Columbus Crew facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Columbus Crew

Full name	Columbus Crew
Nickname(s)	The Crew The Black and Gold
Founded	June 15, 1994; 31 years ago (1994-06-15)
Stadium	Lower.com Field Columbus, Ohio
Stadium capacity	20,371
Owners	Dee and Jimmy Haslam JW and Whitney Johnson Pete Edwards
General Manager	Issa Tall
Head coach	Wilfried Nancy
League	Major League Soccer
2024	Eastern Conference: 2nd Overall: 2nd Playoffs: First round
Home colors Away colors

The Columbus Crew is a professional soccer team from Columbus, Ohio, in the United States. They play in Major League Soccer (MLS), which is the top soccer league in North America. The team started playing in 1996 and was one of the first 10 clubs in the league. Today, the team is owned by the Haslam family and Pete Edwards.

The team was started in 1994. Their home stadium is Lower.com Field, which opened in 2021. Before that, from 1999 to 2021, the Crew played at Historic Crew Stadium. This was special because it was the first stadium built just for an MLS soccer team! From 1996 to 1998, they played at Ohio Stadium. In 2023, the Crew had their biggest crowds ever, with lots of sold-out games.

The Columbus Crew has won many important awards, called trophies. They won the MLS Cup three times (in 2008, 2020, and 2023). They also won the Supporters' Shield three times (in 2004, 2008, and 2009), which goes to the team with the best record in the regular season. They won the 2002 U.S. Open Cup and the Leagues Cup in 2024. The Crew has also played in the CONCACAF Champions Cup (a big tournament for teams in North and Central America) five times, reaching the quarter-finals each time. In 2021, they won their first international trophy, the Campeones Cup, and in 2024, they made it to the Champions' Cup final!

History

How it all began (1994–1998)

The Crew played their first game on April 13, 1996, at Ohio Stadium.

On June 15, 1994, Major League Soccer announced that Columbus, Ohio, would be one of the first 10 teams in the new league. Columbus was chosen because they promised to build a special soccer stadium and had already sold many season tickets. The team was named "the Crew" after a public contest. This name was chosen to represent the hard work of people in the Midwest.

Lamar Hunt and his son Clark Hunt became the owners of the Columbus Crew in 1996. The first players for the Crew included Doctor Khumalo and Brian McBride. McBride was the very first player chosen in the MLS draft. Timo Liekoski was the team's first coach.

The Crew played their first game on April 13, 1996, at Ohio Stadium. They won 4–0 against D.C. United in front of a big crowd. The team had a tough start, but they finished the season strong. They lost in the playoffs that year.

In 1997 and 1998, the Crew kept improving but lost in the Conference Finals to D.C. United both times. In 1998, they reached the U.S. Open Cup Final, but lost a close game. Stern John was a star player, scoring many goals for the team.

A new home (1999–2003)

The 1999 season was exciting because the Columbus Crew opened Columbus Crew Stadium. This was the first stadium in the United States built just for soccer! The Crew won their first game there 2–0. They finished second in their conference but lost to D.C. United in the playoffs again.

In 2002, the Crew won their first championship ever: the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. They beat the LA Galaxy 1–0 in the final. This was a huge moment for the team! Because they won the U.S. Open Cup, they got to play in the 2003 CONCACAF Champions' Cup, a big tournament with teams from other countries. They did well but eventually lost to a Mexican team. Brian McBride played his last season with Columbus in 2003 before moving to play in England.

Changes and challenges (2004–2006)

After Brian McBride left, the Crew brought in new players like Robin Fraser. In 2004, the Crew had an amazing season. They won the Supporters' Shield for having the best record in the league, going 18 games without a loss! Even though they had a great regular season, they were knocked out of the MLS Cup playoffs early.

The next few years were tough for the team with many player injuries. In 2006, the team went 13 games without a win. At the end of 2006, the team's founder and owner, Lamar Hunt, passed away. Around this time, Crew fans started calling the club "Massive" to show their pride and support for the team, even when things were difficult.

