Things are heating up for The Orange and Blue as the playoff race is in full swing and a rivalry matchup is next; it’s all on the table for FC Cincinnati. That’s right, folks. It’s hell. It’s real. It’s Hell is Real time, and The Orange and Blue host in-state rivals Columbus Crew this weekend for Sunday Night Soccer.
The Hell is Real matchup against Columbus gets underway on Apple TV at 5 p.m. Ahead of that, let’s look at a few key factors FC Cincinnati will use to guide them to victory in this Sunday night battle.
Expect a playoff atmosphere
Hell is Real is one of the defining matchups in Major League Soccer and has become appointment TV over the years for fans in both area’s, but also all American soccer fans. The combination of intensity, fan passion, and the fact that every time these teams meet there seems to be always something extra on the line, has made it so the games are regional showdowns, but also intense battles between two sides with emotional memories of past results.
Sunday night's match is no different, and this time – for the first time in several years – the game sees two sides desperate to keep their playoff hopes alive facing off against one another with three points on the line that could make all the difference.
It is, effectively, a playoff game, and both sides will need to be ready for that atmosphere and intensity in order to get a result on Sunday.
“There's just more pressure to get things right…the games become more meaningful. There's more pressure. There's hopefully a better understanding of the importance of performing and getting details right in your preparation, and then going out and performing,” FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan said of what a playoff-style game can bring. “So we can talk all we want, and we can have all these ideas. We need to have the right mentality and willingness of guys on the field to go and perform to the best of their ability for our team.”
“We just need to win no matter what,” Evander said Friday ahead of the match. “And playing against Columbus would be huge for us to get our confidence back again, and hopefully give us a good push throughout the rest of the season. I think we already lost so many points, especially at home, and I think there's no more time and space for that.”
The home-crowd element of this game will be especially beneficial to FC Cincinnati this year, as they've been far better at home in 2026, and regardless of the results and struggles The Orange and Blue have faced this season, the supporters have always created an atmosphere to back the team.
That is expected to remain the same this Sunday, and likely elevate, as the rivalry derby always brings out another level inside TQL Stadium.
“Every time that we've played in this game, (the fans have) been incredible, and what I said even before the New England game is, we have to give them a reason to have more life because of our play,” Noonan said Friday. “There were good moments and not so good moments. So that's our responsibility…it's our job to make sure that they feel good about the team that's out there performing; and that's despite everything that's led to this period, because the support's been there, our performances have not consistently been so.”
“We appreciate what they bring to the game day experience, as always, and we know that it'll be elevated on Sunday.”
Intense but not reckless
Every meeting with a rival brings out extra emotion, and that emotion always finds a way to affect the game. Ideally, players can use the passion the fanbase brings to push them to higher heights and glorious victories.
Unfortunately, the opposite can be true too, and the pressure can be crushing or get the best of you. Last time out in Hell is Real, FC Cincinnati let emotions run a little too high at the end of the match; a red card and a coming together while behind took away their ability to find a result. Discipline has been an area that needs improvement all season, though, as FC Cincinnati lead the league in red card dismissals—a place Pat Noonan has emphasized all year.
So for the second playing of Hell is Real in 2026, FC Cincinnati will need to balance passion and discipline to come out on top.
“How you use your energy, how you use your intensity, and how do you do it in a controlled way,” Pat Noonan said, describing the discipline he wants to see Sunday. “Where the running is purposeful when you have the ball and when you're defending against the ball so it's connected; it's not guys trying to show that they have energy and intensity, but they're doing it on their own or they're doing it in the wrong way where you're reckless, so, you try to have that intensity without reckless behaviors.”
“I think discipline is going to be very important,” Evander added. “I think it's going to be important to keep our 11 players on the pitch. Of course, the energy will be there, and we need to show the intensity. But with the right mindset to play the game, we need to show the intensity.”
“We need to push,” Evander continued. “Match up the intensity, match up the energy, but also be smart on the tackles, be smart in the game mindset as well, and stick to our game plan. Do what we've been doing, show confidence, and show some urgency to win this game.”
Play with confidence and belief
As FC Cincinnati enter this match, they do so on a low after a midweek home defeat. The Columbus Crew, on the other hand, enter this game as winners in four of their last five and have found some late-season form as they push toward a playoff position.
With all the challenges FCC have faced throughout this season, their resolve has remained a strength no matter the obstacle. They have continued to fight back in games to try to salvage points, and even when unsuccessful, their effort has been undeniable.
It has been a superpower of this side this season.
“We have a lot of experienced guys and a lot of guys that are very talented and are confident in their ability,” defender Kyle Smith said Friday ahead of the match. “So we know that we can score goals at any minute, and we can score multiple goals at the end of the game if we need to. So I think it's just the confidence in our ability and in each other as a group.
“We need to believe that we can still make the playoffs. This is the team that we have, and it's the team that we're gonna be playing to the end of the season with,” Evander added. We need to regain confidence and show to the fans, to the people, that we can make it.”
To get a result in Hell is Real, FC Cincinnati needs to play like a team that believes in itself, even if it's struggling with that. But then on the other end of that bridge, if they do play well, there is no better game to build confidence from than Hell is Real to push yourself forward for the rest of 2026.
“I think it's (huge) because at the end of the year, and we see it year after year, where teams catch fire at the right moment leading into the playoffs, and then they get momentum on their side, and they make it around the playoffs, they can win the playoffs,” Smith added. “Once you make it to the playoffs, it's a whole new level playing field. So it would be massive (to win against Columbus), and at this stage of the season, every point is very important. So we need to get a win at home against a rival.”
FC Cincinnati kicks off with Columbus Crew at 5 p.m. on Sunday at TQL Stadium in one of MLS's marquee matchups. For more information on how to watch, or for matchday information at TQL Stadium all season, click here.
