Columbus Crew SC

Columbus Crew SC
Full name Columbus Crew Soccer Club[1]
Nickname(s) The Black & Gold
Founded May 10, 1994 (1994-05-10)
Stadium Mapfre Stadium
Columbus, Ohio
Ground Capacity 20,145[2]
Owner Anthony Precourt
Head Coach Gregg Berhalter
League Major League Soccer
2015 Eastern Conference: 2nd
Overall: 4th
Playoffs: Runner-up
U.S. Open Cup: 5th Round
Website Club home page

Columbus Crew SC is a professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio, United States, which competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) in the Eastern Conference of the league. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception.[3] Crew SC is owned by Anthony Precourt and Precourt Sports Ventures LLC. Precourt became the second owner in the history of the club on July 30, 2013.[4] The club's head coach is Gregg Berhalter, a former player of the United States men's national soccer team.

The franchise was founded in 1994 and originally known as the Columbus Crew, without any markers of its membership as a soccer club, until late 2014, when the club revealed a new logo and the addition of 'SC' to its moniker. The "SC" in the team moniker stands for Soccer Club, but the team name is officially "Columbus Crew SC".

The Crew currently plays its home games at MAPFRE Stadium (known as Columbus Crew Stadium until 2015), the first soccer-specific stadium ever built for a MLS team, with a seating capacity of 19,968 as of the 2014 season. From 1996 to 1998, Crew SC played its home games at Ohio Stadium on the campus of The Ohio State University.[3] In 2014, the club's 19th season at Crew Stadium, the Black & Gold set club attendance records for both most cumulative attendance and most sellouts.[5]

The Crew has won five major trophies: MLS Cup 2008, the 2004, 2008, and 2009 Supporters' Shields, and the 2002 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Black & Gold have qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League (or its predecessor, the CONCACAF Champions' Cup) three times, reaching the quarterfinals each time.

History

The Beginning: 1994–1998

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

On June 15, 1994, Major League Soccer announced that Columbus, Ohio, would be home to one of the ten founding members of the new top flight North American professional soccer league. Columbus had promised construction of a soccer-specific stadium and had sold over 12,000 season ticket deposits.[6] 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 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.[7][8]

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.[9] Columbus would struggle, however, winning only 5 of their next 21 games. After the 6–16 start, Tom Fitzgerald replaced head coach Liekoski.[10] The Crew, under Fitzgerald, won 9 of their last 10 games to finish fourth in the Eastern Conference. They went on to lose in the conference playoff semifinals.[11]

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. The Crew reached the 1998 U.S. Open Cup Final, which was postponed due to a hurricane and controversially relocated from Virginia Beach to Soldier Field in Chicago then the home of Chicago Fire, who won the match 2 to 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.[8][11]

A New Home: 1999–2003

Columbus' 1999 season began with the opening of Columbus Crew Stadium, the first soccer-specific stadium in 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 in 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.[8] The team had the lowest goals against average in the Eastern Conference,[12] 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.[13]

Dante Washington was acquired from the Dallas Burn to replace John, but his 13 goals in 2000 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 a 2nd-place finish in 2001 but the team was ousted from the playoffs in the league quarterfinals.[8][11]

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, NY/NJ 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 the only goal and keeper Jon Busch posted the shutout in Columbus's 1–0 win. It was the first championship in team history.[14] 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 the 2003 CONCACAF Champions' Cup. They advanced to the second round by beating Árabe Unido (Panama) 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.[8][11]

Transitions: 2004–2006

With the departure of McBride, Columbus added Robin Fraser and Simon Elliott to the club. These additions proved to be vital as Fraser went on to win the Defender of the Year award in 2004. The Crew 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 the franchise record.[8][11]

Over both of the next two seasons, Columbus battled injuries to several players and struggled to win games. Despite winning the MLS Coach of the Year Award in 2004,[15] Andrulis was replaced on an interim basis by Robert Warzycha midway through the 2005 season. After missing 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 six seasons with Galaxy.[16] Warzycha remained on staff under Schmid. In 2006, 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.[8][11][17]

