Crew Stadium Moments: Honorable Mentions

Before revealing our No. 1 moment, here are a few that just missed the cut.

By Orri Benatar@obenatar512 Jun 17, 2021, 9:04pm EDT

New York Red Bulls v Columbus Crew SC - Eastern Conference Finals - Leg 1

Massive Report is nearly at the end of our countdown of the 15 most memorable moments in Crew Stadium history based on voting from the staff. Join the discussion on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #MRStadium.

Throughout these last couple of weeks, the Massive Report staff has counted down these Crew Stadium moments. The 14 moments you have seen thus far undoubtedly deserved their spot on the final list with our top moment still set to be announced.

But a number of the Massive Report staff members included moments in their personal top-15 lists that missed the final cut. In fact, up to 30 moments were considered for this countdown and multiple just missed out. Here are five honorable mention moments from our list.

2015 Eastern Conference Final First Leg

The Sunday before Thanksgiving in 2015 turned out to be an exciting night in Columbus Crew history. The first leg of the Eastern Conference Final between the Crew and New York Red Bulls ended in a 2-0 win for the Black & Gold. The moment of this game happened within the first 10 seconds when Justin Meram scored the fastest goal in MLS Cup playoff history. Kei Kamara sealed it late as Columbus was well on its way to its first conference title since 2008.

2015 MLS Cup

If the result was different, the 2015 MLS Cup would have made the list. The 2-1 MLS Cup Final loss to the Portland Timbers was a memorable evening in Crew Stadium for various reasons. The second of three MLS Cup Finals hosted in Columbus featured the hometown team. Unlike the last home game, the Crew conceded after 27 seconds through goalkeeper Steve Clark’s error that allowed Diego Valeri to poke in a goal.

Things went from bad to worse in the seventh minute when Tony Tchani correctly saw the ball go out of bounds but the referee didn’t. This led to a quick Timbers play and ensuing goal by Rodney Wallace. Kamara did score 11 minutes later but the Black & Gold couldn’t find an equalizer. A sad but historic night at Crew Stadium.

Dos a Cero 2005

The United States vs. Mexico game at Crew Stadium in 2005 is the only “Dos a Cero” not included in our countdown. The early September clash was the third match between the two CONCACAF rivals in Columbus and it resulted, once again, in a 2-0 victory for the Americans. Steve Ralston and DeMarcus Beasley scored the goals that clinched a win to send the USA to the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

The final tournament itself was a disappointment with the Americans exiting in the group stage after losses to the Czech Republic and Ghana. But the Americans did tied the eventual winners Italy 1-1.

The Crew vs. Atlanta United Flood Game

Late March in 2019 was a night that can be described in one word: soaking. The Crew hosted the defending MLS Cup champions, Atlanta United, at MAPFRE Stadium in a torrential downpour for nearly the entire game. It was raining sideways with force and it didn’t cease at all. Pedro Santos and Gyasi Zardes scored the two goals in the victory against Atlanta and as soon as the final whistle blew, every person on that pitch rushed indoors.

2015 Eastern Conference Semifinal Second Leg

The Columbus match against the Montreal Impact in early November is another 2015 playoff battle at Crew Stadium that just missed the cut. After losing in Montreal 2-1, the Crew needed a strong home performance to advance to the Eastern Conference Final.

Kamara scored in the fourth minute but the Impact equalized in the 40th. Ethan Finlay then struck the second for Columbus to take the match to extra time. The Crew won the game in the 111th minute when Kamara scored his second to send the Black & Gold to the Eastern Conference Final.