This Saturday the two combatants in the 'Hell is Real' Derby, FC Cincinnati and the Columbus Crew, will square off with not just a trip to the MLS Cup final on the line, but hosting honors as well. 'Hell is Real' is the operative phrase in the Eastern Conference half of the MLS Cup playoffs. Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)ĮSPN's Jeff Carlisle and Kyle Bonagura recap the wild moments and main takeaways after a fun weekend of MLS playoff action.Įastern Conference: FC Cincinnati, Columbus Crew advance to take derby to new heights The 2023 Major League Soccer playoffs have whittled us down to the four teams doing battle in the conference finals: Columbus Crew will face 'Hell is Real' rivals FC Cincinnati in the East, while LAFC will do battle with the Houston Dynamo in the West to determine who advances to MLS Cup on Dec.