The Barros Schelotto Era: 2007–2010

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

The 2007 season in Major League Soccer started with news that global icon David Beckham signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy.[18] The Crew followed suit by signing Guillermo Barros Schelotto on April 19, 2007.[19] Columbus also signed forward Alejandro Moreno to bolster its attack. Even with these new players, the Crew still missed the playoffs in 2007.[8]

In 2008, the Crew won its first MLS Cup. Led by Barros Schelotto, who scored seven goals and had 19 assists and won the MLS Most Valuable Player Award,[20] 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.[8][11]

After the 2008 season, Sigi Schmid left Columbus to coach the Seattle Sounders, and the team named 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.[21] 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 the Year award.[8]

Columbus started the 2010 season in the CONCACAF Champions League. They reached the quarterfinals, but lost to Toluca FC of Mexico in March. The club finished the season 14–8–8, but lost in the quarter-finals of the MLS Cup to the Colorado Rapids. The Crew lost 2–1 in the 2010 U.S. Open Cup Final at Qwest Field, home of Seattle Sounders.[8]

2011 through 2013

In 2011 the Black & Gold finished ninth in the league at 13–13–8 and lost in the wild card round of the playoffs to the Colorado Rapids.[22][23]

In 2012, the club finished 6th in the Eastern Conference with a 15–12–7 record. They narrowly missed 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.[24]

The Precourt Era: 2013–present

On July 30, 2013, Anthony Precourt became the second Investor-Operator in the history of the club.[4] Precourt wasted little time in getting to work by upgrading 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.[25] Berhalter also became 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 also sent two of its players to the 2014 FIFA World Cup, center back Giancarlo Gonzalez and left back Waylon Francis, who both represented Costa Rica during the tournament. Gonzalez was hailed for his performance, being named to ESPN’s Best XI of the group stage.[26]

Berhalter was nominated for 2014 MLS Head Coach of the Year. Likewise, goalkeeper Steve Clark was nominated for 2014 Allstate Goalkeeper of the Year and Michael Parkhurst won the Xbox Individual Fair Play Award for the third time.[27]

Off the field, the Black & Gold announced sports industry veteran Andy Loughnane as its new President of Business Operations on August 16, 2014. [28] The team set the all-time attendance record and sellout record for a single season at Crew Stadium.[5] The combination of the club's on-field success and off-field resurgence capped a successful full first year for Precourt and Berhalter.

The beginning of the 2015 season started in late 2014 with the return of Kei Kamara.[29] 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 MLS All-Star game versus English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.[30] On September 26, 2015, Crew SC hosted their largest sellout crowd since 2008 with an announced attendance of 22,719.[31] Crew SC came into the playoffs with a bye in the first round after securing second place in the Eastern Conference. Following the Eastern Conference semifinal and final match-ups, Crew SC played host to the Portland Timbers in the 2015 MLS Cup Final.[32] 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 the first half including the lone Crew SC goal scored by Kamara.[33] 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.[34][35]

Colors and badge

The club's original logo, 1996–2014.

The official colors of Columbus Crew SC are black and gold. Columbus' usual primary jersey is predominately bright yellow with black trim, and has been nicknamed the "banana kit" or "canary kit" by fans.

The alternate kit has historically been black. In the latter part of the 2000s, The Crew began shifting more towards a white kit with yellow and black trim or stripes. Even so, the away kits are seldom worn by The Crew due to the strong favor shown to the traditional home kit; and also due to the fact that the historically black jerseys compound the summer heat in the United States climate. For the 2015 season, Crew SC has returned to a black jersey for its alternate kit.

Prior to the initial MLS season a city-wide public contest was created to decide the name for the team, the very first entry was a hit, and the Columbus Crew was born.

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 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."[36]

Crew SC's current badge

On October 8, 2014, 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.[37] A great deal of symbolism was packed into the new badge. The horizontal stripes are representative of the ten original MLS franchises, and 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 a soccer club.

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 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.[38]

Stadium

Mapfre Stadium is MLS' first soccer-specific stadium.
Main article: Mapfre Stadium

On May 15, 1999, 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, whose U.S headquarters is in Boston, Massachusetts and who maintain a regional office in Columbus.

Previously, the Columbus Crew played their home games at the 102,000-capacity Ohio Stadium, home of the Ohio State Buckeyes college football team. They ended with a 33–20 record while playing there.

