America’s first soccer-only stadium turned 15 yesterday, which is nearly as outdated as Julian Inexperienced. ASN’s Blake Thomsen takes you thru the stadium’s highlights over time.
BY
Blake Thomsen
Posted
Could 16, 2014
11:36 AM
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Thursday marked the fifteenth anniversary of the opening of Columbus Crew Stadium, a groundbreaking venue and one which has continued to serve American soccer nicely since its inception in 1999. We expect America’s first skilled soccer-specific stadium is worthy of a tribute, so right here’s a chronological run-through of the stadium’s most important video games.
Could 15, 1999
Columbus Crew Stadium opened with a victory, as the house Crew beat the New England Revolution 2-0 in entrance of a sell-out crowd of twenty-two,555. The ambiance on opening day (and all through the stadium’s historical past) is usually credited as an enormous issue within the rise of soccer-specific stadiums all through the nation.
In simply 15 years, MLS has gone from zero skilled soccer-only stadiums to the present depend of 13, with a lot extra to come back within the close to future. It’s unattainable to disregard the success of Columbus Crew Stadium as a catalyst for this unimaginable development.
February 28, 2001
Columbus’s passionate fan base shortly drew the attention of the U.S. Soccer Federation, and the stadium duly drew the marquee qualifying match within the 2001 Hexagonal: U.S. vs. Mexico. In a sport that has come to be often called La Guerra Fría because of the freezing temperatures and intense play, the Yanks stormed to a 2-0 win behind targets from Josh Wolff and Earnie Stewart.
American gamers had been blown away by the unimaginable dwelling help. “I can’t say enough about the people who supported us here in Columbus,” mentioned left again Jeff Agoos. “Everything here was a home-field advantage. Every person on the field and on the bench felt it.”
“I think the crowd helped us more than the weather did,” added Brad Friedel. “That was a factor in the game. It would be great to play here a lot in the future.” Little did Friedel know the way totally his want could be granted.
September 28, 2003
The U.S. ladies’s nationwide group acquired a style of the Columbus dwelling crowd benefit in its ultimate group sport of the 2003 Ladies’s World Cup. A penalty from Abby Wambach and a brace from Cat Reddick led the Individuals to a straightforward 3-0 victory.
November 17, 2004
In an in any other case forgettable 1-1 draw towards Jamaica within the third spherical of qualifying for the 2006 World Cup, one thing astonishing occurred within the twenty eighth minute. The U.S. conceded a objective at Columbus Crew Stadium.
Thus far, Andy Williams’ penalty is the one objective the U.S. has ever conceded in Columbus, the place it owns a 15-1 objective differential over 10 video games performed.
September 3, 2005
After offering a springboard for the U.S.’s earlier Hex marketing campaign, it was becoming that this time round, the U.S.—Mexico showdown in Columbus would seal the Yanks’ place within the World Cup. Steve Ralston and DaMarcus Beasley struck inside 4 minutes of one another to ship the second dos a cero in as many probabilities over Mexico.
On the ultimate whistle, a fired up Frankie Hejduk celebrated in entrance of his hometown followers.
November 13, 2008
The Columbus Crew lastly broke by way of and reached the MLS Cup ultimate in 2008 with a stirring 2-1 comeback win over the Chicago Fireplace. Roars equivalent to those that accompanied Chad Marshall’s equalizer and Eddie Gaven’s winner are arduous to search out in America exterior of the Pacific Northwest.
The Crew would go on to beat the New York Purple Bulls 3-1 to clinch its first and solely MLS Cup.
February 11, 2009
In related circumstances to the triumph in 2001, the U.S. as soon as once more beat Mexico 2-0 in Columbus, this time thanks to 2 Michael Bradley targets. Under, the followers wildly have fun Bradley’s opener.
By this level, Columbus Crew Stadium had firmly established itself as the house of U.S. vs. Mexico, and as soon as once more the Yanks didn’t disappoint.
The delirious “dos a cero!” chants are clearly audible following Bradley’s second objective.
September 10, 2013
After three straight 2-0 victories within the three earlier Hex contests towards Mexico in Columbus, was there ever any doubt that the U.S. would ship but once more? Eddie Johnson and Landon Donovan scored the targets and the U.S. backline held agency to clinch one other dos a cero in Columbus.
Even a missed Clint Dempsey penalty in stoppage time couldn’t dim the temper, because the U.S. supporters joyously launched right into a refrain of “he missed on purpose!”, clearly valuing the custom of the dos a cero above an additional objective.
Right here, the particular relationship between the U.S. gamers and the followers in Columbus is captured nicely, as Tim Howard and Brad Guzan have fun their World Cup berth with the followers.
“It is turn into its personal monster. Folks wish to come to Columbus and see U.S.-Mexico. And so it is virtually just like the mecca actually for us. You virtually really feel prefer it’s our future to win right here,” Howard later mentioned.
Given the U.S.’s unimaginable monitor within the stadium, it’s arduous to disagree.
The place does Columbus Crew Stadium rank on the record of most vital soccer stadiums within the U.S.? Given its restricted dimension, wouldn’t it ever make sense for the U.S. to play Mexico elsewhere like, say, Seattle? Tell us within the feedback part beneath.
Blake Thomsen is a frequent ASN contributor. Observe him on Twitter.
