1996 Columbus Crew season

Columbus Crew
1996 season
Investor-operators	Lamar Hunt ; Clark Hunt ; Dan Hunt; Lamar Hunt Jr. ; Sharron Hunt Munson; Ron Pizzuti and a group of local investors
Head Coach	Timo Liekoski ; (until August 2); Tom Fitzgerald (interim); (from August 2)
Stadium	Ohio Stadium
Major League Soccer	Conference: 4th; Overall: 8th
MLS Cup Playoffs	Conference Semifinals
Top goalscorer	League: ; Brian McBride (17); All: ; Brian McBride (19)
Highest home attendance	31,550 (9/15 v. NY)
Lowest home attendance	12,832 (7/25 v. TB)
Average home league attendance	19,058 (
Biggest win	CLB 4–0 DC (4/13); KC 1–5 CLB (9/7)
Biggest defeat	CLB 0–4 NY (6/30)
Home colors	Away colors
	1997 →

Last updated August 05, 2025

The 1996 Columbus Crew season was the club's first season of existence and their first season in Major League Soccer, the top flight of soccer in the United States. The first match of the season was on April 13 against D.C. United. It was the first season under head coach Timo Liekoski who resigned on August 2. Tom Fitzgerald took over as interim head coach through the rest of the season.

Roster

As of August 10, 1996^[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	Bo Oshoniyi
1	GK	USA	Brad Friedel
2	FW	USA	Mac Cozier
3	DF	USA	Mike Clark
4	DF	USA	Janusz Michallik
5	DF	USA	Paul Caligiuri
6	MF	USA	Todd Yeagley
7	DF	USA	Shane Battelle
8	DF	USA	Brian Bliss
9	FW	USA	Billy Thompson
10	MF	USA	Brian Maisonneuve


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
11	FW	URU	Adrián Paz
12	FW	USA	Pete Marino
15	MF	RSA	Doctor Khumalo (captain)
16	MF	USA	Rob Smith
18	GK	USA	David Winner
19	MF	POL	Robert Warzycha
20	FW	USA	Brian McBride
21	DF	ARG	Ricardo Iribarren
22	FW	ARG	Marcelo Carrera
29	GK	USA	Pat Harrington

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
17	FW	USA	Ricci Greenwood (on loan to Ohio Xoggz)
17	DF	USA	Todd Miller (on loan to Milwaukee Rampage)

Technical Staff

Position	Staff
General Manager	Jamey Rootes
Head Coach	Timo Liekoski until August 2 Tom Fitzgerald after August 2
Assistant Coach	Tom Fitzgerald until August 2 John Ellinger after August 11
Assistant Coach	Oscar Pisano
Goalkeeper Coach	Greg Andrulis
Head Trainer	Amy Baer

Source:

Non-competitive

Preseason

Columbus Crew v Kansas City Wiz

March 16 Friendly	Columbus Crew	1-1	Kansas City Wiz	Boca Raton, FL
		^[3]		Stadium: Florida Atlantic University

March 17 Friendly	Columbus Crew	2-2	Tampa Bay Mutiny	Boca Raton, FL
	Young 5' Marino pen.'	Report	Lassiter Viera 81'	Stadium: Florida Atlantic University Attendance: 2,000

March 18 Friendly	Columbus Crew	6-0	Lynn Fighting Knights	Boca Raton, FL
		^[4]

March 19 Friendly	Columbus Crew	3-2	Kansas City Wiz	Boca Raton, FL
7:00 PM EST	Clark 21', 61' Marino 80'	Report	Ekemé 37' Snow 51'	Stadium: Florida Atlantic University

March 20 Friendly	Columbus Crew	2-1	NY/NJ Metrostars	Boca Raton, FL
	Miller 15' Paz 67'	Report	Savarese 73' Caricola 81'	Stadium: Florida Atlantic University

March 21 Friendly	Columbus Crew	v	Florida Atlantic Owls	Boca Raton, FL
6:30 PM EST				Stadium: Florida Atlantic University

March 22 Friendly	Columbus Crew	2-2	New England Revolution	Boca Raton, FL
	Young 45' Marino 72'	Report	Galderisi 3', 57' (pen.)	Stadium: Florida Atlantic University

March 23 Friendly	Columbus Crew	1-1	Kansas City Wiz	Boca Raton, FL
	Marino 53'	Report	Takawira 67'	Stadium: Saint Andrew's School

