Columbus Crew History

The Columbus Crew are a charter member of Major League Soccer. The club played its home matches in Ohio Stadium from its inaugural year in 1996 through 1998. Beginning in 1999, the Crew played all of its home league matches in the newly built Columbus Crew Stadium, the first soccer specific stadium for a top flight club in the United States.

The Crew won its first trophy in 2002, capturing the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, which in turn earned the club a berth in the 2003 CONCACAF Champions Cup. In 2004, the Crew won the Supporters' Shield for earning the most points during the MLS regular season.

They once again won the Supporter's Shield in 2008 regular season. They went on to complete the double, winning the 2008 MLS Cup on November 23, 2008, beating the New York Red Bulls 3-1 on goals from Alejandro Moreno, Chad Marshall, and Frankie Hejduk. All three goals were assisted by League (and game) MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto. This was the Crew's first MLS Cup win in the its history.Ohio governor Ted Strickland congratulated the team on their championship.