Fresh off opening new stadiums in both cities, the first in-state rivalry match between FC Cincinnati and the Columbus Crew is Friday night in TQL Stadium. Both teams come into the derby off of ties in their previous matches.
FC Cincinnati is looking to get its first win in the new stadium, which is expected to be full for the 7:30 p.m. kick-off.
Columbus currently sits in 9th place in the Eastern Conference, three spots above Cincinnati in 12th.
Fans early on dubbed the potential of a Cincinnati/Columbus rivalry the "Hell Is Real" derby (pronounced "darby"). It's drawn from a well-known billboard along I-71 between the two cities. The Crew lead all-time with a 3-1-2 record.
The game will be broadcast locally on Star64, and on Bally Sports Ohio.