Midseason

June 14 Friendly	Columbus Crew	2-3	U.S. U-23 National Team	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Cozier 33', 63' Warzycha 39'	Report	Peay 2' Amani-Dove 36' Baba 44' Maisonneuve 56'	Stadium: Ohio Stadium Attendance: 13,630 Referee: Ali Saheli

Competitive

Overview

Competition	First match	Last match	Starting round	Final position	Record
Competition	First match	Last match	Starting round	Final position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %
Major League Soccer	April 13, 1996	September 21, 1996	Matchday 1	4th	32	11	17	4	59	60	−1	034.38
MLS Cup Playoffs	September 25, 1996	October 2, 1996	Conference Semifinals	Conference Semifinals	3	1	0	2	2	7	−5	033.33
Total					35	12	17	6	61	67	−6	034.29

Source: Competitions

MLS

Standings

Eastern Conference

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	SOW	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Tampa Bay Mutiny	32	19	1	12	66	51	+15	58	MLS Cup Playoffs
2	D.C. United	32	15	1	16	62	56	+6	46
3	NY/NJ MetroStars	32	12	3	17	45	47	−2	39
4	Columbus Crew	32	11	4	17	59	60	−1	37
5	New England Revolution	32	9	6	17	43	56	−13	33

Source: MLS

Overall table

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	SOW	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
6	NY/NJ MetroStars	32	12	3	17	45	47	−2	39
7	San Jose Clash	32	12	3	17	50	50	0	39
8	Columbus Crew	32	11	4	17	59	60	−1	37
9	New England Revolution	32	9	6	17	43	56	−13	33
10	Colorado Rapids	32	9	2	21	44	59	−15	29

Source: MLS
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head record; 3) goal difference; 4) number of goals scored

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
32	37	11	17	4	59	60	−1	8	8	0	32	27	+5	3	9	4	27	33	−6

Source: MLS standings
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
Stadium	H	H	A	A	A	H	A	H	A	A	H	H	A	A	H	A	A	H	H	H	A	H	A	H	A	H	H	H	A	H	A	A
Result	W	L	W	L	L	W	L	L	L	L	L	L	SW	SW	L	L	L	L	L	W	L	L	SW	W	SW	W	W	W	W	W	L	W

Source: schedule
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; L = Loss; SW = Shootout Win

Match results

April 131	Columbus Crew	4-0	D.C. United	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Lee 18' (o.g.) McBride 29', 86' Clark 39' Marino 48' Oshoniyi 79'	Report	Williams 19' Lee 33' Etcheverry 66'	Stadium: Ohio Stadium Attendance: 25,266 Referee: Raul Dominguez Assistant referees: Walter Jones Kim Vieira Fourth official: Kelly Ross

April 202	Columbus Crew	1-2	Tampa Bay Mutiny	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Battelle 19' Watson 54' Khumalo 60' Maisonneuve 62'	Report	Vásquez 12', 10' Marino 28' (o.g.) Kooiman 59' Viera 77' Dougherty 86'	Stadium: Ohio Stadium Attendance: 24,434 Referee: Rich Grady Assistant referees: Michael Kennedy Ted Covaciu Fourth official: Giovanni Piazza

April 273	NY/NJ MetroStars	0-2	Columbus Crew	East Rutherford, NJ
7:30 PM EDT	Knowles 33' Zaun 44' Vermes 58'	Report	Bliss 13', 15' Thompson 87'	Stadium: Giants Stadium Attendance: 26,416 Referee: Zimmerman Boulos Assistant referees: Ricardo Renderos Charles Ponti Fourth official: Matt Lawlor

May 24	Kansas City Wiz	6-4	Columbus Crew	Kansas City, MO
8:30 PM EDT	Chung 5' Johnston 47', 70' Preki 67' (pen.), 88' Sorber 77'	Report	McBride 20' Bliss 41' Yeagley 48' Clark 64' Bowers 65' (o.g.) Thompson 79'	Stadium: Arrowhead Stadium Referee: Esse Baharmast Assistant referees: Ali Mohebbi Alan Shepherd Fourth official: Michael Pfeiffer

May 55	Dallas Burn	0-0 (3–1 SO)	Columbus Crew	Dallas, TX
4:00 PM EDT	Álvarez 41' 87'	Report	Michallik 10'	Stadium: Cotton Bowl Attendance: 35,250 Referee: Brian Hall Assistant referees: Michael Williams Andrew Barnes Fourth official: Glenn Prechac
	Shootout
	Haynes Rodríguez Lozzano Ashton		McBride Thompson Ward Carrera

