Columbus Crew
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| Full name | Columbus Crew | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Crew, Massive, The Fighting Canaries, America's Hardest Working Team |
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| Founded | 1994 | ||
| Stadium | Columbus Crew Stadium Columbus, Ohio (Capacity: 20,455[1]) |
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| Owner |  Clark Hunt |
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| Head Coach |  Robert Warzycha |
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| League | Major League Soccer | ||
| 2009 | Eastern Conference: 1st Overall: 1st Playoffs: Quarterfinals |
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 Current season |
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The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer team based in Columbus, Ohio that participates in Major League Soccer. 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.[1] 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 Garcia. 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 one other final, 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 team has 3 major supporters groups: "The Crew Supporters Union", "The Hudson Street Hooligans", and "La Turbina Amarilla". These supporters groups sit together in the northeast corner of Columbus Crew Stadium, known as the "Nordecke" (pronounced Nord-eck-uh), which is German for North Corner, and is a tribute to the German heritage of Columbus.
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History
The Beginning: 1994-1996
The Columbus Crew is a founding member of Major League Soccer, awarded a franchise on June 15, 1994. The Crew was also awarded the first overall pick of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft and with their selection they chose Brian McBride. The first ever player for the Crew was South African National team veteran Doctor Khumalo assigned to the Crew by Major League Soccer. The Crew won it's very first game ever over D.C. United by a score of 4-0. The team played its home matches in Ohio Stadium from its inaugural year in 1996 through 1998. Beginning in 1999, the Crew played all of their home MLS matches in the newly built Columbus Crew Stadium, the first soccer specific stadium for a top flight team in the United States and frequent host to key US Men's National Team fixtures. In 1997, the team opened its new state-of-the-art training facility in Obetz, Ohio.
1996-2006
The Crew made the playoffs in its inaugural season but was eliminated in the quarterfinals. In their second season the Crew again made the playoffs and won their first playoff series, beating Tampa Bay Mutiny by a score of 2-0. The Crew won its first trophy in 2002, capturing the 2002 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup by beating the Los Angeles Galaxy 1-0 in the Final. The win earned the Crew a berth into CONCACAF Champions' Cup 2003, where they defeated Árabe Unido of Panama 4-2 on aggregate before being eliminated by Monarcas Morelia as they lost the tie by an aggregate score of 6 to 2. In 2004 the Crew won the 2004 MLS Supporters' Shield. Team captain Robert Fraser also won the MLS Defender of the year for the 2004 season. The 2005 season began with Greg Andrulis still the coach after being honored as the MLS coach of the year in 2004, but on July 12, 2005, Andrulis was relieved of his duties. The Crew named Robert Warzycha the interim head coach as his replacement. The 2005 season was a disappointment, failing to get into the playoffs, but ended on a positive note when the Crew named Sigi Schmid their new head coach. Robert Warzycha agreed to stay on as an assistant for Schmid. Through out the 2006 season Schmid changed the Crew's roster, adding young talent that was good but also cheap. The Crew again missed the playoffs in 2006, but this wasn't considered as bad because they were still in the rebuilding stages. The 2006 season ended on a tragic note when team founder and owner Lamar Hunt died on December 14, 2006.
2007-
The 2007 season in Major League Soccer started with the biggest news in league history when global icon David Beckham signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy. The Crew followed this with their own superstar signing with Guillermo Barros Schelotto. Schelotto signed for the Crew on April 19, 2007. The Crew also signed forward Alejandro Moreno to bolster it's attack. Even with these new players, the Crew still missed the playoffs in 2007.
The 2008 season saw a change in the way the Crew worked together as a team and joined in the race for first place in the standings of the MLS regular season. Schelotto had a terrific season in 2008 by winning the MLS MVP award while also leading the Crew to once again win the Supporter's Shield in 2008 before winning MLS Cup 2008, beating the New York Red Bulls 3-1 and assisting on all three goals, as well as getting the MLS Cup MVP award. Defender Chad Marshall also won the MLS Defender of the Year award. After the season ended, head coach Sigi Schmid left the Crew to coach the new expansion Seattle Sounders F.C..
