Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is a professional soccer team based in Columbus, Ohio, and is a member of Major League Soccer (MLS). Established in 1996, it was one of the inaugural teams of the league and has a rich history marked by significant milestones. The Crew initially played at Ohio Stadium for three seasons before moving to their own dedicated soccer facility, Columbus Crew Stadium, which opened in 1999 and was the first stadium in the U.S. built specifically for soccer. The team’s colors are yellow and black, reflecting its identity and local heritage.
Over the years, the Crew has experienced various changes in ownership, coaching staff, and player rosters. Notable achievements include winning the MLS Cup in 2008 and 2020. In 2021, the team transitioned to a new stadium, Lower.com Field, and updated its logo to better represent its brand. The Crew has been home to many skilled players, including Brian McBride and Guillermo Barros Schelotto, and has made significant investments in acquiring talent, indicating its commitment to competitive excellence. As of its latest season, the Crew continues to aim for success in the increasingly popular American soccer landscape.
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Columbus Crew
Team information
Inaugural season: 1996
Home field: Lower.com Field (Columbus, Ohio)
Owners: Jimmy Haslam; Dee Haslam; Peter H. Edwards, Jr.
Team colors: yellow and black
Overview
The Columbus Crew is an American soccer team and part of Major League Soccer (MLS). It was one of the first ten soccer teams established for MLS in 2014, when it was owned by major investors Lamar Hunt and his family. The Crew held its first game on April 13, 1996, at Ohio State University’s Ohio Stadium, which would be its home field for three seasons. After the Crew caught on, city officials announced that they would build a new stadium within the Ohio Expo Center. It would be the first stadium in the United States designed specifically for professional soccer. Construction lasted for one year and the stadium opened on May 15, 1999. The team won its first MLS Cup in 2008 and a second in 2020. During its years of play, the Crew saw an ongoing rotation in its players, ownership, and coaching staff. As of 2018, the team was owned by a partnership between Jimmy and Dee Haslam, who owned the Cleveland Browns, and Peter H. Edwards, Jr. In 2021, the Crew received a makeover. That year, a second new stadium opened for them, known as “Lower.com Field.” In addition, the team took on its newest logo, a yellow-and-black pentagon with a large white “C” for the team and city name, and the number “96” signifying the team’s debut year in MLS.
History
In 1994, MLS announced plans to found its first ten soccer clubs in the United States. Officials awarded the ten spots to various cities, with one going to Columbus, Ohio, on June 15, 1994. The following day, the Columbus Dispatch speculated on the team name, although the true name would not be decided for more than a year.
In June 1995, officials announced that the new Columbus team would be operated by Lamar Hunt and his family, who were major investors in the project. In October of that year, the team brand was designed, and its details were finalized. Greg Lashutka, then the mayor of Columbus, announced that the name of the new team would be the Columbus Crew. The name, coined by local resident Luis Orozco, originated via a contest meant to find the best name for the team. It was meant to reflect upon and honor the city’s legacy in the manufacturing industry. Officials also revealed the new team’s uniform design, logo, and yellow-and-black colors.
It took several more months of preparation, however, before the new team was ready for its “crew.” MLS began holding drafts in February of 1996, where teams could review and select prospective players. Columbus Crew officials attended the drafts, held in New York City, and their first choice for the Columbus team was St. Louis resident Brian McBride. Officials decided that the new team would play its home games at the Ohio State University’s Ohio Stadium, an arrangement that would last for the team’s first three seasons.
Following its staffing, training, and other preparations, overseen by head coach Timo Liekoski, the Columbus Crew was finally ready to compete. It held its first game on April 13, 1996. More than twenty-five thousand fans watched as the Columbus Crew faced off against rivals D.C. United and gained an authoritative 4–0 win. Unfortunately, this strong start quickly faded, and in the coming months the Crew struggled. At times, home-game attendance dwindled to about seven thousand fans. By August, the Crew had 6 wins and 16 losses, and was in fifth place nationally.
At this time, Liekoski left his position as head coach, and was replaced by his former assistant, Tom Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald began in an interim capacity, but his strong performance in the coming months led to his acceptance on a permanent basis. Faith in the team, and a stronger win record, followed. More than thirty-one thousand fans attended the last home game of 1996 and cheered the Crew in its 2–0 victory over rivals the MetroStars. During the first season, attendance ran as high as 38,633, and averaged about 17,000 fans. However, the Crew would not win the playoffs in 1996, being shut out by Tampa Bay in September. The Crew would avenge that loss toward the end of the 1997 season, though, and beat Tampa Bay to gain entrance into the Eastern Conference Finals Series for the first time.
The popularity and success of the Columbus Crew brought a call for the team to have its own exclusive soccer field, rather than to continue playing on the Ohio State University’s Ohio Stadium, as it had for three seasons. In May 1998, Crew officials, along with architectural firm NBBJ, announced plans for a 22,500-seat stadium as part of the Ohio Expo Center. This so-called Columbus Crew Stadium would be the first major stadium in the United States designed specifically for soccer. Work proceeded quickly after an August groundbreaking, and the new stadium officially opened on May 15, 1999.