May 116	Columbus Crew	3-2	New England Revolution	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	McBride 48' (pen.), 89' Marino 87'	Report	Wélton 18' Naveda 34', 78' Burns 48' Aunger 68' DeBrito 71' Chronopoulos 87'	Stadium: Ohio Stadium Attendance: 24,750 Referee: Roberto Van de Wyngard Assistant referees: Vito Testa Frank Fiehn Fourth official: Michael Porpora

May 157	D.C. United	5-2	Columbus Crew	Washington, D.C.
7:30 PM EDT	Rammel 28', 48', 53' Arce 67', 70', 88'		Khumalo 51' McBride 76' Paz 85' (pen.)	Stadium: Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Attendance: 7,422 Referee: Esse Baharmast Assistant referees: Robert Kuhnle Steve Taylor (AR2) Fourth official: Rob Fereday

May 198	Columbus Crew	2-4	Colorado Rapids	Columbus, OH
4:00 PM EDT	Khumalo 22', 42' (pen.) McBride 27'	Report	Kinnear 19' Bartlett 49', 73' Balboa 80' Sharpe 88'	Stadium: Ohio Stadium Attendance: 20,184 Referee: Zekay Akbay Assistant referees: Jamil Hamdan Carlos Folino Fourth official: Mark Carpenter

May 269	LA Galaxy	3-2	Columbus Crew	Pasadena, CA
4:00 PM EDT	Karapetyan 29', 50' Hurtado 44', 68'	Report	Yeagley 17' 23' Marino 24', 51'	Stadium: Rose Bowl Attendance: 15,231 Referee: Tim Weyland Assistant referees: Rene Flores Bryan Elliott Fourth official: Juan Hernandez

June 110	San Jose Clash	2-2 (2–1 SO)	Columbus Crew	San Jose, CA
10:30 PM EDT	Iroha 21' Gutierrez 29' Doyle 36' Baicher 46' Wynalda 63' Butler 84' Dayak 90'	Report	Watson 2' Paz 11' Marino 31' McBride 68' (pen.) Oshoniyi 90'	Stadium: Spartan Stadium Attendance: 16,077 Referee: Arturo Angeles Assistant referees: David Bragg Miguel Moreno Fourth official: Fidel Gutierrez
	Shootout
	Iroha Wynalda Butler Rodas Espinoza		Marino McBride Paz Ward Bliss

June 811	Columbus Crew	3-3 (1–4 SO)	Kansas City Wiz	Columbus, OH
1:30 PM EDT	Paz 38', 43' Marino 41' Caligiuri 59' Oshoniyi 85'	Report	Takawira 1' Johnston 21' Uderitz 48', 50' Preki 60' (pen.)	Stadium: Ohio Stadium Attendance: 16,526 Referee: Raul Dominguez Assistant referees: Brian Darling Kermit Quisenberry Fourth official: Douglas Palomaki
	Shootout
	Thompson Paz Michallik		Chung Eichmann Preki Koetters

June 1912	Columbus Crew	2-2 (1–4 SO)	Colorado Rapids	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Thompson 31' Carrera 58'	Report	Trittschuh 44' Balboa 48', 83'	Stadium: Ohio Stadium Attendance: 13,093 Referee: Marcel Yonan Assistant referees: Kim Vieira Clement Adduchio Fourth official: Patrick Ruetschle
	Shootout
	Thompson Warzycha Marino		Henderson Benedetti Bartlett Sharpe

June 2213	Tampa Bay Mutiny	3-3 (2–3 SO)	Columbus Crew	Tampa, FL
7:30 PM EDT	Ralston 28' Wise 39' Pittman 39' Lassiter 64' (pen.) Vásquez 71'	Report	Caligiuri 7' Khumalo 21' (pen.) Winner 40' Bliss 50' Marino 50' Warzycha 60'	Stadium: Houlihan's Stadium Attendance: 8,767 Referee: Joshua Patlak Assistant referees: Shane Moody Jack Holland Fourth official: Jaime Guerra
	Shootout
	Pittman Kooiman Lassiter Vásquez Ralston		Thompson Marino Carrera Warzycha

June 2714	New England Revolution	1-1 (1–2 SO)	Columbus Crew	Foxborough, MA
7:00 PM EDT	Aunger 50' Burns 70' Kerr 72' Wélton 77'	Report	Marino 20' Winner 90'	Stadium: Foxboro Stadium Attendance: 15,209 Referee: Zimmerman Boulos Assistant referees: Delfrim Rainho John Motta Fourth official: Thomas Supple
	Shootout
	Wélton Keegan Aunger Kerr Burns Sawatzky Fraser Okaroh Wylie		Thompson Marino Carrera Cozier Caligiuri Clark Warzycha Michallik Battelle

