The Columbus Crew 2 is a professional soccer team based in Columbus, Ohio that competes in the MLS Next Pro league, the third division of American soccer. The team is owned by, and operates as the reserve team of the Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew. The team plays home matches at Historic Crew Stadium. The team was announced as a member of MLS Next Pro on December 6, 2021.
History On December 6, 2021, the Columbus Crew announced the formation of a reserve team in MLS Next Pro that would begin play in the 2022 season and that they would play at Historic Crew Stadium (the parent club's former home venue) in Columbus, Ohio. At the same time, the club announced its first manager, Corey Wrey, who is the Crew's current Assistant General Manager, a position he will continue to hold. The Crew 2 will be one of 21 teams that play in the newly formed league. On January 28, 2022, the Crew announced that Laurent Courtois would serve as the team's first head coach.
The club played their first match on March 26, 2022, which ended in a 0–2 loss to Inter Miami CF II at DRV PNK Stadium. The first win came the following week with a 1–0 victory over Chicago Fire FC II.
Crew 2 won the first ever MLS Next Pro Cup title, defeating St. Louis City SC 2 4-1 on October 8, 2022.
The following year, the team once again qualified for the playoffs and made it to the Cup Final. They were defeated 1–3 by Austin FC II.
Players and staff Current roster
Staff
{|class="wikitable" |- !style="background:#FEDD00; color:#000; border:2px solid #000;" scope="col" colspan="2"|Front office
!style="background:#FEDD00; color:#000; border:2px solid #000;" scope="col" colspan="2"|Coaching staff
!style="background:#FEDD00; color:#000; border:2px solid #000;" scope="col" colspan="2"|Additional staff
Team records Season-by-season
SeasonMLS Next ProPlayoffsTop ScorerGDDiv.PlayerGoals20222416536222 +40551st1st1stChampions Jacen Russell-Rowe2120232816395846 +12541st3rd5thRunner-up Gibran Rayo12202428117105147 +4455th7th12thConference Finals Chase Adams920252856174064 –24228th15th29thDNQ Chase Adams10
Head coaches record
NameNationalityFromToPWDLGFGAWin%Laurent CourtoisJanuary 28, 2022January 8, 2024Kelvin JonesMarch 13, 2024December 10, 2024 Federico Higuaín Argentina January 29, 2025 September 22, 2026
Honors
NationalCompetitionsTitlesSeasonsMLS Next Pro Cup12022MLS Next Pro Regular Season12022Eastern Conference12022Eastern Conference (Playoffs)22022, 2023Eastern Conference Central Division22022, 2023
Monthly Awards
Player of the Month
May 2022: Jacen Russell-Rowe June 2022: Jacen Russell-Rowe
Goalkeeper of the Month
August 2022: Patrick Schulte
Annual Awards
MLS Next Pro Most Valuable Player 2022: Jacen Russell-Rowe
Golden Boot
2022: Jacen Russell-Rowe
Goalkeeper of the Year
2022: Patrick Schulte
Coach of the Year
2022: Laurent Courtois
MLS Next Pro Cup MVP
2022: Marco Micaletto
See also Columbus Crew Columbus Crew Academy MLS Next Pro
References
External links