Columbus Crew
Encyclopedia
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio
which competes in Major League Soccer
(MLS), the top professional soccer league in the United States
and Canada
. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception.
The club was owned by Lamar Hunt
, who also owned the Kansas City Chiefs
and FC Dallas
until his 2006 death. Upon his death, his son Clark Hunt
took over his sports properties. The Crew currently plays their home games at Columbus Crew Stadium
, the first soccer-specific stadium
ever built by an MLS franchise, with a seating capacity of 20,455 - as of the 2008 Season. From 1996 to 1998, the Crew played their home games at Ohio Stadium
on the campus of the Ohio State University
. The nickname "the Crew" is the result of a local fan contest. The team colors are black and gold. The team mascot is Crew Cat.
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 Crew won the 2002
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
by defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy
by a score of 1 to 0 at Columbus Crew Stadium. The game's lone goal was scored by Fredy García
. The Crew then won its first MLS Supporters' Shield
during the 2004 in a tie-breaker over the Kansas City Wizards. During the 2008 MLS Season
the Crew won its second Supporters' Shield by six points over Houston, en route to defeating the New York Red Bulls
in MLS Cup 2008
by a score of 3 to 1. Guillermo Barros Schelotto
assisted on all three Crew goals. 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
, then the home of Chicago Fire, who won the match 2 to 1 after extra time. The Crew lost in the 2010 U.S. Open Cup Final
at Qwest Field
, home of Seattle Sounders
, again by a 2-1 scoreline.
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. 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 the 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 against D.C. United
and won 4–0 in front of a home crowd of 25,266 in Ohio Stadium
. 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 the Eastern Conference. They went on to lose in the conference semifinals of the playoffs.
The Crew 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 club also played in the U.S. Open Cup
for the first time in 1998. They advanced to the finals before losing 2–1 in extra time to the Chicago Fire
. Stern John
, in his first of two seasons with Columbus, was the 1998 scoring champion
, amassing 26 goals and 5 assists.
, 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 2nd 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.
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 Crew to 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
, 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. Fredy 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. The Crew finished 11–12–5 in the regular season and finished in a tie for first place. The lost in the league semifinals 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. The 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 the Crew in 2003 before joining Fulham F.C.
of the English Premier League.
and Simon Elliot 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 semifinals. In his last season for the Crew, Jeff Cunningham
scored his 62nd goal, which tied him with McBride for the franchise record.
Over both of the next two seasons, Columbus battled injuries to several players and struggle to win 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 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. 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.
The 2007 season in Major League Soccer started with news that global icon David Beckham
signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy
. The Crew followed suit by signing their own superstar, Guillermo Barros Schelotto
, on April 19, 2007. The Crew 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 MLS Cup
. Led by Barros Schelotto, who scored seven goals and had 19 assists and won the MLS Most Valuable Player Award, the team also won its second Supporters' Shield. After going 17–7–6 in the regular season, the Crew won playoff games against Kansas City and Chicago Fire
before beating the New York Red Bulls 3–1 in the final
. For their efforts, Chad Marshall
won MLS Defender of the Year award, and Sigi Schmid won Coach of the Year.
After the 2008 season, Sigi Schmid left the Crew 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. The club went 13–7–10 in the regular season, good enough for 49 points and their second consecutive Supporters' Shield. The Crew went on to be eliminated by Real Salt Lake in the two–legged Eastern Conference Semifinals, 4–2 on aggregate. Chad Marshall won his second consecutive MLS Defender of the Year award.
The Crew started the 2010 season in the CONCACAF Champions League
. They reached the quarterfinals, but lost to Toluca FC of Mexico in March. The Crew started the MLS season 6–0–2 and finished 14–8–8, but lost in the quarterfinals of the MLS Cup to the Colorado Rapids
. In the U.S. Open Cup, Columbus fell to Sounders FC, 2–1, in the finals. After the 2010 season, Guillermo Barros Schelotto
, Frankie Hejduk
, Brian Carroll
, Jason Garey
, Steven Lenhart
, Gino Padula
, Eric Brunner
, Adam Moffat
, and Duncan Oughton
all left the team, and the Crew struggled in 2011. They finished ninth at 13–13–8 and lost in the wild card round of the playoffs to the Colorado Rapids.
The club badge - unique amongst MLS teams in that it features people - contains three silhouetted males wearing construction hats
beneath a stylized "Crew" wordmark. The logo is intended to represent a crew of hard working people, much like the hard working, blue collar
image the city of Columbus cultivates.
The official colors of the Columbus Crew are black and gold. The Crew's 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 is usually black, but is seldom worn by the Crew, due to the strong favor shown to the all yellow home kit, and due to the fact that the black jerseys compound the heat of summer in the United States. Only occasionally has Crew not worn a black or yellow jersey. In 2007, the Crew wore a predominantly white away shirt with yellow trim, and in 1997 they wore a white away shirt with yellow and black striped "bumblebee"-style sleeves.
Initially the Columbus Crew played their home games at the 102,000-capacity Ohio Stadium
, home of the Ohio State Buckeyes
American college football team. They ended with a 33-20 record while playing there.
On May 15, 1999 the Crew opened Columbus Crew Stadium
, the first stadium built specifically for soccer in Major League Soccer, as the Crew beat the New England Revolution 2-0 before a sold-out crowd of 24,741. The stadium was built with simplicity in mind because it was the first of its kind in the United States and so it was done completely from scratch.
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.
(The Crew Supporters Union, The 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 support. Putting their differences aside the three groups formed the "Nordecke." The Nordecke is German for "North Corner". The name "Nordecke" celebrates 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" became popular thanks to social networking sites such as facebook
and twitter
, to describe the frequent large and rowdy traveling support.
has served as kit manufacturer for all MLS teams. Glidden served as the Crew's shirt sponsor from 2008-2010.
for the Trillium Cup
. It is named the Trillium Cup because the trillium is the provincial flower of Ontario and the state wildflower of Ohio. The state flower of Ohio is the scarlet Carnation.
On March 28, 2009, the Columbus-Toronto Rivalry intensified, after a relatively flat rivalry in previous years. Results on the field remained in favor of Columbus, with the total series now 5-0-6 in favor of The Crew. However, an off the field incident involving several fans of both the home side and the large traveling contingent of Toronto FC
supporters overshadowed the match itself. In the aftermath of the incident, one Toronto FC
fan was arrested, while another was subdued with taser guns by Columbus Police. Both Toronto FC
fans and officials in Columbus pointed fingers at each other.
The Crew also has a rivalry with the Chicago Fire. 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.