The team has also played Open Cup games at two other stadiums: one game in 2005 at the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, also owned by the Ohio State University and home of the OSU soccer teams; and one in 2014 at the FirstEnergy Stadium–Cub Cadet Field on the campus of the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio.

Revenue and Profitability

Having lost money in 2011, in 2012 the Crew identified three financial goals with the aim of achieving financial stability.[39] First, the team wanted a different jersey sponsor, which it achieved when they reached a deal with Barbasol. Second, the team wanted to sell naming rights to the Columbus Crew Stadium, hoping for $15 million over 10 years. Third, the Crew had announced in September 2011 that it aimed to increase season-ticket sales from its current levels (later revealed to be 4,000) to 10,000.[39][40] By November 2012, Crew season tickets were at 6,000,[40] and by August 2013, the Crew had surpassed 7,000 season ticket holders.[41]

Under Precourt Sports Ventures, Anthony Precourt and Andy Loughnane, Crew SC’s goals have shifted from exclusively focusing on season ticket sales to selling out Crew Stadium. In 2014, the club set all-time Stadium attendance records for highest overall attendance and most sellouts in one season. Loughnane confirmed that the club was trending to increase its Season Ticket Membership by 1,000 Members per year and also stated his intent for the club to assimilate into the corporate community and fan culture, adding that he believes this transformation is happening rapidly.[42] On March 3, 2015, Crew SC announced that they had agreed to a multi-million dollar stadium naming rights partnership with MAPFRE Insurance, a first for the stadium.[43] In 2015, Crew SC and EAS Sports Nutrition agreed to a naming rights deal for its training facilities. Merchandise sales grew double digits since the previous year, as did food and beverage sales. It was also announced that the club gained over 1,000 new season ticket members from the previous year.[44]

Sponsors

The Black & Gold signed a five-year deal in early 2012 with Barbasol as the team's shirt sponsor. The deal with Barbasol — which is based in Dublin, Ohio — is the most lucrative sponsorship deal in franchise history, although financial terms were not disclosed.[45] Previously, Glidden was the Crew's shirt sponsor from 2008 to 2010, a deal worth $1 million per year.[45]

Club culture

Supporters: The Nordecke Transformation

Before the 2008 season, the Columbus Crew front office demolished the north stands where the most ardent of Crew supporters stood, in order to build a stage that would provide additional revenue by facilitating concerts and other events. Prior to this, the team's three supporters groups (Crew Supporters Union, Hudson Street Hooligans, and La Turbina Amarilla) sat apart because of differences between the groups ranging from age to ethnicity. The building of the stage forced the groups to come together into the north corner of the stadium, forming one large block of vocal and artistic support. Putting their differences aside, the three groups formed the Nordecke (pronunciation: /nɔːrdˈɛkə/) which is German for "north corner", celebrating the city's German heritage.

In 2008 a large contingency of fans from the Nordecke began traveling together to support the Crew during their away campaigns. In late 2009/early 2010 the term "NorOnTour" grew popular on social networking, to describe the frequent fan traveling support.[46]

Mascot

The Columbus Crew SC's first Mascot was "Crew Cat", who have been the franchise's Mascot for almost 20 years.[47] Columbus's official mascot is "S.C", who is the son of the original mascot for Columbus Crew, "Crew Cat" that was introduced for the 2015 MLS season.[48]

Rivalries

The Crew has a rivalry with the Chicago Fire.[49] Columbus is roughly a six-hour drive away from Chicago. Due to the relative close proximity of the two cities, it is not uncommon for supporters of both teams to make the trip to support their club in matches between the two. In the 2008 season, Columbus defeated Chicago in the Eastern Conference Championship match. In 1998, Chicago defeated Columbus for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

MLS frames matches between Toronto FC and Columbus as a rivalry, creating a trophy called the Trillium Cup, awarded to the team that wins the season series.[49] The Crew contests F.C. Dallas for the Lamar Hunt Pioneer Cup. Lamar Hunt was the owner of both of these teams until his death.

