2018 Columbus Crew SC season
The 2018 Columbus Crew SC season was the club's twenty-third season of existence, and their twenty-third consecutive season in Major League Soccer, the top flight of American soccer. Columbus also competed in the U.S. Open Cup, and took part in the Pacific Rim Cup and Carolina Challenge Cup during preseason. The season covered the period from November 30, 2017 to the start of the 2019 Major League Soccer season.
| 2018 season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Precourt Sports Ventures LLC |
| Head coach | Gregg Berhalter |
| Major League Soccer | Conference: 5th Overall: 10th |
| MLS Cup Playoffs | Conference Semifinals (knocked out by New York Red Bulls) |
| U.S. Open Cup | Fourth Round (knocked out by Chicago Fire) |
| Top goalscorer | League: Gyasi Zardes (19) All: Gyasi Zardes (20) |
| Highest home attendance | 19,121 (September 22 vs. Colorado) |
| Lowest home attendance | 4,992 (June 6 vs. Chicago, USOC) |
| Average home league attendance | 12,447 |
Columbus finished in third place in the inaugural Pacific Rim Cup during preseason. Facing a pair of Japanese opponents, Crew SC were defeated by Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo in the semifinals, but bounced back with a victory over Iwaki FC in the consolation game. Columbus then took part in the Carolina Challenge Cup, winning that title for the second consecutive season. Crew SC won all three matches in the tournament, claiming the CCC championship for the third time in club history.
Columbus additionally won each of their midseason rivalry matches, defeating Toronto FC across two games for the Trillium Cup and dispatching FC Dallas on tiebreakers to defend the Lamar Hunt Pioneer Cup. Against Toronto, Columbus was trailing in the aggregate series by a 3–2 line inside of the final 30 minutes of the season series; the Crew put in three late goals to tie the match and win the cup. The match against Dallas ended in a scoreless draw, with Columbus retaining the cup based on the head-to-head goals tiebreaker. Crew SC won the Pioneer Cup for the seventh time that it had been contested.
Columbus qualified for the playoffs for the second consecutive season, again finishing in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. Just as in 2017, Crew SC was victorious in a penalty shootout on the road in the knockout round, this time advancing past D.C. United with goalkeeper Zack Steffen making two saves. However, Columbus was eliminated in the conference semifinals by New York Red Bulls after suffering a 3–0 defeat in the second leg. In the U.S. Open Cup, Crew SC were eliminated in the fourth round by Chicago Fire, with the tie coming down to a penalty shootout. Crew SC goalkeeper Logan Ketterer had his shot saved in the eleventh round of kicks.
Background
Overshadowing the season for Columbus was a threat by owner Anthony Precourt to move the team to Austin, Texas; Precourt had announced the proposed move in October 2017, five days before the team's final regular season game.[1] The #SavetheCrew movement had been created in the aftermath of this proposed move.
Two days after the 2018 regular season began, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and the City of Columbus filed a lawsuit against Precourt, citing a 1996 state law that prevents sports teams that benefited from public facilities or financial assistance from relocating to another city without a six-month notice and attempting to sell the team to a local ownership group.[2] The lawsuit worked its way through the courts throughout the 2018 season.