The 2009 season started with the Crew naming former player and assistant coach Robert Warzycha as the new head coach. Also in 2009, Guillermo Barros Schelotto was rewarded with the honor of becoming the franchise's first Designated Player.[2]The Crew clinched the 2009 MLS Supporters' Shield on October 22 after Chivas USA fell to the Chicago Fire. This assured the Crew entry into the 2010 edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and the 2010-2011 CONCACAF Champions League[3]. The Black & Gold finished the 2009 MLS campaign with a 13-7-10 regular-season record, good enough for 49 points.[4] The Crew went on to be eliminated by Real Salt Lake in the two-legged Eastern Conference Semifinals, 4-2 on aggregate.[5]. Chad Marshall also repeated as the recipient of the MLS Defender of the Year award.
The 2010 season started off with a contract extension for Guillermo Barros Schelotto but a reduction in his salary leading to the removal of his designated player tag. The team stayed mostly with the same group of guys but added Sergio Herrera and Leandre Griffit along with its draft picks from the previous draft. Herrera didn't fit well with the team and was released during the season.
Television and radio
The Crew was the first MLS team to land a local television network, when they did so in March of 1997.
Crew matches are telecast locally on the Ohio News Network. Dwight Burgess serves as play-by-play commentator, Bill McDermott and Dante Washington serve as color commentators for home and away games, respectively. 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 as color commentator. Spanish radio broadcasts can be heard on 1550 AM WDLR with Marcelo Carrera as commentator.
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.[6] SportsTime Ohio frequently re-airs the program later in the week.[7]
Crew Soccer Updates air weekdays on 105.7 FM WBWR and 106.7 FM WRXS.
Sponsors
Since 2006 adidas has served as kit manufacturer for all MLS teams. Since 2008 Glidden has served as the Crew's shirt sponsor.
Rivals
Since 2008 the Crew have contested with Toronto FC for the Trillium Cup. It is named the Trillium Cup because the trillium is the state flower of both Ohio and Ontario.
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 5-0-5 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, another claimed to have been subdued with taser guns by Columbus Police. Both Toronto FC fans and officials in Columbus pointed fingers at each other. Crew Stadium reported damages to the stadium caused by vandalism in the south End of the stadium where Toronto FC fans were provided with designated seating. [8]
The Crew also plays in a pre-season only 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.
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 (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 demolition 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 (pronounced Nord-eck-ah) 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.[9]
Players
Current roster
As of August 5, 2010.[10]
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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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.
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- See also All-time Columbus Crew roster
Head coaches
| Nat | Name | Years |
|---|---|---|
 Finland |
Timo Liekoski | 1996 |
| United States |
Tom Fitzgerald | 1996–01 |
| United States |
Greg Andrulis | 2001–05 |
| Poland |
Robert Warzycha | 2005 (interim) |
 Germany |
Sigi Schmid | 2006–08 |
| Poland |
Robert Warzycha | 2009– |
Team records
- Games: Mike Clark, 221
- Goals: Brian McBride and Jeff Cunningham, 62
- Assists: Robert Warzycha, 61
- Shutouts: William Hesmer, 26
MLS regular season only, through 2006 season
- All-Time regular season record: 166-165-67 (Through Oct. 26, 2008)
Stadiums
- Ohio Stadium (1996–99)
- Columbus Crew Stadium (1999-current)
The Columbus Crew first played their home games in Ohio Stadium. They ended with a 33-20 record while playing there. On May 15, 1999 the Crew opened Crew Stadium, the first stadium built specifically for soccer in the United States, 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 U.S. in World Cup qualifying.
