117-774: The Columbus Crew are an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio . The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as 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
234-633: 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
351-571: 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 a player. On July 30, 2013, Anthony Precourt became
468-453: 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
585-461: 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
702-494: A college record 22,512 fans to Busch Stadium on October 30, 1980. By 1984, more colleges played soccer (532) than American football (505). In 1967 there were 100,000 people playing soccer in the US; by 1984, that number had grown to over 4 million. Girls high school soccer experienced tremendous growth in playing numbers throughout the 1970s and 1980s—from 10,000 in 1976 to 41,000 in 1980, to 122,000 in 1990. The soccer matches for
819-504: 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
936-440: 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,
1053-442: A large Salvadoran community . The Brazil , Argentina , and Colombia national teams also play matches in the U.S. This is due to the fact that the U.S. has more adequate venues for competitions. The 2018 MLS cup final recorded an attendance of 73,019, beating the past record of 61,316 which was set in the 2002 cup final. At the time, this was the most-attended MLS game in history. The most recent attendance record for an MLS match
1170-696: A part of the W-League in 2006. After the folding of WUSA, WUSA Reorganization Committee was formed in September 2003 that led to the founding of Women's Soccer Initiative, Inc. (WSII), whose stated goal was "promoting and supporting all aspects of women's soccer in the United States", including the founding of a new professional league. Initial plans were to play a scaled-down version of WUSA in 2004. However, these plans fell through and instead, in June 2004,
1287-416: A round ball along the ground, and to pick it up and run with it. On the other hand, in 1869 , Princeton and Rutgers played the first intercollegiate football game. Although each team had 25 players, the use of a soccer ball and the rules based on the 1863 London Football Association laws arguably make it the first college soccer match and the birth of soccer in the United States. Nevertheless,
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#17328008619511404-431: 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
1521-414: 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
1638-498: A soccer competition for countries from Central America, was held in the U.S., due to the commercial appeal of the U.S. soccer market. Similarly, the 2016 Copa América was also held in the U.S., marking the first time that tournament took place outside of South America. The U.S. was selected to host for financial reasons, because "the market is in the United States, the stadiums are in the United States ;... everything
1755-580: 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
1872-436: A then-unnamed city. In September 2007, the launch was pushed back from Spring of 2008 to 2009 to avoid clashing with 2007 Women's World Cup and the 2008 Olympic Games and to ensure that all of the teams were fully prepared for long-term operations. The name for the new professional league, along with its logo, was announced on January 17, 2008. The league was to have its inaugural season in 2009, with seven teams, including
1989-413: 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
2106-411: Is difficult to say for sure which country was the true origin. Oneida Football Club has been named as the first association football club in the United States but there is still discussion on what rules the club used, and it broke up within the space of a few years. According to Encyclopædia Britannica , the club is often credited with inventing the "Boston Game", which allowed players to both kick
2223-517: Is in the United States". Furthermore, several nations schedule friendly matches to be held in the U.S. against opponents other than the U.S. national team. For example, the Mexico national team usually schedules several friendlies in the U.S. each year against various opponents. The El Salvador national team also regularly plays friendlies in the U.S., often in the Washington, D.C. area, home to
2340-445: Is the third ownership group in club history. The franchise was founded in 1994. Its stadium 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
2457-518: The 1984 Summer Olympics were well attended. Five matches drew over 75,000 fans, and two soccer matches at the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, California, drew over 100,000 fans. These high attendance figures were one factor that FIFA took into consideration in 1988 when deciding to award the 1994 World Cup to the United States. Interest in soccer within the United States continued to grow during
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#17328008619512574-557: 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
2691-442: The 2018 tournament, the first since 1986 . The USMNT would return at the 2022 FIFA World Cup , where they managed to repeat their performances of 2010 and 2014 editions. The growth of the women's game during the 1990s helped increase overall interest in soccer in the United States. The number of women's college soccer teams increased from 318 in 1991 to 959 in 2009. Both the 1999 and 2003 FIFA Women's World Cups were held in
2808-491: 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
2925-555: The Atlanta Beat , Boston Breakers , Carolina Courage , New York Power , Philadelphia Charge , San Diego Spirit , San Jose CyberRays (called Bay Area CyberRays for 2001 season), and the Washington Freedom . The WUSA played for three full seasons. The WUSA suspended operations, however, on September 15, 2003, shortly after the conclusion of the third season, due to financial problems and lack of public interest in
3042-472: 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
3159-676: 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
