With its roots as a lower-division team founded in 2016, FC Cincinnati has grown into its big-boy cleats and has since moved up to the big leagues. This brand-new team began its inaugural season in the MLS in 2019, and despite being the newbies, they've got plenty of moxie and are ready to prove themselves as contenders.

Ohio Rivalries from the United Soccer League to the MLS

FC Cincinnati have had a meteoric rise since they first formed to compete in the United Soccer League. The team has been a strong performer, already garnering comparisons to the Columbus Crew, Ohio’s first pro soccer team, and the two have already struck up a major rivalry as they battle it out for bragging rights as the state’s premier soccer club. Their matchup during the 2017 US Open Cup only strengthened this rivalry, and now that the two teams are in the same league it's about to get real.