The Guillermo Barros Schelotto era (2007–2010)

The Crew signed Guillermo Barros Schelotto in 2007, who helped them reach their first MLS Cup the next year.

In 2007, the Crew signed a famous player from Argentina, Guillermo Barros Schelotto. He quickly became a key player. In 2008, the Crew had an incredible season! They won their first Eastern Conference title and then their first ever MLS Cup. Barros Schelotto was named the league's Most Valuable Player. The team also won their second Supporters' Shield. They beat the New York Red Bulls 3–1 in the final. Their coach, Sigi Schmid, won Coach of the Year.

After this amazing season, Sigi Schmid left to coach another team. Robert Warzycha, a former Crew player and assistant coach, became the new head coach. In 2009, the Crew won their second Supporters' Shield in a row! They also played in the CONCACAF Champions League in 2010 but lost in the quarterfinals.

Rebuilding and new coaches (2011–2013)

In 2011, the Crew signed their first "homegrown player," Aaron Horton, meaning he came from their own youth academy. The team struggled in the U.S. Open Cup, losing to lower-division teams. In 2012, a sad event happened off the field when a young player, Kirk Urso, passed away. The team missed the playoffs that year.

In 2013, coach Robert Warzycha left the team. Gregg Berhalter then became the new head coach and also the first "sporting director" for the club.

The Precourt era (2013–2018)

In 2013, Anthony Precourt became the new owner of the Columbus Crew. He worked to improve the stadium and connect the team more with the city of Columbus. In 2014, the Crew made it back to the playoffs! Some of their players even played in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The team also broke attendance records at their stadium.

In 2014, the team's name was changed slightly to "Columbus Crew SC" and they got a new logo. In 2015, the Crew made it all the way to the MLS Cup Final again, but they lost to the Portland Timbers.

Saving the Crew

A "Save the Crew" tifo before a game against the Chicago Fire in 2018

In 2017, the owner, Anthony Precourt, announced he wanted to move the team to Austin, Texas. This news made many fans very upset. They started a huge movement called "#SaveTheCrew" to keep the team in Columbus. Fans showed up at city meetings and organized protests.

The Ohio Attorney General and Columbus city attorney even filed a lawsuit to try and stop the move. This was based on a state law that said sports teams that used public facilities couldn't just leave without trying to sell the team to local owners first.

Haslam era and two MLS Cups (2018–present)

On October 12, 2018, good news arrived! Jimmy Haslam, who owns the Cleveland Browns football team, announced he was buying the Crew with other local groups. This meant the team would stay in Columbus! As part of the deal, the lawsuit was dropped.

On January 1, 2019, the Haslam family and Dr. Pete Edwards officially took over the team. They quickly announced plans to build a brand new stadium in downtown Columbus. They also hired new leaders and a new coach, Caleb Porter.

The 2020 season was amazing for the Crew. They signed new star players like Lucas Zelarayán and Darlington Nagbe. The team played very well and made it to the playoffs. On December 12, 2020, the Crew won their second MLS Cup by beating the Seattle Sounders 3–0 at their home stadium!

In 2021, the team tried to change its name to "Columbus SC" and introduced a new logo. However, fans strongly disliked this change. They protested, and the team listened! On May 17, 2021, the team announced that its official name would go back to "Columbus Crew," and the logo would be updated.

The Crew played their first game at the new Lower.com Field on July 17, 2021. After the 2022 season, the team hired a new coach, Wilfried Nancy. In Nancy's first year (2023), the Crew had another fantastic season. They won the MLS Cup for the third time, beating Los Angeles FC 2–1 at Lower.com Field!

In 2024, the Columbus Crew made history in the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup. They beat a strong Mexican team, Tigres UANL, in a penalty shootout, which was the first time an American club had eliminated a Mexican club away from home in this tournament. They then beat another Mexican team, Monterrey, to reach their first-ever continental final! In the final, they played against C.F. Pachuca in Mexico and lost 3–0. The high altitude and some players feeling sick might have made it harder for the Crew.

