Short answers, pulled from the story.
FC Cincinnati joined Major League Soccer in 2019, following the league's formal announcement on the 29th of May, 2018. The club's inaugural MLS season proved difficult; head coach Alan Koch was dismissed on the 7th of May, 2019, after a 2-7-2 start to the campaign.
The Hell Is Real Derby is the rivalry between FC Cincinnati and Columbus Crew. The name comes from a billboard on Interstate 71, the highway between Cincinnati and Columbus. The rivalry first gained widespread attention ahead of a 2017 U.S. Open Cup match between the two clubs.
FC Cincinnati won the MLS Supporters' Shield on the 30th of September, 2023, defeating Toronto FC 3-2 away. It was the club's first major trophy in the MLS era, making them the second-fastest active expansion club to win the award since the league's first expansion in 1998.
FC Cincinnati plays at TQL Stadium, a 26,000-seat soccer-specific venue in the West End neighborhood of Cincinnati. The club moved to TQL Stadium in 2021, having previously used Nippert Stadium on the University of Cincinnati campus from 2016 to 2020.
Gary the Knifey Lion is FC Cincinnati's official mascot, introduced before the club's inaugural MLS season in 2019. The blue-haired, orange-furred lion wears a crown and wings. The name Gary was coined by fans who noticed that the lion's tail, torso, and left arm appear to spell "Gary" on the team crest when read left-to-right.
Luciano Acosta of FC Cincinnati was named the 2023 MLS Most Valuable Player on the 27th of November, 2023. He was the club's third league MVP and the first to win the award in the MLS era. In the same season, he contributed 10 goals and a league-leading 19 assists during the regular season.