Patrick Ward, a season-ticket holder for Crew games since the 1996 inaugural season, lives in Cincinnati. When FC Cincinnati came into existence, Ward, 55, felt obligated to stay strictly committed to the Crew, unlike others in the area.

"I've been there since the beginning and you get sort of a ‘I really want to see this through’ (feeling),” Ward said.

FC Cincinnati joined the United Soccer League in 2016 and was promoted to Major League Soccer beginning this season, giving the state its second club in the league. Ward is one of an estimated few hundred Crew fans in the Cincinnati area who had a choice to make about their allegiance when it became more convenient to go to FC Cincinnati games.

Some stayed with their original team or left for the shiny new toy, while most who were Crew fans before FC Cincinnati was founded now have dual allegiances. From whichever side these fans view Saturday's first regular-season meeting of the Hell is Real rivalry, the proximity of another MLS club has had a major impact on the Crew’s ability to attract more fans from one of the state’s largest cities.

Savannah Kuchenmeister, 32, is one of the chief organizers for the Crew supporters’ group based in Cincinnati. She’s remained loyal to her original colors and never considered switching sides or liking both teams because of how much time she has put into her fandom, as well as the relationships she’s built during games at Mapfre Stadium.

Kuchenmeister has seen most people who started as Crew fans become fans of both teams for the convenience of having a team nearby. But she has also seen an increase in the number of people who come to events and watch parties.

"I would love to be able to drive 15 to 20 minutes to watch my team play, but I don't have that luxury because I'm a Crew fan,” Kuchenmeister said. “Whether I'm for or against (FC Cincinnati), I like the attention for (the rivalry). It can only be positive."

Mike Hudson, 37, lives about 4 miles from Cincinnati's Nippert Stadium and has been a Crew fan since 2010 and a season-ticket holder since 2016. He has a 10-game plan for the Crew and full-season package for FC Cincinnati this season, but will be full-season ticket holder next year.

Getting in at the start of the organization with Cincinnati was appealing to him, while also maintaining his connection to history with the league’s first charter member. There’s certainly some pockets of vitriol within the derby, but the taunting often isn’t out of hatred for another club.

Hudson said there’s certainly a contingent that owns tickets to both teams, others who are hard-core FC Cincinnati fans and others who defend their Crew-only fandom because of precedent.

“I guess you can say it's kind of split among the people that I know,” Hudson said.

Matt Long, 56, had been a Crew fan for five years before jumping ship for FC Cincinnati in 2016. He represents why a lot of fans either completely switch or buy tickets to both clubs. Once there was a team nearby, it just didn’t make sense for him to make the drive to Columbus and miss out on special events like a stadium reveal when he had another club close to home.

There’s also still a point of pride for Long and other FC Cincinnati fans who were vocal supporters of the Save The Crew movement. Former Crew investor/operator Anthony Precourt will have his Austin FC club in the league in 2021.

“I wish the Crew all the best 32 matches a year, and the other two matches I want to see us beat the tar out of them,” he said. “When we play Austin, I want us to destroy Austin because of what Precourt did to Columbus."

Having a club in Cincinnati doesn’t necessarily mean fans like Ward can’t enjoy both clubs.

"Now that there's a team near where I live, I can watch and follow that team,” Ward said. “But I get to be a part of a rivalry.”

jmyers@dispatch.com

@Jacob_Myers_25