June 3015	Columbus Crew	0-4	NY/NJ MetroStars	Columbus, OH
2:00 PM EDT	Cozier 70'	Report	Caricola 23' Ramos 27', 79' Vermes 29' Harty 41' Savarese 76' Unger 90'	Stadium: Ohio Stadium Attendance: 17,261 Referee: Rich Grady Assistant referees: Michael Kennedy Giovanni Piazza Fourth official: Mikael Lundqvist

July 416	Tampa Bay Mutiny	4-1	Columbus Crew	Tampa, FL
7:30 PM EDT	Galderisi 15' Ralston 56' Lassiter 73', 78'	Report	Marino 18' Battelle 32'	Stadium: Houlihan's Stadium Attendance: 18,761 Referee: Joshua Patlak Assistant referees: Shane Moody Jack Holland Fourth official: Jaime Guerra

July 717	Colorado Rapids	2-1	Columbus Crew	Denver,CO
4:00 PM EDT	Trittschuh 41' Harbor 62' Hamlett 67' Benedetti 83'	Report	Caligiuri 29' Iribarren 40' Warzycha 77'	Stadium: Mile High Stadium Attendance: 7,911 Referee: Kevin Terry Assistant referees: Kevin Yant Val Leibold Fourth official: Justin De Grado

July 1118	Columbus Crew	1-1 (0–3 SO)	New England Revolution	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EST	Caligiuri 25'	Report	Chronopoulos 78'	Stadium: Ohio Stadium Attendance: 13,751 Referee: Arturo Angeles Assistant referees: Jamil Hamdan Carlos Folino Fourth official: Kelly Ross
	Shootout
	Thompson Marino Carrera		Naveda Chronopoulos Keegan

July 2019	Columbus Crew	3-4	San Jose Clash	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Warzycha 22' McBride 37', 58'	Report	Wynalda 7' Bravo 17', 60' Baicher 42' Doyle 50' Draguicevich 56' Espinoza 67' 73'	Stadium: Ohio Stadium Attendance: 18,156 Referee: Ali Saheli Assistant referees: Frank Fiehn Michael Porpora Fourth official: Vito Testa

July 2520	Columbus Crew	1-0	Tampa Bay Mutiny	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Marino 16' Mike Clark 21'	Report	McKinley 7' Frye 25' 60' Dougherty 67' Kooiman 70'	Stadium: Ohio Stadium Attendance: 12,832 Referee: Roberto Van de Wyngard Assistant referees: Walter Jones Clement Adduchio Fourth official: Hugh Cullin

July 2821	D.C. United	2-0	Columbus Crew	Washington, D.C.
4:00 PM EDT	Rammel 1' Marsch 83'	Report	Warzycha 61'	Stadium: Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Attendance: 11,173 Referee: Ruben Rodhas Assistant referees: Nate Clement Bruce Kamerer Fourth official: Mike Clair

July 3122	Columbus Crew	1-2	Dallas Burn	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Iribarren 10' Caligiuri 30' Warzycha 53' McBride 83'	Report	Kreis 27' Sánchez 29' Lozzano 47'	Stadium: Ohio Stadium Attendance: 13,190 Referee: Tim Weyland Assistant referees: Brian Darling Kermit Quisenberry Fourth official: Brian Apswich

August 423	LA Galaxy	1-1 (2–3 SO)	Columbus Crew	Pasadena, CA
7:30 PM EDT	Jones 33' Calichman 36' Cienfuegos 52', 70' Vanney 56' Armas 84'	Report	Clark 33' Iribarren 36' Paz 87'	Stadium: Rose Bowl Attendance: 15,089 Referee: Frank Gorog Assistant referees: Jorge Reyes Roger Itaya Fourth official: Rene Flores
	Shootout
	Salcedo Fraser Jones Cienfuegos Vanney		Thompson Marino Carrera Yeagley Maisonneuve

August 1024	Columbus Crew	3-2	D.C. United	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Smith 18' Iribarren 55' McBride 57' Paz 60'	Report	Moreno 27' Arce 31' Pope 75'	Stadium: Ohio Stadium Attendance: 18,587 Referee: Steve Olson Assistant referees: Frank Fiehn Jeffrey Mellen Fourth official: Douglas Palomaki