Results
Year-by-Year
| Season | MLS Regular Season | MLS Cup Playoffs | Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup | CONCACAF Champions Cup/Champions League | SuperLiga |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 4th, East | Quarterfinals | Did not enter | Did not qualify | |
| 1997 | 3rd, East | Semifinals | Did not enter | Did not qualify | |
| 1998 | 2nd, East | Semifinals | Final | Did not qualify | |
| 1999 | 2nd, East | Semifinals | Semifinals | Did not qualify | |
| 2000 | 4th, Central | Did not qualify | Quarterfinals | Did not qualify | |
| 2001 | 2nd, Central | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Not held † | |
| 2002 | 2nd, East | Semifinals | Champions | Did not qualify | |
| 2003 | 5th, East | Did not qualify | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | |
| 2004 | 1st, East* | Quarterfinals | 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 | Did not participate |
| 2008 | 1st, East* | Champions | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not participate |
| 2009 | 1st, East* | Quarterfinals | Round of 16 | Did not qualify (08-09) | Did not participate |
| 2010 | finals | Quarterfinals (09-10) | Did not participate | ||
| 2011 | Qualified for Group Stage (10-11) |
* Won MLS Supporters Shield † Made the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Giants Cup which was held instead of the CONCACAF Champions' Cup in 2001
International competition
- 2001 CONCACAF Giants Cup
- First round v.
Deportivo Saprissa -- 0:2, 1:1 (Saprissa advance 3:1 on aggregate)
- First round v.
- 2003 CONCACAF Champions' Cup
- First round v.
Arabe Unido -- 1:2, 3:0 (Crew advance 4:2 on aggregate) - Quarterfinal 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 Islanders 2:0, 1:1 - v. Cruz Azul 0:5, 0:2
- v. Saprissa 1:0, 1:1
- v.
- Quarterfinal 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 - v.
Joe Public - v. Santos Laguna 0:1
- v.
- Group Stage
Columbus holds a 5-5-3 all-time record in international friendlies.
Honors
Domestic
League
- MLS Cup:
- Winner (1): 2008
- MLS Supporters' Shield:
- Winner (3): 2004, 2008, 2009
- Eastern Conference: Regular Season:
- Winner (3): 2004, 2008, 2009
- Eastern Conference Playoffs:
- Winner (1): 2008
Cups
- Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup:
- Winner (1): 2002
- Runner-up (1): 1998
Minor Trophies
- Carolina Challenge Cup:
- Winner (1): 2004
- Trillium Cup:
- Winner (2): 2008, 2009
Average attendance
regular season/playoffs
- 1996: 18,950
- 1997: 15,043
- 1998: 12,275
- 1999: 17,696
- 2000: 15,451
- 2001: 17,551
- 2002: 17,429
- 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: 14,622/12,911
- 2009: 14,447/10,109
- All-Time: 16,344
- All-Time Best Attendance For A Game: 53,844 on 07/04/2000 at Mile High Stadium.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Crew Stadium adds concert stage" January 10, 2008
- ↑ http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2008/12/schelotto-returning-to-crew-in-2009.html
- ↑ http://www.concacaf.com/page/CL/NewsDetail/0,,12813~1835498,00.html
- ↑ http://web.mlsnet.com/standings/
- ↑ http://columbus.crew.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20091105&content_id=7630014&vkey=news_coc&fext=.jsp&team=t102
- ↑ http://blackandgoldstandard.com/?tag=crewxtra
- ↑ http://www.sportstimeohio.com/TVSchedule.aspx
- ↑ Daniel Girard (2009-04-01). "TFC owners express `disappointment' over fans' road violence". TheStar.com. http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/611507/. Retrieved 2009-04-01.
- ↑ Steve Sirk. "Nordecke on tour". Thecrew.com. http://www.thecrew.com/news/2010/08/sirk%E2%80%99s-notebook.
- ↑ [1] Columbus Dispatch roster update article
External links
- The Crew
- The Massive Report -- The Source For Columbus Crew News
- Hunt Park Insider
- Crewture- Columbus Supporters Website
- Columbus Dispatch Coverage
- Official Crew Blog
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