2015 Columbus Crew SC season

The 2015 Columbus Crew SC season was the club's 20th season of existence and their 20th consecutive season in Major League Soccer, the top flight of soccer in the United States and Canada. The first match of the season was on March 7 against Houston Dynamo. It was the second season under head coach Gregg Berhalter. The Crew's USL Pro affiliate this season was Austin Aztex.^[1]

Columbus Crew SC

2015 season
Investor-operators	Anthony Precourt
Head Coach	Gregg Berhalter
Stadium	MAPFRE Stadium
Major League Soccer	Conference: 2nd Overall: 4th
MLS Cup Playoffs	Eastern Conference Champions
U.S. Open Cup	Round of 16
Trillium Cup	Winners (7 - 3)
Lamar Hunt Pioneer Cup	Runners-up (0 - 3)
ATX Pro Challenge	3rd Place
IMG Suncoast Pro Classic	3rd Place
Top goalscorer	League: Kei Kamara (22) All: Kei Kamara (25)
Highest home attendance	22,719 (9/26 v. POR)
Lowest home attendance	10,302 (3/22 v. NY)
Average home league attendance	17,155 (85.9%)
Biggest win	CLB 5–0 DC (10/25)
Biggest defeat	PHI 3-0 CLB (6/3) MTL 3-0 CLB (7/11) ORL 5-2 CLB (8/1) CLB 3–0 DAL (9/6)
Home colors Away colors
← 2014 2016 →

Background

Main article: 2014 Columbus Crew season

Review

In coach Berhalter's second season, he led the club to an MLS Cup appearance that resulted in a loss to the Portland Timbers. This season also saw returning striker Kei Kamara contend for the league's golden boot.

Roster

As of August 28, 2015^[2]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  USA Steve Clark 2 DF  USA Tyson Wahl 3 DF  USA Chris Klute 4 DF  USA Michael Parkhurst (Captain) 5 DF  AUT Emanuel Pogatetz (INT) 6 MF  CMR Tony Tchani 7 MF  ISL Kristinn Steindórsson (INT) 8 MF  ERI Mohammed Saeid (INT) 9 FW  IRQ Justin Meram 10 FW  ARG Federico Higuaín (DP) 11 MF  COD Cedrick Mabwati (INT) 12 MF  TRI Kevan George (SUP) 13 MF  USA Ethan Finlay 14 DF  CRC Waylon Francis (INT)

No. Pos. Nation Player 16 MF  USA Hector Jiménez 17 FW  USA Ben Speas (HGP) 18 FW  USA Aaron Schoenfeld (SUP) 20 MF  USA Wil Trapp (HGP) 21 DF  USA Chad Barson (HGP; SUP) 22 DF  ARG Gastón Sauro (INT) 23 FW  SLE Kei Kamara 25 DF  GHA Harrison Afful (INT) 26 MF  USA Ben Swanson (HGP; SUP) 28 GK  USA Matt Lampson (HGP; SUP) 30 FW  USA Jack McInerney 41 GK  USA Brad Stuver (SUP)

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 19 MF  USA Romain Gall (SUP) (on loan to Austin Aztex) 24 DF  JAM Sergio Campbell (INT; SUP) (on loan to Austin Aztex)

Technical Staff

Position	Staff
President, Precourt Sports Ventures	Dave Greeley
President of Business Operations	Andy Loughnane
Director of Soccer Operations	Asher Mendelsohn
Sporting Director/Head Coach	Gregg Berhalter
Assistant Coach	Sixten Boström
Assistant Coach	Pat Onstad
Assistant Coach	Josh Wolff
High Performance Director	Steve Tashjian
Strength/Conditioning Coach	Brook Hamilton
Director of Team Operations	Tucker Walther
Equipment Manager	John Velasco
Team Operations Assistant	Ron Meadors
Head Athletic Trainer	Craig Devine
Assistant Trainer	Jon MacGregor

Source: [^[3]]

Non-competitive

Preseason

The Crew started preseason in Columbus and played games in Texas and Florida before returning to Ohio.

Unsigned draft picks Sergio Campbell, Sagi Lev-Ari, Tomas Gomez and Kalen Ryden joined the team for preseason.

FC Dallas v Columbus Crew SC

February 13 ATX Pro Challenge	FC Dallas	3–1	Columbus Crew SC	Austin, TX
1:00 PM EST	Perez 30' Hollingshead 38', 44' Harris  43' Toja  72'	Report	Kamara  29' Parkhurst  45' Tchani  60' Steindórsson 65'	Stadium: Mike A. Myers Stadium Referee: Ismail Elfath Assistant referees: James Conlee C. Oscar Mitchell Fourth official: Nima Saghafi

Austin Aztex v Columbus Crew SC

February 15 ATX Pro Challenge	Austin Aztex	0–1	Columbus Crew SC	Austin, TX
1:00 PM EST	Guaraci  34' Mulamba 55'	Report	Trapp  38' Barson 81'	Stadium: Mike A. Myers Stadium Referee: Hilario Grajeda Assistant referees: Claudio Badea Ian Chapman Fourth official: Younes Marrakchi
Note: Third-place match

Columbus Crew SC v London United

February 18 IMG Suncoast Pro Classic	Columbus Crew SC	7–0	London United	Bradenton, FL
	Kamara 3', 31' Finlay 19' Grana 21', 36' Klute 45' Lev-Ari 84'	Report		Stadium: IMG Academy Stadium
Note: London United are composed of players who are currently out of contract and are searching for professional clubs. They replace Congolese side TP Mazembe in the tournament.

