122-540: The Major League Soccer All-Time Best XI was selected In 2005 as part of the league's tenth anniversary celebrations. Major League Soccer , the top soccer league in the United States, named its All-Time Best XI, a selection of the best eleven players in the history of the league. The winners were chosen by a combination of voting that included online voting on the league's official website, media votes, and MLS coaches and general managers. The All-Time Best XI team
244-679: A best-of-three round; the round is followed by more single-elimination rounds that lead up to the MLS Cup final. Major League Soccer's spring-to-fall schedule results in scheduling conflicts with the FIFA calendar and with summertime international tournaments such as the World Cup and the Gold Cup , causing some players to miss league matches. While MLS has looked into changing to a fall-to-spring format, there are no current plans to do so. Were
366-449: A $ 200 million entrance fee. As of the 2023 season, 32 different clubs have competed in the league, with 15 having won at least one MLS Cup , and 16 winning at least one Supporters' Shield . The two trophies have been won by the same club in the same year on eight occasions (two clubs have accomplished the feat twice). Major League Soccer operates under a single-entity structure in which teams and player contracts are centrally owned by
488-455: A $ 25 million expansion fee due to a clause in part-owner David Beckham 's original playing contract signed in 2007. $ 150 million was paid as an effective entrance fee by a group that bought Columbus Crew in 2018, which led to that team's previous operator receiving rights to Austin FC, which joined MLS in 2021. MLS has also announced the ownership groups of the 28th and 29th teams would each pay
610-638: A 10-man Columbus lost at home in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup to the Richmond Kickers of USL Pro , the first time in Columbus history that they were eliminated by a third division club. Columbus finished the regular season ninth in the league at 13–13–8, and lost in the wild card round of the playoffs to the Colorado Rapids. That loss marked the third consecutive season they were unable to advance past this stage. The midst of
732-519: A 15–12–7 record. They would narrowly miss the playoffs. On September 2, 2013, the Crew parted ways with Head Coach Robert Warzycha after an embarrassing home loss to the Seattle Sounders, combined with a highly frustrated fanbase. Brian Bliss , the Crew's technical director, took over as interim head coach. This effectively ended his stay with the club since 1996, when he joined the club as
854-455: A 2nd-place finish in 2001 but the team was ousted from the playoffs in the league quarterfinals. In 2002, Columbus would win the U.S. Open Cup for the first time in team history. They advanced to the finals by beating the Richmond Kickers , MetroStars , and Kansas City Wizards . In the final, they beat LA Galaxy , who had just won the MLS Cup earlier in the week. Freddy García scored
976-462: A Mexican club away in the continental tournament. The Crew then defeated Monterrey in both legs of the semifinal, including a historic 3–1 victory away to mark the first MLS team win in Mexico in the tournament's history to advance to their first continental final. Columbus faced C.F. Pachuca in the final of the 2024 Champions Cup Tournament . This edition introduced a single-game final, replacing
1098-505: A contract offer from Columbus and became coach of Seattle Sounders FC . The Crew's ownership believed that Schmid had been in contact with the Sounders despite being denied permission to talk to other teams during the season. It was also alleged that he shared confidential information with Seattle after his contract with the Crew had ended. Major League Soccer ruled that no tampering had occurred, but ordered Seattle to financially compensate
1220-421: A countdown clock and halves ended when the clock reached 0:00. The league realized that the rule changes had alienated some traditional soccer fans while failing to draw new American sports fans, and the shootout and countdown clock were eliminated after the 1999 season . The league's quality was cast into doubt when the U.S. men's national team , which was made up largely of MLS players, finished in last place at
1342-501: A coup for American soccer, and was made possible by the Designated Player Rule. Players such as Cuauhtémoc Blanco (Chicago Fire) and Juan Pablo Ángel (New York Red Bulls), are some of the first Designated Players who made major contributions to their clubs. The departures of Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore , coupled with the return of former U.S. national team stars Claudio Reyna and Brian McBride , highlighted
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#17327937095311464-731: A crowd of 58,912, while the New York Red Bulls added Australian all-time leading goalscorer Tim Cahill . In 2012, with an average attendance of over 18,000 per game, MLS had the third highest average attendance of any sports league in the U.S. after the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB), and was the seventh highest attended professional soccer league worldwide as of 2013 . In 2013, MLS introduced New York City FC as its 20th team, and Orlando City Soccer Club as its 21st team, both of which would begin playing in 2015. In 2013,
1586-443: A dark uniform and a white uniform. in 2000, the Crew unveiled their first fully yellow jersey, but Columbus had to wait until 2004 to wear the yellow consistently at home, as league rules stated that a club could only wear their "light" jerseys four times at home. The alternate uniform has historically been black. For the 2012 season, Columbus began shifting more towards a white uniform with yellow and black trim or stripes. Even so,
1708-410: A decline in attendance. The league's low attendance was all the more apparent in light of the fact that eight of the original ten teams played in large American football stadiums. One aspect that had alienated fans was that MLS experimented with rules deviations in its early years in an attempt to "Americanize" the sport. The league implemented the use of shootouts to resolve tie games. MLS also used
1830-455: A fixed membership like most sports leagues in the United States and Canada and Mexico 's Liga MX which makes it one of the few soccer leagues that does not use a promotion and relegation process. The LA Galaxy have the most MLS Cups, with five. They are also tied with D.C. United for most Supporters' Shields, with four each. The Columbus Crew are the defending champions, as they defeated Los Angeles FC 2–1 on December 9, 2023, to mark