3276-659: The National Amateur Cup . That spelled the death knell for the American Cup. It played its last season in 1924. During the days of the American Soccer League , the league was seen as widely popular, and considered to be the second-most popular sports league in the United States, only behind Major League Baseball . However, the "soccer war" between the USFA and ASL, combined with the onset of
3393-529: The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) setting the rules at that level. The match regulations are generally the same between the three governing bodies although there are many subtle differences. As of May 2015 , over 24.4 million people play soccer in the United States. In 2017, Gallup reported that soccer was the third-most watched team sport in the U.S., behind only basketball and American football. The popularity of
3510-642: The North American Soccer League (NASL) in 1968. The NASL enjoyed a significant boost in popularity when the New York Cosmos signed Pelé to play for three seasons in 1975–77. The Cosmos drew large publicity throughout the late 1970s. Between 1977 and 1980, the Cosmos drew crowds of more than 60,000 on ten occasions, and over 70,000 on seven occasions (see Record attendances in United States club soccer ). The NASL declined during
3627-719: The Northeast and created its own cup in 1912, the American Amateur Football Association Cup . The conflicts within the AFA led to a movement to create a truly national body to oversee American soccer. In 1913, both the AAFA and AFA applied for membership in FIFA, the international governing body for soccer. Drawing on both its position as the oldest soccer organization and the status of the American Cup,
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3744-551: The Summer Olympics and the men's national team played in every World Cup from 1990 to 2014 and returned to the World Cup in 2022. In the United States, the sport of association football is mainly referred to as "soccer", as the term "football" is primarily used to refer to the sport of American football . There has been some debate about the origins of modern soccer in the United States. It has long been held that
3861-556: The Washington Freedom , a former WUSA team. Twenty-one U.S. national team players were allocated to each of the seven teams in September 2008. Also in September, the league held the 2008 WPS International Draft . Unlike WUSA, the WPS took "a local, grassroots approach", and "a slow and steady growth type of approach," In addition, the WPS attempted to have a closer relationship with Major League Soccer in order to cut costs. Most teams considered
3978-475: The 1990s. This growth has been attributed in significant part to the FIFA World Cup being held in the United States for the first time in 1994 . This won the sport more attention from both the media and casual sports fans. The tournament was successful, drawing an average attendance of 68,991, a World Cup record that still stands today. The 1994 World Cup drew record TV audiences in the U.S. As part of
4095-629: 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
4212-500: The 2012 season. However, several internal organization struggles, including an ongoing legal battle with magicJack-owner Dan Borislow , and lack of resources invested in the league led to the suspension of 2012, announced in January 2012. On May 18, 2012, the WPS announced that the league had officially ceased operations, having played for only three seasons. 1997 Major League Soccer season The 1997 Major League Soccer season
4329-583: The AFA argued that it should be the nationally recognized body. Later that year, the AAFA gained an edge over the AFA when several AFA organizations moved to the AAFA. On April 5, 1913, the AAFA reorganized as the United States Football Association (USFA), presently known as the United States Soccer Federation . FIFA quickly granted a provisional membership and USFA began exerting its influence on
4446-529: The AFA had spread in influence into Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. Within a year of its founding, the AFA organized the first non-league cup in American soccer history, known as the American Cup . For the first dozen years, clubs from New Jersey and Massachusetts dominated the competition. It would not be until 1897 that a club from outside those two states won the American Cup. Philadelphia Manz brought
4563-610: The CONCACAF Champions League) five times, reaching 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
4680-515: 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
4797-662: The Crew opened Columbus Crew Stadium, the first soccer-specific stadium in Major League Soccer, as the Crew beat the New England Revolution 2–0 before a sold-out crowd of 24,741. It has been the model stadium for the rest of the league, and one of the stadiums used by the United States national team in World Cup qualifying. In 2015, the naming rights for the stadium were purchased by Madrid -based insurance company Mapfre . Soccer in
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4914-456: 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
5031-504: 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
5148-418: 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
5265-494: 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
5382-810: 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
5499-562: 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
5616-481: 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
5733-574: The Great Depression in 1929, led to the demise of the ASL in 1933, and the demise of the professional sport in the United States; however, the sport continued in amateur and semi-professional leagues. The national soccer team competed in the first two FIFA World Cups , managing to qualify for the semifinals of the first tournament and qualifying for the following one in Italy , where the U.S. team
5850-555: 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