Columbus Crew SC v Costa Rica U-23

February 21 IMG Suncoast Pro Classic	Columbus Crew SC	2–0	Costa Rica U-23	Bradenton, FL
5:00 PM EST	Kamara 16' Higuaín 18'	Report	Clark  5'  39'	Stadium: IMG Academy Stadium Referee: Kris Tencil

Columbus Crew SC v Philadelphia Union

February 25 IMG Suncoast Pro Classic	Columbus Crew SC	1–1 (3–5 p)	Philadelphia Union	Bradenton, FL
5:00 PM EST	Steindórsson  39' Meram 68'	Report	Aristeguieta 27' Williams  39'	Stadium: IMG Academy Stadium Referee: Fotis Bazakos Assistant referees: Richard Gamache Abdul Kuttaineh
	Penalties
	Wahl Schoenfeld Meram Speas		Fabinho Fred Carroll Casey Lahoud

Columbus Crew SC v Oklahoma City Energy FC

February 28 IMG Suncoast Pro Classic	Columbus Crew SC	4–1	Oklahoma City Energy FC	Bradenton, FL
5:00 PM EST	Steindórsson 32' Finlay 34' Higuaín 65' Kamara 87'	Report	Gonzalez 78'	Stadium: IMG Academy Stadium
Note: Third-place match

Midseason

Columbus Crew SC v Akron Zips

March 20 Friendly	Columbus Crew SC	6–1	Akron Zips	Columbus, OH
1:00 PM EDT	8' 17' 41' 44' 56' 84'	Report	Holthusen 30'	Stadium: MAPFRE Stadium

Columbus Crew SC v Louisville Cardinals

March 29 Friendly	Columbus Crew SC	1–2	Louisville Cardinals	Columbus, OH
	Jiménez 44' (pen.)	Report	Kübel 42' (pen.) Brody 81'	Stadium: MAPFRE Stadium

Columbus Crew SC v Bowling Green Falcons

April 19 Friendly	Columbus Crew SC	4–0	Bowling Green Falcons	Columbus, OH
10:30 AM EDT		Report

Columbus Crew SC v Valencia CF

May 27 Friendly	Columbus Crew SC	0–1	Valencia CF	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Pogatetz  85'	Report	Cancelo  21' Augusto  28' Negredo 33'	Stadium: MAPFRE Stadium

Competitive

Overview

Competition	First match	Last match	Starting round	Final position	Record
					Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %
Major League Soccer	March 7, 2015	October 25, 2015	Matchday 1	4th	34	15	8	11	58	53	+5	044.12
MLS Cup Playoffs	November 1, 2015	December 6, 2015	Conference Semifinals	Eastern Conference Champions	5	2	0	3	7	6	+1	040.00
U.S. Open Cup	June 17, 2015	June 30, 2015	Fourth Round	Round of 16	2	1	0	1	3	3	+0	050.00
Total					41	18	8	15	68	62	+6	043.90

Source: Competitions

MLS

Main article: 2015 Major League Soccer season

Standings

Eastern Conference

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	L	T	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	New York Red Bulls	34	18	10	6	62	43	+19	60	MLS Cup Conference Semifinals
2	Columbus Crew	34	15	11	8	58	53	+5	53
3	Montreal Impact	34	15	13	6	48	44	+4	51	MLS Cup Knockout Round
4	D.C. United	34	15	13	6	43	45	−2	51
5	New England Revolution	34	14	12	8	48	47	+1	50

Source: MLS

Overall table

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	L	T	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
2	FC Dallas	34	18	10	6	52	39	+13	60	CONCACAF Champions League
3	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	34	16	13	5	45	36	+9	53
4	Columbus Crew	34	15	11	8	58	53	+5	53
5	Portland Timbers (C)	34	15	11	8	41	39	+2	53	CONCACAF Champions League
6	Seattle Sounders FC	34	15	13	6	44	36	+8	51

Source: MLS
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored
(C) MLS Cup Champion

Results summary

Overall								Home						Away
Pld	Pts	W	L	T	GF	GA	GD	W	L	T	GF	GA	GD	W	L	T	GF	GA	GD
34	53	15	11	8	58	53	+5	9	4	4	38	25	+13	6	7	4	20	28	−8

Last updated: 18 Nov 2015
Source: Columbus Crew
Pld = Matches played; Pts = Points; W = Matches won; T = Matches tied; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference

Results by round

Round	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34
Stadium	A	H	H	A	A	H	H	A	H	A	H	A	A	H	H	H	A	H	A	A	H	H	A	A	H	H	A	H	A	A	H	A	A	H
Result	L	W	L	D	D	W	W	L	W	L	D	D	L	L	D	W	D	W	L	W	W	D	L	W	D	W	W	L	W	W	L	L	W	W

Updated to match(es) played on 18 November 2015. Source: columbuscrewsc.com
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Match results

