On June 15, 1994, Columbus, Ohio was introduced as the first of the 10 inaugural Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs. With more than 11,500 season ticket deposits and plans to build a soccer-specific stadium, the decision to award a team to Ohio's capital city was an easy one.
Exactly four years and 11 months later on May 15, 1999, The Crew forever etched its place in American Sports History by christening Columbus Crew Stadium, the country's first major league stadium built specifically for soccer, with a 2-0 win over the New England Revolution.
A standing-room only crowd of 24,741 witnessed the event, which was hailed by then MLS Commisioner, Doug Logan as a "relaunching of the league." The road to Crew Stadium's inception, has also seen "America's Hardest Working Team" leave a legacy of firsts behind, as the Black and Gold established itself as one of the top organizations in Major League Soccer both on and off the field.
Born from the legacy of the 1994 World Cup held in the United States, Major League Soccer has harnessed the momentum from what most consider to be the most successful World Cup in soccer history. Not only is MLS establishing itself as the fifth major professional sports league in America, but it also strives to create and sustain a of soccer that is entertaining and competitive on an international level.