1952-697: A legal method for the league to maintain solvency and competitive parity since MLS was a single entity and therefore incapable of conspiring with itself. The 2002 FIFA World Cup , in which the United States unexpectedly made the quarterfinals, coincided with a resurgence in American soccer and MLS. MLS Cup 2002 drew 61,316 spectators to Gillette Stadium , the largest attendance in an MLS Cup final until 2018 . MLS limited teams to three substitutions per game in 2003, and adopted International Football Association Board (IFAB) rules in 2005. MLS underwent
2074-601: A member of the Eastern Conference . The team began play in 1996 as one of the 10 charter clubs of the league. The Crew is currently operated by an ownership group led by the Haslam family (also owners of the Cleveland Browns and Pilot Corporation ) and former team physician Pete Edwards. The Haslam/Edwards group is the third ownership group in club history. The franchise was founded in 1994. Its stadium
2196-611: A new San Jose ownership group that formed in 2007. In 2007, the league expanded beyond the United States' borders into Canada with the Toronto FC expansion team. Major League Soccer took steps to further raise the level of play by adopting the Designated Player Rule , which helped bring international stars into the league. The 2007 season witnessed the MLS debut of David Beckham . Beckham's signing had been seen as
2318-416: A player. On July 30, 2013, Anthony Precourt became the second investor-operator in the history of the club. Precourt upgraded portions of Crew Stadium, as well as evolving the team's brand in a way that identified with the city of Columbus, all within his first 15 months with the club. On November 6, 2013, Precourt announced that Gregg Berhalter would be the club's new head coach. Berhalter also became
2440-538: A promotion and relegation system. In October 2017, Columbus Crew owner Anthony Precourt announced plans to move the franchise to Austin, Texas by 2019. The announcement spawned a league-wide backlash and legal action against the league by the Ohio state government. On August 15, 2018, the Austin City Council voted to approve an agreement with Precourt to move Crew SC to Austin, and on August 22, 2018,
2562-434: A six-month notice and attempting to sell the team to a local ownership group. The bill was originally passed after the controversial relocation of the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore . On October 12, 2018, the owner of the Cleveland Browns , Jimmy Haslam , released a statement stating he was in the process of buying the Crew, along with other local groups. MLS later released a statement stating their willingness to keep
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#17327937095312684-419: A soccer club. With new ownership came a rebranding, and a new logo and name change was introduced in 2021, much to the dismay of supporters. On the new logo, the state of Ohio flag forms the overall shape of the shield, while a "C" that represents the Crew primarily, as well as the city Columbus dawns the interior of the badge, and a "96" in the bottom right corner that represents when the club began play as
2806-583: A soccer-specific stadium and had sold over 12,000 season ticket deposits. The team was tentatively named the Columbus Eclipse in its application to the league, as a solar eclipse had passed over the city after reaching the league's 10,000-deposit minimum. Prior to the initial MLS season, a public contest was created to decide the name for the team. The name "the Crew", was picked out of 2,500 entrants and 650 nickname suggestions. The winning individual linked it to Christopher Columbus , his voyages and
2928-424: A transition in the years leading up to the 2006 World Cup . After marketing itself on the talents of American players, the league lost some of its homegrown stars to prominent European leagues. For example, Tim Howard was transferred to Manchester United for $ 4 million in one of the most lucrative contract deals in league history. Many more American players did make an impact in MLS. In 2005, Jason Kreis became
3050-432: A trend among MLS teams to construct their own venues instead of leasing American football stadiums, where they would not be able to generate revenue from other events. In 2000, the league won an antitrust lawsuit, Fraser v. Major League Soccer , that the players had filed in 1996. The court ruled that MLS's policy of centrally contracting players and limiting player salaries through a salary cap and other restrictions were
3172-414: A white kit with yellow, red, and periwinkle trim introduced as being inspired by the city of Columbus flag. The club badge from 1996 to 2014 was unique amongst MLS teams in that it featured people, containing three silhouetted males wearing construction hats beneath a stylized "Crew" wordmark. The logo was intended to represent a crew of hard-working people, much like the hard-working, blue collar image
3294-399: Is Lower.com Field , opened in 2021. From 1999 to 2021, the Crew played home games at Historic Crew Stadium (formerly Mapfre Stadium and Columbus Crew Stadium), the first soccer-specific stadium built for an MLS team, with a seating capacity of 19,968 as of the 2015 season. From 1996 to 1998, the Crew played its home games at Ohio Stadium on the campus of Ohio State University . In 2023,
3416-671: Is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation , which represents the sport's highest level in the United States . The league comprises 29 teams – 26 in the United States and 3 in Canada . A 30th team, San Diego FC , will join the league in 2025. MLS is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan . Major League Soccer is the most recent in a series of men's premier professional national soccer leagues established in
3538-411: Is awarded to the team with the best record in matches during the regular season involving the participating teams. The concept is comparable to rivalry trophies played for by American college football teams. MLS features some of the longest travel distances for a domestic soccer league, with Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Inter Miami CF the furthest apart teams at 2,801 miles (4,508 km). During
3660-553: The 1998 World Cup . Major League Soccer lost an estimated $ 250 million during its first five years, and more than $ 350 million between its founding and 2004. The league's financial problems led to Commissioner Doug Logan being replaced by Don Garber , a former NFL executive, in August 1999. Following decreased attendance and increased losses by late 2001, league officials planned to fold but were able to secure new financing from owners Lamar Hunt , Philip Anschutz , and
3782-559: The 2003 CONCACAF Champions' Cup . They advanced to the second round by beating Árabe Unido 4–2 on aggregate in the first round before losing to Monarcas Morelia , 6–2. McBride would play his final season with Columbus in 2003 before joining Fulham of the Premier League . With the departure of Brian McBride, Columbus added Robin Fraser and Simon Elliott to the club. These additions proved to be vital as Fraser went on to win