Houston Dynamo v Columbus Crew SC

March 7 1	Houston Dynamo	1–0	Columbus Crew SC	Houston, TX
8:30 PM EST	Barnes 66'	Report	Pogatetz  28' Tchani  78'	Stadium: BBVA Compass Stadium Attendance: 22,351 Referee: Allen Chapman Assistant referees: Jeff Muschik Jeremy Hanson Fourth official: Younes Marrakchi

Columbus Crew SC v Toronto FC

March 14 2	Columbus Crew SC	2–0	Toronto FC	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Meram 57' Kamara 61' George  85'	Report	Morrow  45+1'	Stadium: MAPFRE Stadium Attendance: 15,826 Referee: David Gantar Assistant referees: James Conlee Danny Thornberry Fourth official: Sorin Stoica

Columbus Crew SC v New York Red Bulls

March 28 3	Columbus Crew SC	1–2	New York Red Bulls	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Higuaín  39'  83' Tchani 58'	Report	Perrinelle  17' Wright-Phillips 49' (pen.) Grella 67' Duvall  90+4'	Stadium: MAPFRE Stadium Attendance: 10,302 Referee: Sorin Stoica Assistant referees: Anthony Vasoli Jason White Fourth official: Fotis Bazakos

Vancouver Whitecaps FC v Columbus Crew SC

April 8 4	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	2–2	Columbus Crew SC	Vancouver, BC
10:00 PM EDT	Waston  17' Rivero 31' Mattocks 64'	Report	Kamara 24', 50' Jiménez  54' Wahl  72'	Stadium: BC Place Attendance: 18,083 Referee: Drew Fischer Assistant referees: Frank Anderson Marco Arruda Fourth official: Baboucarr Jallow

New England Revolution v Columbus Crew SC

April 11 5	New England Revolution	0–0	Columbus Crew SC	Foxborough, MA
3:00 PM EDT	Jones  12' Agudelo  55' Dorman  68'	Report	Tchani  62' Higuaín  65' Saeid  87'	Stadium: Gillette Stadium Attendance: 13,092 Referee: Silviu Petrescu Assistant referees: Claudiu Badea Philippe Brière Fourth official: Mathieu Bourdeau

Columbus Crew SC v Orlando City SC

April 18 6	Columbus Crew SC	3–0	Orlando City SC	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Higuaín 32' Grana  34' Meram 55' Kamara 60'	Report	Ramos  34' Okugo  58'	Stadium: MAPFRE Stadium Attendance: 15,655 Referee: Ricardo Salazar Assistant referees: Gianni Facchini Andrew Bigelow Fourth official: Kevin Terry Jr.

Columbus Crew SC v Philadelphia Union

April 25 7	Columbus Crew SC	4–1	Philadelphia Union	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Kamara 21' Finlay 32', 73' Meram 44'	Report	Edu  24' Lahoud  46' Ayuk 64'	Stadium: MAPFRE Stadium Attendance: 15,553 Referee: Chris Penso Assistant referees: Greg Barkey Mark Cahen Fourth official: Mark Kadlecik

D.C. United v Columbus Crew SC

May 2 8	D.C. United	2–0	Columbus Crew SC	Washington, D.C.
7:00 PM EDT	Espindola 15',  71' Franklin 41',  90'	Report		Stadium: Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Attendance: 13,107 Referee: Baldomero Toledo Assistant referees: Kermit Quisenberry Kathryn Nesbitt Fourth official: Edvin Jurisevic

Columbus Crew SC v Seattle Sounders FC

May 9 9	Columbus Crew SC	3–2	Seattle Sounders FC	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Kamara 10', 58',  77' Pogatetz  44' Higuaín 49' Schoenfeld  90+1'	Report	Dempsey 24', 75' Pineda  77'	Stadium: MAPFRE Stadium Attendance: 16,714 Referee: Edvin Jurisevic Assistant referees: James Conlee Jonathan Johnson Fourth official: Sorin Stoica

San Jose Earthquakes v Columbus Crew SC

May 16 10	San Jose Earthquakes	2–0	Columbus Crew SC	San Jose, CA
10:30 PM EDT	Goodson  40' García  45+2' Wondolowski 55' Salinas 60'	Report	Saeid  14'  33' George  90+1'	Stadium: Avaya Stadium Attendance: 18,000 Referee: Kevin Stott Assistant referees: Jeff Hosking Eric Weisbrod Fourth official: Alejandro Mariscal

Columbus Crew SC v Chicago Fire

May 22 11	Columbus Crew SC	2–2	Chicago Fire	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Kamara 8', 55' George  21' Meram  90+2'	Report	Gehrig  42' Accam 58' Johnson 90+4'	Stadium: MAPFRE Stadium Attendance: 13,118 Referee: Fotis Bazakos Assistant referees: Sean Hurd Scott Kachmarik Fourth official: Alan Kelly

Orlando City SC v Columbus Crew SC

May 30 12	Orlando City SC	2–2	Columbus Crew SC	Orlando, FL
7:30 PM EDT	Kaká 17' (pen.) Rivas  45+2' Ribeiro 89'	Report	Tchani 6' Parkhurst  16' Meram  32' Jiménez  40' Kamara 61' Saeid  90' Francis  90+1' Klute  90+1'	Stadium: Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium Attendance: 31,430 Referee: Silviu Petrescu Assistant referees: Mark Cahen Kyle Longville Fourth official: Marcos de Oliveira