The Crew also plays in a regular season derby with F.C. Dallas for the Lamar Hunt Pioneer Cup
. They play for this cup because Lamar Hunt
was the owner of both of these teams until his death. While perhaps not quite a rivalry, games between the two teams can be somewhat spirited.
. Dwight Burgess serves as play-by-play commentator, and former Crew player Duncan Oughton
serves as color commentator for home and away games. Katie Witham is the sideline reporter for all games telecast on ONN. Select games are broadcast nationally on Fox Soccer Channel
, ESPN2
, and TeleFutura
.
English radio broadcasts can be heard on 610 AM WTVN
with Neil Sika as play-by-play commentator and John Bluem (during home broadcasts) as color commentator. Spanish radio broadcasts can be heard on 103.1-FM WVKO-FM
with Carlos Cordova and Benny Pietrangelo calling all home and road games and include 15-minute pre- and post-game shows.
ONN also airs a weekly half-hour program, Crew Xtra, where host Beau Bishop and a panel of guests review the past week in Crew action and look ahead to upcoming fixtures. SportsTime Ohio
frequently re-airs the program later in the week. Crew Soccer Updates air weekdays on 105.7 FM WBWR
and 106.7 FM WRXS.
games, but are not part of the senior roster.
Guillermo Barros Schelotto
(2007–10) Edson Buddle
(2001–05) Jon Busch
(2002–06) Brian Carroll
(2008–10) Jeff Cunningham
(1998-2004,2011) Thomas Dooley (1997–99) Mark Dougherty
(1998-2001) Ansil Elcock
(1997-01) Simon Elliott
(2004–05) Robin Fraser
(2004–05) Brad Friedel
(1996–97)
Fredy García
(2002–03) Marcos González
(2006–07) John Harkes
(2001–02) Frankie Hejduk
(2003–10) Ricardo Iribarren
(1996–98) Stern John
(1998–99) Doctor Khumalo
(1996–97) Mike Lapper
(1997-02) Brian Maisonneuve
(1996-04) Brian McBride
(1996-04)
Alejandro Moreno
(2007–09) Duncan Oughton
(2001–10) Gino Padula
(2008–10) John Wilmar Pérez
(2000–02) Mario Rodríguez
(2005) Sebastián Rozental
(2006) Billy Thompson
(1996-00) Daniel Torres
(2001–03) Robert Warzycha
(1996-02) Todd Yeagley
(1996-02)
† Made the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Giants Cup
which was held instead of the CONCACAF Champions' Cup in 2001
Columbus holds a 7-5-3 all-time record in international friendlies.
MLS regular season only, through 2006 season
http://web.mlsnet.com/mls/schedule/index.jsp?year=2008&month=11
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
which competes in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
(MLS), the top professional soccer league in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception.
The club was owned by Lamar Hunt
Lamar Hunt
Lamar Hunt was an American sportsman and promoter of American football, soccer, basketball, and ice hockey in the United States and an inductee into three sports' halls of fame. He was one of the founders of the American Football League and Major League Soccer , as well as MLS predecessor the...
, who also owned the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
and FC Dallas
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
until his 2006 death. Upon his death, his son Clark Hunt
Clark Hunt
Clark Knobel Hunt is Chairman and CEO of the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs and a founding investor-owner in Major League Soccer. Hunt also serves as Chairman of Hunt Sports Group, where he oversees the operations of FC Dallas and the Columbus Crew of MLS He is the son of Lamar Hunt...
took over his sports properties. The Crew currently plays their home games at Columbus Crew Stadium
Columbus Crew Stadium
Columbus Crew Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Columbus, Ohio and the home stadium of Major League Soccer club, Columbus Crew. Built in 1999, Crew Stadium was the first soccer-specific stadium built for a professional soccer team in the second pro era of American soccer...
, the first soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States, Canada, Australia and South Korea coined by Lamar Hunt, to refer to a sports stadium either purpose built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multipurpose...
ever built by an MLS franchise, with a seating capacity of 20,455 - as of the 2008 Season. From 1996 to 1998, the Crew played their home games at Ohio Stadium
Ohio Stadium
Ohio Stadium is the home of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team and is located on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. The stadium was added to the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service on March 22, 1974...
on the campus of the Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
. The nickname "the Crew" is the result of a local fan contest. The team colors are black and gold. The team mascot is Crew Cat.
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 Crew won the 2002
2002 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
-Schedule:Note: Scorelines use the standard U.S. convention of placing the home team on the right-hand side of box scores.-First round:Seven D3 Pro League, five PDL, and four USASA teams start.-----Second round:Eight A-League teams enter....
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament in American soccer. The tournament is the oldest ongoing American soccer competition and is presently open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League...
by defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
by a score of 1 to 0 at Columbus Crew Stadium. The game's lone goal was scored by Fredy García
Fredy García
Freddy Alexander García Carrera is a Guatemalan professional football midfielder who plays for local club CD Suchitepéquez in the Guatemala's top division.-Club career:...
. The Crew then won its first MLS Supporters' Shield
MLS Supporters' Shield
The Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system...
during the 2004 in a tie-breaker over the Kansas City Wizards. During the 2008 MLS Season
2008 Major League Soccer season
The 2008 Major League Soccer season was the 13th season in league history. The season began on March 29 and ended with MLS Cup 2008, on November 23 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California.-Changes from the 2007 season:...
the Crew won its second Supporters' Shield by six points over Houston, en route to defeating the New York Red Bulls
Red Bull New York
The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer team based in Harrison, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The team competes in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
in MLS Cup 2008
MLS Cup 2008
The 2008 MLS Cup was the championship match of the 2008 Major League Soccer season. The final was played at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California on November 23, 2008. The match was contested by the Columbus Crew and the New York Red Bulls, marking the debut of both teams in the final after...
by a score of 3 to 1. Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto is a former Argentine football forward.Barros Schelotto, nicknamed "Guille" or "Melli" , played 16 years of his professional career in the Argentine Primera División...
assisted on all three Crew goals. 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
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
, then the home of Chicago Fire, who won the match 2 to 1 after extra time. The Crew lost in the 2010 U.S. Open Cup Final
2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final
The 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final was played on October 5, 2010, at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington. The match determined the winner of the 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a tournament open to amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation. This...
at Qwest Field
Qwest Field
CenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer...
, home of Seattle Sounders
Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional soccer club based in Seattle, Washington. The club competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Sounders FC was established in November 2007 as a MLS expansion team, making it the 15th team in...
, again by a 2-1 scoreline.
