The 30th season in Columbus Crew history is nearly upon us as the Yellow Soccer Team takes on the Chicago Fire on Saturday, February 22 in their home opener. Get ready to be massive with our pre-season primer. 

 

Looking Back 

The 2024 Crew season was a special one. The team played in multiple competitions, doing well in each of them. 

  • MLS – the Crew went 19-6-9, finishing second in the East and recording 66 points which was their most ever in an MLS season. The club also scored 72 goals and had a goal differential of +32, also club records. Unfortunately, the team’s MLS Cup defense fell short as the Crew fell to Red Bull NY in the opening round of the playoffs. 
  • Concacaf Champions Cup – Columbus made the deepest Champions Cup run in club history, defeating Houston Dynamo FC, Tigres and Monterrey on their way to the final. The dream run stopped there, however as the Crew fell to Pachuca in Pachuca. 
  • Leagues Cup – in the second year of this format, featuring all MLS and Liga MX teams, Crew came out on top. As 2025 MLS Champions, they received a bye through the group stage to the knockout rounds, where they topped Sporting KC, Inter Miami, NYC FC and Philadelphia Union on the way to hosting LAFC in the final. That final was at the fortress of Lower.com Field and Crew lifted the trophy after a 3-1 win. 
  • Campeones Cup – the Crew made their second appearance in the Campeones Cup, a one match final that pits the defending MLS and Liga MX Champions against each other. In the third Cup final hosted in Columbus in less than a year, the Crew lost for the first time, to Club América on penalties. 

 

Top Home Matches 

Crew will play 16 home MLS matches at Lower.com Field in 2025 plus an undetermined number of Concacaf Champions Cup and Leagues Cup ties. Here’s our pick of the top matches in Columbus this season. 

  • Feb. 22 vs. Chicago Fire – it’s going to be cold, but it’s the season opener aka Crewsmas. A must-make match for true Crew fans. Bundle up. It also marks the return of former Crew coach Gregg Berhalter who returned to the MLS to coach the Fire.
  • March TBD – Crew earned a bye to the Round of 16 in Concacaf Champions Cup. Which means they’ll host the winner of Colorado Rapids vs. LAFC in early or mid-March. An early-season, two-leg knockout round game is a recipe for excitement.
  • May 17 vs. FC Cincinnati – Hell is Real is one of the top rivalries in MLS and it only gets better with time. Both teams are looking to bounce back after leaving the playoff party sooner than they hoped last season.
  • Aug. 5 vs. León – This season’s Leagues Cup features only the top 18 MLS clubs from last season along with all 18 Liga MX teams. When a Liga MX team comes to Lower.com Field, it’s a special atmosphere and Crew will host three of them this year. León is near the top of the Liga MX this season and has eight titles in its history. The other Leagues Cup matches are July 29 vs. 10-time champion Toluca and Aug. 1 vs Puebla.

 

Players on the Rise

The Future is Bright: Chase Adams, a 16-year-old Crew 2 player made history during the opening match of the 2025 U-17 World Cup qualification campaign. The U.S. routed a U.S. Virgin Islands team 22-0 with 10 of the goals being scored by Adams. Adams is one of several players in recent years to follow the newly established player pathway outlined by the Crews Front office, he follows in the steps of Taha Habroune and Cole Mrowka who have since made their first team debuts. Crew GM Issa Tall recently pointed out Crew 2 have 14 players on youth national teams, compared to just two in 2023. Jacen Russell-Rowe is another former Crew 2 player with first team experience and will play a key role on this year’s side.

 

Before You Go 

Next time you’re heading to Lower.com Field, check out our Fan Guide for our hand-picked list of top pre-game and post-game spots. You can also visit the Know Before You Go: Lower.com Field page for common answers about bag policies, children’s tickets and more. 

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