On October 12, 2018, with two games remaining in the regular season, the owner of the Cleveland Browns (Jimmy Haslam) released a statement stating he, along with other local groups, was in the process of buying the Crew.[3] MLS later released a statement stating their willingness to keep the Crew in Columbus, and that Precourt would get the rights to start a team in Austin if the deal went through.[4]
Roster
- As of match played November 11, 2018[5]
| No. | Name | Nationality | Position(s) | Date of birth (age) | Signed in | Previous club | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | ||||||||
| 12 | Ben Lundgaard | GK | September 2, 1995 (aged 23) | 2018 | Virginia Tech Hokies | 0 | 0 | |
| 23 | Zack Steffen | GK | April 2, 1995 (aged 23) | 2016 | SC Freiburg | 71 | 0 | |
| 24 | Jon Kempin | GK | April 8, 1993 (aged 25) | 2018 | LA Galaxy | 5 | 0 | |
| 30 | Logan Ketterer | GK | November 9, 1993 (aged 25) | 2017 | Bradley Braves | 1 | 0 | |
| Defenders | ||||||||
| 3 | Josh Williams | CB | April 18, 1988 (aged 30) | 2017 | Toronto FC | 126 | 7 | |
| 4 | Jonathan Mensah | CB | July 13, 1990 (aged 28) | 2017 | Anzhi Makhachkala | 61 | 3 | |
| 17 | Lalas Abubakar | CB | December 25, 1994 (aged 23) | 2017 | Dayton Flyers | 35 | 2 | |
| 19 | Milton Valenzuela | LB, RB | August 13, 1998 (aged 20) | 2018 | Newell's Old Boys (loan) | 34 | 1 | |
| 21 | Alex Crognale | CB | August 27, 1994 (aged 24) | 2017 | Maryland Terrapins | 24 | 1 | |
| 22 | Gastón Sauro | CB | February 23, 1990 (aged 28) | 2015 | Basel | 31 | 0 | |
| 25 | Harrison Afful | RB, DM | July 24, 1986 (aged 32) | 2015 | ES Tunis | 108 | 6 | |
| 31 | Connor Maloney | RB | May 18, 1995 (aged 23) | 2017 | Penn State Nittany Lions | 4 | 0 | |
| Midfielders | ||||||||
| 2 | Ricardo Clark | DM | February 10, 1983 (aged 35) | 2018 | Houston Dynamo | 13 | 1 | |
| 6 | Wil Trapp | DM | January 15, 1993 (aged 25) | 2013 | Akron Zips | 177 | 2 | |
| 7 | Pedro Santos | RM, LM | April 22, 1988 (aged 30) | 2017 | Braga | 47 | 1 | |
| 8 | Artur | DM | March 11, 1996 (aged 22) | 2018 | São Paulo | 63 | 1 | |
| 9 | Justin Meram | LM, RM | December 4, 1988 (aged 29) | 2018 | Orlando City | 225 | 43 | |
| 10 | Federico Higuaín | AM | October 25, 1984 (aged 34) | 2012 | Colón | 196 | 58 | |
| 13 | Mike Grella | LM, RM | January 23, 1987 (aged 31) | 2018 | New York Red Bulls | 12 | 1 | |
| 16 | Hector Jiménez | AM, LM, LB, RB | November 3, 1988 (aged 30) | 2014 | LA Galaxy | 116 | 1 | |
| 18 | Cristian Martínez | LM, RM | February 6, 1997 (aged 21) | 2017 | Chorrillo | 31 | 3 | |
| 20 | Eduardo Sosa | AM | June 20, 1996 (aged 22) | 2018 | Zamora | 11 | 1 | |
| 26 | Luis Argudo | LM, RM, AM, DM | December 13, 1995 (aged 22) | 2018 | Wake Forest Demon Deacons | 21 | 0 | |
| 28 | Niko Hansen | LM, RM | September 14, 1994 (aged 24) | 2017 | New Mexico Lobos | 40 | 4 | |
| Forwards | ||||||||
| 11 | Gyasi Zardes | ST | September 2, 1991 (aged 27) | 2018 | LA Galaxy | 36 | 20 | |
| 14 | Adam Jahn | ST | January 5, 1991 (aged 27) | 2016 | San Jose Earthquakes | 46 | 7 | |
| 27 | Edward Opoku | FW, RM, LM | August 1, 1996 (aged 22) | 2018 | Virginia Cavaliers | 6 | 0 | |
| 32 | Patrick Mullins | ST | February 5, 1992 (aged 26) | 2018 | D.C. United | 13 | 1 | |
Non-competitive
Preseason
On October 5, 2017, Crew SC were announced as a participant in the 2018 Carolina Challenge Cup, the fifth time that the club was to participate in the tournament. Columbus entered the event as defending champions.[6] On November 13, 2017, the club announced that they would also take part in the inaugural Pacific Rim Cup during preseason. Crew SC were joined by Vancouver Whitecaps FC from MLS, as well as Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo and Iwaki FC from Japan.[7] Columbus was drawn against Consadole Sapporo, with the winner advancing to the championship match and the loser going to the third place match.
