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Columbus Crew forward Christian Ramirez (17) hoists the trophy after the 3-2 extra-time win over FC Cincinnati in the MLS Cup Eastern Conference Finals at TQL Stadium. Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Columbus Crew defy the odds to reach MLS Cup Final

By Alyssa Clang | Last updated 12/4/23

With 25 minutes left in Saturday's Major League Soccer Eastern Conference Final, the Columbus Crew found themselves in a seemingly insurmountable 2-0 hole. No team had ever pulled off a multi-goal comeback in a league conference final, and no team was less suited to do so than Columbus — an outfit that scored the vast majority of its regular-season goals in the first half.

"Tonight, my wife told me that when we were 2-0 down, my son was crying," Columbus head coach Wilfried Nancy told the media.

Nancy's son needn't have worried. Columbus threw statistics out the window and pulled off an epic 3-2 extra-time victory.

"My wife told him, 'You cannot quit,'" Nancy said. "At the end of the game, my son told me, 'Hey, Dad, good lesson.'"

A GOAL FOR COLUMBUUUUUUS pic.twitter.com/KzS7hLc03B
— The Crew (@ColumbusCrew) December 3, 2023

Columbus' victory was significant for the Ohio city. While it has a strong presence in college athletics with Ohio State, Columbus is underrepresented in professional sports, with just the NHL's Blue Jackets and MLS' Crew repping the city of nearly one million.

The Crew's history dates to the early '90s, a quiet period in American soccer between the death of the NASL and the birth of MLS. When the United States Soccer Federation began scouting homes for MLS' early franchises, Columbus wasn't on its radar — the city was considered too small for a team.

The USSF, however, set a target for would-be MLS cities: generate 10,000 season-ticket deposits to prove that your residents are serious about soccer. Columbus became the first prospective league city to do so.

That push and pull between deep fan commitment and U.S. Soccer indifference has defined Columbus' MLS journey.

It's a team that shouldn't have to prove itself — it's a two-time MLS Cup champion with some of the most consistent ticket sales in the league.

In a bid to sell even more tickets, former Columbus owner Anthony Precourt attempted to move the Crew from Columbus to Austin, Texas. Only loud fan protests and quick-moving legislation saved the Crew and sent Precourt packing.

Now, U.S. Soccer will have no choice but to turn its attention toward Columbus. The team's Eastern Conference victory didn't merely grant it a spot in the MLS Cup Final on Saturday against defending champion Los Angeles FC. Columbus will host the game.

Down to two. @ColumbusCrew hosts @LAFC on Saturday in #MLSCup pres. by Audi. pic.twitter.com/lYvqNiHQ7b
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) December 4, 2023

It's a landmark moment for Columbus and an opportunity for it to show just what makes it special: one of the healthiest and most supportive fan and player environments in American sports, led by Nancy.

"You can only fight for someone like that," Crew player Christian Ramírez said of Nancy. "Here with Wilfried, we play to our strengths no matter what...it's given me a new outlook on football, doing some things that I normally never did in my career."

Saturday's final is at 4 p.m. ET.

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