Columbus Crew-FC Cincinnati rivalry boils over with ugly tunnel confrontation
· Yahoo Sports
The latest Hell is Real matchup between the Crew and FC Cincinnati had a heated ending, with a scuffle that began during second-half stoppage time spilling into the postgame.
Three minutes into second-half stoppage time, with the Crew ahead 2-1, Cincinnati midfielder Gerardo Valenzuela committed a yellow-card foul against Columbus forward Taha Habroune. The hit led to both teams scuffling at the site of the foul, and Valenzuela earning a red card for violent conduct.
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Crew forward Hugo Picard was the first to confront Valenzuela following the hit, and more than half of the Crew players on the field got involved to defend Habroune.
"It means a lot to me, honestly," Habroune said. "We're like a family here, and to see them all stick up for me, especially as one of the younger guys, it means so much."
Once Habroune got to his feet, the game went on for less than 30 seconds before the final whistle was blown, securing the Crew's victory.
However, tempers were still high after the final whistle.
Crew defender Mo Farsi had to be held back by teammates Nariman Akhundzada and Nicholas Hagen from rushing into the visitor tunnel, and Crew defender and captain Sean Zawadzki was stopped from doing the same by Crew coach Laurent Courtois and members of Cincinnati's staff.
"We were a bit frustrated with what happened on the field," Farsi said. "The way that he hit Taha, I think it was just vicious. At the end of the day, we all play the same sport. I know it's a derby, but he needs to have some sportsmanship. ... If you want to make a foul, grab him and put him down, but don't try to break his leg."
Farsi said nothing was said by Valenzuela after the game that led to frustration, as it still stemmed from the Habroune hit.
The situation seemed to be de-escalated, but a commotion inside the tunnel caused Farsi and Zawadzki, in addition to multiple other Crew and Cincinnati players, to rush back into the tunnel.
A video captured by 10TV WBNS reporter Adam King that was shared on social media showed the teams yelling at each other and being separated. The video showed no physical confrontation.
"In the tunnel, nothing really happened," Farsi said. "It's not the image that we want to show to young kids who watch us, but at the end of the day we try to protect our players from some vicious play like that, some dangerous plays."
The Hell is Real rivalry spilled over into the hallway after the match.
— Adam King (@AdamKing10TV) July 26, 2026
Crew players and FC Cincinnati players were yelling back and forth and had to be broken up in the hallway.
Here is a minute of that interaction: pic.twitter.com/7I8VgAaKcQ
What did Crew coach Laurent Courtois say following the Hell is Real postgame confrontation
Courtois, who experienced Hell is Real for the first time as interim coach, kept his postgame speech to the team focused on the game, rather than the postgame confrontations.
"Something stupid happened and then guys got a little bit heated," Courtois said. "Soccer is a game of emotion, obviously. I hope the player [Valenzuela] regrets what he did. It’s not a good."
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew-FC Cincinnati rivalry boils over with ugly tunnel confrontation