August 1425	Dallas Burn	2-2 (2–3 SO)	Columbus Crew	Dallas, TX
8:30 PM EDT	Elliott · 73', 76'	Report	Carrera 62' Iribarren 76' 79' McBride 83'	Stadium: Cotton Bowl Attendance: 7,338 Referee: Zimmerman Boulos Assistant referees: Paul Scott Bill Briseno Fourth official: Ralph Boggs
	Shootout
	Haynes Lozzano Sánchez Farrer Elliot Kreis Puskarich Soñora Flores		Carrera Marino Maisonneuve Yeagley Paz Caligiuri McBride Smith Clark

August 1826	Columbus Crew	2-0	San Jose Clash	Columbus, OH
2:00 PM EDT	Maisonneuve 77' Paz 82'	Report	Emenalo 23' Espinoza 45'	Stadium: Ohio Stadium Attendance: 16,629 Referee: Paul Tamberino Assistant referees: Patrick Ruetschle Giovanni Piazza Fourth official: Hugh Cullin

August 2427	Columbus Crew	2-1	Kansas City Wiz	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	McBride 5' Maisonneuve 10' Clark 56' 81'	Report	Johnston 41'	Stadium: Ohio Stadium Attendance: 20,246 Referee: Joshua Patlak Assistant referees: Walter Jones Kim Vieira Fourth official: Hugh Cullin

August 2828	Columbus Crew	2-0	LA Galaxy	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Caligiuri 9' Michallik 59' Warzycha 63' McBride 72' Smith 77'	Report	Vasquez 53' Campos 80'	Stadium: Ohio Stadium Attendance: 16,747 Referee: Ruben Rodhas Assistant referees: Tarek Khan Clement Adduchio Fourth official: Mikael Lundqvist

September 729	Kansas City Wiz	1-5	Columbus Crew	Kansas City, MO
8:30 PM EDT	Okafor 20' Klopas 30' Preki 54' Takawira 72'	Report	Carrera 8' Maisonneuve 9', 50', 82' Warzycha 17' Friedel 61' Marino 80'	Stadium: Arrowhead Stadium Attendance: 12,141 Referee: Arturo Angeles Assistant referees: Thomas Smith Richard Huber Fourth official: Rob Chaplin

September 1530	Columbus Crew	2-0	NY/NJ MetroStars	Columbus, OH
4:00 PM EDT	McBride 3' Carrera 14' Yeagley 34'	Report	Caricola 6' Vermes 21'	Stadium: Ohio Stadium Attendance: 31,550 Referee: Robert Sheker Assistant referees: Frank Fiehn Michael Porpora Fourth official: Vito Testa

September 1831	NY/NJ MetroStars	1-0	Columbus Crew	East Rutherford, NJ
7:30 PM EDT	de Ávila 9' Ramos 82' Silvera 84'	Report	Iribarren 44' Warzycha 63'	Stadium: Giants Stadium Attendance: 14,007 Referee: Kevin Terry Assistant referees: Noel Kenny Alberto Giordano Fourth official: George Vargas

September 2132	New England Revolution	0-1	Columbus Crew	Foxborough, MA
7:30 PM EDT	Lalas 30' Watson 33'	Report	McBride 37' Mike Clark 69'	Stadium: Foxboro Stadium Attendance: 38,633 Referee: Esse Baharmast Assistant referees: Edwin Resendes Mark Oliver Fourth official: Thomas Supple

MLS Cup Playoffs

Conference Semifinals

September 25Game 1	Columbus Crew	0-2	Tampa Bay Mutiny	Columbus, OH
	Yeagley 11'	Report	Lassiter 34', 82', 87'	Stadium: Ohio Stadium Attendance: 20,807 Referee: Brian Hall Assistant referees: Roberto Van de Wyngard Kelly Ross Fourth official: Hugh Cullin

September 28Game 2	Tampa Bay Mutiny	1-2	Columbus Crew	Tampa, FL
	Lassiter 26', 59'	Report	Paz 1' Caliguri 44' McBride 58' Iribarren 62' Warzycha 67' Friedel 85'	Stadium: Houlihan's Stadium Attendance: 13,009 Referee: Rich Grady Assistant referees: Roger O'Brien Roger Sill Fourth official: George Banica

October 2Game 3	Tampa Bay Mutiny	4-1	Columbus Crew	Tampa, FL
	Vásquez 3', 27' Lassiter 41', 58' Kooiman 53' Pittman 55'	Report	McBride 35' Iribarren 36' Caliguri 45' Warzycha 60'	Stadium: Houlihan's Stadium Attendance: 6,871 Referee: Tim Weyland Assistant referees: Mario Martinez Shane Moody Fourth official: Jaime Guerra
Note: Tampa Bay Mutiny wins series 2–1, advances to Conference finals.