Colors and badge

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  First logo (1996–2014)

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  Second logo (2014–2021)

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  Third logo (2021–present)

The official colors of the Columbus Crew are black and gold. Their main jersey is usually bright yellow with black details. Fans sometimes call it the "banana kit." For many years, the team also had a black alternate uniform.

The first team logo, used from 1996 to 2014, showed three people wearing construction hats. This was meant to represent hard-working people, like the image of Columbus as a "blue-collar" city.

In 2014, the team got a new circular logo. It kept the black and gold colors and included a smaller version of the original logo with "96" (for 1996, the year the team started). It also had a checkerboard pattern, which is seen on flags waved by fans. The new logo also had an "O" shape like the Ohio state flag, showing that Columbus is the state capital. The word "Columbus" was added to the logo, along with "SC" for "Soccer Club."

In 2021, the team changed its logo and name again, but fans were not happy. After listening to the fans, the team decided to keep "Columbus Crew" as its official name and updated the new logo. The current logo has the shape of the Ohio flag, with a "C" for Crew and Columbus, and "96" to show when the club began.

The team's nickname, "the Crew," now means a group of people who come together to share their love for the club and soccer. It's about family and friendship among the club, fans, and community.

Uniform history

1996–97

1998

1999–01

2002–03

2005–06

2006–07

2008–09

2010–11

2012–13

2014

2015–16

2016-17

2017–18

2019–20

2021

2022–2023

Stadiums

Historic Crew Stadium, the Crew's home from 1999 to 2021, is MLS' first soccer-specific stadium.

Lower.com Field, the current home of the Crew.

On May 15, 1999, the Crew opened Columbus Crew Stadium. This was a very important moment because it was the first stadium in Major League Soccer built just for soccer games! It became a model for other stadiums in the league. In 2015, it was renamed Mapfre Stadium.

Before 1999, the Columbus Crew played their home games at Ohio Stadium. This is a huge stadium on the campus of Ohio State University.

As part of the new ownership in 2018, the club planned to build a brand new stadium in downtown Columbus. This new stadium, called Lower.com Field, cost $230 million and can hold 20,000 fans. It opened in mid-2021. The old stadium, now called Historic Crew Stadium, is still used as a training facility for the team.

Sponsorships

The Columbus Crew has had different companies sponsor their jerseys over the years. Their first jersey sponsor was Snickers chocolate bar from 1996 to 2000. Later, Pepsi sponsored the team from 2002 to 2004. From 2008 to 2010, Glidden paints was the sponsor.

In 2012, Barbasol, a shaving cream brand, became the jersey sponsor. Then, from 2017 to 2019, Acura cars sponsored the team. Since 2020, Nationwide, a big insurance company based in Columbus, has been the main jersey sponsor.

There was no jersey sponsor in 2001, 2005–2007 and 2011.

Club culture

Supporters and Nordecke

The Nordecke, the Columbus Crew's supporter section, displaying a tifo before MLS Cup 2023 at Lower.com Field

The Columbus Crew has very passionate fans! Before 2008, different groups of fans sat in different parts of the stadium. But then, they all came together in the north corner of the stadium. They formed one big group called the Nordecke, which means "north corner" in German. This name celebrates Columbus's German heritage.

The Nordecke is known for being very loud and supportive. Many fans from the Nordecke also travel together to support the Crew at away games. They even have a special name for this: "NorOnTour."

Mascots

The Columbus Crew's first mascot was "Crew Cat," who was with the team for almost 20 years. In 2015, a new mascot named "S.C." was introduced, who is supposed to be Crew Cat's son. When the new owners took over in 2019, the original "Crew Cat" returned and now attends games alongside S.C.