5967-998: The Prairie and Rockie states north of Omaha ( Sioux Falls Thunder FC in Sioux Falls, South Dakota play in the tier 4 National Premier Soccer League as of August 2023), and entirely non-existent in Hawaii . National under-23 collegiate amateur leagues and intrastate adult/junior leagues are held in those regions, however. In Alaska , the semi-pro Last Frontier Conference at approximately tier 5 forms part of United Premier Soccer League . International club friendlies have frequently drawn more spectators than most US-based teams' league matches, including in areas not otherwise represented by major national clubs, e.g. Michigan and Maryland . The 2014 International Champions Cup match between Manchester United and Real Madrid drew 109,318 spectators to Michigan Stadium . Women's soccer in
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#17328008619516084-569: The Southern New England Football League (1914). Common confusion between the terms American football and association football eventually led to a more domestic widespread use of the term soccer with regard to association football. Originally seen as a British slang term for " association ", the use of soccer began appearing in the late 1910s and early 1920s. A noticeable example was the American Soccer League (ASL), which formed in 1919. The governing body of
6201-539: The U.S. after the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB), and is the seventh-highest attended professional soccer league worldwide. MLS uses franchised clubs similar to other major U.S. sports leagues, rather than the promotion and relegation model used for club soccer in other countries such as the United Kingdom. The first women's professional soccer league in
6318-463: The U.S. formed after the success of the 1999 Women's World Cup. The Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) ran from 2001 to 2003 and featured many of the World Cup stars, including Mia Hamm , Michelle Akers and Brandi Chastain . Its successor Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) ran from 2009 to 2012. Currently, the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is the top professional league in
6435-536: The U.S. played three times in East Rutherford, New Jersey, drawing over 78,000 fans each game. The United States and Mexico national teams have been playing in front of crowds in excess of 60,000 in the U.S. in recent years. Also in recent years, many top-division European clubs—such as English clubs Manchester United and Chelsea , and Spanish clubs Real Madrid and Barcelona —have spent portions of their pre-season summer schedule playing matches in
6552-470: 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
6669-597: The United States Soccer in the United States is the fourth most popular sport in the United States behind American football, basketball, and baseball The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) governs most levels of soccer in the United States, including the national teams, professional leagues, and amateur leagues, being the highest soccer authority in the country. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) governs most colleges ; secondary schools are governed by state-level associations, with
6786-511: The United States and 3 in Canada), with further expansion planned to at least 30 teams. MLS is currently the largest first-division professional soccer league in the world. The MLS season runs from February to November, with the regular-season winner awarded the Supporters' Shield and the post-season winner awarded the MLS Cup . With an average attendance of over 20,000 per game, MLS has the third-highest average attendance of any sports league in
6903-472: The United States draw large crowds, particularly international matches. A 2014 International Champions Cup match between Real Madrid and Manchester United at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan had an attendance of 109,318, a record crowd for a U.S. soccer match. The 2009 Gold Cup quarterfinal matches drew over 82,000 to Cowboys Stadium (now known as AT&T Stadium ). Between 2008 and 2011,
7020-414: The United States has been played at the professional level since 2001. Women's soccer has made a significant impact all over the U.S. They have gotten support, rejection, and discrimination, and have battled for equal rights in a male-dominated soccer environment. As a result of the U.S. women's national team's (USWNT) first-place showing in the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup , a seemingly viable market for
7137-521: The United States' bid to host the 1994 World Cup, U.S. Soccer pledged to create a professional outdoor league. Major League Soccer (MLS) launched in 1996, which helped develop American players in a way that was not possible without a domestic league. Many of these players competed in the 2002 FIFA World Cup , where the United States reached the quarterfinals, its best result in the modern era. The team qualified for seven consecutive World Cup tournaments between 1990 and 2014 before failing to qualify for
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#17328008619517254-417: 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
7371-536: The United States. The crowd of over 90,000 at the Rose Bowl for the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup Final remained the largest crowd in the world to witness any women's sporting event for more than 20 years. There are 4.2 million players (2.5 million male and 1.7 million female) registered with U.S. Soccer. As of 2012 , thirty percent of American households contain someone playing soccer, a figure second only to baseball. Increasing numbers of Americans, having played
7488-431: The United States. These matches have been highly attended events for U.S. stadiums. The 2009 World Football Challenge drew large crowds around the country, and Chelsea's four-game stint in the United States drew record crowds for a visiting foreign team. Nations from other regions have decided to organize tournaments in the U.S., given the growing soccer market in the country. For example, the 2014 Copa Centroamericana ,
7605-700: The WUSA held two "WUSA Festivals" in Los Angeles and Blaine, Minnesota, featuring matches between reconstituted WUSA teams in order to maintain the league in the public eye and sustain interest in women's professional soccer. A planned full relaunch in 2005 also fell through. In June 2006, WSII announced the relaunch of the league for the 2008 season. In December 2006, WSII announced that it reached an agreement with six owner-operators for teams based in Chicago , Dallas , Los Angeles, St. Louis , Washington, D.C. , and
