OUR XI
CREW SC REACHES EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS FOR 14TH TIME IN CLUB HISTORY
With its 3-2 victory over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, Crew SC reached the MLS Cup Playoffs Eastern Conference Finals for the 14th time in Club history. The Black & Gold had previously reached this stage the following years: 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018.
PORTER AMONG MLS COACHES WITH HIGHEST WINNING PLAYOFF WINNING PERCENTAGES
Crew SC’s 3-2 victory over the New York Red Bulls this past Saturday marked Head Coach Caleb Porter’s sixth MLS Cup Playoffs victory, bringing his playoff winning average to 0.615. Porter’s playoff winning percentage is the fifth-highest in League history among coaches who have notched six or more wins in postseason action. Notably, he is also one of only four active MLS coaches to have a winning average of greater than 0.600 while also boasting at least six wins in MLS Cup Playoffs action.
ZARDES: TOP AMERICAN GOAL SCORER IN MLS SINCE 2018
Since the beginning of the 2018 MLS regular season, no American player has scored more goals in the League than forward Gyasi Zardes. The 29-year-old has tallied 44 goals in 81 regular-season appearances (80 starts) for Crew SC, the fourth-most goals in MLS regular-season action over that same span.
IRON MAN: JONATHAN MENSAH
Captain and defender Jonathan Mensah played the entire 90 minutes during Saturday's victory over the New York Red Bulls. Mensah's 90 minutes on the field extended his streak of having played every minute of every regular-season and postseason match for the Crew in 2020. Mensah. In 2020, Mensah has made 24 appearances (all starts) and played a total of 2,160 minutes for Crew SC in regular-season and postseason action.
CREW SC ONE OF ONLY FIVE MLS TEAMS TO REACH THE MLS CUP PLAYOFFS 16+ TIMES
Columbus Crew SC officially clinched a spot in the Audi 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs on Sunday, October 18 by virtue of its 3-1 win against New York City FC. This marked the Club’s 16th all-time postseason berth, making the Crew one of only five clubs to make the playoffs 16 or more times in the League’s 25-year history, behind only the New York Red Bulls (20), the LA Galaxy (19), FC Dallas (17) and Sporting Kansas City (17). Of those 16 playoffs berths, the Black & Gold have reached the Eastern Conference Semifinals on 13 occasions, the Eastern Conference Championships on seven occasions and MLS Cup in 2008 and 2015, winning the title in 2008.
