Columbus Crew

(8-6-3)

5th in East

MLS attendance up 12 percent from 2023 — and it's not all down to Messi

Attendance at MLS matches is up 12% compared to data up to the same date in 2023, the league announced on Monday. Nearly 6.5 million fans have attended a total of 279 MLS matches in the first half of the regular season — nearly 700,000 more fans than the same date in 2023. The year-to-year growth is anchored by upward trends for 25 of the league’s 29 active franchises. Nine teams are currently averaging attendance at 100 percent of their stadium’s capacity. Additionally, five matches have featured an attendance of 60,000 or higher in 2024, the most through this date in league history.

Jeff Rueter139

The USMNT players who could change clubs this summer: McKennie, Reyna, Turner and more

Tom Bogert30

Which MLS teams are most entertaining to watch? 2024 edition

Tom Bogert77

Crew coach Wilfried Nancy says CONCACAF Cup final should be neutral site after food poisoning outbreak

Lauren Merola50

Middlesbrough agree deal to sign Aidan Morris from Columbus Crew

Tom Bogert62

A year to go until the Club World Cup in the United States: What's going on?

Details about the tournament are scarce - here's what The Athletic is hearing

Adam Crafton78

Columbus Crew left with unanswered questions on Champions Cup final food poisoning

A large number of the Columbus Crew's players and coaches suffered from food poisoning that affected them during the match

Pablo Maurer81

Columbus Crew's Tim Bezbatchenko to accept position with Bill Foley's Black Knight Football

Columbus Crew president and general manager Tim Bezbatchenko is set to accept a position with Black Knight Football, the sports portfolio owned by Bill Foley, which includes the Premier League’s Bournemouth, multiple sources briefed on the decision confirmed to The Athletic. Bezbatchenko is one of the most successful executives in MLS history. As general manager of Toronto FC from 2013-18, Bezbatchenko was the architect of one of the league’s most successful rosters. Toronto, led by a trio of stars in Michael Bradley, Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore, won a domestic treble in 2017 (MLS...

Paul Tenorio and Joshua Kloke22

CF Pachuca beats Columbus Crew in CONCACAF Champions Cup final: How it happened

The Liga MX side took advantage of its chances, while the defending MLS Cup champions wilted when it mattered most

Paul Tenorio, Jeff Rueter, Pablo Maurer39

Wilfried Nancy's Columbus is in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final — Thierry Henry isn't surprised

Nancy and Henry worked closely together during a difficult 2020 season

Jeff Rueter20

USMNT names pre-Olympic training camp roster, adding dual-national Damion Downs

Damion Downs, a German-American dual-national, will make his first appearance in camp with the U.S. U-23 team.

Jeff Rueter and Paul Tenorio18

MLS's experimental rule changes are saving time, but causing a stir with Messi

The off-field treatment and times substitution rules are having a significant impact on games, but they're not without flaws

Jeff Rueter85

Almada, Shaqiri among potential MLS transfers to watch in summer window

Whether it's young players making a leap or teams shedding underperformers, many MLS players could be set for an exit.

Tom Bogert51

Why RSL-Colorado was the perfect MLS game; San Diego hire falls through: Takeaways

An eight-goal thriller between Rocky Mountain rivals showed off the very things that make the league special away from the marquee teams

Tom Bogert and Jeff Rueter17

MLSPA salary release takeaways: What we learned from the day agents and GMs both dread

Which MLS teams have increased/decreased their spending the most? Now we know.

Tom Bogert and Jeff Rueter63

Lionel Messi is the highest-paid player in MLS, earning more than 25 rosters

Plus, why Miami can pay Messi so much over the salary cap

Jeff Rueter and Tom Bogert65

Why more MLS coaches aren't on the hot seat; Benteke's aerial expertise: Takeaways

Plus, diving into Christian Benteke's eye-popping and historic aerial ability after a hat trick of headers

Tom Bogert and Jeff Rueter66

LAFC to hire Crew scouting director Neil McGuinness as technical director: Sources

McGuinness will make the move after helping the Crew win MLS Cup 2023 over LAFC

Tom Bogert and Paul Tenorio10

Nacho, Sergio Ramos, Marco Reus and more: Europe's free agents who could land in MLS

A number of big names will be available on a free transfer this summer. These ones could make sense for at least a few MLS teams.

Tom Bogert46

Derby Days, Dublin: Bohemians vs Shamrock Rovers

The Dublin Derby pits the north of the capital against the south, Ireland's oldest club against its most successful, and a game with history

Michael Walker40

Columbus Crew reaches Champions Cup final: Takeaways from a commanding win over Monterrey

Columbus overcame an early setback in Monterrey to advance in convincing fashion

Paul Tenorio59

The best and worst dealings of the MLS primary transfer window

Our writers share their superlatives for a busy winter transfer window

Tom Bogert and Jeff Rueter62

Where deals stand on MLS transfer deadline eve: New deal for Puig, Cincy's U-22 forward and more

The latest on transfer and trade moves before the league's primary window shuts

Tom Bogert32

Where MLS teams have improved and regressed in 2024

There's just enough sample size in the early part of the MLS season to identify some trends in how teams have changed since 2023.

Jeff Rueter51

U.S. Open Cup round of 32 draw: MLS and USL teams join, NYCFC II is last Next Pro team

The Open Cup's round of 32 features many USL vs. MLS matchups, with the lowest-ranked teams coming from USL League One

Jeff Rueter27

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