COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Soccer is returning to Columbus as the Crew is ready to kick-off its 2022 season Saturday against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
The 2021 season for the Black & Gold had its moments of grandeur with the grand opening of a new downtown stadium, a new state-of-the-art training facility, and the club's first international trophy won in the Campeones Cup.
However, last season did have its disappointing moments for the club, with the Crew missing out on the playoffs as an MLS Cup favorite and fans' overwhelming negative response to the club's new badge and rebrand.
For 2022, the Crew will look to mark Lower.com Field as its fortress while seeking a return to the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Here is a guide to get you ready for the Columbus Crew's 27th season in Major League Soccer.
Head coach Caleb Porter will enter his fourth season with the Crew with some new signings he hopes will make a key impact for the club.
In 2021, Columbus lacked consistent offensive productivity from the attacking wingers and was hindered with injuries all season to key players.
Porter has addressed both concerns with the signing of Ghanaian winger Yaw Yeboah to offer more offensive production and grabbing multiple defenders and midfielders that add depth to the roster.
Among those new defensive signings is Australian centerback Milos Degenek who comes to Columbus from Serbian club Red Star Belgrade.
He is also among a handful of Crew players who could play in the FIFA World Cup with his country this fall.
The biggest area of concern is the left back spot for the Crew with both Milton Valenzuela and Waylon Francis leaving the club over the offseason.
The main core that helped bring the Crew an MLS Cup title in 2020 remains in Columbus.
Offseason contract extensions were a top priority for the Crew's front office as they secured goalkeeper Eloy Room, winger Pedro Santos, and all-star attacker Lucas Zelarayan.
The Black & Gold keep all those starters as well as captain Jonathan Mensah, striker Gyasi Zardes, and midfielder Darlington Nagbe.
All six were instrumental in the team's success in 2020 and the Columbus front office is confident this core along with younger depth can bring back a title to the city.
An added bonus for the Crew is the return from injury of midfielders Artur and Aidan Morris, who both missed the majority of 2021.
The past two seasons in MLS have had odd scheduling due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Clubs have been tied down to playing mainly conference opponents to limit travel, which has created basic schedules with little diversity in opposition.
The 2022 MLS schedule is a return to the original format with clubs back to traveling across the continent and having more inter-conference matchups.
This means the Crew will be playing multiple teams from the Western Conference both in Columbus and on the road.
Some notable Western Conference opponents for the Crew include Los Angeles FC, Sporting Kansas City, and defending West champions the Portland Timbers.
This year is a landmark one in American professional soccer with the debut of MLS NEXT Pro.
This new developmental league will allow younger players on MLS rosters with academy players to get worthwhile playing time throughout the year.
The Columbus Crew's developmental team will be "Crew 2" and will begin its inaugural season in March and play home matches at historic Crew Stadium.
Crew 2 will offer young players like Aidan Morris, Isaiah Parente, and others more opportunities to get minutes against other MLS talent and be ready for first-team action in the future.
With all the pieces put into place, the minimum expectation for the Crew this season is to return to the MLS Cup Playoffs.
The coaches and players likely believe they have the talent in place to make another run at winning MLS Cup, much like how the team felt in 2020.
If the Crew have a season without injury issues along with consistent play at the start of games, they are capable of making another deep playoff run.
MLS is an unpredictable league and the door is open for many teams to hoist the Philip F. Anschutz trophy in November, including the Columbus Crew.