Philadelphia Union v Columbus Crew SC

June 3 13	Philadelphia Union	3–0	Columbus Crew SC	Chester, PA
7:00 PM EDT	Sapong 41' Nogueira 52' Le Toux 58' Ayuk  86'	Report	Jiménez  85'	Stadium: PPL Park Attendance: 15,374 Referee: Jorge Gonzalez Assistant referees: C.J. Morgante Kathryn Nesbitt Fourth official: Mark Kadlecik

Columbus Crew SC v Montreal Impact

June 6 14	Columbus Crew SC	1–2	Montreal Impact	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Higuaín 90+1'	Report	Tissot 55' Donadel  75' Romero  78', 79' Toia  87' McInerney  90+3'	Stadium: MAPFRE Stadium Attendance: 12,265 Referee: Ted Unkel Assistant referees: Claudiu Badea Peter Balciunas Fourth official: Sorin Stoica

Columbus Crew SC v LA Galaxy

June 13 15	Columbus Crew SC	1–1	LA Galaxy	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Higuaín 66'	Report	Lletget 14' Gonzalez  70' Rogers  87'	Stadium: MAPFRE Stadium Attendance: 21,051 Referee: Robert Sibiga Assistant referees: Greg Barkey Brian Dunn Fourth official: Jorge Gonzalez

Columbus Crew SC v New England Revolution

June 24 16	Columbus Crew SC	2–1	New England Revolution	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Kamara 4', 50',  95' Parkhurst  63' Pogatetz  79' Francis  86' Steindórsson  90'	Report	Nguyen 1' Shuttleworth  50' Dorman  93'	Stadium: MAPFRE Stadium Attendance: 11,435 Referee: Fotis Bazakos Assistant referees: Chris Strickland Andrew Bigelow Fourth official: Kevin Terry Jr.

Real Salt Lake v Columbus Crew SC

June 27 17	Real Salt Lake	2–2	Columbus Crew SC	Sandy, UT
10:00 PM EDT	García 36' Jaime 46' Beltran  47' Mulholland  59' Sandoval  70' Maund  76' Allen  77'	Report	Tchani 42' Finlay 62' Francis  73' Kamara  82'	Stadium: Rio Tinto Stadium Attendance: 20,171 Referee: Ismail Elfath Assistant referees: Frank Anderson Eduardo Mariscal Fourth official: Baboucarr Jallow

Columbus Crew SC v New York Red Bulls

July 4 18	Columbus Crew SC	2–1	New York Red Bulls	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Tchani  30' Finlay 33', 74'	Report	Abang 8' Perrinelle  55' Felipe  90+4'	Stadium: MAPFRE Stadium Attendance: 14,429 Referee: Juan Guzman Assistant referees: Kermit Quisenberry Kathryn Nesbitt Fourth official: Mark Kadlecik

Montreal Impact v Columbus Crew SC

July 11 19	Montreal Impact	3–0	Columbus Crew SC	Montreal, QC
8:00 PM EDT	Oduro 5', 80' Donadel 8' Duka  24' Oyongo  66' Soumaré  86'	Report	Saeid  25' Meram  55'	Stadium: Stade Saputo Attendance: 15,304 Referee: Silviu Petrescu Assistant referees: Joe Fletcher Oscar Mitchell-Carvalho Fourth official: Robert Sibiga

Chicago Fire v Columbus Crew SC

July 15 20	Chicago Fire	0–1	Columbus Crew SC	Bridgeview, IL
7:30 PM EDT	Ritter  46' Gehrig  63' Accam  90+5'	Report	Kamara 41' Barson  77' Clark  90+3'	Stadium: Toyota Park Attendance: 14,092 Referee: Ted Unkel Assistant referees: Ian Anderson Anthony Vasoli Fourth official: Fotis Bazakos

Columbus Crew SC v Chicago Fire

July 19 21	Columbus Crew SC	3–1	Chicago Fire	Columbus, OH
5:30 PM EDT	Higuaín 2' Kamara 17' Finlay 83' Tchani  53' Higuaín  65'	Report	Accam 9' Johnson  35'  50' Adailton  45+1'	Stadium: MAPFRE Stadium Attendance: 15,455 Referee: Chris Penso Assistant referees: Jeff Muschik Scott Kachmarik Fourth official: Alex Chilowicz

Columbus Crew SC v Toronto FC

July 25 22	Columbus Crew SC	3–3	Toronto FC	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Kamara 17', 69' Tchani 36' Finlay 47' Francis  88'	Report	Perquis  20' Giovinco 50', 85' Warner 55', 76' Altidore 89' (pen.)	Stadium: MAPFRE Stadium Attendance: 21,324 Referee: Fotis Bazakos Assistant referees: Brian Poeschel Peter Balciunas Fourth official: Tyler Ploeger