The Beginning: 1994–1998
On June 15, 1994, Major League SoccerMajor League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
announced that Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, 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. MLS investor Lamar Hunt, and his son Clark
Clark Hunt
Clark Knobel Hunt is Chairman and CEO of the National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs and a founding investor-owner in Major League Soccer. Hunt also serves as Chairman of Hunt Sports Group, where he oversees the operations of FC Dallas and the Columbus Crew of MLS He is the son of Lamar Hunt...
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
South Africa national football team
The South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in...
veteran Doctor Khumalo
Doctor Khumalo
Theophilus Doctorson "Doctor" Khumalo is a retired South African soccer player. He is best known for being a star midfielder for Kaizer Chiefs as well as the South African national team, Bafana Bafana.-Career:...
, by assignment
1996 MLS Inaugural Allocations
The Major League Soccer Inaugural Allocations were signed by the league in 1996 and distributed to the ten initial teams prior to the beginning of the first MLS season...
, and Brian McBride
Brian McBride
Brian Robert McBride is a retired American soccer player who finished his career for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer , but spent the majority of his time in MLS playing for the Columbus Crew. For much of his career he played in Europe, notably for Fulham in the English Premier League...
. McBride was selected as the first overall pick in the MLS’s first draft in 1996
1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft
The MLS Inaugural Player Draft, held before Major League Soccer's initial 1996 season, distributed players who had already graduated from college to the league's ten inaugural teams. The draft occurred on February 6 and 7, 1996...
. Former U.S. National Team coach, Timo Liekoski
Timo Liekoski
Timo Liekoski is a Finnish soccer coach who managed teams in the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League, American Indoor Soccer Association and Major League Soccer...
would be the team's head coach for its first season.
The Crew played their first game on April 13, 1996 against D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
and won 4–0 in front of a home crowd of 25,266 in Ohio Stadium
Ohio Stadium
Ohio Stadium is the home of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team and is located on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. The stadium was added to the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service on March 22, 1974...
. Columbus would struggle, however, winning only 5 of their next 21 games. After the 6–16 start, Tom Fitzgerald
Tom Fitzgerald (soccer)
Tom Fitzgerald was an American soccer coach.Fitzgerald played soccer at Hudson Valley Community College before transferring to the University of South Florida his junior season. He played soccer at USF and he graduated in 1974. In 1978, Jesuit High School in Tampa, Florida hired Fitzgerald as...
replaced head coach Liekoski. 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 semifinals of the playoffs.
The Crew 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 club also played in the U.S. Open Cup
1998 U.S. Open Cup
-Quarterfinals:-------------Semifinals:-----Final:-Top scorers:-See also:* United States Soccer Federation* Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup* Major League Soccer* United Soccer Leagues* USASA* National Premier Soccer League...
for the first time in 1998. They advanced to the finals before losing 2–1 in extra time to the Chicago Fire
Chicago Fire
Chicago Fire may refer to:*Great Chicago Fire, the fire that burned much of Chicago in 1871*Chicago Fire Soccer Club, a Major League Soccer club**Chicago Fire Premier, part of the development system for the Chicago Fire Major League Soccer club...
. Stern John
Stern John
Stern John is a Trinidadian football player currently playing for North East Stars in Trinidad. He played for a number of high profile English football clubs that included Nottingham Forest, Birmingham City and Coventry City.-Early Career in US:John moved to the United States to attend Mercer...
, in his first of two seasons with Columbus, was the 1998 scoring champion
MLS Golden Boot
The MLS Golden Boot has been awarded since the 2005 season to Major League Soccer's regular season leading scorer...
, amassing 26 goals and 5 assists.
A New Home: 1999–2003
The Crew's 1999 season began with the opening of Columbus Crew StadiumColumbus Crew Stadium
Columbus Crew Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Columbus, Ohio and the home stadium of Major League Soccer club, Columbus Crew. Built in 1999, Crew Stadium was the first soccer-specific stadium built for a professional soccer team in the second pro era of American soccer...
, the first soccer–specific stadium in the United States. Columbus won their first game in the stadium, 2–0, against New England Revolution
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
in front of a sell–out crowd of 24,741. Columbus would finish in 2nd 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.
Dante Washington
Dante Washington
Dante Deneen Washington is a retired American soccer striker and currently a TV soccer color analyst.Washington played college soccer at Radford University, and was named a first team All-American in 1991...
was acquired from the Dallas Burn
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
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
Greg Andrulis
Greg Andrulis is an American soccer coach, currently the head coach at George Mason University....
. Andrulis would lead the Crew to 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
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament in American soccer. The tournament is the oldest ongoing American soccer competition and is presently open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League...
for the first time in team history. They advanced to the finals by beating the Richmond Kickers
Richmond Kickers
The Richmond Kickers are an American professional soccer club based in Richmond, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1993, the team plays in the American Division of the USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid...
, NY/NJ MetroStars, and Kansas City Wizards
Kansas City Wizards
Sporting Kansas City is an American professional soccer club based in Kansas City, Kansas that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
. In the final, they beat LA Galaxy, who had just won the MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
earlier in the week. Fredy García
Fredy García
Freddy Alexander García Carrera is a Guatemalan professional football midfielder who plays for local club CD Suchitepéquez in the Guatemala's top division.-Club career:...
scored the only goal and keeper Jon Busch
Jon Busch
Jon Busch is an American soccer goalkeeper for the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
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. The lost in the league semifinals to New England. Kyle Martino
Kyle Martino
Kyle Martino is a retired American soccer player and currently a TV soccer color analyst.-High School:Martino attended Staples High School in Westport, CT...
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. The 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 the Crew in 2003 before joining Fulham F.C.
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
of the English Premier League.
Transitions: 2004–2006
With the departure of McBride, the Crew added Robin FraserRobin Fraser
Robin Fraser is a retired Jamaican-born American soccer player. He is currently head coach of Chivas USA in Major League Soccer....
and Simon Elliot 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 semifinals. In his last season for the Crew, Jeff Cunningham
Jeff Cunningham
Jeff Cunningham is a Jamaican-born American soccer player who played on multiple Major League Soccer teams. He is the MLS all-time leader in goals scored with 134.-College:...
scored his 62nd goal, which tied him with McBride for the franchise record.
Over both of the next two seasons, Columbus battled injuries to several players and struggle to win games. Despite winning the MLS Coach of the Year Award
MLS Coach of the Year Award
The MLS Coach of the Year Award is an award given by Major League Soccer to the best coach in any given season. The award has been given since the league's inception in 1996.-Winners:...
in 2004, Andrulis was replaced on an interim basis by Robert Warzycha
Robert Warzycha
Robert Warzycha is a Polish former professional association football player. He is currently the head coach of Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer....