7722-652: 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,
7839-485: 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
7956-400: 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
8073-418: 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
8190-418: The campus of Ohio State University . In 2023, 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,
8307-478: 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,
8424-574: 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
8541-488: 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,
8658-529: The country; it was formed in 2012 with play starting in 2013. The NWSL season runs from spring to early fall (typically April – October). U.S. soccer fans follow the U.S. national teams in international competition. The 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup final drew a record 26.7 million viewers, greater than final games of the 2014 World Series or the 2015 NBA Finals , and the 2010 Men's World Cup final drew 26.5 million viewers. The women's national team has won four Women's World Cup titles and five gold medals at
8775-549: 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
8892-703: The earliest known game of organized soccer in the United States was played on October 11, 1866 in Waukesha , Wisconsin under the 1863 London Football Association laws. The earliest examples of governance in the sport started in 1884 when the American Football Association (AFA) was incarnated. The AFA sought to standardize rules for the local soccer teams based in the Northeastern United States , particularly in northern New Jersey and southern New York state. By 1886,
9009-717: The early 1980s and disbanded in 1984 amidst financial problems. The popularity of indoor soccer peaked in the 1980s, with both the NASL and the Major Indoor Soccer League operating indoor soccer leagues. The 1970s and 1980s saw increased popularity of the college game. Women's college soccer received a significant boost in 1972 with the passage of Title IX , which mandated equal funding for women's athletic programs, leading to colleges forming NCAA-sanctioned women's varsity teams. A men's match between Saint Louis University and local rival SIU Edwardsville drew
9126-400: 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
9243-771: 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
9360-482: The first season a moderate success, despite many losing more money than planned. However, most teams began to see problems in 2010. Overall attendance for 2010 was noticeably down from 2009, teams were struggling with financial problems, and the WPS changed leadership by the end of the season. The success of the United States women's national soccer team at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup resulted in an upsurge in attendance league-wide as well as interest in new teams for
9477-406: The first team to win back-to-back cups. The season began on March 22 and concluded with MLS Cup on October 26. The 10 teams were split evenly into two conferences. Each team played 32 games that were evenly divided between home and away. Each team played every other team in their conference four times, for a total of 16 games. The rest of the schedule consisted of three games against each team from
9594-602: 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,
9711-575: 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
9828-512: The game in their youth, are now avid spectators. The annual ESPN sports poll has shown soccer as the fourth most popular team sport in the United States every year since overtaking hockey in 2006; as of 2011, 8.2% of Americans rank soccer as their favorite sport (compared to 3.8% for ice hockey). A 2012 Harris Interactive poll showed soccer to be the fifth favorite team sport, with 2% of Americans ranking soccer as their favorite (compared to 5% for ice hockey). A 2011 ESPN sports poll ranked soccer as
9945-551: 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
10062-610: The highest city professional sports attendance per game in Portland and Orlando , albeit at just over 20,000 spectators; while Cincinnati drew tier 2 attendances comparable to 2. Bundesliga in Germany before getting invited to Major League Soccer. In the rest of the United States, the situation varies. The sport has struggled to get a big break in New York City and Chicago , with the latter's Chicago Fire FC having had
10179-557: 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
10296-502: The lowest average attendance in Major League Soccer in 2019 at 12,324. California is strongly represented with teams in most professional and semi-pro leagues, but lag behind in Major League Soccer attendance. In bigger states and cities (especially the Northeast and California), the international club game is far more popular than MLS or USL, both in terms of crowds and TV ratings. Professional senior teams are almost non-existent in
10413-405: 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
10530-605: The modern game entered the States through Ellis Island in the 1860s. However, 2013 research has shown that soccer entered America through the port of New Orleans , as Irish, English, Scottish, Italian and German immigrants brought the game with them. It was in New Orleans that many of the first games of soccer in America were held. The origins of the game in general trace back to ancient Greece , Rome , Egypt , or China . It
10647-403: 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
10764-481: The opposite conference, with four games against one designated team. The top four teams from each conference qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs . The conference semifinals and finals were played as a best-of-three series, and the winners advanced to MLS Cup . In all rounds, draws were broken by penalty shootout if necessary. The away goals rule was not used in any round. The team with the most points in