MLS All-Time Best XI - Misplaced Pages Continue
3904-401: The 2018 season , the team with the shortest distance traveled over the entire regular schedule was Toronto FC at 25,891 miles (41,668 km), while the longest was Vancouver at 51,178 miles (82,363 km). Notes Major League Soccer is the most recent of a series of men's premier professional national soccer leagues established in the United States and Canada. The predecessor of MLS
4026-494: The 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs . In December 2022, they hired Wilfried Nancy from CF Montréal as Porter's replacement. In Nancy's first season, Columbus advanced through the playoffs , beating Atlanta United FC , Orlando City SC , and FC Cincinnati in a playoff edition of the Hell Is Real derby to reach MLS Cup 2023 , played on December 9 at Lower.com Field . The Crew defeated holders Los Angeles FC by 2–1 to capture
4148-692: The CONCACAF Champions Cup (CCC) against other clubs from the CONCACAF region. Four MLS teams qualify based on regular-season results from the previous year: the Supporters' Shield champion, the team with the highest point total from the opposite conference, and the next two clubs in the Supporters' Shield rankings. The fifth MLS team to qualify is the reigning MLS Cup champion. An additional U.S.-based MLS team can qualify by winning
4270-787: The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States , and other U.S.-based sports leagues did the same. The 2020 season resumed in July with the MLS is Back Tournament , a competition in which 24 out of the 26 teams competed at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando for a spot in the CONCACAF Champions League. In September 2020, the league announced the formation of MLS Next , an academy league for MLS academy teams from
4392-625: The Kraft family to take on more teams. MLS announced in January 2002 that it had decided to contract the Tampa Bay Mutiny and Miami Fusion , leaving the league with ten teams. Despite the financial problems, though, MLS did have some accomplishments that would set the stage for the league's resurgence. Columbus Crew Stadium, now known as Historic Crew Stadium , was built in 1999, becoming MLS's first soccer-specific stadium . This began
4514-476: The LA Galaxy . The Crew followed suit by signing Guillermo Barros Schelotto on April 19, 2007. Columbus also signed forward Alejandro Moreno to bolster its attack. Even with these new players, the Crew still missed the playoffs in 2007. In 2008, the Crew won its first Eastern Conference title, and subsequently, its first MLS Cup . Led by Barros Schelotto, who scored seven goals and had 19 assists and won
4636-482: The Leagues Cup , was established in 2019. The 2020 edition of the tournament was originally planned to pair eight MLS clubs against eight Liga MX clubs in a single-elimination tournament hosted in the United States, reviving an inter-league rivalry that previously took place in the now-defunct North American Superliga , before its cancelation. Beginning with the 2023 edition all MLS and Liga MX teams participate in
4758-630: The MLS is Back Tournament before going out in the round of 16 and finishing in third place in the Eastern conference and fourth place overall. After making a run in the playoffs, the Crew won their second MLS Cup just two years into the Haslam era, defeating the Seattle Sounders 3–0 at Mapfre Stadium on December 12, 2020, in MLS Cup 2020 . Weeks into the 2021 season , the franchise announced they would now be known as Columbus SC , using "Columbus Crew" and "The Crew" in informal instances. The rebrand received strongly negative reception from supporters of
4880-706: The Philadelphia Union and their new PPL Park stadium (now known as Subaru Park ). The 2010 season also brought the opening of the New York Red Bulls' soccer-specific stadium, Red Bull Arena , and the debut of French striker Thierry Henry . The 2011 season brought further expansion with the addition of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC , the second Canadian MLS franchise, and the Portland Timbers . Real Salt Lake reached
5002-471: The U.S. Open Cup . In 2024, the league will send eight teams to participate in the U.S. Open Cup instead of every U.S.-based club, with MLS Next Pro teams as representatives for some teams. MLS had announced their intention to remove itself from the tournament entirely, but reached a compromise with U.S. Soccer to send representatives from clubs that were not participating in the Champions Cup, with
MLS All-Time Best XI - Misplaced Pages Continue
5124-439: The U.S. v. Germany match the U.S. fielded a team with seven MLS starters. On September 18, 2014, MLS unveiled their new logo as part of a branding initiative. In addition to the new crest logo, MLS teams display versions in their own colors on their jerseys. Chivas USA folded following the 2014 season, while New York City FC and Orlando City SC joined the league in 2015 as the 19th and 20th teams. Sporting Kansas City and
5246-719: The 1994 World Cup to play in MLS—including U.S. stars such as Alexi Lalas , Tony Meola and Eric Wynalda , and foreign players such as Mexico's Jorge Campos and Colombia's Carlos Valderrama . D.C. United won the MLS Cup in three of the league's first four seasons. The league added its first two expansion teams in 1998 —the Miami Fusion and the Chicago Fire ; the Chicago Fire won its first title in its inaugural season. After its first season, MLS suffered from
5368-631: The 2012 season was most notable for a tragedy that happened off the field, as rookie midfielder Kirk Urso passed away from arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy , an inherited heart disease caused by genetic defects of the parts of heart muscle . On the field, the club lost in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup to the Dayton Dutch Lions in USL Pro, and finished sixth in the Eastern Conference with 52 points and
5490-547: The 2014 season, fifteen of the nineteen MLS head coaches had previously played in MLS. By 2013, the league's popularity had increased to the point where MLS was as popular as Major League Baseball among 12- to 17-year-olds, as reported by the 2013 Luker on Trends ESPN poll, having jumped in popularity since the 2010 World Cup. In 2014, the league announced Atlanta United FC as the 22nd team to start playing in 2017. Even though New York City FC and Orlando City were not set to begin play until 2015, each team made headlines during
5612-517: The Crew in Columbus, and that Precourt will get the rights to start a team in Austin if the deal goes through. As part of the deal, the lawsuit against Precourt was dismissed that day; the Modell Law remains untested as a result. On January 1, 2019, control of the Crew franchise was officially transferred to the Haslam family and longtime team physician Dr. Pete Edwards, who took full ownership of