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
Sigi Schmid
Siegfried "Sigi" Schmid is a German-American soccer coach. Born in Tübingen, West Germany, he moved to the United States with his family when he was a child. He played college soccer from 1972 to 1975 at the University of California, Los Angeles , where he was a starting midfielder in each...
. Schmid had won an MLS Cup and U.S. Open Championship in six seasons with Galaxy. 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
Lamar Hunt
Lamar Hunt was an American sportsman and promoter of American football, soccer, basketball, and ice hockey in the United States and an inductee into three sports' halls of fame. He was one of the founders of the American Football League and Major League Soccer , as well as MLS predecessor the...
died on December 14, 2006.
The Schelotto Era: 2007–2010
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
. The Crew followed suit by signing their own superstar, Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto is a former Argentine football forward.Barros Schelotto, nicknamed "Guille" or "Melli" , played 16 years of his professional career in the Argentine Primera División...
, on April 19, 2007. The Crew also signed forward Alejandro Moreno
Alejandro Moreno
Alejandro Moreno is a Venezuelan footballer. He played for the Dallas Texans Soccer Club before attending UNC Greensboro. He currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-College:...
to bolster its attack. Even with these new players, the Crew still missed the playoffs in 2007.
In 2008, the Crew won its first MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
. Led by Barros Schelotto, who scored seven goals and had 19 assists and won the MLS Most Valuable Player Award, the team also won its second Supporters' Shield. After going 17–7–6 in the regular season, the Crew won playoff games against Kansas City and Chicago Fire
Chicago Fire
Chicago Fire may refer to:*Great Chicago Fire, the fire that burned much of Chicago in 1871*Chicago Fire Soccer Club, a Major League Soccer club**Chicago Fire Premier, part of the development system for the Chicago Fire Major League Soccer club...
before beating the New York Red Bulls 3–1 in the final
MLS Cup 2008
The 2008 MLS Cup was the championship match of the 2008 Major League Soccer season. The final was played at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California on November 23, 2008. The match was contested by the Columbus Crew and the New York Red Bulls, marking the debut of both teams in the final after...
. For their efforts, Chad Marshall
Chad Marshall
Chad Marshall is an American soccer player who currently captains the Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
won MLS Defender of the Year award, and Sigi Schmid won Coach of the Year.
After the 2008 season, Sigi Schmid left the Crew to coach the Seattle Sounders
Seattle Sounders
Seattle Sounders may refer to:*Seattle Sounders , a North American Soccer League team*Seattle Sounders , a USL First Division team*Seattle Sounders Women , a USL W-League team...
, and the team named former player and assistant coach Robert Warzycha
Robert Warzycha
Robert Warzycha is a Polish former professional association football player. He is currently the head coach of Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer....
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 went on to be eliminated by Real Salt Lake in the two–legged Eastern Conference Semifinals, 4–2 on aggregate. Chad Marshall won his second consecutive MLS Defender of the Year award.
The Crew started the 2010 season in the CONCACAF Champions League
CONCACAF Champions League
The CONCACAF Champions League is the annual international club football championship for teams from the CONCACAF region ....
. They reached the quarterfinals, but lost to Toluca FC of Mexico in March. The Crew started the MLS season 6–0–2 and finished 14–8–8, but lost in the quarterfinals of the MLS Cup to the Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
. In the U.S. Open Cup, Columbus fell to Sounders FC, 2–1, in the finals. After the 2010 season, Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto is a former Argentine football forward.Barros Schelotto, nicknamed "Guille" or "Melli" , played 16 years of his professional career in the Argentine Primera División...
, Frankie Hejduk
Frankie Hejduk
Frank Daniel "Frankie" Hejduk is an American soccer player who currently plays for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer. He formerly played as right back for Columbus Crew, where he was team captain, and the United States national team.-Youth and College:Hejduk attended San Dieguito High...
, Brian Carroll
Brian Carroll
Brian Carroll is an American soccer player who currently plays for Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
, Jason Garey
Jason Garey
Jason Garey is an American soccer player who currently plays for the Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer. He was a member of the MLS Cup 2008 championship team with the Columbus Crew.-Youth and College:...
, Steven Lenhart
Steven Lenhart
Steven Lenhart is an American soccer player who currently plays for San Jose Earthquakes in Major League Soccer.-College and amateur:...
, Gino Padula
Gino Padula
Gino Padula is an Argentine footballer.-Career:Padula started his career with Argentine club River Plate in 1996 before moving to Huracán in 1997. In 1998 he moved to Europe to play for Xerez in Spain. His move to Europe was facilitated by the fact that he is the holder of an Italian passport...
, Eric Brunner
Eric Brunner
Eric Brunner is an American soccer player who currently plays for Portland Timbers in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:...
, Adam Moffat
Adam Moffat
Adam Moffat is a Scottish footballer who currently plays for the Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer.-Career:...
, and Duncan Oughton
Duncan Oughton
Duncan Oughton is a retired New Zealander footballer. Oughton played professionally in the United States for Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew and represented New Zealand internationally.-Youth and College:...
all left the team, and the Crew struggled in 2011. They finished ninth at 13–13–8 and lost in the wild card round of the playoffs to the Colorado Rapids.
Colors and badge
Prior to the initial MLS season a citywide 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 - unique amongst MLS teams in that it features people - contains three silhouetted males wearing construction hats
Hard hat
A hard hat is a type of helmet predominantly used in workplace environments, such as construction sites, to protect the head from injury by falling objects, impact with other objects, debris, bad weather and electric shock. Inside the helmet is a suspension that spreads the helmet's weight over the...
beneath a stylized "Crew" wordmark. The logo is intended to represent a crew of hard working people, much like the hard working, blue collar
Blue collar
Blue collar can refer to:*Blue-collar worker, a traditional designation of the working class*Blue-collar crime, the types of crimes typically associated with the working class*A census designation...
image the city of Columbus cultivates.
The official colors of the Columbus Crew are black and gold. The Crew's 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 is usually black, but is seldom worn by the Crew, due to the strong favor shown to the all yellow home kit, and due to the fact that the black jerseys compound the heat of summer in the United States. Only occasionally has Crew not worn a black or yellow jersey. In 2007, the Crew wore a predominantly white away shirt with yellow trim, and in 1997 they wore a white away shirt with yellow and black striped "bumblebee"-style sleeves.
Stadium
- Ohio StadiumOhio StadiumOhio Stadium is the home of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team and is located on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. The stadium was added to the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service on March 22, 1974...
; Columbus, OhioColumbus, OhioColumbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
(1996–1999) - Columbus Crew StadiumColumbus Crew StadiumColumbus Crew Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Columbus, Ohio and the home stadium of Major League Soccer club, Columbus Crew. Built in 1999, Crew Stadium was the first soccer-specific stadium built for a professional soccer team in the second pro era of American soccer...