10881-528: The players were paid as professionals. The WUSA had previously announced plans to begin to play in 2001 in eight cities across the country, including: Atlanta, the Bay Area, Boston, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Diego and Washington, D.C. The WUSA forged ahead on a cooperation agreement that would see the new league work side by side with Major League Soccer to help maximize the market presence and success of both Division I leagues. The eight teams included
10998-502: 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
11115-493: 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 was praised for his performance, earning a spot on ESPN's Best XI of
11232-412: 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
11349-407: 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
11466-444: 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 the first sporting director in club history. The 2014 season saw Columbus return to
11583-502: The second most popular sport in the country for 12- to 24-year-olds. In 2013, Lionel Messi became the first soccer player ever to rank among the Top 10 most popular athletes in the U.S. in an ESPN poll, although he was not listed in the Top 10 in a Harris poll. A 2017 poll by Gallup found that soccer is nearly as popular as baseball with 7% of Americans saying it is their favorite sport, as opposed to 9% for baseball. Many soccer matches in
11700-471: 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
11817-575: The sport germinated. Feeding on the momentum of their victory, the eight-team league formed in February 2000, the U.S. Soccer Federation approved membership of the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) as a sanctioned Division 1 women's professional soccer league on August 18, 2000, and the league began playing its first season in April 2001. It would be the world's first women's soccer league in which all
11934-711: The sport in the U.S. did not have the word soccer in its name until 1945 when it became the United States Soccer Football Association. It did not drop the word football from its name until 1974, when it became the United States Soccer Federation, often going simply as U.S. Soccer. In October 1911, a competing body, the American Amateur Football Association (AAFA) was created. The association quickly spread outside of
12051-478: The sport in the U.S. has been growing since the late 1960s and received a significant boost when the United States hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup and 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup . The highest-level of men's professional soccer in the U.S. is Major League Soccer (MLS). The league's predecessor was the major professional North American Soccer League (NASL), which existed from 1968 until 1984. MLS began to play in 1996 with 10 teams and has grown to 29 teams (26 in
12168-539: The sport. With the WUSA on hiatus, the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) and the W-League regained their status as the premier women's soccer leagues in the United States, and many former WUSA players joined those teams. The Washington Freedom was the only WUSA team to continue operations after the league dissolved (although new versions of the Atlanta Beat and Boston Breakers formed in 2009) and eventually became
12285-562: The sport. This led to the establishment of the National Challenge Cup, which still exists as the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup , that fall. The National Challenge Cup quickly grew to overshadow the American Cup. However, both cups were played simultaneously for the next ten years. Declining respect for the AFA led to the withdrawal of several associations from its cup in 1917. Further competition came in 1924 when USFA created
12402-416: 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
12519-411: 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
12636-404: 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
12753-403: 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
12870-666: The title to Pennsylvania for the first time. Due to conflicts within the AFA, the cup was suspended in 1899, and it was not resumed until 1906. Early soccer leagues in the U.S. mostly used the name "football", for example: the AFA (founded in 1884), the American Amateur Football Association (1893), the American League of Professional Football (1894), the National Association Foot Ball League (1895), and
12987-525: 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
13104-470: 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
13221-653: Was knocked out in the first match by would-be world champions Italy . The prominence of college soccer increased with the NCAA sanctioning an annual men's soccer championship , beginning in 1959 with the inaugural championship won by Saint Louis University . Two professional soccer leagues were started in 1967, the United Soccer Association (USA) and the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL), which merged to form
13338-407: 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
13455-592: 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
13572-569: Was set on March 5, 2022, when 74,479 fans attended Charlotte FC 's inaugural home match at Bank of America Stadium . That record was subsequently broken on July 4, 2023 when a crowd of 82,110 attended an El Trafico derby between LA Galaxy and Los Angeles Football Club at the Rose Bowl . The popularity of the sport varies from region to region, and sometimes from city to city. Atlanta , Charlotte , and Seattle are known to draw stadium attendances of more than 35,000 frequently (with Atlanta drawing 70,000+ occasionally). Additionally, it has
13689-677: Was the second season of Major League Soccer . It was also the 85th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer in the United States, and the 19th with a national first-division league. Following the 1996 season, the Wiz changed names, becoming the Wizards, following legal action from electronics retailer The Wiz . The regular season began on March 29, and concluded on September 28. The 1997 MLS Cup Playoffs began on October 4, and concluded with MLS Cup 1997 on October 26. D.C. United won their first Supporters' Shield and defended their MLS Cup championship becoming
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