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
No.	Pos	Nat	Player	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
1	GK	USA	Bo Oshoniyi	13	0	13+0	0	0+0	0
1	GK	USA	Brad Friedel	12	0	9+0	0	3+0	0
2	FW	USA	Mac Cozier	13	0	0+13	0	0+0	0
3	DF	USA	Mike Clark	30	1	27+0	1	3+0	0
4	DF	USA	Janusz Michallik	32	0	28+3	0	1+0	0
5	DF	USA	Paul Caligiuri	25	3	21+1	3	3+0	0
6	MF	USA	Todd Yeagley	25	1	14+8	1	3+0	0
7	DF	USA	Shane Battelle	16	0	10+5	0	1+0	0
8	DF	USA	Brian Bliss	19	1	19+0	1	0+0	0
9	FW	USA	Billy Thompson	24	2	24+0	2	0+0	0
10	MF	USA	Brian Maisonneuve	18	5	13+2	5	3+0	0
11	FW	URU	Adrián Paz	30	7	19+8	6	3+0	1
12	FW	USA	Pete Marino	32	11	18+11	11	3+0	0
15	MF	RSA	Doctor Khumalo	26	3	23+2	3	1+0	0
16	MF	USA	Rob Smith	12	0	9+0	0	3+0	0
17	FW	USA	Ricci Greenwood	1	0	0+1	0	0+0	0
17	DF	USA	Todd Miller	4	0	2+1	0	1+0	0
18	GK	USA	David Winner	7	0	6+1	0	0+0	0
19	MF	POL	Robert Warzycha	23	2	20+0	2	3+0	0
20	FW	USA	Brian McBride	31	19	28+0	17	3+0	2
21	DF	ARG	Ricardo Iribarren	19	1	15+1	1	3+0	0
22	FW	ARG	Marcelo Carrera	33	4	12+18	4	2+1	0
29	GK	USA	Pat Harrington	4	0	4+0	0	0+0	0
			Own Goal	0	2	-	2	-	0
Players who left Columbus during the season:
13	DF	CAN	Mark Watson	14	0	14+0	0	0+0	0
14	FW	NGA	Obi Monome	1	0	0+1	0	0+0	0
17	FW	JAM	Paul Young	4	0	1+3	0	0+0	0
17	FW	USA	Dante Washington	3	0	3+0	0	0+0	0
21	MF	USA	Brandon Ward	6	0	3+3	0	0+0	0
-	GK	ENG	Ron Fearon	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0

Source: Columbus stats

Disciplinary record

No.	Pos.	Name	MLS		MLS Cup Playoffs		Total
No.	Pos.	Name
1	GK	Bo Oshoniyi	3	0	0	0	3	0
1	GK	Brad Friedel	1	0	1	0	2	0
2	FW	Mac Cozier	1	0	0	0	1	0
3	DF	Mike Clark	4	2	0	0	4	2
4	DF	Janusz Michallik	2	0	0	0	2	0
5	MF	Paul Caligiuri	2	1	2	0	4	1
6	MF	Todd Yeagley	2	1	1	0	3	1
7	DF	Shane Battelle	2	0	0	0	2	0
8	DF	Brian Bliss	3	0	0	0	3	0
9	FW	Billy Thompson	1	0	0	0	1	0
10	MF	Brian Maisonneuve	1	0	0	0	1	0
11	FW	Adrián Paz	1	0	0	0	1	0
12	FW	Pete Marino	0	0	0	0	0	0
15	MF	Doctor Khumalo	2	0	0	0	2	0
16	MF	Rob Smith	2	0	0	0	2	0
17	FW	Ricci Greenwood	0	0	0	0	0	0
17	DF	Todd Miller	0	0	0	0	0	0
17	FW	Paul Young	0	0	0	0	0	0
18	GK	David Winner	2	0	0	0	2	0
19	MF	Robert Warzycha	6	0	2	0	8	0
20	FW	Brian McBride	0	0	0	0	0	0
21	DF	Ricardo Iribarren	5	1	2	0	7	1
22	FW	Marcelo Carrera	0	0	0	0	0	0
29	GK	Pat Harrington	0	0	0	0	0	0
Players who left Columbus during the season:
13	DF	Mark Watson	2	0	0	0	2	0
14	FW	Obi Monome	0	0	0	0	0	0
17	FW	Paul Young	0	0	0	0	0	0
17	FW	Dante Washington	0	0	0	0	0	0
21	MF	Brandon Ward	0	0	0	0	0	0
-	GK	Ron Fearon	0	0	0	0	0	0

