Columbus Crew host New York Red Bulls live on Sky Sports 1 tonight
with both sides currently occupying a play-off spot in the Eastern Conference.
Crew are looking to recreate their successes of the last
decade this year, and ahead of the crunch clash we’ve taken a look back at
their history.
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| Captain Michael Parkhurst in action |
Factfile:
Founded: 1994
Stadium: MAPFRE Stadium (19,968)
Best MLS regular season finish: Supporters Shield winners
2004, 2008 and 2009
Head Coach: Gregg Berhalter
Captain: Michael Parkhurst
Top MLS goalscorer: Jeff Cunningham – 64
Most MLS appearances: Chad Marshall – 253
MLS History:
Crew are a franchise with a rich MLS history, frequently
qualifying for the MLS Cup play-offs since their inception as one of the league’s
ten founding members in 1994.
They moved into their current home in 1999, and after
finishing second in their conference four times in seven seasons they finally
secured the Supporters Shield in 2004.
In 2008 they enjoyed their most successful season, following
up a second Shield win with their only MLS Cup triumph, beating New York Red
Bulls 3-1 in the final.
The following season brought a second consecutive Shield and
continued their MLS dominance, but the franchise have since failed to reach the
same heights.
Head Coach:
Gregg Berhalter took charge in November 2013 after becoming
the first American to coach a European football club with his year-and-a-half
in charge of Swedish side Hammarby.
In his first season the former USA international guided Crew
to third in Eastern Conference, their highest finish since 2010, to ensure a
return to the post season.
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| Gregg Berhalter has been in charge since November 2013 |
For this achievement Berhalter was nominated for the Head
Coach of the Year award, and is looking for similar success this year with Crew
in sixth place in the East.
As a player his career included long spells in the
Netherlands and Germany, a brief stint at Crystal Palace, and two successful
seasons as a veteran at LA Galaxy.
Cream of the Crew:
Kei Kamara
The former Norwich City and Middlesbrough striker is in his
second spell in Columbus after scoring five goals in 36 appearances for the side
in 2006 and 2007.
The 30-year-old Sierra Leonean rejoined in January and has
reached unprecedented heights since his return, leading the 2015 MLS scoring
charts with 12 goals in 17 games.
Ethan Finlay
While Kamara has been lethal up front this year, Crew’s main
creative force has been Finlay who has recorded a MLS-high 10 assists in 17
matches.
The midfielder joined in 2012 and after two years as a
bit-part player he enjoyed his breakthrough last season, recording 11 goals and
7 assists in 29 games.
Federico Higuain
Older brother of Napoli and Argentina forward Gonzalo,
Higuain arrived as a Designated Player in 2012 and won MLS Newcomer of the Year
in his first season.
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| Higuain's brother is Napoli star Gonzalo |
The 30-year-old attacker has been a crucial attacking asset
for Columbus since his arrival, racking up 31 goals and 26 assists in just 87
games.
Rivalries:
Chicago Fire
A natural geographic rivalry between both franchises hailing
from the Midwest, the increased animosity between these sides dates back to the
1998 US Open Cup final.
Postponed due to a hurricane, the match was controversially
relocated to Fire’s then-home Soldier Field and subsequently won by the ‘home’
side – Crew’s 2008 Eastern Conference final victory was a belated revenge of
sorts.
Toronto FC
Since Toronto’s second season in MLS in 2008 the Trillium
Cup has been awarded each season to the aggregate winner of the MLS series
between the teams.
Named for the official flower of both Ontario and Ohio, to
date, Crew lead with five wins to Toronto’s two which includes a 2-0 win
earlier this season.
Club Legends:
Brian McBride
Later to rise to prominence in the Premier League with
Fulham, McBride joined Crew from Wolfsburg in in 1996 as the first pick in the
inaugural MLS Draft.
The former USA international stayed with the club for eight
years, amassing 62 goals – the second-highest total in franchise history – and
45 assists in 161 games.
In 2005 he was named in the MLS All-Time Best XI and in 2011
Crew rightfully honoured him by naming him the inaugural member of its Circle
of Honour.
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| McBride turned out for Fulham too |
Frankie Hejduk
Only one player has joined McBride in the Circle of Honour
and that is former USA fullback Frankie Hejduk, inducted in 2014.
After spells with Bayer Leverkusen and Swiss side St. Gallen
he joined in 2003 and was crucial to the club’s mid-2000s success, scoring in
the 2008 MLS Cup final win.
The defender left in 2010 after making 147 appearances for
the franchise and since 2012 he has continued his association with the team,
this time as their Brand Ambassador.
Premier League
influences:
Aside from Kamara, Crew’s current squad includes former
Middlesbrough captain Emanuel Pogatetz, and past players who have starred in
the Premier League include McBride.
After scoring 44 goals in 55 games in two seasons for Crew,
Stern John went on to count then-Premier League Birmingham City amongst his
English clubs.
Brad Friedel’s year in Columbus was followed by a move to
Liverpool in 1997, while Crew flop Ian Woan spent the entire 1990s with Nottingham
Forest.
Did You Know?
- The club’s MAPFRE Stadium, known as the Columbus Crew Stadium from 1999 until the start of this season, was the first soccer-specific stadium to be built in the USA.
- Crew are one of just four sides to win the MLS Cup and Supporters Shield in the same season, D.C. United, Kansas City Wizards and LA Galaxy are the others.
- The 19-game unbeaten streak enjoyed by the club from July 3 2004 until April 2 2005 is still a joint record in MLS, matched only by FC Dallas in 2010.
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