Saturday night in Chicago might’ve resulted in a Columbus Crew defeat, but the club still secured a berth in the postseason.
For the third time in as many years, the Black & Gold will play in the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs later this year, as Columbus clinched a spot following the New York Red Bulls losing at home to New York City FC.
Of course, this also means Columbus can hoist hardware for a third-straight season.
“[We] keep going forward,” head coach Wilfried Nancy said on Saturday night. “The next step is the next game. I don't have the time to analyze this game. I’m going to do it later.
“We have to focus on what is coming. What is coming, this is something that we can control. Today, the game, we knew that this game could be difficult, and this is what happened. Now, the most important is focus on Orlando, and we'll see after that.”
Saturday night’s 2-0 loss at Chicago Fire FC was another example of Nancy and his team playing through adversity. With several notable injuries, including Diego Rossi and Wessam Abou Ali, the Frenchman deployed an XI with several changes from the lineups the Black & Gold have featured throughout the year.
“Obviously, we have gone through a little bit of spell of injuries and stuff like that,” said goalkeeper Evan Bush. “So, I think just a little bit disconnected. We're trying to fight through it. We're trying to find ways. And you can tell that the guys care, and the guys, they want to do the right thing, and it just doesn't feel as fluid right now as maybe it has different parts of the year.
“That's why you have a long season. You try to put yourself in a position to be in playoffs at the end of season. …So, we're not satisfied, we're not content with that by any means but the fact of the matter is, to go through the season and to have a lot of things to happen, to be in this position right now, with everything that we want to accomplish in terms of playing for an MLS Cup at the end of the year, that's still in place.”
It's worth noting that Columbus has 50 points through 32 matches this season, which is the club’s third-most since 2011, when MLS introduced the current 34-game schedule. Last season’s 60 points is the club record, while the Black & Gold had 53 points through 32 games in 2023.
“We expect to be in the playoffs,” Darlington Nagbe said. “Right now, it’s just looking at how we can be better and perform better. I think it's a disappointment. No one's thinking about the playoffs right now. We're thinking about how we can improve as a team, individually and collectively. How can we have performances that lead to wins? I think it's as simple as that.”
By clinching the postseason on Saturday night, the Crew’s final two matches will dictate the team’s standing entering the playoffs.
If the campaign were to end today, the Black & Gold would host Chicago in a Wild Card match. The winner of that game presumably plays first-place Philadelphia Union. But Columbus can avoid the Wild Card by stacking results in the next two matches.
Conveniently, the next opponent, Orlando City SC, sits one point ahead of the Crew in the Eastern Conference standings – but has played two fewer matches. The Crew play at Orlando City next weekend.
The Black & Gold will conclude the 2025 MLS regular season on Oct. 18 at Lower.com Field, where they’ll host New York Red Bulls. Secure your spot for Decision Day today.