Broadcasting

For the 2016 season, Crew SC games will continue to air on TWC Sports Channel, but will also be simulcast on Sinclair Broadcast Group-operated stations in Columbus. The majority of games will air on The CW affiliate WWHO, but selected games will also air on WSYX, WTTE, and WSYX's MyNetworkTV subchannel.[50][51] Dwight Burgess and Neil Sika serve as co-hosts.[52]

In March, 2016 Crew SC announced a regional television simulcast partnership that expands the club's cable distribution via Buckeye CableSystem. In addition to the Black & Gold's partnership with The CW Columbus, FOX-28, ABC-6, MyTV Columbus and Time Warner Cable SportsChannel, Crew SC regionally televised matches are simulcast on BCSN2 for Buckeye CableSystem subscribers in the Toledo and Sandusky, Ohio areas.

English radio broadcasts can again be heard on 102.5 WWCD-FM with simulcast audio from Burgess and Sika.[53] Spanish radio broadcasts can be heard on 103.1 FM WVKO-FM with Juan Valladares calling all home and road games.[54]

Players and staff

For details on former players, see All-time Columbus Crew roster.

Current roster

Where a player has not declared an international allegiance, nation is determined by place of birth. Squad correct as of January 19, 2016.[55]

No. Position Player Nation
1 Goalkeeper Clark, SteveSteve Clark      United States
2 Defender Wahl, TysonTyson Wahl      United States
3 Defender Ashe, CoreyCorey Ashe      United States
4 Defender Parkhurst, MichaelMichael Parkhurst (Captain)     United States
6 Midfielder Tchani, TonyTony Tchani      Cameroon
7 Midfielder Larsen, EmilEmil Larsen      Denmark
8 Midfielder Saeid, MohammedMohammed Saeid      Sweden
9 Forward Meram, JustinJustin Meram      Iraq
10 Forward Higuaín, FedericoFederico Higuaín (DP)     Argentina
11 Forward Mabwati, CedrickCedrick Mabwati      Democratic Republic of the Congo
13 Midfielder Finlay, EthanEthan Finlay      United States
14 Defender Francis, WaylonWaylon Francis      Costa Rica
16 Midfielder Jiménez, HectorHector Jiménez      United States
17 Forward Kamara, OlaOla Kamara      Norway
19 Midfielder Saravia, RodrigoRodrigo Saravia      Guatemala
20 Midfielder Trapp, WilWil Trapp (HGP)     United States
21 Defender Barson, ChadChad Barson (HGP)     United States
22 Defender Sauro, GastónGastón Sauro      Argentina
23 Forward Kamara, KeiKei Kamara (DP)     Sierra Leone
25 Defender Afful, HarrisonHarrison Afful      Ghana
27 Forward Casey, ConorConor Casey      United States
30 Goalkeeper Pacifici, MattMatt Pacifici      United States
41 Goalkeeper Stuver, BradBrad Stuver      United States

Out on loan

Where a player has not declared an international allegiance, nation is determined by place of birth. Squad correct as of January 19, 2016.[55]

No. Position Player Nation
26 Midfielder Swanson, BenBen Swanson (HGP; on loan to Pittsburgh Riverhounds)     United States
29 Midfielder Hollingsworth, MarshallMarshall Hollingsworth (on loan to Pittsburgh Riverhounds)     United States

Coaching staff

Position Staff
Sporting director and head coach Gregg Berhalter
Director of soccer operations Asher Mendelsohn
Assistant coach Sixten Boström
Assistant coach Pat Onstad
Assistant coach Josh Wolff
Head athletic trainer Craig Devine
Assistant athletic trainer Jon MacGregor
Strength and conditioning coach Brook Hamilton
High performance director Steve Tashjian
Sporting analyst Adin Osmanbašić
Director of team operations Zach Crusse

Last updated: February 19, 2016
Source: Columbus Crew

Crew SC Academy

Position Staff
Director of methodology Nico Estevez
Academy director Michael Milazzo

Last updated: February 19, 2016
Source: Columbus Crew

Executive staff

Position Staff
Owner and chairman Anthony Precourt
President of precourt sports venues Dave Greeley
President of business operations Andy Loughnane

