By Okon Ekpenyong

In Cincinnati, the “Hell is Real” rivalry match between the Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati was a thrilling one. It saw Columbus’ C. Ramirez score an extraordinary goal in the 115th minute of extra time, securing their place in the MLS Cup final with a 3-2 win. The game was a grueling back-and-forth battle, but Columbus emerged victorious, partly thanks to Ramirez’s heroics and the club stepping up their defense.

The Crew will now face the defending champions, Los Angeles FC, who secured their spot to defend their title with a 2-0 win against the Houston Dynamo. The game will be played at home on lower.com Field Stadium at 4 pm, so expect the energy in Downtown Columbus and the entire city to be loud.

“The team’s determination is displayed in handling criticism and doubt from others, especially after failing to make it to the playoffs for the last two seasons despite winning the championship in 2020. The team even had to let go of their previous coach, who had led them to win their city’s second MLS cup after their first victory in 2018,” shared a loyal fan of the Crew.

Despite the loss, FC Cincinnati had a standout season, finishing with the best record in the Eastern Conference and making it to their first-ever Eastern Conference final. Their impressive performance was led by their star player, Luciano Acosta, who was awarded the well-deserved MLS Season MVP title for his outstanding contributions to the team’s success. Overall, it was a memorable season for both teams, with Columbus looking to carry their momentum into the MLS Cup final.

So, after last night, Columbus is still excitedly buzzing as they prepare to host the MLS Cup title game. It is a tremendous honor for the city, especially considering the Columbus Crew would play in the final. The team is having an incredible season, and fans are confident they will bring home the title.

The event is even more remarkable because the city will host the 2024 Major League Soccer All-Star Game. This news sent shockwaves through the town, as it was a significant opportunity to showcase Columbus to the world.

Columbus is a welcoming city because of its attitude towards refugees and immigrants, many of whom are passionate soccer fans. It is another reason the city hosting the All-Star Game is such a big deal. As the city prepares for the two significant events, the residents of Columbus can’t help but feel proud and excited for what is to come.

It is a moment that would go down in Columbus’ history as a testament to their love for soccer and ability to unite as a community. And when the time finally arrived, the city would be ready to show the world just how excellent Columbus was.

The recent playoff appearances by first-timers show the growing strength and competitiveness of the MLS and its expansion teams. Charlotte FC started their MLS journey in 2022, while “St. Louis City, SC,” started theirs in 2023. Both clubs made impressive strides in their debut seasons and proved that they can compete with established teams. As for Los Angeles FC, they are the defending champion and going for their 2nd trophy. Meanwhile, for FC Cincinnati, their playoff successes remind them of the unpredictability and excitement of their MLS journey so far.

Crew Head Coach Wilfried Nancy is now the club’s sixth manager to take the team to a conference final, which is a league record. It is often said that the playoffs are where the costly mistakes made during the regular season come back to haunt a team. A team needs to make significant adjustments, and in the case of the Crew, they were 0-5-0-1 when they were not leading during the first half of play.

During Saturday’s game, the Crew almost kept that record alive because they were down 0-2. They were playing against a giant like FC Cincinnati, who had a remarkable season and came into the game with a record of 11-0 when leading at halftime. The Crew had to step up big time. Vazquez of Cincinnati scored the first goal in the 14th minute of the game, and Acosta added another one in extra time, 45+3″ minutes during halftime.

The Crew scored more goals in the regular season than their in-state rivals. Cincinnati was better defensively, one of the best in the league. For this reason, the Crew went scoreless in the first half. However, since the club has been here before, they found ways to frustrate Cincinnati’s defense by firing from all cylinders and eventually found their way back into the game.

The Crew tied the game 2-2 by dominating Cincinnati in the second half. They had more possession of the ball, making 762 passes compared to Cincinnati’s 451. Cincinnati committed more fouls than the Crew, resulting in the Crew having more time on the ball.

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