There are sparks every time Ohio rivals FC Cincinnati and the Columbus Crew play. Add a playoff matchup and the "Hell Is Real" derby gets even spicier.

That should be the case Monday when Eastern Conference No. 2 seed FC Cincinnati hosts the No. 7 Crew in the first match of a best-of-three first-round series. Match 2 is next Sunday at Columbus.

The rivalry's name is taken from a billboard between the two cities on Interstate 71.

"Hopefully, by the end of it, it's going to be a movie with a good ending in our way," Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte said. "I think that's the best way to describe it. The fans don't like each other; teams don't like each other. There's been some battles, and hopefully we can continue writing our story. At the end of the day, it's just another team in our way

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