5734-458: The Crew unveiled a new badge. The new circular-shaped badge features the club's classic black and gold colors, a minimized original crest with "96" overlaid on top, and the black and gold checkerboard pattern predominantly seen on flags waving in the Nordecke. A great deal of symbolism was packed into the new badge. The horizontal stripes are representative of the ten original MLS franchises, and
5856-579: The Crew went on a 13-game winless streak (0–7–6) between June 10 and August 19. The season ended on a tragic note when team founder and owner Lamar Hunt died on December 14, 2006. Around this time, Columbus Crew supporters began using the term "Massive" to describe the club and city, at first ironically, but then as a term of pride and endearment of the club that continuously fought the odds. The 2007 season in Major League Soccer started with news that global icon David Beckham signed with
5978-420: The Crew's future in Columbus. After the meeting, both sides issued press releases detailing the meeting. Per the delegation from Columbus, Precourt and MLS refused to take the relocation threat off the table. Per Precourt and MLS, Columbus leaders did not present any plan for a downtown stadium. On the issue, the mayor stated it was "obvious that Don Garber nor PSV (Precourt Sports Ventures) had any commitment for
6100-496: The Crew. Columbus would then name former player and assistant coach Robert Warzycha head coach. In 2009, Barros Schelotto was rewarded with the honor of becoming the franchise's first Designated Player . The club went 13–7–10 in the regular season, good enough for 49 points and their second consecutive Supporters' Shield. The Crew was eliminated by Real Salt Lake in the two-legged Eastern Conference semi-finals, 4–2 on aggregate. Chad Marshall won his second consecutive MLS Defender of
6222-638: The Defender of the Year award in 2004. The Crew won the Supporters' Shield set a franchise record for points, 49, by going 12–5–13, thanks in part to an 18-game unbeaten streak (8–0–10) to end the season. Despite winning the Supporters' Shield for best record in the league, the club would be eliminated from the MLS Cup in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. In his last season for the Black & Gold, Jeff Cunningham scored his 62nd goal, which tied him with McBride for
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#17327937095316344-566: The Eastern Conference, and Mark Dougherty became the first goalkeeper in league history to record 50 wins, with a 4–2 win over the MetroStars on August 18, 1999, at Giants Stadium. The Crew hosted the 2000 MLS All-Star Game , with Mike Clark , Brian McBride, and Dante Washington representing Columbus in the game. The aforementioned Dante Washington was acquired from the Dallas Burn to replace Stern John, but his 13 goals in 2000
6466-484: The Eastern Conference. They went on to lose in the conference playoff semi-finals. The Black & Gold finished 15–17 in both 1997 and 1998 , which put them in third and fourth place, respectively, in the Eastern Conference. Each season ended with losses in the Conference Finals to D.C. United. In 1998, the Crew reached the U.S. Open Cup Final . However, the match was postponed due to a hurricane and
6588-806: The Houston Dynamo moved from the Eastern Conference to the Western Conference in 2015 to make two 10-team conferences. In early 2015, the league announced that two teams— Los Angeles FC and Minnesota United FC —would join MLS in either 2017 or 2018. The 20th season of MLS saw the arrivals of several players who have starred at the highest levels of European club soccer and in international soccer: Giovanni dos Santos , Kaká , Andrea Pirlo , Frank Lampard , Steven Gerrard , Didier Drogba , David Villa , and Sebastian Giovinco . MLS confirmed in August 2016 that Minnesota United would begin play in 2017 along with Atlanta United FC. In April 2016,
6710-490: The MLS Most Valuable Player Award, the team also won its second Supporters' Shield. After going 17–7–6 in the regular season, the Black & Gold won playoff games against Kansas City and Chicago Fire before beating the New York Red Bulls 3–1 in the final . Chad Marshall won MLS Defender of the Year award, and Sigi Schmid won Coach of the Year. After the 2008 season, Sigi Schmid declined
6832-528: The MLS regular season is followed by a postseason knockout tournament to determine the league champion. As of 2023 , eighteen teams participate in the MLS Cup Playoffs in October and November, which concludes with the MLS Cup championship game in early December. The 2023 playoff format includes a pair of single-elimination play-in matches for the two lowest-ranked teams in each conference ahead of
6954-473: The USMNT head coaching job. The 2019 season was a forgettable one as the Crew dealt with a myriad of injuries throughout the season, including a season ending ACL injury to Federico Higuaín . Before the start of the 2020 MLS season, the Crew made two major signings, bringing in new designated player Lucas Zelarayán and midfielder Darlington Nagbe . The team started out the season well, winning their group in
7076-544: The United States and Canada , behind the National Football League (NFL) with over 69,000 fans per game, Major League Baseball (MLB) with over 26,000 fans per game, and the Canadian Football League (CFL) with over 21,700 fans per game. MLS was the eighth-highest attended professional soccer league worldwide by 2018. The MLS regular season typically starts in late February or early March and runs through mid-October, with each team playing 34 games;
7198-552: The United States and Canada. The predecessor of MLS was the North American Soccer League (NASL), which existed from 1968 until 1984. MLS was founded in 1993 as part of the United States' successful bid to host the 1994 FIFA World Cup . The inaugural season took place in 1996 with ten teams. MLS experienced financial and operational struggles in its first few years, losing millions of dollars and folding two teams in 2002. Since then, developments such as
7320-419: The United States. Columbus won their first game in the stadium, 2–0, against New England Revolution in front of a sell-out crowd of 24,741. Columbus would finish in second place at 19–13, but would lose in the conference finals to D.C. United for the third straight season. The 1999 season was the last for Stern John who scored 52 goals in 65 games for the club. The team had the lowest goals against average in
7442-655: The Year award. Columbus started the 2010 season in the CONCACAF Champions League . They reached the quarterfinals but lost to Toluca in March. The club finished the season 14–8–8 but lost in the quarterfinals of the MLS Cup playoffs to the Colorado Rapids . The Crew lost 2–1 in the 2010 U.S. Open Cup Final at Qwest Field , home of the Seattle Sounders. In May 2011, the Crew signed its first ever homegrown player , Aaron Horton . on June 28,
