MLS Cup play-offs
Review
As Columbus Crew captain Jonathan Mensah lifted the MLS Cup following his side’s 3-0 victory against Seattle Sounders, it signified more than just one of the most convincing MLS Cup final wins.
It represented a victory on and off the pitch for a club whose very existence was threatened as recently as two years ago. The Crew’s home since 1999, where this 2020 final took place in front of 1,500 fans, was Major League Soccer’s first “soccer-specific” stadium. It set the standard for clubs all across the league, but the Crew were almost not here to make this final piece of history.
In 2017, the then-owner, Anthony Precourt, announced plans to move the franchise to Austin, Texas. He, rightly, faced stiff opposition to the move from fans who fought to keep one of the original MLS clubs in their city.
The battle lasted over a year, uniting soccer communities in Columbus, Ohio and beyond, and after much wrangling the Crew were taken over by a new ownership group who made sure the club stayed put.
As part of this next era, the Crew will
move to a new downtown facility in 2021. Though some games will be played at the old ground next season, this MLS Cup victory was a fitting bookend to the stories written over the years at what has been an important arena for the sport in the United States.
Caleb Porter’s side had only lost once in the MAPFRE Stadium in 2020, but were up against it going into the final. Seattle were favourites and were taking part in their fourth MLS Cup final in five seasons.
Their Uruguayan playmaker, Nicolas Lodeiro, missed out on the 2020 MVP
This MLS Cup victory was a fitting bookend to the stories written over the years at what has been an important arena for the sport in the United States
award to Alejandro Pozuelo of Toronto FC but was seen as the star player going into this game, likely to give Seattle the edge.
Columbus finished fourth in the overall regular season table – a position that meant they hosted this final against the sixth-placed Sounders – but were missing key players. Pedro Santos and Darlington Nagbe tested positive for COVID-19 in the week leading up to the game in what was a cruel blow for both players.
Though all eyes were on Lodeiro, admiring pre-match glances were also made towards the Crew’s own South American creator-in-chief, Lucas Zelarayan. The 28-year-old Argentine was named MLS Newcomer of the Year for 2020 after joining from Mexican side Tigres.
Zelarayan opened the scoring in the first half of the final with a left-footed volley too hot for Sounders keeper Stefan Frei to handle. Six minutes later he set up Derrick Etienne Jr. who finished coolly for the Crew’s second.
Two goals would have been enough but Zelarayan struck again, finding the top corner in the final ten minutes and making him the clear and deserved winner of the MLS Cup MVP award.
Prior to Zelarayan’s performance in the final, the standout performer in the play-offs had been another Argentine playmaker, Minnesota United’s Emanuel Reynoso.
The 25-year-old came into his own during the post season, registering seven assists and a goal in three games. On this form, the former Boca Juniors man looks set to be one of the league’s standout players in 2021.
The early rounds of the play-offs treated fans to some typical MLS unpredictability. Nashville defeated fellow expansion side Inter Miami, and also saw off last season’s MLS Cup runners-up, Toronto FC.
Supporters’ Shield winners Philadelphia Union were knocked out by New England Revolution, but the biggest story of the early stages emerged during a penalty shoot-out between Orlando City and New York City.
Orlando celebrated a win when Pedro Gallese saved Valentin Castellanos’ penalty, but replays revealed that the goalkeeper had stepped off his line.
Gallese was shown a yellow card as a result – the problem being, this was his second booking so yellow turned to red.
Orlando couldn’t make a substitution during the shoot-out, so it was left to defender Rodrigo Schlegel to wear the gloves for the remaining spot-kicks.
Of course, this being MLS, Schlegel then saved Gudmundur Thorarinsson’s penalty, securing his place in soccer folklore.
Orlando celebrated again, but soon realised they needed to score another themselves in order to win. It was duly dispatched by Benji Michel, making it third-celebration lucky for the home side.
Luckily for the league, plenty of drama was saved for the latter stages. Reynoso’s Minnesota narrowly lost out to Seattle in a stirring semi-final, before Columbus lifted their first MLS Cup since 2008 in an historic final.