With Cincinnati sitting in second in the conference, recording 51 points, and Columbus on its tail in third with 49 points, the upcoming Hell is Real match carries heavy weight for this year's MLS Cup playoffs.

Welcome to Cincinnati.com's live coverage of FC Cincinnati versus Columbus Crew in the 17th installment of the "Hell is Real" rivalry. Refresh this page throughout the match for live updates and analysis, and follow Enquirer FC Cincinnati beat reporter Pat Brennan on X, formerly Twitter, for further updates (@PBrennanENQ).

Tonight, the Crew will face Toronto for the second time this season. The first meeting was at Lower.com Field on July 6, and Columbus won 4-0. Follow along for Crew vs Toronto FC updates: There are four players on the official availability report for Toronto on Wednesday vs Columbus:

FC Cincinnati and Columbus Crew's "Hell is Real" derby ended in a 0-0 draw, ensuring both teams a spot in the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs.

FC Cincinnati currently has bragging rights in the "Hell is Real" rivalry after it defeated the Crew in Columbus for the first time ever May 11. Columbus hasn't suffered too much for that loss, though, and has spent the summer continuing to stock its trophy cabinet.

After FC Cincinnati and Columbus Crew played to a scoreless draw, Luciano Acosta contended, “we don’t celebrate draws.”

The playoff seeding and home-field advantage ramifications of Hell Is Real will be very real on Saturday night.

Columbus has already faced Toronto this season, on July 6. At Lower.com Field, the Crew defeated Toronto 4-0 with all goals coming from different players, including team-leading scorers Cucho Hernandez and Diego Rossi. Here's how to watch the Crew's second matchup of the season against Toronto: Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at BMO Field in Toronto.

It is round two in the Hell is Real rivalry this season between the Crew and FC Cincinnati. Along with home-field advantage Cincinnati has going into the match on Saturday, Cincinnati also has the 1-0 advantage this season.