Crew’s 2020 full schedule released

The 2020 Major League Soccer schedule for Columbus Crew SC was released on Thursday. We already knew the Black & Gold would open the season on March 1 at MAPFRE Stadium against New York City FC, but now the complete schedule, along with opponents, dates and times of games, is out.

Unlike in 2019, Crew fans will not have to sit in the cold weather of Columbus, Ohio nearly as often during the 2020 season. The Black & Gold have just two home games in March as opposed to three the year prior. While the Crew does have four April home games, two of those come late in the month, when the weather traditionally has warmed in Central Ohio.

Black & Gold fans will get to see only one of the 2020 MLS expansion sides in person this year. Inter Miami travels to MAPFRE Stadium on July 5. The Crew play Nashville SC on the road to close out the month of March and finish the regular season at Miami on Oct. 4.

The rivalry against FC Cincinnati, which was newly minted by MLS last year, will continue with two games once again in 2020. The two Ohio-based sides will first meet this season on Sunday, July 19 at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati before squaring off just over at month later in Columbus.

New ownership paid its dividends in helping to make this schedule, with a number of the League’s marquee teams appearing at MAPFRE Stadium in 2020. In addition to NYCFC coming to Columbus to open the year, MLS Finals runners up Toronto FC visits in early April, D.C. United and Atlanta United come to town in back-to-back weeks to close out June and the New York Red Bulls make one MAPFRE Stadium appearance in mid-September.

The Crew avoid facing any of MLS’s California teams with the LA Galaxy, Los Angeles Football Club and the San Jose Earthquakes all not on the 2020 schedule.

Columbus Crew’s 2020 MLS schedule:

Massive Report will have more analysis of the 2020 Columbus Crew schedule to follow.