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#17327937095317564-487: The all-time attendance record and sellout record for a single season at Crew Stadium. The combination of the club's on-field success and off-field resurgence capped a successful full first year for Precourt and Berhalter. On October 8, 2014, the Precourt ownership changed the name and logo of the club, changing the name from "Columbus Crew" to "Columbus Crew SC". The beginning of the 2015 season started in late 2014 with
7686-401: The away uniforms are seldom worn by the Crew due to the strong favor shown to the traditional home uniform; and also due to the fact that the historically black jerseys compound the summer heat in the United States climate. For the 2015 season, the Crew returned to a black jersey for its alternate uniform. During the beginning of the 2016 season, Columbus maintained a black kit, and also unveiled
7808-423: The backlash surrounding the rebrand, the franchise announced that "Columbus Crew" would remain as their official name and that the new logo would be modified accordingly. In addition, the "SC" was dropped from the brand, with the team's name being simply the "Columbus Crew" once again. They recorded their first win at Lower.com Field on July 17, 2021. Columbus fired Porter after the team failed to qualify for
7930-498: The berth is reallocated to the next best team in the overall table. If the U.S. Open Cup winner qualifies through multiple methods, the runner-up fills the slot; should the runner-up qualify, the next best team in the overall table earns the slot. If the Leagues Cup champion wins the MLS Cup, the MLS Cup runner-up qualifies to the round of 16; should a Leagues Cup slot already qualify, MLS is awarded with one additional slot given to
8052-482: The city of Columbus cultivates. Citing a disconnect between what the crest stood for and the 21st-century identity of the city of Columbus, owner Anthony Precourt initiated a rebrand upon assuming ownership in 2013. Precourt said that Columbus was no longer a true blue collar town, and that the industrial/manufacturing motif was no longer representative. In fact, Columbus had grown into a 21st-century city and become much more "dynamic and diverse". On October 8, 2014,
8174-401: The city's USL Championship team . On January 29, 2018, MLS awarded Miami an expansion team, led by David Beckham . Inter Miami CF started MLS play on March 1, 2020, and plan on opening the proposed 25,000-seat stadium sometime in the near future. An expansion team was awarded to Cincinnati, Ohio on May 29, 2018, to the ownership group of USL's FC Cincinnati . The team, which assumed
8296-509: The club after reaching a deal with Precourt Sports Ventures LLC. The new ownership group also quickly announced that they would be building a new stadium for the Crew in the Arena District of downtown Columbus. The team then hired Tim Bezbatchenko as president from Toronto FC and Caleb Porter , previously with the Portland Timbers , as their new coach for the 2019 season, with previous head coach Gregg Berhalter having left to take
8418-399: The club's new name, Austin FC , was announced. After negotiations between Precourt and Jimmy Haslam , owner of the Cleveland Browns , were announced, MLS made it clear that Austin would receive an expansion team only after a deal to sell Columbus to a local buyer had completed. The purchase of Crew SC by Haslam's group was finalized in late December 2018, and on January 15, 2019, Austin FC
8540-497: The collapse of the NASL following the 1984 season, leaving the United States without a top-level soccer league until MLS. In 1988, in exchange for FIFA awarding the right to host the 1994 World Cup , U.S. Soccer promised to establish a Division 1 professional soccer league. In 1993, U.S. Soccer selected Major League Professional Soccer (the precursor to MLS) as the exclusive Division 1 professional soccer league. Major League Soccer
8662-490: The communities who unite to embrace and celebrate the authenticity and heritage of the sport. With the rebrand, the club also identified three brand pillars: original, energetic, and authentically Columbus, in an effort to celebrate its history as a team of firsts – first club in Major League Soccer, first soccer-specific stadium, first major professional championship for Columbus – its youthful, passionate energy, as well as Columbus's young, progressive culture. On May 15, 1999,
8784-628: The competition, which functions as the regional cup for the North American zone of CONCACAF . The 29 teams of Major League Soccer are divided between the Eastern and Western conferences. MLS has regularly expanded since the 2005 season, most recently with the addition of St. Louis City SC for the 2023 season. San Diego FC is planned to enter the league in 2025. The league features numerous rivalry cups that are contested by two or more teams, quite often geographic rivals. Each trophy
8906-550: The crew that accompanied him on his discoveries. However, by the time it was chosen as the official name of the team, it was detached from the famous explorer and instead pitched as representative of Midwestern hard work. MLS investor Lamar Hunt, and his son Clark became the owners of both the Columbus Crew and Kansas City Wizards in 1996. The first players for the Crew were South African national team veteran Doctor Khumalo , by assignment , and Brian McBride . McBride
9028-449: The current rightsholders have to negotiate extensions to their contracts. Additionally, media noted that Major League Soccer has long-opposed the adoption of promotion and relegation, continuing to utilize the fixed, franchise-based model used in other U.S. sports leagues. Furthermore, MP & Silva founder Riccardo Silva also owned Miami FC of the NASL , which stood to benefit from such
9150-402: The end of the 2023 season . Major League Soccer's regular season runs from late February or early March to October. Teams are geographically divided into the Eastern and Western Conferences, playing 34 games in an unbalanced schedule. With 29 teams in 2023, each team plays two games, home and away, against every team in its conference and one game against all but four or five of the teams in
9272-528: The exception of the defending Open Cup champions. The last three teams to qualify are the champion, runner-up, and third-place finisher of the Leagues Cup . Montreal , Toronto , and Vancouver compete against other Canadian sides in the Canadian Championship for the one CONCACAF Champions Cup berth allocated to Canada. All three Canadian clubs may also qualify through MLS or the Leagues Cup. If an MLS team qualifies through multiple methods,
9394-442: The exchange of top prospects to Europe for experienced veterans to MLS. By 2008, San Jose had returned to the league under new ownership, and in 2009, the expansion side Seattle Sounders FC began play in MLS. The Sounders set a new average attendance record for the league, with 30,943 spectators per match, and were the first expansion team to qualify for the playoffs since 1998. The 2010 season ushered in an expansion franchise in