Last updated: February 19, 2016
Source: Columbus Crew

Head coach history

Name Nat Tenure
Timo Liekoski  Finland (1996)
Tom Fitzgerald  United States (1996–2001)
Greg Andrulis  United States (May 17, 2001 – July 12, 2005)
Robert Warzycha (interim)  Poland (2005)
Sigi Schmid  Germany (2006–2008)
Robert Warzycha  Poland (2009–2013)
Brian Bliss (interim)  United States (September 2, 2013 – October 2013)
Gregg Berhalter  United States (November 16, 2013 – present)

The Crew has had six different head coaches since the joined the league in 1996. Timo Liekoski, the only Finnish head coach in MLS history, was the first head coach in 1996, but started 6–16 and was fired midseason to be replaced by Tom Fitzgerald.[56] Sigi Schmid managed the team for three seasons (2006–08) Robert Warzycha was the head coach twice, the first time on an interim basis prior to Schmid's arrival and then immediately after Schmid left until September 2, 2013, when he was fired and Brian Bliss became the interim coach. On November 16, 2013 it was announced that Gregg Berhalter would become the Head Coach as well as the first Sporting Director in club history.[57]

Fitzgerald and Warzycha are currently tied for the all-time leader in regular season wins (70).[58]

Honors

Minor Trophies

Record

Year-by-year

Season MLS Regular Season MLS Cup Playoffs Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup CONCACAF Champions Cup /
CONCACAF Champions League
1996 4th, East (15–17) Lost Conference Semi-Finals (Tampa Bay Mutiny 1–2) Did not enter Did not qualify
1997 3rd, East (15–17) Won Conference Semi-Finals (Tampa Bay Mutiny 2–0)
Lost Conference Finals (D.C. United 0–2)		 Did not enter Did not qualify
1998 2nd, East (15–17) Won Conference Semi-Finals (MetroStars 2–0)
Lost Conference Finals (D.C. United 1–2)		 Final Did not qualify
1999 2nd, East (19–13) Won Conference Semi-Finals (Tampa Bay Mutiny 2–0)
Lost Conference Finals (D.C. United 1–2)		 Semi-Finals Did not qualify
2000 4th, Central (11–16–5) Did not qualify Quarter-Finals Did not qualify
2001 2nd, Central (13–7–6) Lost Quarter-Finals (San Jose Earthquakes 0–2) Quarter-Finals Not held†
2002 2nd, East (11–12–5) Won Conference Semi-Finals (San Jose Earthquakes 2–0)
Lost Conference Finals (New England 0–2)		 Champions Did not qualify
2003 5th, East (10–12–8) Did not qualify Round of 16 Quarter-Finals
2004 1st, East* (12–5–13) Lost Conference Semi-Finals (New England Revolution 1–2) Round of 16 Did not qualify
2005 6th, East (11–16–5) Did not qualify Round of 16 Did not qualify
2006 6th, East (8–15–9) Did not qualify Round of 16 Did not qualify
2007 6th, East (9–11–10) Did not qualify Did not qualify Did not qualify
2008 1st, East* (17–7–6) Won Conference Semi-Finals (Kansas City Wizards 3–1)
Won Conference Finals (Chicago Fire 2–1)
Won MLS Cup (New York Red Bulls 3–1)		 Did not qualify Did not qualify
2009 1st, East* (13–7–10) Lost Conference Semi-Finals (Real Salt Lake 2–3) Round of 16 Did not qualify
2010 2nd, East (14–8–8) Lost Conference Semi-Finals (Colorado Rapids 4–5) Final Quarter-Finals (09-10)
2011 4th, East (13–13–8) Lost Wild Card (Colorado Rapids 0–1) Third Round Quarter-Finals (10–11)
2012 6th, East (15–12–7) Did not qualify Third Round Did not qualify (11–12)
2013 8th, East (12–17–5) Did not qualify Round of 16 Did not qualify (12–13)
2014 3rd, East (14–10–10) Lost Conference Semi-Finals (New England Revolution 3–7) Round of 16 Did not qualify (13–14)
2015 2nd, East (15–11–8) Won Conference Semi-Finals (Montreal Impact 4–3 agg.)
Won Conference Finals (New York Red Bulls 2–1 agg.)
Lost MLS Cup (Portland Timbers 1–2)		 Round of 16 Did not qualify (14–15)

* Won MLS Supporters Shield
 † Made the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Giants Cup which was held instead of the CONCACAF Champions' Cup in 2001

