
Crew-Cincinnati Hell is Real erupts in tense postgame exchange
Columbus Crew beat FC Cincinnati 2-1 in Hell is Real, but a stoppage-time foul by Cincinnati’s Gerardo Valenzuela on Columbus’s Taha Habroune sparked on-field scuffles and a red card for Valenzuela. After the whistle, Crew players defended Habroune and confronted Valenzuela in the tunnel; video footage showed yelling but no clear physical clash. Coach Laurent Courtois downplayed the moment, calling it a heated derby, while Crew teammates criticized the foul as vicious and dangerous, underscoring the derby’s intense atmosphere.