; Columbus, OhioColumbus, OhioColumbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
(1999–present) - Jesse Owens Memorial StadiumJesse Owens Memorial StadiumJesse Owens Memorial Stadium is a 10,000-capacity stadium located in Columbus, Ohio, United States. The stadium is home to the Ohio State Buckeyes men's and women's lacrosse teams as well as the soccer and track and field teams. The stadium opened for soccer in the fall of 2001. It also hosts the...
; Columbus, OhioColumbus, OhioColumbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
(2005) 1 game in US Open Cup
Initially the Columbus Crew played their home games at the 102,000-capacity Ohio Stadium
Ohio Stadium
Ohio Stadium is the home of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team and is located on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. The stadium was added to the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service on March 22, 1974...
, home of the Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
American college football team. They ended with a 33-20 record while playing there.
On May 15, 1999 the Crew opened Columbus Crew Stadium
Columbus Crew Stadium
Columbus Crew Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Columbus, Ohio and the home stadium of Major League Soccer club, Columbus Crew. Built in 1999, Crew Stadium was the first soccer-specific stadium built for a professional soccer team in the second pro era of American soccer...
, the first stadium built specifically for soccer in Major League Soccer, as the Crew beat the New England Revolution 2-0 before a sold-out crowd of 24,741. The stadium was built with simplicity in mind because it was the first of its kind in the United States and so it was done completely from scratch.
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.
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 groupsSupporters groups
Supporters groups or supporters clubs are independent fan clubs in association football, particularly in English speaking counties.Supporters groups in Europe are generally known as Ultras which derives from the Latin word deriving from ultrā, meaning beyond in English, with the implication that...
(The Crew Supporters Union, The 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 support. Putting their differences aside the three groups formed the "Nordecke." The Nordecke is German for "North Corner". The name "Nordecke" celebrates 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" became popular thanks to social networking sites such as facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
and twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
, to describe the frequent large and rowdy traveling support.
Sponsors
Since 2006 adidasAdidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
has served as kit manufacturer for all MLS teams. Glidden served as the Crew's shirt sponsor from 2008-2010.
Rivalries
Since 2008 the Crew have contested with Toronto FCToronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
for the Trillium Cup
Trillium Cup
The Trillium Cup is an annual, two-team rivalry between the Columbus Crew and Toronto FC of Major League Soccer . The Trillium Cup is named after the trillium, which is both the official flower of the Canadian province of Ontario, and the official wildflower of the U.S. state of Ohio...
. It is named the Trillium Cup because the trillium is the provincial flower of Ontario and the state wildflower of Ohio. The state flower of Ohio is the scarlet Carnation.
On March 28, 2009, the Columbus-Toronto Rivalry intensified, after a relatively flat rivalry in previous years. Results on the field remained in favor of Columbus, with the total series now 5-0-6 in favor of The Crew. However, an off the field incident involving several fans of both the home side and the large traveling contingent of Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
supporters overshadowed the match itself. In the aftermath of the incident, one Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
fan was arrested, while another was subdued with taser guns by Columbus Police. Both Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
fans and officials in Columbus pointed fingers at each other.
The Crew also has a rivalry with the Chicago Fire. 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.
The Crew also plays in a regular season derby with F.C. Dallas for the Lamar Hunt Pioneer Cup
Lamar Hunt Pioneer Cup
The Lamar Hunt Pioneer Cup is a Major League Soccer series between FC Dallas and the Columbus Crew. Named after the late Lamar Hunt, one of the league's major investors and a key supporter of American soccer, the series is contested between the two teams still owned by the Hunt Sports Group...
. They play for this cup because Lamar Hunt
Lamar Hunt
Lamar Hunt was an American sportsman and promoter of American football, soccer, basketball, and ice hockey in the United States and an inductee into three sports' halls of fame. He was one of the founders of the American Football League and Major League Soccer , as well as MLS predecessor the...
was the owner of both of these teams until his death. While perhaps not quite a rivalry, games between the two teams can be somewhat spirited.
Broadcasting
The Crew was the first MLS team to land a local television network, when they did so in March 1997. Crew matches are telecast throughout Ohio on the Ohio News NetworkONN
Ohio News Network is a television and radio news network in the U.S. state of Ohio. Its studios and offices are co-located with sister station WBNS-TV, the CBS television affiliate for Columbus and central Ohio. ONN is seen in more than 1.8 million households statewide, including the major...
. Dwight Burgess serves as play-by-play commentator, and former Crew player Duncan Oughton
Duncan Oughton
Duncan Oughton is a retired New Zealander footballer. Oughton played professionally in the United States for Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew and represented New Zealand internationally.-Youth and College:...
serves as color commentator for home and away games. Katie Witham is the sideline reporter for all games telecast on ONN. Select games are broadcast nationally on Fox Soccer Channel
Fox Soccer Channel
Fox Soccer is an American television specialty channel, owned by News Corporation's Fox Entertainment Group, that specializes in soccer. It formerly broadcast rugby and Australian rules football, but is now dedicated strictly to soccer...
, ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
, and TeleFutura
TeleFutura
TeleFutura is a U.S. Spanish-language broadcast television network owned by Univision with headquarters in Miami, Florida.-Overview:TeleFutura Is America’s #2 Spanish-Language Network in prime time...
.
English radio broadcasts can be heard on 610 AM WTVN
WTVN
WTVN is a full-service AM radio station in Columbus, Ohio located at 610 kHz. It has news, talk, and sports programs, is the dominant AM station in the Columbus market and is consistently rated either #1 or #2 by Arbitron...
with Neil Sika as play-by-play commentator and John Bluem (during home broadcasts) as color commentator. Spanish radio broadcasts can be heard on 103.1-FM WVKO-FM
WVKO-FM
WVKO-FM is an Spanish radio station playing Spanish Adult Contemporary and some Regional Mexican music. WVKO is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to serve the community of Columbus, Ohio....
with Carlos Cordova and Benny Pietrangelo calling all home and road games and include 15-minute pre- and post-game shows.
ONN also airs a weekly half-hour program, Crew Xtra, where host Beau Bishop and a panel of guests review the past week in Crew action and look ahead to upcoming fixtures. SportsTime Ohio
SportsTime Ohio
SportsTime Ohio is a regional sports network in Cleveland and northern Ohio, launched in 2006. It was created to air Cleveland Indians games, and is owned by the family which owns the team. It is also the cable television home of the Cleveland Browns...
frequently re-airs the program later in the week. Crew Soccer Updates air weekdays on 105.7 FM WBWR
WBWR
WBWR — The Brew 105.7 — is a commercial radio station in Columbus, Ohio airing a classic rock format. The Brew is the Columbus affiliate for the Cleveland Browns, and was also the English-language radio station of the Columbus Crew until the common ownership moved the broadcasts to WTVN in 2008....
and 106.7 FM WRXS.
