The Columbus Crew first won the hearts and minds of soccer fans around the world when the fan-led #SavetheCrew movement rescued the team from being moved to Austin, Texas. Now the franchise is just winning trophies.
The Crew won the 2024 Leagues Cup by defeating LAFC 3-1 in the final on Sunday night. It was a rematch of the 2023 MLS Cup final that the Crew also won by a 2-1 scoreline. It was the third final in a nine month span for the Columbus Crew, who also made it to the CONCACAF Champions Cup final, losing on the road in Mexico at Pachuca after an impressive run through the tournament.
It has some MLS observers wondering if the Crew are the best team in the almost 30 year history of the league. And it has folks in Columbus rubbing it in the face of former owner Anthony Precourt.
Precourt tried to move the Crew to Austin and a combination of the #SavetheCrew movement, the Art Modell Law, and an investment by the Haslam family (who also own the Cleveland Browns) the franchise was saved and Precourt was awarded an expansion franchise in Austin instead.
And just like they did earlier this year when qualifying for the CONCACAF final, the local ABC affiliate had some fun at Precourt’s expense. This time, they taunted Precourt with his own participation ribbon for actually trying to win in Austin but coming up empty so far.
As the Columbus Crew keep winning trophies, Good Day Columbus keeps trolling former owner Anthony Precourt for trying to move the team. pic.twitter.com/Wyud5bL4D0
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 27, 2024
Since the Haslams purchased the team from Precourt in 2019, the Crew have won 2 MLS Cups, a Leagues Cup, a Campeones Cup, and are currently the top ranked team in CONCACAF. Precourt’s Austin FC are yet to make a major final and are currently outside the MLS playoffs looking in.
The Columbus Crew should be a shoe-in for the American at-large spot in the upcoming Club World Cup, but it remains to be seen whether their work on the field will be rewarded or if that spot is pre-ordained for Lionel Messi and Inter Miami.