Orlando City SC v Columbus Crew SC

August 1 23	Orlando City SC	5–2	Columbus Crew SC	Orlando, FL
7:30 PM EDT	Larin 18', 53' Cerén 38' Collin 77' Higuita 84' Hines  63'	Report	Higuaín 5' Francis  74' Saeid  82' Collin 90+1' (o.g.)	Stadium: Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium Attendance: 26,586 Referee: Ricardo Salazar Assistant referees: Chris Strickland Kevin Klinger Fourth official: Marcos de Oliveira

Colorado Rapids v Columbus Crew SC

August 8 24	Colorado Rapids	1–2	Columbus Crew SC	Commerce City, CO
9:00 PM EDT	Doyle  7' Watts  30' Burling 42' Sjöberg  50'  90' Burch  61'	Report	Kamara 52', 64' Klute  67' Barson  73' Higuaín  90+2'	Stadium: Dick's Sporting Goods Park Attendance: 16,676 Referee: Alan Kelly Assistant referees: Matt Nelson T.J. Zablocki Fourth official: Younes Marrakchi

Columbus Crew SC v New York City FC

August 19 25	Columbus Crew SC	2–2	New York City FC	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Kamara 24' Cedrick 72'	Report	Villa  51' Poku 57', 66' Saunders  90+3' Iraola  90+4'	Stadium: MAPFRE Stadium Attendance: 15,514 Referee: Allen Chapman Assistant referees: Eric Boria Jeremy Hanson Fourth official: Sorin Stoica

Columbus Crew SC v Sporting Kansas City

August 22 26	Columbus Crew SC	3–2	Sporting Kansas City	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Finlay 35' Tchani 80' McInerney 88', 90+2'	Report	de Jong 14' Dwyer  33' Medranda  39' Zusi 62' Lopez  79'	Stadium: MAPFRE Stadium Attendance: 20,018 Referee: Chris Penso Assistant referees: Jeff Muschik Andrew Bigelow Fourth official: Kevin Terry Jr.

New York City FC v Columbus Crew SC

August 29 27	New York City FC	1–2	Columbus Crew SC	New York, NY
4:00 PM EDT	Higuaín 10' Tchani  59' Kamara  82' Meram 83'	Report	Jacobson 29'	Stadium: Yankee Stadium Attendance: 30,018 Referee: Juan Guzman Assistant referees: C.J. Morgante Scott Kachmarik Fourth official: Robert Sibiga

Columbus Crew SC v FC Dallas

September 6 28	Columbus Crew SC	0–3	FC Dallas	Columbus, OH
7:00 PM EDT		Report	Harris 27' Gonzalez  63' Barrios 69' Texeira 71'	Stadium: MAPFRE Stadium Attendance: 20,217 Referee: Baldomero Toledo Assistant referees: Adam Garner Kermit Quisenberry Fourth official: Sorin Stoica

Philadelphia Union v Columbus Crew SC

September 12 29	Philadelphia Union	1–2	Columbus Crew SC	Chester, PA
7:30 PM EDT	Sapong 66' Vitória  86'	Report	Kamara 21', 26' Clark  90'	Stadium: PPL Park Attendance: 17,283 Referee: Jose Carlos Rivero Assistant referees: Corey Parker Oscar Mitchell-Carvalho Fourth official: Marcos de Oliveira

D.C. United v Columbus Crew SC

September 19 30	D.C. United	1–2	Columbus Crew SC	Washington, D.C.
7:00 PM EDT	Birnbaum  51' Kitchen  62' Rolfe 68' Kemp  90+2'	Report	Finlay 27' Kamara 49' Klute  72'	Stadium: Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Attendance: 19,033 Referee: Ted Unkel Assistant referees: Peter Manikowski Richard Gamache Fourth official: Fotis Bazakos

Columbus Crew SC v Portland Timbers

September 26 31	Columbus Crew SC	1–2	Portland Timbers	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Kamara 43' Higuaín  88'	Report	Adi 28', 50' Chara  45+1' Fochive  90+2' Adam Larsen Kwarasey  90+5'	Stadium: MAPFRE Stadium Attendance: 22,719 Referee: Silviu Petrescu Assistant referees: Craig Lowry Kathryn Nesbitt Fourth official: Nima Saghafi

New York Red Bulls v Columbus Crew SC

October 3 32	New York Red Bulls	2–1	Columbus Crew SC	Harrison, NJ
7:00 PM EDT	Sam 12' Perrinelle  15' Robles  78' Wright-Phillips 21'	Report	Meram 9' Sauro  79'	Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 21,715 Referee: Alan Kelly Assistant referees: Matt Nelson Peter Balciunas Fourth official: Daniel Fitzgerald

Toronto FC v Columbus Crew SC

October 17 33	Toronto FC	0–2	Columbus Crew SC	Toronto, ON
2:00 PM EDT	Bradley  42' Cheyrou  73'	Report	Higuaín  31', 90+1' Finlay 40' Kamara  63' Sauro  85' Parkhurst  87'	Stadium: BMO Field Attendance: 24,253 Referee: Chris Penso Assistant referees: Joe Fletcher Philippe Brière Fourth official: Mathieu Bourdeau

Columbus Crew SC v D.C. United

October 25 34	Columbus Crew SC	5–0	D.C. United	Columbus, OH
5:00 PM EDT	McInerney 25',  59' Meram 54' Finlay 66', 67' Schoenfeld 80'	Report	Kemp  58'	Stadium: MAPFRE Stadium Attendance: 19,121 Referee: Ismail Elfath Assistant referees: Ian Anderson Kevin Klinger Fourth official: Silviu Petrescu