Current roster
As of November 11, 2011.Reserve Team Players
This list shows players who have played for the team in official 2011 MLS Reserve Division2011 MLS Reserve Division
The new MLS Reserve League was resurrected for the 2011 season, after not having played since 2008. Each team will play 10 games against divisional opponenets, with clubs being allowed schedule additional games against non-MLS opponents. The schedule begins March 20 and tentatively concludes Oct...
games, but are not part of the senior roster.
Notable former players
This list of former players includes those who received international caps while playing for the team, made significant contributions to the team in terms of appearances or goals while playing for the team, or who made significant contributions to the sport either before they played for the team, or after they left. It is clearly not yet complete and all inclusive, and additions and refinements will continue to be made over time.Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto
Guillermo Barros Schelotto is a former Argentine football forward.Barros Schelotto, nicknamed "Guille" or "Melli" , played 16 years of his professional career in the Argentine Primera División...
(2007–10) Edson Buddle
Edson Buddle
Edson Buddle is an American soccer player who currently plays for Ingolstadt 04 in Second Bundesliga, the second-highest level of competition of soccer in Germany. Buddle previously spent his entire career in North America, beginning in 2000 with the Long Island Rough Riders, who played in the USL...
(2001–05) Jon Busch
Jon Busch
Jon Busch is an American soccer goalkeeper for the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
(2002–06) Brian Carroll
Brian Carroll
Brian Carroll is an American soccer player who currently plays for Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
(2008–10) Jeff Cunningham
Jeff Cunningham
Jeff Cunningham is a Jamaican-born American soccer player who played on multiple Major League Soccer teams. He is the MLS all-time leader in goals scored with 134.-College:...
(1998-2004,2011) Thomas Dooley (1997–99) Mark Dougherty
Mark Dougherty (soccer)
Mark Dougherty is a retired American soccer goalkeeper who played in the Western Soccer League, American Professional Soccer League, USISL and Major League Soccer. He is a goalkeeper coach with the U.S...
(1998-2001) Ansil Elcock
Ansil Elcock
Ansil Elcock is a footballer from Trinidad and Tobago. He notably played for MLS team Columbus Crew between 1997 and 2001 , and currently plays as a defender for Tobago United...
(1997-01) Simon Elliott
Simon Elliott
Simon John Elliott is a New Zealand International footballer who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Semi-Professional & College career:...
(2004–05) Robin Fraser
Robin Fraser
Robin Fraser is a retired Jamaican-born American soccer player. He is currently head coach of Chivas USA in Major League Soccer....
(2004–05) Brad Friedel
Brad Friedel
Bradley Howard Friedel is an American soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League....
(1996–97)
Fredy García
Fredy García
Freddy Alexander García Carrera is a Guatemalan professional football midfielder who plays for local club CD Suchitepéquez in the Guatemala's top division.-Club career:...
(2002–03) Marcos González
Marcos González
Marcos Andrés González Salazar is a Brazilian born Chilean professional football defender, who currently plays for Universidad de Chile....
(2006–07) John Harkes
John Harkes
John Harkes is an American former soccer player. Harkes was the first American ever to play in the English Premier League, and the second American to score at Wembley Stadium. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame. He appeared in two FIFA World Cup tournaments, and won two MLS Cup...
(2001–02) Frankie Hejduk
Frankie Hejduk
Frank Daniel "Frankie" Hejduk is an American soccer player who currently plays for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer. He formerly played as right back for Columbus Crew, where he was team captain, and the United States national team.-Youth and College:Hejduk attended San Dieguito High...
(2003–10) Ricardo Iribarren
Ricardo Iribarren
Ricardo Iribarren is an Argentine footballer who played for a number of teams in Argentina, Ecuador, and United States ....
(1996–98) Stern John
Stern John
Stern John is a Trinidadian football player currently playing for North East Stars in Trinidad. He played for a number of high profile English football clubs that included Nottingham Forest, Birmingham City and Coventry City.-Early Career in US:John moved to the United States to attend Mercer...
(1998–99) Doctor Khumalo
Doctor Khumalo
Theophilus Doctorson "Doctor" Khumalo is a retired South African soccer player. He is best known for being a star midfielder for Kaizer Chiefs as well as the South African national team, Bafana Bafana.-Career:...
(1996–97) Mike Lapper
Mike Lapper
Michael "Mike" Steven Lapper was is a retired American soccer defender. During his fifteen year career, most of it spent as a sweeper, he played in England, Germany and the United States. He earned 44 caps, scoring one goal, with the U.S. national soccer team between 1991 and 1995. He was part...
(1997-02) Brian Maisonneuve
Brian Maisonneuve
Brian Maisonneuve is an American retired soccer player who played as a defensive midfielder. He spent his entire professional career with the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer. He was a member of the U.S. soccer teams at both the 1996 Summer Olympics and the 1998 FIFA World Cup, earning a...
(1996-04) Brian McBride
Brian McBride
Brian Robert McBride is a retired American soccer player who finished his career for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer , but spent the majority of his time in MLS playing for the Columbus Crew. For much of his career he played in Europe, notably for Fulham in the English Premier League...
(1996-04)
Alejandro Moreno
Alejandro Moreno
Alejandro Moreno is a Venezuelan footballer. He played for the Dallas Texans Soccer Club before attending UNC Greensboro. He currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-College:...
(2007–09) Duncan Oughton
Duncan Oughton
Duncan Oughton is a retired New Zealander footballer. Oughton played professionally in the United States for Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew and represented New Zealand internationally.-Youth and College:...
(2001–10) Gino Padula
Gino Padula
Gino Padula is an Argentine footballer.-Career:Padula started his career with Argentine club River Plate in 1996 before moving to Huracán in 1997. In 1998 he moved to Europe to play for Xerez in Spain. His move to Europe was facilitated by the fact that he is the holder of an Italian passport...
(2008–10) John Wilmar Pérez
John Wilmar Pérez
John Wilmar Pérez Muñoz is a Colombian football player.Pérez played for a few clubs, including Independiente Medellín, Deportivo Cali and Columbus Crew in the United States. He played for the Colombian national team and was a participant at the 1992 Summer Olympics and 1998 FIFA World...
(2000–02) Mario Rodríguez
Mario Rafael Rodríguez
Mario Rafael Rodríguez Rodríguez is a Guatemalan football midfielder. He currently plays for the local club CSD Municipal....