| January 31 Friendly | Columbus Crew SC | 2–1 | Colorado Rapids | Casa Grande, AZ |
| Zardes 2' Argudo 58' | Report | Ford 20', 35' Serna 82' | Stadium: Grande Sports Academy |
| February 4 Friendly | Columbus Crew SC | 2–1 | Seattle Sounders FC | Tucson, AZ |
| Biros 5' Jahn 78' | Report | Rodríguez 28' Saari 81' | Stadium: Mulcahy Soccer Stadium |
| February 9 Pacific Rim Cup | Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo | 3–2 | Columbus Crew SC | Halawa, HI |
| 1:00 AM EST | Reis 25' Hayasaka 45' Miyoshi 48' | Report | Zardes 13', 39' (pen.) | Stadium: Aloha Stadium Referee: Robert Sibiga |
| February 10 Pacific Rim Cup | Iwaki FC | 3–5 | Columbus Crew SC | Halawa, HI |
| 9:00 PM EST | Hisanaga 34' Hiraoka 66' Yoshida 77' | Report | Zardes 33' Higuaín 48' (pen.) Abubakar 52' Crognale 71' Opoku 73' Argudo 90' | Stadium: Aloha Stadium Referee: Allen Chapman |
| February 17 Carolina Challenge Cup | Atlanta United | 1–3 | Columbus Crew SC | Charleston, SC |
| 5:00 PM EST | González Pírez 54' J. Martínez 90' | Report | Pedro Santos 13' Abubakar 31' Martínez 33' J. Martínez 71' (o.g.) | Stadium: MUSC Health Stadium |
| February 21 Carolina Challenge Cup | Charleston Battery | 1–2 | Columbus Crew SC | Charleston, SC |
| 5:00 PM EST | Svantesson 32' | Report | Zardes 56', 82' | Stadium: MUSC Health Stadium Referee: José Carlos Rivero |
| February 24 Carolina Challenge Cup | Columbus Crew SC | 2–0 | Minnesota United | Charleston, SC |
| 5:00 PM EST | Higuaín 32' Zardes 37' Jonathan 59' | Report | Boxall 65' | Stadium: MUSC Health Stadium |
Midseason
| July 3 Friendly | Columbus Crew SC | 2–0 | Saprissa | Columbus, OH |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Zardes 28' Williams 34' | Report | Stadium: Mapfre Stadium Attendance: 7,023 Referee: Brandon Artis | |
| Note: Match was played with 30-minute halves.[8] | ||||
Competitive
MLS
Standings
Eastern Conference
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | New York City FC | 34 | 16 | 10 | 8 | 59 | 45 | +14 | 56 | Knockout round |
| 4 | D.C. United | 34 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 60 | 50 | +10 | 51 | |
| 5 | Columbus Crew | 34 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 43 | 45 | −2 | 51 | |
| 6 | Philadelphia Union | 34 | 15 | 14 | 5 | 49 | 50 | −1 | 50 | |
| 7 | Montreal Impact | 34 | 14 | 16 | 4 | 47 | 53 | −6 | 46 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goal differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss or drawing of lots.
Overall table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification[a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Portland Timbers | 34 | 15 | 10 | 9 | 54 | 48 | +6 | 54 | |
| 9 | D.C. United | 34 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 60 | 50 | +10 | 51 | |
| 10 | Columbus Crew | 34 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 43 | 45 | −2 | 51 | |
| 11 | Philadelphia Union | 34 | 15 | 14 | 5 | 49 | 50 | −1 | 50 | |
| 12 | Real Salt Lake | 34 | 14 | 13 | 7 | 55 | 58 | −3 | 49 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) disciplinary points; 6) away goals scored; 7) away goal differential; 8) coin toss or drawing of lots
Notes:
- ^ CONCACAF Champions League
Selection procedure- Four US-based teams qualified for the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League. Due to a change in format to the tournament, two qualifiers came from each of the 2017 and 2018 MLS seasons.[9] This combined qualification method was used for the 2019 tournament only. For the 2018 season, the following teams qualified:
- The winner of MLS Cup 2018 (Atlanta United FC);
