The Nordecke asked Cucho Hernandez to score a goal for the Columbus Crew. He did… twice.
Before joining the club, a majority of Crew players had little reason to realize just how prominent the Hell is Real rivalry is to Columbus and FC Cincinnati.
Defender Malte Amundsen joined the Crew from New York City FC last season and was playing professional soccer in Denmark prior to New York City. There was no connection to Columbus, or even Ohio, for Amundsen before putting on a Crew jersey. But that doesn’t change the feeling Amundsen says he has ahead of the Hell is Real match at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Cincinnati.
“There’s a little more,” Amundsen said. “It’s hard to say that it’s not a little different, even though we try to treat it as a normal game, preparing the way we always prepare. This will light a little bit bigger spark, no matter what. And that’s great, and we look forward to that.”
Amundsen got his first taste of the rivalry in the Crew’s first meeting against Cincinnati in 2023, played at TQL Stadium, and Amundsen scored one of Columbus’ two goals in the 3-2 loss.
Defender Yevhen Cheberko, a midseason addition for the Crew in 2023, faced Cincinnati for the first time at Lower.com Field in August 2023. The literal fire put into the Crew’s pregame activities to hype up crowd mixed with metaphorical fire fans had during game was enough for new players understand importance of rivalry to Columbus.
It added even more meaning when they won Eastern Conference title on road against Cincinnati with intense victory over them by 3-2 scoreline.
