There’s no bigger game than a derby. After all, other than maybe the home opener, it’s the first match every supporter looks for:
FC Cincinnati vs. Columbus Crew SC at Nippert Stadium
But with stadium gates locked and no fans permitted, the #HellisReal Derby has gone from a raucous atmosphere to an intimate setting. Yes, derbies are ultimately about civic pride and bragging rights, but they’re about something else as well.
They’re not just/only important for fans. They’re personal to players, too.
By that standard, Saturday night’s scoreless draw was the biggest #HellisReal Derby yet. Three former FC Cincinnati players featured against FCC – including one who was on the team roster 14 days ago.
Fanendo Adi, Fatai Alashe and Derrick Etienne Jr. all played for Columbus in the scoreless draw, and it marked only the second occurrence of a match when a former FCC player faced the club. (The other instance was Etienne against Cincinnati on July 11.)
For Joseph-Claude Gyau, playing against Alashe meant playing against one of his best friends.
“When I was playing on that right side in the first half, I would see him on the sideline and he would talk a little bit of trash and I would give him a look every now and then,” Gyau said with a laugh. “Then when he came on, a little bit of trash talking. Then after the game, it was just like another day, but it was good to play against him.”
No one’s saying the #HellisReal Derby is a friendly picnic. But in an empty venue, the in-stadium rivalry is more about players outperforming one another than bragging rights for the fans watching at home.
Of course, that will change in the future when fans are back for home matches.
But even if players are friends, that doesn’t mean the intensity drops.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re close with somebody, or if you’re friends with somebody,” said Maikel van der Werff, who played against five former MLS and Eredivisie teammates on Saturday night. “If you’re on that field, if you’re on the pitch, you just want to win – no matter what and especially against Columbus, of course.”
