FC Cincinnati and Columbus Crew SC scrimmage only teases for another 'HELL IS REAL Derby'

The second "HELL IS REAL Derby" was hardly the feisty and fiery pairing the first Futbol Club Cincinnati-Columbus Crew SC encounter evoked.

Then, there were plumes of orange smoke, a packed Nippert Stadium and a mid-summer night when the lower-league neighbors upset the proven Major League Soccer franchise. It was a game between the first MLS club, and potentially, the next. 

And technically, Sunday afternoon had that same element. Only this time, everything else was missing. 

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When FC Cincinnati played the Crew reserves at a suburban Columbus training facility in a closed scrimmage, it was a matchup before two dozen spectators. There was no smoke. There was metaphorical  fire, but only after a brief shoving match after a second-half foul. 

Cincinnati won 4-2. Last June, it won 1-0. 

Both were wins for the United Soccer League club; Both left those leaving the match with the same question: Will the teams ever play each other again?

The answer: Potentially, but with a catch. 

In order for a rematch later this season, FC Cincinnati would need to win a minimum of two Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup games. If that happens, there'd be a possibility, but no certainties – yet. 

If there's no "cup tie," then there's likely never going to be another competitive matchup. 

FC Cincinnati currently plays in the United Soccer League, the second tier of American soccer. While there's a campaign for promotion, there's no guarantee made public. Cincinnati still needs MLS approval and to secure its potential stadium location. 

Meanwhile in Columbus, the Crew appear to play in a lame duck situation, as the ownership group has publicly declared it wants to relocate the franchise to Austin, Texas. 

In essence: both teams have front office negotiations overshadowing on-field storylines. Which is why Sunday afternoon's scrimmage felt all the more refreshing and welcoming. 

"Just like last year, just like today, they’re always going to be fun games," FC Cincinnati head coach Alan Koch said Sunday after the win. "We’ve got to win a game or two (to play again), don’t we? Two wins to play them. Yeah, I think we might."

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For right back Matt Bahner, who's a Cincinnati-native and captained the team in the first half, he grew up a Crew fan and said playing against them is an honor, even if in a friendly behind closed doors. 

"I dreamed of playing for the Crew growing up and things like that," Bahner said. "Now getting to play against them, that's always great. It’s always a good feeling to play against them. They have a great organization and have really good history.

"You have a sense in the back of your mind like, ‘Yeah, I get to play against the Crew. That’s pretty awesome.’"

Bahner was on the field when the teams met last June. Only a few other players from both teams participated then.

With FC Cincinnati's roster turnover, there could be wholesale changes from the upset win last June. On Sunday, the visitors played well against a Crew reserves side concocted of first team players, reserved and a couple academy players.

If the teams met again – in a more significant circumstance – perhaps the theatrics will reoccur once more. For now, it's a hypothetical. But after Sunday, it hardly felt like the conclusion the brief, but thrilling rivalry deserved.