FC Cincinnati and Columbus Crew to Renew 'Hell Is Real' Derby

FC Cincinnati know they can score. Keeping the ball out of their net will be the priority when the Hell Is Real derby resumes against the Columbus Crew on Saturday.

A 4-3 home win over Vancouver on Wednesday raised alarms for head coach Pat Noonan, but he expects the leaky Cincinnati defense (6-5-5, 23 points) will be fixed for the first of two rivalry matches this season.

"We still have to understand the importance of the collective and the discipline in how we defend," Noonan said. "I think that can take our group to another level. So hopefully, we can continue to work to get there."

Fortunately for FC Cincinnati, they have had enough firepower to overcome any deficiencies. Pavel Bucha scored twice against Vancouver, complementing Evander and Kevin Denkey, who each scored to reach 10 goals on the season. Evander has a six-match goal contribution streak (eight goals, six assists).

That could be unwelcome news for the struggling Crew (4-8-4, 16 points), who have just one win and one tie in their past six matches (1-4-1). They were offensively challenged in a 2-1 home loss to New York City FC on Wednesday, recording no shots on target until the 48th minute. Only a stoppage-time penalty kick by Daniel Gazdag prevented the Crew from being shut out for the fourth time this season.

"I think individual performances were there," Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte said. "There's just moments that as a collective that we can be better at."

The Crew have split two MLS matches under interim coach Laurent Courtois since he replaced Henrik Rydstrom on May 17 and sit three points out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

If that were not enough incentive to turn things around, the matchup is the first since the Crew's neighbor to the south eliminated them from the playoffs last season.

"We know this game is one of the most important in the season," Crew midfielder Dylan Chambost said.

Courtois said Friday that midfielder Brais Mendez, acquired as a designated player from Real Sociedad of Spain's La Liga on July 2, has started training but will not be available. However, midfielder Andre Gomes and newly acquired defender Brooks Lennon have recovered from injuries and could play.

This article first appeared on Field Level Media and was syndicated with permission.