9516-548: The existing FC Cincinnati name, started MLS play in 2019 and moved to the new 26,000-seat TQL Stadium in 2021. The league planned to expand to 30 teams with the addition of Austin FC in 2021, Charlotte in 2022, and Sacramento and St. Louis in 2023; however, this was reduced to 29 after Sacramento Republic FC 's bid was placed on indefinite hold. Commissioner Don Garber has suggested that another round of expansion could lead to 32 teams in MLS. The league suspended its 2020 season on March 12, 2020, after two weeks, due to
9638-704: The finals of the 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League . During the 2011 season, the Galaxy signed another international star in Republic of Ireland all-time leading goalscorer Robbie Keane . MLS drew an average attendance of 17,872 in 2011, higher than the average attendances of the NBA and NHL. In 2012, the Montreal Impact became the league's 19th franchise and the third in Canada, and made their home debut in front of
9760-402: The first club in Major League Soccer. The club's nickname, the Crew, also evolved from its original meaning as a hard-working construction crew to a new, more relevant one as "a tight-knit group of people who come together to share a passion for our club and the sport of soccer". The nickname, Crew, is now meant to symbolize a unique brand of family and friendship between the club, the fans and
9882-775: The first half including the lone Crew SC goal scored by Kamara. Kamara was nominated for the Landon Donovan MLS MVP Award . Kamara was also nominated for and won the MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year Award. Wil Trapp was nominated for the MLS Comeback Player of the Year Award. The 1,000th goal in club history was scored on August 12, 2017 by Justin Meram . On October 17, 2017, Precourt announced intentions to relocate
10004-448: The first player to score 100 career MLS goals. The league's financial stabilization plan included teams moving out of large American football stadiums and into soccer-specific stadiums. From 2003 to 2008, the league oversaw the construction of six additional soccer-specific stadiums, largely funded by owners such as Lamar Hunt and Phil Anschutz , so that by the end of 2008, a majority of teams were now in soccer-specific stadiums. It
10126-511: The first sporting director in club history. The 2014 season saw Columbus return to the postseason for the first time since 2011. Under Berhalter, the Crew finished the year 14–10–10, good enough for the third seed in the Eastern Conference of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The Crew had two of its players, center back Giancarlo González and left back Waylon Francis , participate in the 2014 FIFA World Cup , representing Costa Rica . González
10248-607: The franchise record. Over both of the next two seasons, Columbus battled injuries to several players and struggled to win many games. Despite winning the MLS Coach of the Year Award in 2004, Andrulis was replaced on an interim basis by Robert Warzycha midway through the 2005 season. After missing the playoffs in the 2005 season, the club would hire former L.A. Galaxy and UCLA head coach Sigi Schmid . Schmid had won an MLS Cup and U.S. Open Championship in his six seasons with Galaxy. Warzycha remained on staff under Schmid. In 2006,
10370-577: The franchise to Austin, Texas , if a downtown stadium could not be secured in Columbus. Following the news, fans and supporters of the club began a campaign and movement known as #SaveTheCrew. Many had been present in the city's council building on behalf of the cause. Later in the month, it was revealed that Precourt had a clause in his purchase of the club that would allow him to relocate the franchise, but only to Austin. On November 15, 2017, Precourt and MLS commissioner Don Garber met with Columbus mayor Andrew Ginther and civic and business leaders about
10492-558: The issues were not stated publicly, Don Garber stated that the league is a "private business" and what's been happening has been seen in other major sport leagues in the country. On March 5, 2018, Ohio attorney general Mike DeWine and Columbus city attorney Zach Klein filed a lawsuit against Precourt, citing a previously untested 1996 state law (the Modell Law) that prevents sports teams that benefited from public facilities or financial assistance from relocating to another city without
10614-561: The league implemented its "Core Players" initiative, allowing teams to retain key players using retention funds instead of losing the players to foreign leagues. Among the first high-profile players re-signed in 2013 using retention funds were U.S. national team regulars Graham Zusi and Matt Besler . Beginning in summer of 2013 and continuing in the run up to the 2014 World Cup, MLS began signing U.S. stars based abroad, including Clint Dempsey , Jermaine Jones , and Michael Bradley from Europe; and DaMarcus Beasley from Mexico's Liga MX . By
10736-500: The league in 2007; San Jose paid $ 20 million the next year, and the fee had risen to $ 30 million when Sounders FC paid the fee in 2007 to join the league in 2009. In 2013, New York City FC agreed to pay a record $ 100 million expansion fee for the right to join MLS in 2015. This record was surpassed by the ownership groups of FC Cincinnati and Nashville SC, which each paid $ 150 million to join MLS 2019 and 2020, respectively. Despite being announced in January 2018, Inter Miami CF only paid
10858-472: The league including Johan Cruyff , Gerd Müller , Eusébio , Bobby Moore , and George Best . Despite dramatic increases in attendance (with some matches drawing over 70,000 fans such as Soccer Bowl '78 , the highest attendance to date for any club soccer championship in the United States) over-expansion, the economic recession of the early 1980s , and disputes with the players union ultimately led to
10980-470: The league to change its schedule, a winter break would be necessary to accommodate teams located in harsh winter climates. It would also have to compete with the popularity and media presence of the National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), and National Hockey League (NHL), which all run on fall-to-spring schedules. MLS teams also play in other international and domestic competitions. Each season, up to ten MLS teams play in
11102-584: The league's best players. The format of the All-Star Game has changed several times since the league's inception; 2020 was the first year in which the MLS All-Stars were planned to play against an all-star team from Mexico's Liga MX , before the event's cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic . Unlike most major soccer leagues around the world, but similar to other leagues in the Americas,