International tournaments

First round v. Costa Rica Deportivo Saprissa – 0:2, 1:1 (Saprissa advance 3:1 on aggregate)
First round v. Panama Arabe Unido – 1:2, 3:0 (Crew advance 4:2 on aggregate)
Quarter-Final v. Mexico Monarcas Morelia – 0:6, 2:0 (Morelia advance 6:2 on aggregate)
Group Stage
v. Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Islanders 2:0, 1:1
v. Mexico Cruz Azul 0:5, 0:2
v. Costa Rica Saprissa 1:0, 1:1
Quarter-Final v. Mexico Toluca 2:2, 2:3 (Toluca advances 5:4 on aggregate)
Group Stage
v. Guatemala Municipal 1:0, 1:2
v. Trinidad and Tobago Joe Public 3:0, 4:1
v. Mexico Santos Laguna 1:0, 0:1
Quarter-Final v. United States Real Salt Lake 0:0, 1:4 (Real Salt Lake advances 4:1 on aggregate)

Columbus holds a 7–5–3 all-time record in international friendlies.

Team records

MLS regular season only, through end of 2015 season

Average attendance

regular season/playoffs

[61][62]

Affiliations

References

  1. ↑ Borg, Simon. "Columbus Crew unveil new logo, brand identity with nods to team's heritage, city, supporters". Major League Soccer. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
  2. ↑ MLSsoccer staff (March 3, 2015). "Columbus Crew SC announce new stadium naming rights partnership with MAPFRE Insurance". Major League Soccer. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Columbus Crew History". Major League Soccer. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
  4. 1 2 "Precourt Sports Ventures acquires Columbus Crew". Columbus Crew. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  5. 1 2 "Crew to set attendance record with Sunday's match". Columbus Crew. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  6. ↑ Zeigler, Mark (June 16, 1994). "New league has old woes: Not enough teams; too many seats; not enough money". San Diego Union-Tribune.
  7. ↑ "Sports People: Soccer; Liekoski to Columbus". New York Timies. December 6, 1995.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "2011 Columbus Crew Media Guide" (PDF). Columbus Crew. pp. 14–20. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Crew opens with shutout over D.C.". Dayton Daily News. April 14, 1996.
  10. ↑ "Fitzgerald fired as coach of MLS Crew". Chicago Tribune. May 18, 2001.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "2011 Columbus Crew Media Guide" (PDF). Columbus Crew. pp. 89–93. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
  12. ↑ 2000 Media Guide. The Columbus Crew. p. 51.
  13. ↑ 1999 Post Season Media Guide. Columbus Crew. p. 6.
  14. ↑ "Crew earn first trophy with Open Cup win". U.S.A. Today. October 25, 2002.
  15. ↑ "Andrulis, Crew Agree To New Contract". OurSports Central. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
  16. ↑ "Crew hires head coach". Columbus Business First. October 20, 2005.
  17. ↑ "Lamar Hunt, Chiefs owner and sports legend, dies at 74". Associated Press. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
  18. ↑ "David Beckham Signs Deal with L.A. Galaxy, Rejects Real Madrid Deal". Fox News. Archived from the original on February 4, 2011. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Crew signs Argentine star Barros Schelotto". ESPN Soccernet. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
  20. ↑ "Crew's Schelotto wins MLS MVP Award". USA Today. November 20, 2008.
  21. ↑ Bell, Jack (March 17, 2009). "In M.L.S., Designated Players Do Not Guarantee Great Expectations". New York Times.
  22. ↑ "2011 Regular Season Standings". Major League Soccer. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
  23. ↑ "2011 MLS Cup Playoffs Bracket" (PDF). Major League Soccer. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
  24. ↑ "Crew parts ways with Head Coach Robert Warzycha | Columbus Crew". Columbus Crew SC. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
  25. ↑ "Gregg Berhalter". Columbus Crew. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  26. ↑ "Giancarlo Gonzalez performing among world's elite at 2014 FIFA World Cup". Columbus Crew. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  27. ↑ "Crew SC's Michael Parkhurst wins Major League Soccer's Xbox Individual Fair Play Award". Columbus Crew. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  28. ↑ "Crew names Andy Loughnane President of Business Operations". Columbus Crew. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  29. ↑ "Soccer | Crew: Kamara’s signing will add scoring punch for 2015". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2016-01-13.
