We’re back! FC Cincinnati plays soccer this weekend! The Orange and Blue begin a stretch of 5 matches across 14 days with another edition of the Hell is Real derby at Lower.com Field. With the board recently vandalized, will there be a twist to the hellish rivalry on Sunday?
MLS Regular Season Matchday 27 Information
- Who: Columbus Crew (10-7-6, 36 points) vs FC Cincinnati (15-2-6, 51 points)
- When: Sunday, August 20, 2023 – 7:30 PM EST
- Where: Lower.com Field – Columbus, OH, USA
- How To Watch: Apple TV – MLS Season Pass, FS1, FOX Deportes
2023 Matchup:
- May 20, 2023: FC Cincinnati 3 (Acosta 17′, 23′ (Pen), Moreno 67′) – Columbus Crew 2 (ZZelarayan 40′, Amundsen 52′)
Key Storylines
- FC Cincinnati has never won in Columbus. They’re 0-3-1 in Ohio’s capital.
- FC Cincinnati’s Matt Miazga will be serving his yellow card accumulation suspension on Friday. The last time FC Cincinnati beat Columbus without Miazga’s services was in 2020 – a center-back partnership of Nick Hagglund and Tom Pettersson, and Bobby Edwards in goal.
- MVP-Worthy Season: FC Cincinnati’s Luciano Acosta will look to continue his incredible form in Columbus. Across his last 10 MLS matches, Acosta has 7 goals and 5 assists.
- Columbus Head Coach Wilfred Nancy is suspended for this match for his behavior against NYCFC on July 8.
Availability Report
Questionable:
- Dominique Badji (Leg)
- Yerson Mosquera (Leg)
Out:
- Stiven Jimenez (Lower Leg Fracture)
- Matt Miazga (Yellow Card Accumulation Suspension)
Pat Noonan:
On focusing on the task at hand:
“The guys have done a good job of just thinking about the next challenge, and we know this is a big one. To be thinking about Wednesday would be so detrimental to what Sunday could look like. This is a very important game for obvious reasons: the table, the rivalry, for the fanbase – all of it.”
The Key to the game:
“In games like this, you can talk about the tactical approach and different concepts and how you want to play, but if you don’t have the intensity for a game like this – you’re gonna be in trouble. So at a minimum, they have to have a different level of desire in how they go about the game for us to find success.”
Brandon Vazquez:
On the significance of Sunday’s match with what follows (US Open Cup semifinal):
“I think it’s just as important as every other game for us. We value these games, especially a rivalry like this. We think it’s important. We need to start off with the right momentum again, leading into this next stretch of games, so we need to start off with the right foot.”
Cover Photo Credit: Tim Johnson/Columbus Monthly
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