11224-403: The league's commissioner Don Garber reiterated the intention of the league to expand to 28 teams, with the next round of expansion "likely happening in 2020". In December 2016, he updated the expansion plans stating that the league will look to approve the 25th and 26th teams in 2017 and to start play in 2020. In January 2017, the league received bids from 12 ownership groups. In July 2017, it
11346-902: The league. Each team has an investor-operator that is a shareholder in the league. In order to control costs, MLS shares revenues and holds players contracts instead of players contracting with individual teams. In Fraser v. Major League Soccer , a lawsuit filed in 1996 and decided in 2002, the league won a legal battle with its players in which the court ruled that MLS was a single entity that can lawfully centrally contract for player services. The court also ruled that even absent their collective bargaining agreement , players could opt to play in other leagues if they were unsatisfied. Columbus Crew The Columbus Crew are an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio . The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as
11468-405: The market of Columbus, with an interested group wanting to purchase the team but with a very low value. It was then when the league's executives hired a different company banker and expanded its search regionally where Anthony Precourt was involved. Garber stated that had Precourt not acquired the club, there was a possibility that Columbus would have ceased operations and ultimately folded. As to why
11590-828: The next best non-qualified team in the overall table. Seattle Sounders FC became the first MLS team to win the CONCACAF Champions Cup under the competition's updated format in 2022 . Since 2018, the reigning MLS Cup champion plays in the Campeones Cup , a Super Cup -style single game against the Campeón de Campeones from Liga MX , hosted by the MLS team in September. The inaugural edition saw Tigres UANL defeat Toronto FC at BMO Field in Toronto in 2018. Another inter-league competition with Liga MX,
11712-404: The only goal and keeper Jon Busch posted the shutout in Columbus's 1–0 win. It was the first championship in team history. The Crew finished 11–12–5 in the regular season and finished in a tie for first place. They lost in the league semi-finals to New England. Kyle Martino won rookie of the year in 2002, a first for the Crew. By winning the 2002 U.S. Open Cup, Columbus received a bid to play in
11834-409: The opposite conference. The 2020 season was the first season in league history in which teams did not play against every other team in the league. At the end of the regular season, the team with the highest point total is awarded the Supporters' Shield and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Teams break for the annual All-Star Game midway through the season, an exhibition game containing
11956-503: The playoffs with a bye in the first round after securing second place in the Eastern Conference. Following the Eastern Conference semi-final and final match-ups, Crew SC played host to the Portland Timbers in the 2015 MLS Cup Final . This was the club's second-ever MLS Cup Final appearance after the 2008 MLS Cup championship. The Crew was upset by the Portland Timbers at home following the 2–1 loss. All three goals were scored in
12078-413: The previous home-and-away two-leg series. Pachuca, with a superior record in the tournament, hosted the match at Estadio Hidalgo which is situated at an altitude of 8,000 feet above sea level. The Crew lost 3–0 to Pachuca, with the high altitude and Pachuca's strong performance cited as significant factors in the outcome. It was later revealed that several Columbus players were affected by an illness, with
12200-406: The proliferation of soccer-specific stadiums around the league, the implementation of the Designated Player Rule allowing teams to sign star players such as David Beckham and Lionel Messi , and national TV contracts have made MLS profitable. In 2022, with an average attendance of over 21,000 per game, MLS had the fourth-highest average attendance of the major professional sports leagues in
12322-417: The quarter-finals on every occasion. In 2021, the club won their first continental trophy by winning the Campeones Cup , and in 2024, the Crew advanced to their first Champions' Cup final. On June 15, 1994, Major League Soccer announced that Columbus, Ohio , would be home to one of the ten founding members of the new top flight North American professional soccer league. Columbus had promised construction of
12444-410: The return of Kei Kamara . Kamara proved to be beneficial as he scored 22 regular season goals and 4 playoff goals. Along with Kamara, Ethan Finlay and Waylon Francis received spots in the 2015 MLS All-Star Game versus English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur . On September 26, 2015, Crew SC hosted their largest sellout crowd since 2008 with an announced attendance of 22,719. Crew SC came into
12566-420: The shield is an homage to the club's original badge with the 96 representing 1996 – the club's first year in competition. The inset "O" in the badge mimics the same shape found in Ohio state flag, a nod to Columbus's role as the state's capital city. Finally, as a significant point of pride for the city of Columbus, "Columbus" was added to the new badge, along with "SC" to further define the brand more accurately as
12688-440: The summer 2014 transfer window by announcing their first Designated Players— Spain's leading scorer David Villa and Chelsea's leading scorer Frank Lampard to New York, and Ballon d'Or winner Kaká to Orlando. The 2014 World Cup featured 21 MLS players on World Cup rosters and a record 11 MLS players playing for foreign teams—including players from traditional powerhouses Brazil ( Júlio César ) and Spain ( David Villa ); in
12810-422: The team doctor suspecting food poisoning. Both the players and the head coach made similar insinuations. The official colors of the Crew are black and gold. Columbus's usual primary jersey is predominately bright yellow with black trim and has been nicknamed the "banana kit" or "canary kit" by fans. From 1996 until 1999, the Crew donned black as their primary uniform color, as the league required teams to have
12932-502: The team set club attendance records for both most cumulative attendance and most sellouts. The Crew have won eight major trophies: the MLS Cup in 2008 , 2020 and 2023 ; the Supporters' Shield in 2004 , 2008 , and 2009 ; the 2002 U.S. Open Cup ; and the Leagues Cup in 2024 . The Crew have qualified for the CONCACAF Champions Cup (or its predecessor, the CONCACAF Champions League) five times, reaching
13054-412: The team to stay in Columbus". In the annual state of the league conference, commissioner Garber addressed more on the potential move. He had stated the difficulties there has been present with the market over the years. Discussing in 2008, when the league began its initiative to end having ownership groups owning multiple franchises in the league, there was no success in finding a local ownership group in