(2005) Sebastián Rozental
Sebastián Rozental
Sebastián Rozental Igualt is a retired Chilean-Israeli professional football player.On the club level, Rozental has played for Universidad Católica , Colo-Colo , and Unión Española in his native Chile, Rangers in Scotland, where he became the first player from South America to play for the...
(2006) Billy Thompson
Billy Thompson (soccer)
William “Billy” Thompson is a retired U.S. soccer player who coaches youth soccer. He earned one caps with the U.S. national team and played three seasons in Major League Soccer with the Columbus Crew.-College:...
(1996-00) Daniel Torres
Daniel Torres
Daniel Torres is a Costa Rican footballer. He is currently without a club.-Professional:Torres started his football career with Deportivo Saprissa, where he won several national and international titles between 1996 and 2001. He signed with the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer on September 8,...
(2001–03) Robert Warzycha
Robert Warzycha
Robert Warzycha is a Polish former professional association football player. He is currently the head coach of Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer....
(1996-02) Todd Yeagley
Todd Yeagley
Todd Yeagley is a retired U.S. soccer player who is the head men's soccer coach at Indiana University. He played seven seasons in Major League Soccer with the Columbus Crew and one in the USISL with the Richmond Kickers...
(1996-02)
- See also All-time Columbus Crew rosterAll-time Columbus Crew rosterThis list comprises all players who have participated in at least one league match for the Columbus Crew since the team's first Major League Soccer season in 1996...
Head coaches
| # | Number of coachesA running total of the number of coaches of the Crew. Thus any coach who has two separate terms as head coach is only counted once. |
| Seasons | Full or partial seasons coached |
| W | Wins |
| L | Loses |
| T | Ties |
| App | Playoff appearances |
| Honors | Individual or team awards won during tenure |
| # | | Head Coach | | Seasons | W | L | T | App | W | L | T | W | L | | Honors | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | MLS Regular Season | | MLS Cup Playoffs | | U.S. Open Cup | |||||||||||||
| 1 | Timo Liekoski Timo Liekoski Timo Liekoski is a Finnish soccer coach who managed teams in the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League, American Indoor Soccer Association and Major League Soccer... |
Liekoski was fired on August 2, 1996 | 16 | MLS games could not end in a tie until the 2000 season. | |||||||||||
| 2 | Tom Fitzgerald Tom Fitzgerald (soccer) Tom Fitzgerald was an American soccer coach.Fitzgerald played soccer at Hudson Valley Community College before transferring to the University of South Florida his junior season. He played soccer at USF and he graduated in 1974. In 1978, Jesuit High School in Tampa, Florida hired Fitzgerald as... |
Fitzgerald was fired on May 17, 2001. | 70 | 67 | |||||||||||
| 3 | Greg Andrulis Greg Andrulis Greg Andrulis is an American soccer coach, currently the head coach at George Mason University.... |
Andrulis was fired on July 16, 2005. | 49 | 43 | 32 | U.S. Open Cup Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament in American soccer. The tournament is the oldest ongoing American soccer competition and is presently open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League... – 2002 Supporters' Shield – 2004 MLS Coach of the Year – 2004 |
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| 4 | Robert Warzycha Robert Warzycha Robert Warzycha is a Polish former professional association football player. He is currently the head coach of Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer.... |
Warzycha was named interim head coach on July 16, 2005. | |||||||||||||
| 5 | Sigi Schmid Sigi Schmid Siegfried "Sigi" Schmid is a German-American soccer coach. Born in Tübingen, West Germany, he moved to the United States with his family when he was a child. He played college soccer from 1972 to 1975 at the University of California, Los Angeles , where he was a starting midfielder in each... |
34 | 33 | 25 | MLS Cup Champion MLS Cup The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues... – 2008 Supporters' Shield – 2008 MLS Coach of the Year – 2008 |
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| – | Robert Warzycha | 40 | 28 | 26 | Supporters' Shield – 2009 | ||||||||||
Achievements
- MLS CupMLS CupThe MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
- Winners (1): 2008MLS Cup 2008The 2008 MLS Cup was the championship match of the 2008 Major League Soccer season. The final was played at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California on November 23, 2008. The match was contested by the Columbus Crew and the New York Red Bulls, marking the debut of both teams in the final after...
- Winners (1): 2008
- MLS Supporters' ShieldMLS Supporters' ShieldThe Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system...
- Winners (3): 2004, 20082008 Major League Soccer seasonThe 2008 Major League Soccer season was the 13th season in league history. The season began on March 29 and ended with MLS Cup 2008, on November 23 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California.-Changes from the 2007 season:...
, 20092009 Major League Soccer seasonThe 2009 Major League Soccer season was the 14th season of Major League Soccer. The season began on March 19 and ended with Real Salt Lake winning the MLS Cup 2009, on November 22 at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington-Changes from the 2008 season:...
- Winners (3): 2004, 2008
- MLS Eastern Conference
- Winners (Regular Season) (3): 2004, 2008, 2009
- Winners (Playoff) (1): 2008
- Lamar Hunt U.S. Open CupLamar Hunt U.S. Open CupThe Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament in American soccer. The tournament is the oldest ongoing American soccer competition and is presently open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League...
- Winners (1): 2002
- Runners-up (2): 1998, 20102010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open CupThe 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was the 97th edition of the oldest competition in American soccer, running from June through early October.The tournament proper featured teams from the top five levels of the American Soccer Pyramid...
- Minor Trophies
- MLS Fair Play AwardMLS Fair Play AwardThe MLS Fair Play Award, also known as the Xbox 360 Fair Play Award, is an annual award in Major League Soccer. The award is given to an individual player and a team who receives a low number of yellow cards and red cards...
(4): 1997, 1999, 2004, 2007 - Trillium CupTrillium CupThe Trillium Cup is an annual, two-team rivalry between the Columbus Crew and Toronto FC of Major League Soccer . The Trillium Cup is named after the trillium, which is both the official flower of the Canadian province of Ontario, and the official wildflower of the U.S. state of Ohio...
(3): 2008, 2009, 2010 - Carolina Challenge CupCarolina Challenge CupThe Carolina Challenge Cup is a four-team round robin pre-season competition hosted by the Charleston Battery. It was started in 2004 and features teams from Major League Soccer and the United Soccer Leagues. The Columbus Crew edged out D.C. United on goal differential to win the 2004 competition,...
(1): 2004 - Lamar Hunt Pioneer CupLamar Hunt Pioneer CupThe Lamar Hunt Pioneer Cup is a Major League Soccer series between FC Dallas and the Columbus Crew. Named after the late Lamar Hunt, one of the league's major investors and a key supporter of American soccer, the series is contested between the two teams still owned by the Hunt Sports Group...
