Why 2023 was perfect year for Columbus Crew to win MLS Cup
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- For the second time in four years, the Columbus Crew are MLS champions after winning MLS Cup 2-1 over Los Angeles FC in front of the Black & Gold faithful at Lower.com Field Saturday.
Crew fans and the Columbus community will have a chance to celebrate this championship like never before. The 2020 title was coupled with COVID-19 pandemic restrictions which prevented a full stadium to watch Columbus claim the cup and the city from having a celebration.
Three years later and Columbus was able to pack its stadium in the Arena District to watch the team lift the trophy and will converge for a parade on Tuesday to celebrate.
It was an unexpected championship run for Columbus under a new head coach and a changed roster that lost a club legend midseason. The title puts the Crew in position for a congested 2024 schedule and to grow its global brand to heights no one could have imagined. With the opportunities at play next season, 2023 was the perfect year for Columbus to take back the MLS title.
Club exposure as high as ever
2023 was a year Major League Soccer grew its exposure around the world and it started with a gamble that paid off. MLS signed an exclusive media rights deal with Apple for the new season. While this put a majority of games behind a paywall via streaming, it made MLS one of the only leagues in the world anyone could watch anywhere in the world.
MLS' Apple deal brought in viewing numbers higher than anticipated, per MLS commissioner Don Garber. The Columbus Crew were among the teams gaining attention from new fans of the league with its brand of attacking soccer, making their games vastly entertaining and high-scoring.
The Crew and the league got an even bigger bump in attention when Lionel Messi signed with Inter Miami right in time for the new Leagues Cup competition. Messi and the exciting new tournament grew MLS' fans and exposure even further.
After that, the league's first 18-team postseason ended with a Columbus Crew title. With a whole host of new fans brought to MLS through Apple, the Crew's amazing play, Messi, and more games, the Black & Gold's global audience has grown even bigger.
Changes bring championship to Columbus
It's hard to find a club that went through as many changes between championships as the Columbus Crew.
The 2020 championship-winning side, coached by Caleb Porter, won the title after a grueling nine months that included multiple midseason pauses from the COVID-19 pandemic. That team followed its title by missing the playoffs two straight times, leading to a change in the coaching staff.
After Porter was relieved of his duties following the 2022 season, the club brought in CF Montreal coach Wilfried Nancy to bring a new brand of soccer to the team. He also got busy making roster changes with eight new players brought in and seven others leaving.
The team and new signings like Christian Ramirez and Malte Amundsen adapted to the new style of play quickly. Crew fans were then left flabbergasted in July when club star Lucas Zelarayan left and was replaced with Diego Rossi, leaving the 2023 roster with only three players from the 2020 championship squad.
Even without Zelarayan, the Crew did not lose a step and continued its momentum towards winning a third MLS Cup. In any sports league in the world, you rarely see a team win a championship after losing its best player mid-season.
2024 will be Crew's busiest season yet
As the defending MLS champions, the Crew will embark on its biggest season in club history. With a congested schedule and new competitions, the Black & Gold have a chance to create even more history on a much larger scale.
Columbus will compete in five different competitions in 2024: MLS season, U.S. Open Cup, Leagues Cup, CONCACAF Champions Cup, and the Campeones Cup. The Crew did not follow its 2020 title with a successful 2021 MLS campaign so it will look to rewrite that in 2024. Next season's schedule is expected to be released later in December.
In July, Lower.com Field will welcome the best of MLS for All-Star week and could see a top European club come to central Ohio. It is the first time the MLS All-Star Game will be in Columbus since 2005 with the format announcement date unknown at this time.
Domestically, the Crew will also have the U.S. Open Cup which they have not won since 2002, and the second-ever Leagues Cup. The Leagues Cup features all MLS and Mexican league teams in a month-long tournament. Columbus was knocked out in the Round of 32 in that tournament in 2023.
Continentally, Columbus has a massive opportunity to play some of the best teams in the world. As MLS champions, the Crew will try to win its second Campeones Cup, a final contested between the MLS champions and Mexican league winners. The Black & Gold won that competition in 2021.
The Crew will also play in the newly named CONCACAF Champions Cup, the premier club competition for teams in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. The 2024 tournament will have 27 teams and the Crew have earned a bye in the Round of 16 as MLS Cup champions. The draw will take place Dec. 13 with the Crew set to start this competition in early March.
If the Crew wins its first CONCACAF Champions Cup, the team will qualify for the expanded 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. The 32-team tournament will take place in the United States and will feature the best teams in the world, including Manchester City and Real Madrid.