Source:

Clean sheets

No.	Name	MLS	MLS Cup Playoffs	Total	Games Played
1	Bo Oshoniyi	2	0	2	13
1	Brad Friedel	4	0	4	12
18	David Winner	0	0	0	7
29	Pat Harrington	1	0	1	4
Players who left Columbus during the season:
-	Ron Fearon	0	0	0	0

Source:

Transfers

In

Pos.	Player	Transferred from	Fee/notes	Date	Source
MF	Doctor Khumalo	Kaizer Chiefs	Allocated by the league.	December 21, 1995	^[5]
MF	Brian Maisonneuve	Indiana Hoosiers	Allocated by the league.	February 1, 1996	^[6]
FW	Adrián Paz	Shanghai Pudong	Allocated by the league.	February 4, 1996	^[7]
DF	Brian Bliss	FC Carl Zeiss Jena	Allocated by the league.	February 4, 1996	^[7]
FW	Brian McBride	VfL Wolfsburg	Drafted in round 1 of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft.	February 6, 1996	^[8]
DF	Mark Watson	Vancouver 86ers	Drafted in round 2 of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft.	February 6, 1996	^[8]
FW	Billy Thompson	Tampa Bay Terror	Drafted in round 3 of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft.	February 6, 1996	^[8]
DF	Mike Clark	Richmond Kickers	Drafted in round 4 of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft.	February 6, 1996	^[8]
GK	Bo Oshoniyi	New York Centaurs	Drafted in round 5 of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft.	February 6, 1996	^[8]
MF	Brandon Ward	Hampton Roads Mariners	Drafted in round 6 of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft.	February 6, 1996	^[8]
DF	Janusz Michallik	New York Centaurs	Drafted in round 7 of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft.	February 7, 1996	^[8]
MF	Todd Yeagley	Richmond Kickers	Drafted in round 8 of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft.	February 7, 1996	^[8]
DF	Ramiro Corrales	California Jaguars	Drafted in round 9 of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft.	February 7, 1996	^[8]
FW	Marcelo Carrera	Canton Invaders	Drafted in round 10 of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft.	February 7, 1996	^[8]
DF	Shane Battelle	St. Louis Knights	Drafted in round 11 of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft.	February 7, 1996	^[8]
FW	Pete Marino	Bayer Leverkusen	Drafted in round 12 of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft.	February 7, 1996	^[8]
FW	Paul Young	Charleston Battery	Drafted in round 13 of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft.	February 7, 1996	^[8]
DF	Laurence Piturro	Long Island Rough Riders	Drafted in round 14 of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft.	February 7, 1996	^[8]
DF	Todd Haskins	Washington Warthogs	Drafted in round 15 of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft.	February 7, 1996	^[8]
MF	Manny Catano	Des Moines Menace	Drafted in round 16 of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft.	February 7, 1996	^[8]
FW	Mac Cozier	Charlotte 49ers	Drafted in round 1 of the 1996 MLS College Draft.	March 4, 1996	^[8]
FW	Ricci Greenwood	Seattle Pacific Falcons	Drafted in round 2 of the 1996 MLS College Draft.	March 4, 1996	^[8]
DF	Todd Miller	Westminster Griffins	Drafted in round 3 of the 1996 MLS College Draft.	March 4, 1996	^[8]
DF	Paul Caligiuri	FC St. Pauli	Drafted in round 1 of the 1996 MLS supplemental draft.	March 4, 1996	^[8]
MF	Michael Robles	Montclair Standard Falcons	Drafted in round 2 of the 1996 MLS supplemental draft.	March 4, 1996	^[8]
MF	Rob Smith	Delaware Wizards	Drafted in round 2 of the 1996 MLS supplemental draft.	March 4, 1996	^[8]
GK	Kevin East	Jersey Dragons	Drafted in round 3 of the 1996 MLS supplemental draft.	March 4, 1996	^[8]
GK	David Winner	Tampa Bay Cyclones		March 20, 1996	^[9]
FW	Robert Warzycha	Budapest Honvéd	Signed via discovery.	June 4, 1996	^[10]
GK	Ron Fearon	Leyton Orient F.C.	Signed via discovery.	June 11, 1996	^[11]
FW	Dante Washington	Washington Warthogs	Signed as a free agent.	June 18, 1996	^[12]
DF	Ricardo Iribarren	Belgrano de Córdoba	Allocated by the league.	June 28, 1996	^[12]
GK	Pat Harrington	Kansas City Wiz	Picked up on waivers.	June 30, 1996	^[13]
GK	Brad Friedel	Galatasaray	Rights traded from Dallas Burn for Dante Washington and a pick in the 1997 MLS supplemental draft.	August 9, 1996	^[13]
MF	Altimont Butler	San Jose Clash	Traded for Mac Cozier	November 7, 1996	^[14]