The Crew bade farewell to its former stadium with a strong win over D.C. United and brought to their new stadium a home-game record of 33 wins and 20 losses. In their first game in the new stadium, the Crew saw packed seats and a big win against the New England Revolution. As planned since 1998, the new stadium hosted the All-Star Game in 2000. The following year, head coach Tom Fitzgerald was replaced temporarily by Greg Andrulis, his former assistant, who ultimately became the official head coach.
In the coming years, the Crew saw more shifts in head coaches, with the mantle passing to Sigi Schmid in 2005 and then Robert Warzycha in 2008. However, the team overcame these changes by 2008, when it captured the Eastern Championship title and then the MLS Cup for the first time. The Crew experienced more changes in 2013, with its purchase by Precourt Sports Ventures, and its choice of Gregg Berhalter as new head coach. The following year, the team updated its name to the Columbus Crew SC. The next year, 2015, also saw a name change of the soccer stadium to Mapfre Stadium.
In the coming years, most of the headlines about the Crew pertained to a legal dispute after a firm in Austin, Texas, attempted to purchase and relocate the team. However, Ohio-based investors intervened and managed to keep the Crew in Columbus. In 2018, the new owners became Dee and Jimmy Haslam, owners of the Cleveland Browns, and Peter H. Edwards, Jr. This move reinvigorated Crew fans, as did news in October 2019 that a new stadium would be built for the team.
Under a new head coach, Caleb Porter, the Crew went on to win their second MLS Cup at the end of the 2020 season. Their new stadium opened in June 2021, with the name “Lower.com Field.” This was paired with the 2021 introduction of a new logo, a yellow-and-black shield shape with a large white “C” and the number “96” representing the team’s starting year.
Columbus fired Porter after the team did not qualify for the playoffs. Porter was replaced as head coach by Wilfried Nancy. During his first season, the team advanced to the playoffs and ultimately won its third MLS Cup title.
Notable players
Many notable players have performed in the ranks of the Columbus Crew. They include Gyasi Zardes, Robert Warzycha, Edson Buddle, Darlington Nagbe, Brad Friedel, Jeff Cunningham, and William Hesmer. Some players who have served as team captains over the years are Robin Fraser, Wil Trapp, Frankie Hejduk, Michael Parkhurst, Federico Higuaín, and Chad Marshall.
The first player picked for the team in the inaugural draft was Brian McBride. McBride was born in Arlington Heights, Illinois, in 1972. He became an international soccer star, appearing in the United States, Great Britain, and Germany. After a strong start to his career, he returned to the United States in 1996 to join the Crew. During his eight years with Columbus, McBride set the overall record for goals, at 79.
The runner-up in overall Crew goals is Jeff Cunningham. Meanwhile, Stern John scored 30 goals in a single season, a team record. John, a forward from Trinidad, played with the Crew in 1998 and 1999. He was the MLS scoring champion in both goals and points in 1998. After 1999, he departed MLS and moved on to play in England and elsewhere.
Crew fans may be most familiar with Chad Marshall because he appeared on the field with the team more than any other player. His record stands at 277 games. The runner-up is Mike Clark, who appeared an impressive 265 times.
Guillermo Barros Schelotto was an Argentine player who joined the Crew in 2007. The following year, he helped the team achieve one of their best seasons and capture their first MLS Cup. Schelotto returned to his home country after the 2010 season.
The Crew has put up considerable sums of money to draft top players to their franchise. In 2017, officials paid $2.3 million to arrange for Pedro Santos to leave the Braga SC team for Columbus. However, they greatly upped the offer two years later, paying out fully $7 million to the UANL Tigres to draft player Lucas Zelarayan. On the opposite side, the Crew has received even more money for their own players. The record in that category belongs to American goalkeeper Zack Steffen, who went to Manchester City club in 2018 for $7.5 million. Runners-up include the sale of Giancarlo Gonzalez to Palermo for $5 million.
In the 2021 season, some of the senior-roster members of the Crew included forward Erik Hurtado, midfielder Perry Kitchen, forward Kevin Molino, defender Josh Williams, midfielder Marlon Hairston, defender Jonathan Mensah, and goalkeeper Eloy Room.
Bibliography
“Columbus Crew Profile.” Planet Sport, www.planetsport.com/soccer/usa/columbus-crew. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.
“Columbus Crew SC Team History.” Sports Team History, 2024, sportsteamhistory.com/columbus-crew-sc. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.
“Columbus Crew.” The Athletic, 2024, theathletic.com/team/crew/roster/. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.
“Columbus Crew Timeline: A Look Back at the Club’s History.” The Columbus Dispatch, 10 May 2021, www.dispatch.com/story/sports/mls/columbus-crew/2021/05/10/columbus-crew-sc-look-history-soccer-club-ohio/5021298001/. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.
Columbus Crew Website, 2024, www.columbuscrew.com/. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.
“Introducing Lower.com Field: Columbus Crew Announces Long-Term Stadium Naming Rights Partnership With Lower.” Columbus Crew Website, 15 June 2021, www.columbuscrew.com/news/introducing-lowercom-field-columbus-crew-announces-long-term-stadium-naming-righ Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.