MLS Cup Playoffs

Main article: 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs

Conference Semifinals

Montreal Impact v Columbus Crew SC

November 1 Leg 1	Montreal Impact	2–1	Columbus Crew SC	Montreal, QC
7:00 PM EST	Bernier 37' Cabrera  45+2' Oyongo  51' Venegas 77' Drogba  87'	Report	Higuaín 33' Sauro  52' Afful  90+3'	Stadium: Stade Saputo Attendance: 17,655 Referee: Chris Penso Assistant referees: Jeff Muschik James Conlee Fourth official: José Carlos Rivero

Columbus Crew SC v Montreal Impact

November 8 Leg 2	Columbus Crew SC	3–1 (a.e.t.) (4–3 agg.)	Montreal Impact	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EST	Kamara 4', 111' Sauro  30' Finlay 77'	Report	Duka 40' Donadel  85' Camara  90+5' Reo-Coker  104'	Stadium: MAPFRE Stadium Attendance: 19,026 Referee: Armando Villarreal Assistant referees: Corey Parker Craig Lowry Fourth official: Jorge Gonzalez

Conference Finals

Columbus Crew SC v New York Red Bulls

November 22 Leg 1	Columbus Crew SC	2–0	New York Red Bulls	Columbus, OH
5:00 PM EST	Meram 1' Wahl  46' Kamara 85'	Report		Stadium: MAPFRE Stadium Attendance: 21,617 Referee: Allen Chapman Assistant referees: George Gansner Jeff Muschik Fourth official: Mark Geiger

New York Red Bulls v Columbus Crew SC

November 29 Leg 2	New York Red Bulls	1–0 (1–2 agg.)	Columbus Crew SC	Harrison, NJ
7:30 PM EST	Felipe  28' Zizzo  85' Abang 90+3'	Report	Sauro  67'	Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 25,219 Referee: Baldomero Toledo Assistant referees: Frank Anderson Greg Barkey Fourth official: Sorin Stoica

MLS Cup

Main article: MLS Cup 2015

Columbus Crew SC v Portland Timbers

December 6 MLS Cup	Columbus Crew SC	1–2	Portland Timbers	Columbus, OH
4:00 PM EST	Kamara 18' Afful  34'	Report	Valeri 1' Wallace 7' Powell  65' Valeri  90+3' Asprilla  90+3'	Stadium: MAPFRE Stadium Attendance: 21,747 Referee: Jair Marrufo Assistant referees: Peter Manikowski Corey Parker Fourth official: Chris Penso

U.S. Open Cup

Main article: 2015 U.S. Open Cup

Richmond Kickers v Columbus Crew SC

June 17, 2015 Fourth Round	Richmond Kickers	1–3	Columbus Crew SC	Richmond, VA
7:00 PM EDT	Sekyere 23'	Report	Bedell 17', 63' Tchani  35' Finlay 42'	Stadium: City Stadium Attendance: 4,040 Referee: Kevin Terry Jr. Assistant referees: Charles Carson Hagen Barnett

Orlando City SC v Columbus Crew SC

June 30, 2015 Round of 16	Orlando City SC	2–0	Columbus Crew SC	Orlando, FL
7:30 PM EDT	Higuita  12' Hines  14' Kaká 21' Rivas 35'	Report	George  24' Schoenfeld  39' Pogatetz  53'	Stadium: Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium Attendance: 13,684 Referee: Mark Kadlecik Assistant referees: Gregory Barker Jose Da Silva Fourth official: Matthew McCannon

Statistics

Appearances and goals

Under "Apps" for each section, the first number represents the number of starts, and the second number represents appearances as a substitute.