- The winner of the 2018 U.S. Open Cup (Houston Dynamo)
One Canada-based team qualified for the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League, also entering at the second phase (NOTE: Canadian teams could not qualify through MLS):- The winner of the 2018 Canadian Championship (Toronto FC)
- The winner of MLS Cup 2018 (Atlanta United FC);
- Four US-based teams qualified for the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League. Due to a change in format to the tournament, two qualifiers came from each of the 2017 and 2018 MLS seasons.[9] This combined qualification method was used for the 2019 tournament only. For the 2018 season, the following teams qualified:
Aggregate table
As Toronto FC won MLS Cup 2017, one of the U.S. berths for the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League had to be reallocated, to the U.S. non-champions with the best aggregate record over the 2017 and 2018 MLS regular seasons. As the top ranked team in the table, Atlanta United FC, also qualified for the Champions League by winning MLS Cup 2018, the Champions League spot via the aggregate table was instead awarded to the second-placed team, the New York Red Bulls.[10][11]
Note: Only U.S. teams are listed in this table.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Sporting Kansas City | 68 | 30 | 17 | 21 | 105 | 69 | +36 | 111 | 2019 CONCACAF Champions League[a] |
| 6 | Portland Timbers | 68 | 30 | 21 | 17 | 114 | 98 | +16 | 107 | |
| 7 | Columbus Crew | 68 | 30 | 23 | 15 | 96 | 94 | +2 | 105 | |
| 8 | FC Dallas | 68 | 27 | 19 | 22 | 100 | 92 | +8 | 103 | |
| 9 | Real Salt Lake | 68 | 27 | 28 | 13 | 104 | 113 | −9 | 94 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) disciplinary points; 6) away goals scored; 7) away goal differential; 8) coin toss or drawing of lots
Notes:
- ^ As 2017 U.S. Open Cup champions (USA2)
Results summary
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | Pts | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD |
| 34 | 51 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 43 | 45 | −2 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 32 | 21 | +11 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 11 | 24 | −13 |
Source: MLS standings
Pld = Matches played; Pts = Points; W = Matches won; T = Matches tied; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference
Results by round
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
Match results
On December 19, 2017, the league announced the home openers for every club.[12] Just like in 2016, Columbus opened the season on the road against the defending MLS Cup champions, playing at Toronto FC in the first match of the MLS season. Columbus then opened the season at home on March 10, facing Montreal Impact.
The schedule for the remainder of the 2018 season was released on January 4, 2018.[13] Crew SC played three times against Chicago Fire and Philadelphia Union, twice against every other Eastern Conference club, and once against every Western Conference club.
| March 3 1 | Toronto FC | 0–2 | Columbus Crew SC | Toronto, ON |
| 1:00 PM EST | Report | Martínez 24' Higuaín 44' Zardes 46' | Stadium: BMO Field Attendance: 26,633 Referee: Ismail Elfath |
| March 10 2 | Columbus Crew SC | 3–2 | Montreal Impact | Columbus, OH |
| 1:00 PM EST | Higuaín 12' (pen.) Zardes 15', 90+4' (pen.) Steffen 51' | Report | Krolicki 32' Piatti 59' Edwards 85' | Stadium: Mapfre Stadium Attendance: 11,098 Referee: Chris Penso |
| March 17 3 | Philadelphia Union | 0–0 | Columbus Crew SC | Chester, PA |
| 2:00 PM EDT | Bedoya 76' Rosenberry 89' | Report | Artur 53' Higuaín 78' | Stadium: Talen Energy Stadium Attendance: 15,323 Referee: Nima Saghafi |