(1): 2007
- MLS Fair Play Award
Year-by-Year
| Season | MLS Regular Season | MLS Cup Playoffs | Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament in American soccer. The tournament is the oldest ongoing American soccer competition and is presently open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League... |
CONCACAF Champions Cup/Champions League CONCACAF Champions League The CONCACAF Champions League is the annual international club football championship for teams from the CONCACAF region .... |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 4th, East | Quarter-Finals | Did not enter | Did not qualify |
| 1997 | 3rd, East | Semi-Finals | Did not enter | Did not qualify |
| 1998 | 2nd, East | Semi-Finals | Final | Did not qualify |
| 1999 | 2nd, East | Semi-Finals | Semi-Finals | Did not qualify |
| 2000 | 4th, Central | Did not qualify | Quarter-Finals | Did not qualify |
| 2001 | 2nd, Central | Quarter-Finals | Quarter-Finals | Not held † |
| 2002 | 2nd, East | Semi-Finals | Champions | Did not qualify |
| 2003 | 5th, East | Did not qualify | Round of 16 | Quarter-Finals |
| 2004 | 1st, East* | Quarter-Finals | Round of 16 | Did not qualify |
| 2005 | 6th, East | Did not qualify | Round of 16 | Did not qualify |
| 2006 | 6th, East | Did not qualify | Round of 16 | Did not qualify |
| 2007 | 6th, East | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2008 | 1st, East* | Champions | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2009 2009 Columbus Crew season The 2009 Columbus Crew season was the fourteenth season of the team's existence. It started with a 1-1 draw at the Houston Dynamo on March 21, 2009, and ended on November 5, with a 3-2 playoff loss to Real Salt Lake... |
1st, East* | Quarter-Finals | Round of 16 | Did not qualify (08-09) |
| 2010 2010 Columbus Crew season - February :Prior to the start of the 2010 MLS season season, the Crew began play in the CONCACAF Champions League, with a quarterfinal-fixture against Group C-winner, Toluca of Mexico.... |
2nd, East | Quarter-Finals | Final | Quarter-Finals (09-10) |
| 2011 2011 Columbus Crew season The 2011 Columbus Crew season is the club's eighteenth year of existence, as well as their sixteenth season in Major League Soccer, and their sixteenth consecutive season in the top-flight of American soccer.... |
4th, East | Wild Card | Round 3 | Quarter-Finals (10-11) |
| 2012 | Did not qualify (11-12) | |||
- Won MLS Supporters Shield
† Made the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Giants Cup
CONCACAF Giants Cup
The CONCACAF Giants Cup was an international football club competition held in 2001 to replace CONCACAF Cup Winners Cup. The cup was for CONCACAF teams with the highest attendance in their national league, and was won by Mexico's Club América...
which was held instead of the CONCACAF Champions' Cup in 2001
International tournaments
- 2001 CONCACAF Giants CupCONCACAF Giants CupThe CONCACAF Giants Cup was an international football club competition held in 2001 to replace CONCACAF Cup Winners Cup. The cup was for CONCACAF teams with the highest attendance in their national league, and was won by Mexico's Club América...
-
- First round v.
Deportivo Saprissa -- 0:2, 1:1 (Saprissa advance 3:1 on aggregate)
- First round v.
- 2003 CONCACAF Champions' CupCONCACAF Champions' Cup 2003The 2003 CONCACAF Champions' Cup was the 38th edition of the annual international club football competition held in the CONCACAF region , the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. It was won by Club Toluca after a 5-4 aggregate win over Monarcas Morelia in the final. The tournament was held between March 6 and...
-
- First round v.
Arabe Unido -- 1:2, 3:0 (Crew advance 4:2 on aggregate) - Quarter-Final v.
Monarcas Morelia -- 0:6, 2:0 (Morelia advance 6:2 on aggregate)
- First round v.
- 2009-10 CONCACAF Champions League
-
- Group Stage
- v.
Puerto Rico IslandersPuerto Rico IslandersPuerto Rico Islanders is a Puerto Rican professional football team based in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. Founded in 2003, the team plays in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
2:0, 1:1 - v. Cruz Azul 0:5, 0:2
- v. Saprissa 1:0, 1:1
- v.
- Quarter-Final v. Toluca 2:2, 2:3 (Toluca advances 5:4 on aggregate)
- Group Stage
- 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League
-
- Group Stage
- v.
Municipal 1:0, 1:2 - v.
Joe PublicJoe Public F.C.Joe Public Football Club is a football club from Trinidad and Tobago currently playing in the Pro League. Nicknamed the Eastern Lions, they are owned by former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner...
3:0, 4:1 - v. Santos Laguna 1:0, 0:1
- v.
- Quarter-Final v.
Real Salt LakeReal Salt LakeReal Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
0:0, 1:4 (Real Salt LakeReal Salt LakeReal Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
advances 4:1 on aggregate)
- Group Stage
Columbus holds a 7-5-3 all-time record in international friendlies.
Team records
- Games: Mike ClarkMike Clark (soccer)Mike Clark is a retired American soccer defender who spent eight seasons with the Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer....
, 221 - Goals: Jeff CunninghamJeff CunninghamJeff Cunningham is a Jamaican-born American soccer player who played on multiple Major League Soccer teams. He is the MLS all-time leader in goals scored with 134.-College:...
, 63 - Assists:
Robert WarzychaRobert WarzychaRobert Warzycha is a Polish former professional association football player. He is currently the head coach of Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer....
, 61 - Shutouts: William Hesmer, 40
MLS regular season only, through 2006 season
- All-Time regular season record: 166-165-67 (Through Oct. 26, 2008)
Average attendance
regular season/playoffs- 1996: 18,950/20,807
- 1997: 15,043/11,304
- 1998: 12,275/12,094
- 1999: 17,696/10,983
- 2000: 15,451/Missed Playoffs
- 2001: 17,551/20,883
- 2002: 17,429/11,624
- 2003: 16,250/Missed Playoffs
- 2004: 16,872/15,224
- 2005: 12,916/Missed Playoffs
- 2006: 13,294/Missed Playoffs
- 2007: 15,230/Missed Playoffs
- 2008: 14,622/17,613
- 2009: 14,447/10,109
- 2010: 14,641/10,322
- All-Time: 16,344/13,887
- All-Time Best Attendance For A Game: 53,844 on 07/04/2000 at Mile High Stadium.
http://web.mlsnet.com/mls/schedule/index.jsp?year=2008&month=11