  30. ↑ "2015 AT&T MLS All-Star Game Roster". MLS Soccer. Retrieved 2016-01-13.
  31. ↑ "Crew SC hosts largest sellout crowd since 2008". Columbus Crew. Retrieved 2015-11-03.
  32. ↑ "Columbus Crew SC to host Portland Timbers in 2015 MLS Cup on December 6". MLS Soccer. Retrieved 2016-01-13.
  33. ↑ "Portland Timbers win 2015 MLS Cup with 2–1 victory over Columbus Crew". OregonLive.com. Retrieved 2016-01-13.
  34. ↑ "Kamara, Trapp named finalists for Major League Soccer awards". Columbus Crew SC. Retrieved 2016-01-13.
  35. ↑ "Kamara named MLS WORKS Humanitarian of the Year presented by Advocare". Columbus Crew SC. Retrieved 2016-01-13.
  36. ↑ Precourt, Anthony. "Owner-Operator and Chairman, Columbus Crew". Retrieved October 26, 2014.
  37. ↑ "New Crew". Columbus Crew. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
  38. ↑ "#NewCrew".
  39. 1 2 "The Columbus Dispatch, Crew catching up financially to rest of MLS". September 13, 2012.
  40. 1 2 Sports Business Journal, Crew makes strides off the field but remains short of season-ticket sales goal, November 19, 2012, http://m.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2012/11/19/Franchises/Crew.aspx
  41. ↑ Columbus Business First, Columbus Crew getting season-ticket boost from U.S.-Mexico packages, August 9, 2013, http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2013/08/columbus-crew-getting-season-ticket.html
  42. ↑ Adam Jardy. "Soccer: Financial stability is a priority for Crew". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  43. ↑ "Soccer | Crew's home has new name: Mapfre Stadium". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2015-11-26.
  44. ↑ http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/SB-Blogs/On-The-Ground/2015/11/MLSsemis.aspx
  45. 1 2 Sports Business Daily, MLS Crew Ink Five-Year Jersey Sponsorship Deal With Barbasol Brand, February 16, 2012, http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2012/02/16/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/Crew.aspx
  46. ↑ Steve Sirk. "Nordecke on tour". Columbus Crew SC.
  47. ↑ "Crew Cat, mascot of the Columbus Crew". The Columbus Dispatch.
  48. ↑ "S.C., mascot of the Columbus Crew". The Columbus Dispatch.
  49. 1 2 SB Nation, Chicago Fire vs. Columbus Crew – MLS #12 – Three Questions, May 25, 2012, http://www.hottimeinoldtown.com/2012/5/25/3043711/chicago-fire-vs-columbus-crew-mls-12-three-questions-literally
  50. ↑ "Crew: Time Warner Cable becomes TV partner". Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
  51. ↑ "New TV deal makes Crew games more accessible". Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
  52. ↑ "Crew SC TV Partnership - Columbus Crew SC". Columbus Crew. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  53. ↑ "Columbus Crew SC partners with local leading station CD102.5 FM as official English-language radio home of the Black & Gold". Columbus Crew. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  54. ↑ "Crew SC renews partnership with La Mega 103.1 FM for Spanish radio broadcasts in 2015". Columbus Crew. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  55. 1 2 "Players | Columbus Crew". Columbus Crew SC. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  56. ↑ Timmerman, Tom (September 1, 1996). "New Coach, Goalkeeper Spark Crew's Push Toward Playoffs". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  57. ↑ "Crew names Gregg Berhalter Head Coach and Sporting Director | Columbus Crew". Columbus Crew SC. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  58. ↑ "Columbus Crew part ways with head coach Robert Warzycha; Brian Bliss takes over as interim". MLSsoccer.com. September 2, 2013. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
  59. ↑ "Year-by-Year Record". Columbus Crew.
  60. ↑ Tom Schultz. "MLS Attendance".
  61. ↑
  62. ↑ "All-Time Attendance". Columbus Crew.
  63. ↑ http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2015/12/16/columbus-crew-sc-announce-2016-usl-partnership-pittsburgh-riverhounds

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