| March 24 4 | Columbus Crew SC | 3–1 | D.C. United | Columbus, OH |
| 6:00 PM EDT | Abubakar 3' Valenzuela 20', 52' Clark 40' Pedro Santos 42' | Report | Asad 30' | Stadium: Mapfre Stadium Attendance: 8,443 Referee: Drew Fischer |
| March 31 5 | Columbus Crew SC | 1–2 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | Columbus, OH |
| 3:00 PM EDT | Zardes 29' Valenzuela 76' | Report | de Jong 10' Shea 51' Kamara 78' Felipe 82' | Stadium: Mapfre Stadium Attendance: 8,992 Referee: Jose Carlos Rivero |
| April 7 6 | Chicago Fire | 1–0 | Columbus Crew SC | Bridgeview, IL |
| 8:30 PM EDT | Kappelhof 6' Nikolić 27', 90+4' Sánchez 90' | Report | Artur 47' | Stadium: Toyota Park Attendance: 11,023 Referee: Jair Marrufo |
| April 14 7 | D.C. United | 1–0 | Columbus Crew SC | Annapolis, MD |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Segura 1' Arriola 51' Clark 84' | Report | Higuaín 23' Jonathan 84' | Stadium: Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium Attendance: 12,396 Referee: Ismail Elfath |
| April 21 8 | Columbus Crew SC | 2–2 | New England Revolution | Columbus, OH |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Farrell 9' (o.g.) Zardes 43' Higuaín 66' | Report | Dielna 11' Bunbury 14' Zahibo 36' Penilla 45+1' Fagúndez 60' Somi 67' Turner 88' | Stadium: Mapfre Stadium Attendance: 11,264 Referee: Chris Penso |
| April 28 9 | Columbus Crew SC | 2–1 | San Jose Earthquakes | Columbus, OH |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Harrison 28' Hansen 36' Valenzuela 67' Grella 84' | Report | Godoy 3' Hoesen 45', 72' Jungwirth 66' | Stadium: Mapfre Stadium Attendance: 11,479 Referee: Fotis Bazakos |
| May 5 10 | Seattle Sounders FC | 0–0 | Columbus Crew SC | Seattle, WA |
| 4:00 PM EDT | Alonso 30' | Report | Pedro Santos 15' Trapp 54' | Stadium: CenturyLink Field Attendance: 39,515 Referee: Hilario Grajeda |
| May 9 11 | Columbus Crew SC | 1–0 | Philadelphia Union | Columbus, OH |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Jonathan 27' Zardes 53' | Report | Elliott 77' | Stadium: Mapfre Stadium Attendance: 7,683 Referee: Ramy Touchan |
| May 12 12 | Columbus Crew SC | 3–0 | Chicago Fire | Columbus, OH |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Higuaín 28' (pen.) Zardes 50', 70', 57' | Report | Ellis 27' | Stadium: Mapfre Stadium Attendance: 11,108 Referee: Allen Chapman |
| May 19 13 | New England Revolution | 0–1 | Columbus Crew SC | Foxborough, MA |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Caicedo 13' Delamea 31' Dielna 67' Anibaba 89' | Report | Valenzuela 44' Abubakar 85' | Stadium: Gillette Stadium Attendance: 14,087 Referee: Sorin Stoica |
| May 27 14 | Sporting Kansas City | 0–0 | Columbus Crew SC | Kansas City, KS |
| 6:00 PM EDT | Besler 90+4' | Report | Higuaín 45+6' Harrison 49' | Stadium: Children's Mercy Park Attendance: 20,697 Referee: Robert Sibiga |
| June 9 16 | Columbus Crew SC | 1–1 | New York Red Bulls | Columbus, OH |
| 5:00 PM EDT | Zardes 26' | Report | Muyl 57' | Stadium: Mapfre Stadium Attendance: 11,246 Referee: Alan Kelly |
| June 13 17 | Columbus Crew SC | 0–2 | Atlanta United | Columbus, OH |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Trapp 81' | Report | Parkhurst 8' Ambrose 27' Martínez 30' Escobar 72' Villalba 82' | Stadium: Mapfre Stadium Attendance: 10,132 Referee: Ted Unkel |
| June 23 18 | Los Angeles FC | 2–0 | Columbus Crew SC | Los Angeles, CA |
| 10:30 PM EDT | Ciman 4' Diomande 8' Atuesta 24' | Report | Abubakar 34' Pedro Santos 61' Higuaín 69' Valenzuela 70' | Stadium: Banc of California Stadium Attendance: 22,000 Referee: Kevin Stott |