Rivalries

The Nordecke celebrating after Columbus scored a goal against the Chicago Fire in 2013 at Crew Stadium, now Historic Crew Stadium

The Crew has a strong rivalry with the Chicago Fire. Since the cities are not too far apart, many fans from both teams travel to watch these games. They have played against each other in important matches, including the 2008 Eastern Conference Championship and the 1998 U.S. Open Cup Final.

The Crew also plays for two special rivalry cups each season:

• The Trillium Cup is played against Toronto FC because their cities are close.
• The Lamar Hunt Pioneer Cup is played against FC Dallas. This trophy was created because Lamar Hunt used to own both teams.

Another big rivalry for the Crew is with FC Cincinnati. This rivalry is known as the "Hell is Real Derby." It's named after a billboard on the highway between Columbus and Cincinnati. These games are always very exciting and intense!

Broadcasting

You can watch or listen to Columbus Crew games in different ways. In the past, games were shown on local TV channels like TWC Sports Channel and The CW.

Since 2019, most games have been shown on Fox Sports Ohio (now called Bally Sports Ohio). You can also listen to games on the radio. English-language broadcasts are on 97.1 WBNS-FM, and there are also Spanish-language broadcasts. In 2020, Jordan Angeli became the first woman broadcaster for the club.

Starting in 2023, almost all MLS games, including the Crew's, are available on MLS Season Pass through the Apple TV service.

Players and staff

Current roster

No. Position Player 1 GK Nicholas Hagen 2 DF Andrés Herrera (on loan River Plate) 4 DF Rudy Camacho 5 MF Derrick Jones 6 MF Darlington Nagbe (captain; DP) 7 MF Dylan Chambost 9 FW Cucho Hernández (DP) 10 FW Diego Rossi (DP) 12 DF DeJuan Jones 13 MF Aziel Jackson 14 MF Yaw Yeboah 16 FW Taha Habroune (HG)

No. Position Player 17 FW Christian Ramirez 18 DF Malte Amundsen 19 FW Jacen Russell-Rowe (HG) 20 MF Alexandru Mățan 21 DF Yevhen Cheberko 22 GK Abraham Romero 23 DF Mohamed Farsi 24 GK Evan Bush 25 MF Sean Zawadzki (HG) 27 FW Maximilian Arfsten 28 GK Patrick Schulte 31 DF Steven Moreira

Players on loan

No. Position Player 11 MF Marino Hinestroza (on loan to Atlético Nacional) 29 MF Cole Mrowka (HG; on loan to Colorado Springs Switchbacks) DF Keegan Hughes (HG; on loan to Loudoun United)

Team leaders

Head coaches through the years

The Crew has had nine different head coaches since 1996. Timo Liekoski was the first coach, followed by Tom Fitzgerald. Sigi Schmid led the team for three seasons, including their first MLS Cup win. Robert Warzycha coached the team twice. More recently, Gregg Berhalter and Caleb Porter were head coaches. The current head coach is Wilfried Nancy, who joined in 2022.

Name	Nationality	Time as coach
Timo Liekoski	Finland	December 5, 1995 – August 2, 1996
Tom Fitzgerald	United States	August 2, 1996 – May 17, 2001
Greg Andrulis	United States	May 17, 2001 – July 16, 2005
Robert Warzycha (interim)	Poland	July 16, 2005 – October 20, 2005
Sigi Schmid	Germany	October 20, 2005 – December 16, 2008
Robert Warzycha	Poland	December 23, 2008 – September 2, 2013
Brian Bliss (interim)	United States	September 2, 2013 – November 6, 2013
Gregg Berhalter	United States	November 6, 2013 – December 2, 2018
Caleb Porter	United States	January 4, 2019 – October 10, 2022
Wilfried Nancy	France	December 6, 2022 – present

General Managers and Sporting Directors

Name	Nationality	Time in role
Jamey Rootes	United States	1995–2000
Jim Smith	United States	2000–2004
Mark McCullers	United States	2004–2013
Gregg Berhalter	United States	2013–2018
Tim Bezbatchenko	United States	2019–2024
Issa Tall	France	2024–present

Player development

Columbus Crew 2

In 2021, Major League Soccer created a new league for younger players and developing talent called MLS Next Pro. The Crew has a team in this league called Columbus Crew 2. They play their home games at Historic Crew Stadium. Fans sometimes call them the "Capybaras."