13176-424: The team with the best record is awarded the Supporters' Shield . Eighteen teams compete in the postseason MLS Cup Playoffs in late October and November, culminating in the league's championship game, the MLS Cup . Instead of operating as an association of independently owned clubs, MLS is a single entity in which each team is owned by the league and individually operated by the league's investors. The league has
13298-407: The team. A statement by the Nordecke claimed that "neither the Nordecke nor any Crew Supporters Group was involved at any time with the conception, development, or design of the rebrand. The Board was only shown the rebrand in the last few days, and it was presented to us as a completed product with no chance for input." The logo was further criticized as generic and harming the team's identity. This
13420-403: The third MLS Cup title in the club's history. The Columbus Crew played against Tigres UANL in the quarter-finals of the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup . The first leg took place at Lower.com Field and ended in a 1–1 draw. In the second leg in Mexico, Columbus advanced to the semi-finals after defeating Tigres 4–3 in a penalty shoot-out. This result marked the first time an American club eliminated
13542-488: The under-13 to under-19 level. In 2022, the league signed a $ 2.5 billion deal with Apple Inc. that will make Apple TV the primary broadcaster for all MLS games. The agreement will see both MLS and Leagues Cup games shared across the streaming service. In May 2023, the league announced it would expand to 30 teams with the addition of San Diego FC for the 2025 season. In 2005, Toronto FC's ownership paid $ 10 million (about $ 15.6 million in today's dollars) to join
13664-612: Was also in this era that MLS expanded for the first time since 1998. Real Salt Lake and Chivas USA began play in 2005 , with Chivas USA becoming the second club in Los Angeles. By 2006 the San Jose Earthquakes owners, players and a few coaches moved to Texas to become the expansion Houston Dynamo , after failing to build a stadium in San Jose. The Dynamo became an expansion team, leaving their history behind for
13786-508: Was chosen from a pool of 78 players who were previous "Best XI" yearly selections or who were named to at least three All-Star Games since the inaugural season in 1996 . D.C. United had four players selected who were with the team from 1996–2000, when D.C. United was the dominant team in MLS. Nine of the eleven players selected played with the league in the 1996 inaugural season; only Nowak (joined 1998) and Donovan (joined 2001) did not. Major League Soccer Major League Soccer ( MLS )
13908-468: Was controversially relocated from Virginia Beach to Soldier Field in Chicago, the home of the Chicago Fire . The Fire would go on to win the match 2–1 after extra time. Stern John , in his first of two seasons with Columbus, was the 1998 scoring champion , amassing 26 goals and 5 assists. Columbus's 1999 season began with the opening of Columbus Crew Stadium , the first soccer-specific stadium in
14030-426: Was done despite promises of fan involvement by team president Tim Bezbatchenko, which led to him being labeled as a "traitor". A petition was created on change.org to restore the team's name. Other observers noted that the rebrand was part of a similar trend in MLS teams to emulate European naming conventions, and was compared to the rebranding of Chicago Fire FC two years earlier. On May 17, 2021, in response to
14152-407: Was not enough to propel the Crew to the playoffs. For the first time, Columbus failed to reach the postseason. Columbus got off to a slow 1–3–2 start in 2001, which led to the replacement of coach Tom Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald, who had coached 161 of the Crew's first 183 MLS matches over parts of six seasons between 1996 and 2001, was replaced by Greg Andrulis . Andrulis would lead the Black & Gold to
14274-600: Was officially announced as a 2021 MLS entry. MLS announced on December 20, 2017, that it would be awarding an expansion franchise to Nashville, Tennessee , to play in a yet-to-be-built 27,000-seat soccer-specific stadium, Nashville Fairgrounds Stadium , and would join MLS in 2020. The management of the Nashville franchise announced in February 2019 that the MLS side would assume the Nashville SC name then in use by
14396-642: Was officially formed in February 1995 as a limited liability company . Tab Ramos was the first player signed by MLS, on January 3, 1995, and was assigned to the New York/New Jersey MetroStars . MLS began play in 1996 with ten teams. The first game was held on April 6, 1996, as the San Jose Clash defeated D.C. United before 31,000 fans at Spartan Stadium in San Jose in a game broadcast on ESPN. The league had generated some buzz by managing to lure some marquee players from
14518-624: Was praised for his performance, earning a spot on ESPN's Best XI of the group stage. He was subsequently transferred out of Columbus for a $ 5 million fee. Berhalter was nominated for 2014 MLS Head Coach of the Year. Likewise, goalkeeper Steve Clark was nominated for 2014 Goalkeeper of the Year and Michael Parkhurst won the Individual Fair Play Award for the third time. Off the field, the Black & Gold announced sports industry veteran Andy Loughnane as its new President of Business Operations on August 16, 2014. The team set
14640-418: Was reported that Major League Soccer had rejected an offer by MP & Silva to acquire all television rights to the league following the conclusion of its current contracts with Fox, ESPN, and Univision, where MP & Silva insisted that the deal would be conditional on Major League Soccer adopting a promotion and relegation system. The league stated that it rejected the offer due to the exclusive periods that
14762-598: Was selected as the first overall pick in MLS's first draft in 1996 . Former U.S. National Team coach Timo Liekoski would be the team's head coach for its first season. The Crew played their first game on April 13, 1996, in front of a home crowd of 25,266 in Ohio Stadium against D.C. United and won 4–0. Columbus would struggle, however, winning only 5 of their next 21 games. After the 6–16 start, Tom Fitzgerald replaced head coach Liekoski. The Crew, under Fitzgerald, won 9 of their last 10 games to finish fourth in
14884-585: Was the North American Soccer League (NASL), which existed from 1968 until 1984. The United States did not have a truly national top-flight league with FIFA -sanctioning until the creation of the NASL. The first league to have U.S. and Canadian professional clubs, the NASL struggled until the mid-1970s when the New York Cosmos , the league's most prominent team, signed a number of the world's best players including Pelé and Franz Beckenbauer . Pelé's arrival attracted other well-known international stars to
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