinna Nwobodo, midfielder

Luciano Acosta, midfielder

Brandon Vazquez, forward

Aaron Boupendza, forward

Columbus Crew

Record: 10-7-6, 36 points, sixth place in MLS Eastern Conference.

Goals for: 45

Goals against: 33

Head coach: Wilfried Nancy - first season in Columbus

Projected starting XI:

Patrick Schulte, goalkeeper

Mohamed Farsi, defender

Steven Moreira, defender

Sean Zawadzki, defender

Malte Amundsen, defender

Yaw Yeboah, defender

Darlington Nagbe, midfielder

Aidan Morris, midfielder

Diego Rossi, midfielder

Jacen Russell-Rowe, forward

Cucho Hernandez, forward

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Preview: FC Cincinnati resumes MLS campaign with "Hell is Real"