Academy

The Columbus Crew also has an Academy program with teams for different age groups (U13/14, U15, U17, and U19). This academy helps young soccer players grow their skills. Many players from the Crew Academy have gone on to play for the main Columbus Crew team in MLS. For example, Wil Trapp was the first player in MLS history to be a captain who came from a team's own academy.

The Crew also has a program called The Crew Network, which helps promote soccer across Ohio. It gives young players, coaches, and parents special chances to connect with the Crew and learn more about the sport.

Honors

U.S. President Barack Obama welcomes the 2008 MLS Cup Champions the Columbus Crew to the White House on July 13, 2009

Other Awards

• Eastern Conference (playoffs) (4): 2008, 2015, 2020, 2023
• Eastern Conference (regular season) (3): 2004, 2008, 2009
• MLS Fair Play Award (6): 1997, 1999, 2004, 2007, 2016, 2021
• CONCACAF Champions Cup Fair Play Award: 2024

Team Record

Year-by-year results

Here are the results for the Columbus Crew over the last five seasons:

Season	League											Position		Playoffs	USOC	Continental / Other		Average attendance	Top goalscorer(s)
	Div	League	Pld	W	L	D	GF	GA	GD	Pts	PPG	Conf.	Overall						Name(s)	Goals
2019	1	MLS	34	10	16	8	39	47	−8	38	1.12	10th	20th	Did not qualify	Round of 16	Did not qualify		14,856	Gyasi Zardes	13
2020		MLS	23	12	6	5	36	21	+15	41	1.78	3rd	4th	Won	Not held	MLS is Back Tournament	Round of 16	3,761	Gyasi Zardes	15
2021		MLS	34	13	13	8	46	45	+1	47	1.38	9th	17th	Did not qualify	Not held	CONCACAF Champions League Campeones Cup	Quarterfinals Won	18,990	Lucas Zelarayán	13
2022		MLS	34	10	8	16	46	41	+5	46	1.35	8th	16th	Did not qualify	Not held	Did not qualify		19,237	Lucas Zelarayán	10
2023		MLS	34	16	9	9	67	46	+21	57	1.68	3rd	3rd	Won	Round of 16	Leagues Cup	Round of 32	20,286	Cucho Hernández	24

1. Avg. attendance includes statistics from league matches only.
2. Top goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in League, MLS Cup Playoffs, U.S. Open Cup, MLS is Back Tournament, CONCACAF Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and other competitive continental matches.

International tournaments

List of Columbus Crew records and statistics

The Columbus Crew has a good record in international friendly games, winning 13, losing 6, and drawing 3.

Player records

Appearances

List of Columbus Crew records and statistics

Goals

List of Columbus Crew records and statistics

Assists

List of Columbus Crew records and statistics

Shutouts

List of Columbus Crew records and statistics

Team Captains

Name	Years
Doctor Khumalo	1996
Marcelo Carrera	1997
Thomas Dooley	1998
Thomas Dooley Brian McBride Mike Lapper	1999
Mike Lapper	2000
Mike Clark	2001
Brian McBride Brian Maisonneuve Tom Presthus	2002
Mike Clark	2003
Robin Fraser	2004–2006
Frankie Hejduk	2006–2010
Chad Marshall	2011–2012
Federico Higuaín	2013
Michael Parkhurst	2014–2016
Wil Trapp	2017–2019
Jonathan Mensah	2020–2022
Darlington Nagbe	2023–

Average attendance

Sources:

Images for kids

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  Crew players celebrate winning the Eastern Conference final in the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs.

See also

In Spanish: Columbus Crew para niños