| June 30 19 | Columbus Crew SC | 2–1 | Real Salt Lake | Columbus, OH |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Zardes 6' (pen.) Sosa 23', 66' | Report | Sunny 45+2' Beckerman 56' Rusnák 74' Savarino 90+1' | Stadium: Mapfre Stadium Attendance: 16,680 Referee: Drew Fischer |
| July 7 20 | LA Galaxy | 4–0 | Columbus Crew SC | Carson, CA |
| 10:30 PM EDT | Skjelvik 22' Kamara 42' Ibrahimović 56' (pen.) Pontius 63' Alessandrini 67', 90+3' | Report | Williams 61' | Stadium: StubHub Center Attendance: 21,211 Referee: Hilario Grajeda |
| July 14 21 | New York City FC | 2–0 | Columbus Crew SC | New York City, NY |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Medina 80' Tinnerholm 90' | Report | Jonathan 20' Zardes 36' Grella 82' Sosa 90+3' | Stadium: Yankee Stadium Attendance: 21,085 Referee: Armando Villarreal |
| July 21 22 | Columbus Crew SC | 3–2 | Orlando City | Columbus, OH |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Jonathan 26' Zardes 51', 88' (pen.) Pedro Santos 84' Trapp 90+2' Williams 90+5' | Report | Kljestan 16', 43' Schuler 26' Pinho 58' El-Munir 87' Yotún 90+3' | Stadium: Mapfre Stadium Attendance: 14,052 Referee: Silviu Petrescu |
| July 28 23 | New York Red Bulls | 2–3 | Columbus Crew SC | Harrison, NJ |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Collin 21' Jonathan 50' (o.g.) Royer 69' | Report | Jonathan 7' Mullins 24' Davis 31' (o.g.) Valenzuela 56' Steffen 77' Artur 90' | Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 16,459 Referee: Sorin Stoica |
| August 11 24 | Columbus Crew SC | 1–0 | Houston Dynamo | Columbus, OH |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Zardes 56', 90+1' Pedro Santos 90+7' | Report | Leonardo 80' Lundqvist 86' | Stadium: Mapfre Stadium Attendance: 15,891 Referee: Mark Geiger |
| August 19 25 | Atlanta United | 3–1 | Columbus Crew SC | Atlanta, GA |
| 4:00 PM EDT | Martínez 31' McCann 45+1' Villalba 76', 86' Almirón 82', 83' Guzan 88' | Report | Zardes 50' Artur 90+4' | Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Stadium Attendance: 45,303 Referee: Jair Marrufo |
| August 23 26 | Chicago Fire | 1–1 | Columbus Crew SC | Bridgeview, IL |
| 7:00 PM EDT | de Leeuw 55' Nikolić 67' Katai 69' Schweinsteiger 90+1' | Report | Higuaín 65' Hansen 87' | Stadium: Toyota Park Attendance: 8,551 Referee: Armando Villarreal |
| September 1 27 | Columbus Crew SC | 2–1 | New York City FC | Columbus, OH |
| 8:00 PM EDT | Harrison 61' Meram 63' | Report | Wallace 45' Tajouri-Shradi 53' Sweat 67' Ibeagha 75' Ring 90+3' | Stadium: Mapfre Stadium Attendance: 11,991 Referee: Alan Kelly |
| September 15 28 | FC Dallas | 0–0 | Columbus Crew SC | Frisco, TX |
| 8:00 PM EDT | Report | Clark 53' Abubakar 67' | Stadium: Toyota Stadium Attendance: 16,030 Referee: Hilario Grajeda |
| September 19 29 | Portland Timbers | 3–2 | Columbus Crew SC | Portland, OR |
| 10:30 PM EDT | Polo 10', 37' Guzmán 18', 34' Abubakar 48' (o.g.) | Report | Hansen 7', 90+3' Sauro 45+1' Trapp 49' Maloney 85' | Stadium: Providence Park Attendance: 21,144 Referee: Ted Unkel |
| September 22 30 | Columbus Crew SC | 2–1 | Colorado Rapids | Columbus, OH |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Zardes 17' Jonathan 44' Higuaín 57' | Report | Gashi 26' Wynne 51' Acosta 81' Smith 90+1' | Stadium: Mapfre Stadium Attendance: 19,121 Referee: Allen Chapman |
| September 29 31 | Columbus Crew SC | 0–0 | Philadelphia Union | Columbus, OH |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Report | Fabinho 85' Bedoya 88' | Stadium: Mapfre Stadium Attendance: 12,441 Referee: Drew Fischer |
| October 6 32 | Montreal Impact | 3–0 | Columbus Crew SC | Montreal, QC |