No.	Pos	Nat	Player	Total		MLS		MLS Cup Playoffs		U.S. Open Cup
				Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
1	GK	USA	Steve Clark	39	0	34+0	0	5+0	0	0+0	0
2	DF	USA	Tyson Wahl	23	0	14+4	0	1+2	0	2+0	0
3	DF	USA	Chris Klute	17	0	8+6	0	0+2	0	1+0	0
4	DF	USA	Michael Parkhurst	38	0	33+0	0	5+0	0	0+0	0
5	DF	AUT	Emanuel Pogatetz	21	0	16+3	0	0+0	0	2+0	0
6	MF	CMR	Tony Tchani	39	5	32+0	5	5+0	0	2+0	0
7	MF	ISL	Kristinn Steindórsson	23	0	4+17	0	0+0	0	2+0	0
8	MF	ERI	Mohammed Saeid	21	7	18+0	7	0+2	0	0+1	0
9	FW	IRQ	Justin Meram	38	7	28+3	6	5+0	1	0+2	0
10	FW	ARG	Federico Higuaín	37	9	32+0	8	5+0	1	0+0	0
11	MF	COD	Cedrick Mabwati	13	1	1+8	1	0+4	0	0+0	0
12	MF	TRI	Kevan George	10	0	2+4	0	0+2	0	2+0	0
13	MF	USA	Ethan Finlay	40	14	34+0	12	5+0	1	1+0	1
14	DF	CRC	Waylon Francis	33	0	28+0	0	5+0	0	0+0	0
16	MF	USA	Hector Jiménez	24	0	12+11	0	0+0	0	1+0	0
17	FW	USA	Ben Speas	10	0	2+6	0	0+0	0	2+0	0
18	FW	USA	Aaron Schoenfeld	19	1	1+16	1	0+0	0	1+1	0
19	MF	USA	Romain Gall	1	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+1	0
20	MF	USA	Wil Trapp	25	0	17+2	0	5+0	0	0+1	0
21	DF	USA	Chad Barson	12	0	4+6	0	0+0	0	2+0	0
22	DF	ARG	Gastón Sauro	8	0	4+0	0	4+0	0	0+0	0
23	FW	SLE	Kei Kamara	37	26	31+1	22	5+0	4	0+0	0
24	DF	JAM	Sergio Campbell	1	0	1+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
25	DF	GHA	Harrison Afful	14	0	9+0	0	5+0	0	0+0	0
26	DF	USA	Ben Swanson	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
28	GK	USA	Matt Lampson	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
30	FW	USA	Jack McInerney	7	2	2+3	2	0+2	0	0+0	0
41	GK	USA	Brad Stuver	2	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	2+0	0
			Own Goal	0	1	-	1	-	0	-	0
Players who left Columbus during the season:
22	DF	USA	Kalen Ryden	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
25	FW	ISR	Sagi Lev-Ari	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
27	DF	ARG	Hernán Grana	7	0	7+0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
29	FW	USA	Adam Bedell	2	2	0+0	0	0+0	0	2+0	2

Source:

Disciplinary record

No.	Pos.	Name	MLS		MLS Cup Playoffs		U.S. Open Cup		Total
1	GK	Steve Clark	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
2	DF	Tyson Wahl	1	0	1	0	0	0	2	0
3	DF	Chris Klute	3	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
4	DF	Michael Parkhurst	2	1	0	0	0	0	2	1
5	DF	Emanuel Pogatetz	3	0	0	0	1	0	4	0
6	MF	Tony Tchani	5	0	0	0	1	0	6	0
7	MF	Kristinn Steindórsson	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
8	MF	Mohammed Saeid	4	1	0	0	0	0	4	1
9	FW	Justin Meram	3	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
10	FW	Federico Higuaín	5	1	0	0	0	0	5	1
11	MF	Cedrick Mabwati	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
12	MF	Kevan George	3	0	0	0	1	0	4	0
13	MF	Ethan Finlay	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
14	DF	Waylon Francis	5	0	0	0	0	0	5	0
16	MF	Hector Jiménez	3	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
17	FW	Ben Speas	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
18	FW	Aaron Schoenfeld	1	0	0	0	1	0	2	0
19	MF	Romain Gall	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
20	MF	Wil Trapp	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
21	DF	Chad Barson	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
22	DF	Gastón Sauro	2	0	3	0	0	0	5	0
23	FW	Kei Kamara	6	0	0	0	0	0	6	0
24	DF	Sergio Campbell	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
25	DF	Harrison Afful	0	0	2	0	0	0	2	0
26	MF	Ben Swanson	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
28	GK	Matt Lampson	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
30	FW	Jack McInerney	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
41	GK	Brad Stuver	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Players who left Columbus during the season:
22	DF	Kalen Ryden	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
25	FW	Sagi Lev-Ari	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
27	DF	Hernán Grana	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
29	FW	Adam Bedell	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Source:

Clean sheets

No.	Name	MLS	MLS Cup Playoffs	U.S. Open Cup	Total	Games Played
		1	Steve Clark	6	1	0	7	39
28	Matt Lampson	0	0	0	0	0
41	Brad Stuver	0	0	0	0	2

Source:

Transfers

See also: List of Major League Soccer transfers 2015

In

Position	Player	Transferred from	Fee/notes	Date	Source
DF	Chris Klute	Colorado Rapids	Traded for a first round draft pick in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft	January 16, 2015	[4]
DF	Hernan Grana	All Boys	Signed via discovery	January 23, 2015	[5]
MF	Cedrick Mabwati	Real Betis	Transfer, terms undisclosed	January 30, 2015	[6]
DF	Sergio Campbell	Connecticut Huskies	Drafted in round 1 of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft	March 2, 2015	[7]
FW	Sagi Lev-Ari	Cal State Northridge Matadors	Drafted in round 2 of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft	March 2, 2015	[7]
DF	Kalen Ryden	Midwestern State Mustangs	Drafted in round 4 of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft	March 2, 2015	[7]
DF	Harrison Afful	ES Tunis	Signed via discovery	July 30, 2015	[8]
FW	Jack McInerney	Montreal Impact	Traded for a second round draft pick in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft	August 4, 2015	[9]
DF	Gastón Sauro	FC Basel	Signed via discovery	August 6, 2015	[10]
DF	Corey Ashe	Orlando City SC	Signed as a free agent.	December 18, 2015	[11]

