One of the charter members of Major League Soccer, the Columbus Crew were founded in 1996. A perennial high-performer, the Crew have a string of victories to their name over the last twenty-plus years of professional play, including the 2008 MLS Cup, the 2004, 2008, and 2009 Supporters’ Shield, and the 2002 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Crew also have a string of CONCACAF qualifiers as well, with the team reaching the quarterfinals three times in their history so far.

Early Struggles and Later Successes

Inaugural seasons can be rough on new teams, and the Crew certainly paid its dues. While Columbus started out strong with an initial win, a string of losses saw them only bagging another 5 victories through 21 games. The team turned it around in the end, though, pushing hard and winning the next 9 out of 10, earning them a spot in the playoffs.

The next few seasons would continue to be a struggle, with Columbus consistently being locked out of winning positions by their biggest rivals, DC United and the Chicago Fire. Yet the team fought their way to supremacy tooth and nail in the mid-to-late 2000s, earning a number of championship wins that placed them at the top of the heap for most of the decade.

The Modern Crew

Truth be told, the Columbus Crew of today might have lost a step from a decade ago, but just because they’re down doesn’t mean they’re out. A major kerfuffle between the city of Columbus and the soccer club’s owners over a possible relocation certainly left a black mark on the team. That said, fans have rallied around the Crew like none other – including new owner Jimmy Halsam, who also owns the Cleveland Browns. The Crew are staying in Columbus where they belong, thrilling fans to no end, and setting the stage for a major revival in the coming years!