| 3:00 PM EDT | Taïder 32' (pen.) Silva 44' Piatti 59' Azira 62' | Report | Pedro Santos 45+2' Jonathan 90' | Stadium: Stade Saputo Attendance: 19,015 Referee: Alan Kelly |
| October 21 33 | Orlando City | 2–1 | Columbus Crew SC | Orlando, FL |
| 3:00 PM EDT | Dwyer 37' Yotún 57' (pen.) Kljestan 90+6' (pen.) | Report | Jonathan 33' Higuaín 54' | Stadium: Orlando City Stadium Attendance: 23,642 Referee: Kevin Stott |
| October 28 34 | Columbus Crew SC | 3–2 | Minnesota United | Columbus, OH |
| 4:30 PM EDT | Zardes 11', 49', 83' | Report | Calvo 68', 77' | Stadium: Mapfre Stadium Attendance: 17,677 Referee: Robert Sibiga |
Postseason
| November 1 Knockout Round | D.C. United | 2–2 (a.e.t.) (2–3 p) | Columbus Crew SC | Washington, D.C. |
| 8:00 PM EDT | Brillant 21' DeLeon 116' | Report | Higuaín 30', 96', 45' Sosa 105+1' | Stadium: Audi Field Attendance: 20,600 Referee: Allen Chapman |
| Penalties | ||||
| Rooney Asad Stieber Acosta DeLeon | Higuaín Trapp Zardes Hansen Mullins | |||
| November 4 Semifinals Leg 1 | Columbus Crew SC | 1–0 | New York Red Bulls | Columbus, OH |
| 3:00 PM EST | Valenzuela 31' Zardes 61' | Report | Davis 88' | Stadium: Mapfre Stadium Attendance: 12,892 Referee: Nima Saghafi |
| November 11 Semifinals Leg 2 | New York Red Bulls | 3–0 (3–1 agg.) | Columbus Crew SC | Harrison, NJ |
| 7:30 PM EST | Muyl 17' Royer 73', 76' | Report | Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 22,789 Referee: Alan Kelly |
U.S. Open Cup
| June 6 Fourth Round | Columbus Crew SC | 2–2 (a.e.t.) (9–10 p) | Chicago Fire | Columbus, OH |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Martínez 10' Sosa 64' Abu 71' Crognale 107' Jahn 114' | Report | Nikolić 45', 109' Ramos 81' McCarty 90+3' Katai 112' | Stadium: Mapfre Stadium Attendance: 4,992 Referee: Marcos de Oliveira |
| Penalties | ||||
| Valenzuela Jiménez Argudo Abubakar Jahn Martínez Crognale Sosa Abu Opoku Ketterer | Nikolić Katai McCarty Campos Schweinsteiger Bronico Lillard Corrales Ramos Campbell Sánchez | |||
Statistics
Appearances and goals
Federico Higuaín entered the season sitting fifth in club history for most goals, needing three to pass Edson Buddle for fourth all-time.[14] He tallied a penalty kick against Chicago on May 12, cracking the tie with Buddle.[15] Higuaín had also begun the year having appeared 163 times for Crew SC, needing seven appearances to crack the top ten in club history. He started each of the first ten games, leaping Frankie Hejduk for ninth place.[14] By the end of the season, Higuaín moved up the charts in all three categories: eighth all-time in appearances, with 196; third all-time in goals, with 58; and second all-time in assists, with 64.
Upon his return to the club midway through the season, Justin Meram had the chance to add to his previous totals with the club; he sat fifth in appearances, sixth in goals, and tied for seventh in assists. He needed to play 28 times, score ten goals, or tally six assists in order to move up the charts.[14] At the end of the year, Meram still sat fifth in appearances (with 225) and sixth in goals (with 43), but had taken sole possession of seventh in assists (with 36).
Wil Trapp began the season having appeared 144 times in all competitions for Crew SC, needing to play in 27 games to crack the all-time top ten. Although he missed several games while on international duty, Trapp appeared for the 27th time on the season in a draw with Philadelphia on September 29.[16] He initially jumped into the table in a tie for tenth place with Hejduk.[14] By the end of the season, Trapp had appeared in 177 games for the club, enough for sole possession of tenth.
