The latest installment of the “Hell is Real” rivalry delivered a high-octane, emotionally charged affair as the Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati battled to a 1-1 draw on May 17 at Lower.com Field. In front of a sellout crowd of 20,363, two of Major League Soccer’s top Eastern Conference sides put on a showcase of intensity, resilience, and near misses—but ultimately could not be separated after 90 minutes.
The visitors stunned the home crowd early. Just six minutes into the match, Cincinnati forward Kevin Denkey opened the scoring with a composed finish from close range. The goal stemmed from a chaotic sequence following a deep run by Luca Orellano, whose cross was flicked on by Sergio Santos and punched away by Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte. The rebound was sent back into the box by Evander with a bicycle-kick-style cross, finding Denkey unmarked at the far post to slot home.
Despite the early setback, Columbus responded with growing control and creativity. Max Arfsten nearly equalized in the 14th minute after being played in by a clever backheel from Ibrahim Aliyu, but Cincinnati keeper Roman Celentano—who would go on to have a man-of-the-match performance—snuffed out the effort. Celentano was called into action again in the 25th minute, reacting quickly to deny Mohamed Farsi’s point-blank strike, which deflected off the post.
The Crew went into halftime down 1-0, but the narrative felt far from over. Columbus held 68% possession in the first half and created several dangerous moments, seemingly on the verge of a breakthrough.
That moment came early in the second half. In the 53rd minute, Diego Rossi’s touch inside the box struck the outstretched hand of Cincinnati defender Nick Hagglund, resulting in a penalty. Rossi stepped up and calmly buried the spot kick into the bottom left corner, sending Celentano the wrong way and leveling the score at 1-1 in the 54th minute.
Columbus continued to press for a winner. Substitute Jacen Russell-Rowe provided a spark off the bench, nearly scoring twice within a three-minute span. In the 71st minute, he narrowly missed the target with a glancing header from a Steven Moreira cross. Moments later, his powerful header off a Dylan Chambost delivery was spectacularly saved by Celentano to preserve the draw.
The Black & Gold’s final major chance came in the 78th minute when Daniel Gazdag received a clever pass from Arfsten inside the box, but a heavy first touch dulled the opportunity and Celentano collected the shot with ease.
Cincinnati, meanwhile, threatened sporadically on the counter. Denkey nearly added a second before halftime, and Pavel Bucha forced a sharp save from Schulte in the 22nd minute with a driven effort from the edge of the area. Defensively, FCC remained organized, leaning on Celentano’s standout display to weather Columbus’s persistent attacking waves.
Though the match ended level, both sides emerged with reasons for optimism. Columbus extended its unbeaten streak to five matches and gained points off both Philadelphia and Cincinnati in recent weeks, showcasing the team’s ability to contend with the league’s best. Cincinnati, while disappointed not to hold the lead, showed composure under pressure and retained their spot near the top of the Eastern Conference table.
Off the field, the match served as a celebration of Ohio soccer. Aidan Morris, the Crew’s former homegrown standout now with Middlesbrough, returned to Lower.com Field to present the match ball, adding to the electric atmosphere in what was the 17th edition of the Hell is Real derby.
View the Match Gallery From Brent Durken/ISNSoccer.com
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Match Details
Competition: Major League Soccer
Date: May 17, 2025
Venue: Lower.com Field, Columbus, OH
Kickoff Time: 7:00 PM ET
Goals
6’ – Ahoueke Steeve Kévin Denkey (FC Cincinnati)
54’ – Diego Rossi (Columbus Crew, Penalty)
Starting Lineups
Columbus Crew: Patrick Schulte, Malte Amundsen, Steven Moreira, Sean Zawadzki, Max Arfsten, Dylan Chambost, Mo Farsi, Darlington Nagbe, Ibrahim Aliyu, Daniel Gazdag, Diego Rossi
FC Cincinnati: Roman Celentano, Lukas Engel, Nick Hagglund, Matt Miazga, Luca Orellano, Miles Robinson, Pavel Bucha, Evander da Silva Ferreira, Obinna Nwobodo, Kevin Denkey, Sergio Santos