Out

Pos.	Player	Transferred to	Fee/notes	Date	Source
DF	Ben Sweat	Tampa Bay Rowdies	Placed on waivers	February 9, 2015	[12]
FW	Sagi Lev-Ari	Retired	Placed on waivers	March 16, 2015	[13]
DF	Hernán Grana	All Boys	Mutually agreed to terminate contract	May 12, 2015	[14]
DF	Kalen Ryden	Oklahoma City Energy FC	Placed on waivers	August 6, 2015	[15]
FW	Adam Bedell	Orlando City SC	Traded for a second round draft pick in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft	August 6, 2015	[16]
DF	Emanuel Pogatetz	1. FC Union Berlin	Option declined	December 7, 2015	[17]
MF	Kristinn Steindórsson	GIF Sundsvall	Option declined	December 7, 2015	[17]
MF	Ben Speas	Minnesota United	Contract expired	December 7, 2015	[17]
GK	Matt Lampson	Chicago Fire	Contract expired	December 7, 2015	[17]
MF	Kevan George	Jacksonville Armada	Contract expired	December 7, 2015	[17]
FW	Jack McInerney	Portland Timbers	Contract expired; rights traded for targeted allocation money and general allocation money	December 7, 2015	[17][18]
FW	Aaron Schoenfeld	Maccabi Netanya F.C.	Contract expired	December 7, 2015	[17]
DF	Chris Klute	Portland Timbers	Traded for general allocation money	December 11, 2015	[19]

Loans out

Pos.	Player	Loanee club	Length/Notes	Beginning	End	Source
MF	Cedrick Mabwati	CA Osasuna	Signed, then loaned through the remainder of the season	January 30, 2015	July 6, 2015	[20]
DF	Kalen Ryden	Austin Aztex	Columbus retains right to recall at any time	March 26, 2015	August 6, 2015	[21]
FW	Adam Bedell	Austin Aztex	Columbus retains right to recall at any time	May 1, 2015	End of Season	[22]
MF	Romain Gall	Austin Aztex	Columbus retains right to recall at any time	July 9, 2015	End of Season	[21]
MF	Sergio Campbell	Austin Aztex	Columbus retains right to recall at any time	September 8, 2015	End of Season	[23]

MLS Draft picks

Main article: 2015 MLS SuperDraft

Draft picks are not automatically signed to the team roster. Only those who are signed to a contract will be listed as transfers in. The picks for the Columbus Crew are listed below:

2015 Columbus Crew SC SuperDraft Picks[24]
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College
1	19	Sergio Campbell	DF	Connecticut
2	35	Sagi Lev-Ari	FW	Cal State Northridge
3	55	Robert Kristo	FW	Saint Louis
3	60	Tomas Gomez	GK	Georgetown
4	69	Kalen Ryden	DF	Midwestern State Mustangs

Awards

MLS Team of the Week

Week	Starters	Bench	Opponent(s)	Link
2	Hernán Grana Justin Meram		Toronto FC	[25]
7	Federico Higuaín Kei Kamara		Orlando City SC	[26]
8	Waylon Francis Ethan Finlay Kei Kamara Gregg Berhalter (Coach)		Philadelphia Union	[27]
10	Emanuel Pogatetz Federico Higuaín Kei Kamara	Hector Jiménez	Seattle Sounders FC	[28]
12	Kei Kamara		Chicago Fire	[29]
13		Kei Kamara	Orlando City SC	[30]
15	Tony Tchani			[31]
17	Ethan Finlay Kei Kamara		New England Revolution Real Salt Lake	[32]
18	Ethan Finlay Kei Kamara	Tony Tchani	New York Red Bulls	[33]
20	Waylon Francis Ethan Finlay Kei Kamara Gregg Berhalter (Coach)		Chicago Fire	[34]
21		Ethan Finlay	Toronto FC	[35]
23	Kei Kamara	Michael Parkhurst	Colorado Rapids	[36]
25		Wil Trapp Kei Kamara	New York City FC Sporting Kansas City	[37]
26	Federico Higuaín		New York City FC	[38]
28	Harrison Afful Kei Kamara		Philadelphia Union	[39]
29	Tony Tchani	Kei Kamara	D.C. United	[40]
34	Harrison Afful Ethan Finlay	Jack McInerney	D.C. United	[41]

MLS Player of the Week Week Player Opponent Link 8 Ethan Finlay Philadelphia Union 12 Kei Kamara Chicago Fire 23 Kei Kamara Colorado Rapids 28 Kei Kamara Philadelphia Union

MLS Save of the Week Week Player Opponent Link 11 Steve Clark San Jose Earthquakes

2015 MLS All-Star Game Reserves DF Waylon Francis[42] MF Ethan Finlay FW Kei Kamara 2015 MLS Homegrown Game GK Matt Lampson[43] MF Ben Swanson

Postseason MLS Humanitarian of the Year Award FW Kei Kamara[44] Operations Staff of the Year[45] Athletic Training Staff of the Year

Crew SC Team Awards Most Valuable Player – Kei Kamara[46] Golden Boot – Kei Kamara Defender of the Year – Waylon Francis Kirk Urso Heart Award – Michael Parkhurst Humanitarian of the Year – Kei Kamara Academy Player of the Year – Edward Folds III

Kits

Home

Away

Type	Shirt	Shorts	Socks	First appearance / Info
Home	Yellow	Yellow	Yellow	Week 1 against Houston Dynamo
Away	Black	Black	Black	Week 2 against Toronto FC