On May 29, 2018, FC Cincinnati were announced as the next MLS expansion franchise at the popular Rhinegeist Brewery in Over-the-Rhine. This had been anticipated for weeks as FCC drew some of the largest crowds for USL matches and had been talked about as early as 2016 when their ownership started negotiating with the MLS the possibility of becoming the next expansion team.
According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, FCC submitted a formal expansion bid in January 2017 to officially put them on the map of the MLS—one month after Don Garber was “impressed” by Cincinnati after visiting Nippert Stadium and meeting several supporters.
What really put FCC on the map was their run in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2017 to the semifinals where they took down the likes of the Chicago Fire and Columbus Crew SC. They were only prevented a trip to the finals from a dramatic comeback from the New York Red Bulls to lose 3-2 in extra time.
At the same time of FC Cincinnati’s excitement at the prospect of becoming an MLS team, Columbus Crew SC was suffering the chance of being taken out of existence. Precourt Sports Ventures (PSV) released a statement on October 17, 2017 stating they were looking to potentially relocate the club to Austin, Texas. Chairmen of Crew SC at the time, Anthony Precourt, said in the statement, “Despite our investments and efforts, the current course is not sustainable.” The reasons cited were business metrics, the club’s stadium needing relocation, and lackluster attendance.
This infuriated fans as SI reported Precourt made an “Austin clause” in the contract in the case that moving the team to Austin would be a possibility if keeping the team in Columbus wasn’t determined to be financially sustainable. Don Garber’s comments and alleged eagerness to move the team to Austin also enraged many Crew fans as he said “[Columbus, that is a team that has not been able to be economically viable, and we’re trying to figure out the elements that have gotten us to this point.” This sparked the #SavetheCrew from fan bases around the league as fans fought on social media to take a stand against the proposed move.
But on the field, the players and Gregg Berhalter showed great character not letting the franchise’s situation off the field impact their performances as they beat Atlanta United 3-1 on penalties in their own backyard in front of over 70,000 opposing fans. This run continued as they beat New York City FC 4-1. Their courageous playoff run was halted by Toronto FC in a 1-0 loss at BMO Field.
Eventually, however, the situation worked itself out for both teams as FCC became an official MLS team and Columbus Crew SC were saved by a local investment group led by Pete Edwards, Jr., Dee and Jimmy Haslam of the Cleveland Browns, and the Columbus Partnership. Both sets of fans at one point probably did not think it was possible to get to the point where an Ohio MLS rivalry could be formed. But here we are.
In spite of the two sides claiming the bottom two spots in the Eastern Conference standings, the excitement between the two sets of fans could not be greater as for the first time ever, there is a rivalry between two teams existing in Columbus and Cincinnati.
On Saturday, August 10, at 7:30 pm ET, the beginning of a new chapter of MLS and Ohio sports history will be written.