| No. | Pos. | Name | MLS | MLS Playoffs | U.S. Open Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| 2 | MF | Ricardo Clark | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 |
| 3 | DF | Josh Williams | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | Jonathan Mensah | 27 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 1 |
| 6 | MF | Wil Trapp | 30 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 1 |
| 7 | MF | Pedro Santos | 30 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 1 |
| 8 | MF | Artur | 32 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 0 |
| 9 | MF | Justin Meram | 9 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| 10 | MF | Federico Higuaín | 30 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 8 |
| 11 | FW | Gyasi Zardes | 33 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 20 |
| 12 | GK | Ben Lundgaard | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | MF | Mike Grella | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| 14 | FW | Adam Jahn | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 1 |
| 16 | MF | Hector Jiménez | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| 17 | DF | Lalas Abubakar | 23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 1 |
| 18 | MF | Cristian Martínez | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 1 |
| 19 | DF | Milton Valenzuela | 30 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 1 |
| 20 | MF | Eduardo Sosa | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 1 |
| 21 | DF | Alex Crognale | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| 22 | DF | Gastón Sauro | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| 23 | GK | Zack Steffen | 29 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| 24 | GK | Jon Kempin | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 25 | DF | Harrison Afful | 32 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 2 |
| 26 | MF | Luis Argudo | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| 27 | FW | Edward Opoku | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 28 | MF | Niko Hansen | 22 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 3 |
| 30 | GK | Logan Ketterer | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 31 | DF | Connor Maloney | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 32 | FW | Patrick Mullins | 10 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 |
| Players who left the club during the season: | ||||||||||
| 5 | MF | Mohammed Abu | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
Source: Columbus stats
Disciplinary record
| No. | Pos. | Name | MLS | MLS Playoffs | U.S. Open Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | MF | Ricardo Clark | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | Josh Williams | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | Jonathan Mensah | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 6 | MF | Wil Trapp | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | Pedro Santos | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| 8 | MF | Artur | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 10 | MF | Federico Higuaín | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| 11 | FW | Gyasi Zardes | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 13 | MF | Mike Grella | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 17 | DF | Lalas Abubakar | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 18 | MF | Cristian Martínez | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 19 | DF | Milton Valenzuela | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 20 | MF | Eduardo Sosa | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 21 | DF | Alex Crognale | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 22 | DF | Gastón Sauro | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 23 | GK | Zack Steffen | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 25 | DF | Harrison Afful | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 28 | MF | Niko Hansen | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 31 | DF | Connor Maloney | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Players who left the club during the season: | ||||||||||
| 5 | MF | Mohammed Abu | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Source: Columbus stats
Clean sheets
Zack Steffen entered the season with the seventh-most clean sheets in club history. He needed to keep two on the season in order to pass Brad Friedel for sixth all-time,[14] which he did just three games into the campaign. Three saves in a scoreless draw with Philadelphia on March 17 moved Steffen up on the all-time chart.[17] He promptly passed Mark Dougherty for fifth place, thanks to a 1–0 victory over the Union on May 9. Steffen finished the season with 22 career shutouts for Crew SC, good for fifth place in club history.
| No. | Name | MLS | MLS Playoffs | U.S. Open Cup | Total | Games Played |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Ben Lundgaard | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Zack Steffen | 10 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 32 |
| 24 | Jon Kempin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 30 | Logan Ketterer | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Source: Columbus stats
Transfers
In
| Pos. | Player | Transferred from | Fee/Notes | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MF | Artur | São Paulo | Completed permanent transfer. | Dec 6, 2017 | [18] |
| GK | Jon Kempin | LA Galaxy | LA receives a Fourth Round pick in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft. | Dec 13, 2017 | [19] |
| MF | Mike Grella | Colorado Rapids | Colorado receives a Second Round pick in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft. | Dec 15, 2017 | [20] |
| MF | Eduardo Sosa | Zamora | Acquired as a Discovery Signing. | Jan 9, 2018 | [21] |
| FW | Edward Opoku | Virginia Cavaliers | Selected in the Second Round of the 2018 MLS SuperDraft. Signed as a Generation Adidas player. | Jan 19, 2018 | [22] |
| FW | Gyasi Zardes | LA Galaxy | LA receives FW Ola Kamara. | Jan 20, 2018 | [23] |
| MF | Ricardo Clark | Houston Dynamo | Signed as a free agent. | Feb 2, 2018 | [24] |
| MF | Luis Argudo | Wake Forest Demon Deacons | Selected in the Third Round of the 2018 MLS SuperDraft. | Mar 1, 2018 | [25][26] |
| GK | Ben Lundgaard | Virginia Tech Hokies | Selected in the First Round of the 2018 MLS SuperDraft. | Mar 1, 2018 | [27][26] |
| FW | Patrick Mullins | D.C. United | D.C. receives $150,000 in targeted allocation money. | Jul 11, 2018 | [28] |
| MF | Justin Meram | Orlando City | Orlando receives $750,000 in targeted allocation money, a 2019 international roster slot. | Aug 3, 2018 | [29] |
SuperDraft
The following players were selected by Columbus in the MLS SuperDraft, but did not sign a contract with the club.