Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati begin rivalry, vie for last place in East

Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati begin rivalry, vie for last in Eastern Conference

COLUMBUS, OH - AUGUST 10: FC Cincinnati and Columbus Crew SC teams pose for a photo with a #DAYTONSTONG banner before the MLS regular season game between the Columbus Crew SC and FC Cincinnati on August 10, 2019 at Mapfre Stadium in Columbus, OH. (Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

The Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati began their MLS rivalry on August 10, only it was a fight for last place in the Eastern Conference

FC Cincinnati is in their first season in the MLS after being promoted from the United Soccer League. Since the announcement that they would be moved, fans of both Cincinnati and the Columbus Crew have anxiously awaited the two teams first meeting in anticipation of a new rivalry. Unfortunately, this rivalry is almost meaningless as their first meeting came with both teams at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

Their first meeting also came less than a week after a mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio, which is just 45 minutes away from Cincinnati. The two teams stood together before the game to show their support for the city after nine people were killed (including the shooter) and 27 more were injured.

It seemed Cincinnati wanted to win more than Columbus, at least initially since they scored first. But Columbus managed to tie it up and the game ended in a 2-2 draw, perhaps cementing that the teams are relatively equal in their play. The problem is that their equal play has both teams at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, with Columbus just ahead of Cincinnati.

While the rivalry looks to provide some great matches, it doesn’t really matter this season. If either team wants a shot at making the playoffs, not only do they have to win out, but they need some help from the other teams to lose. That said, the likelihood of that happening is very slim. Columbus is already preparing for next season with the addition of goalkeeper Eloy Room and obtaining some extra cash to use in the off-season. Cincinnati hasn’t made many moves yet, but they are sure to shift their focus very soon with their first season in the MLS not going as planned.

Despite the teams sitting where they are, the game was both frustrating and fun to watch. It was relatively even, giving fans a reason to believe this will be a great in-state rivalry going forward. The two teams meet again on August 25 in Cincinnati.

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