Loan in

Pos.	Player	Parent club	Length/Notes	Beginning	End	Source
FW	Obi Monome	Ohio Xoggz	Signed with Cleveland Crunch after his loan.	September 5, 1996	September 9, 1996	^[15]

Out

Pos.	Player	Transferred to	Fee/notes	Date	Source
DF	Ramiro Corrales	San Jose Clash	Traded for the 13th overall pick in the 1996 MLS supplemental draft.	February 7, 1996	^[8]
MF	Manny Catano	Hawaii Tsunami	Placed on waivers.	March 25, 1996	^[16]
MF	Michael Robles	San Fernando Valley Golden Eagles	Placed on waivers.	March 25, 1996	^[16]
DF	Laurence Piturro	Long Island Rough Riders	Placed on waivers.	April 3, 1996	^[17]
DF	Todd Haskins		Placed on waivers.	April 3, 1996	^[17]
GK	Kevin East	Central Jersey Riptide	Placed on waivers.	April 16, 1996	^[18]
FW	Paul Young	South Carolina Shamrocks	Placed on waivers.	June 5, 1996	^[19]
MF	Brandon Ward	Richmond Kickers	Placed on waivers.	July 2, 1996	^[20]
DF	Mark Watson	New England Revolution	Placed on waivers.	July 16, 1996	^[21]
FW	Dante Washington	Dallas Burn	Traded for the rights to Brad Friedel and a pick in the 1997 MLS supplemental draft.	August 9, 1996	^[13]
GK	Ron Fearon	Chelmsford City		August 9, 1996
FW	Mac Cozier	San Jose Clash	Traded for Altimont Butler	November 7, 1996	^[14]
GK	Bo Oshoniyi	Connecticut Wolves	Placed on waivers.	November 7, 1996	^[14]
GK	Pat Harrington	Detroit Safari	Placed on waivers.	November 7, 1996	^[14]
DF	Shane Battelle	Retired	Placed on waivers.	November 7, 1996	^[14]
FW	Ricci Greenwood	Columbus Invaders	Placed on waivers.	November 7, 1996	^[14]

Loans out

Pos.	Player	Loanee club	Length/Notes	Beginning	End	Source
FW	Ricci Greenwood	Ohio Xoggz	Columbus retains right to recall	April 16, 1996	End Of Season	^[18]
DF	Todd Miller	Milwaukee Rampage	Columbus retains right to recall	April 16, 1996	End Of Season	^[18]

MLS Draft picks

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:

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Team
1996 Columbus Crew Inaugural Player Draft Picks
1	1	Brian McBride	FW	VfL Wolfsburg
2	11	Mark Watson	DF	Vancouver 86ers
3	21	Billy Thompson	FW	Tampa Bay Terror
4	31	Mike Clark	DF	Richmond Kickers
5	41	Bo Oshoniyi	GK	New York Centaurs
6	51	Brandon Ward	MF	Hampton Roads Mariners
7	61	Janusz Michallik	DF	New York Centaurs
8	71	Todd Yeagley	MF	Richmond Kickers
9	81	Ramiro Corrales	DF	California Jaguars
10	91	Marcelo Carrera	FW	Canton Invaders
11	101	Shane Battelle	DF	St. Louis Knights
12	111	Pete Marino	FW	Bayer Leverkusen
13	121	Paul Young	FW	Charleston Battery
14	131	Laurence Piturro	DF	Long Island Rough Riders
15	141	Todd Haskins	DF	Washington Warthogs
15	151	Manny Catano	MF	Des Moines Menace

Round	Pick	Player	Position	College
1996 Columbus Crew College Draft Picks^[22]
1	10	Mac Cozier	FW	UNC Charlotte
2	20	Ricci Greenwood	FW	Seattle Pacific
3	30	Todd Miller	DF	Westminster College

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Team
1996 Columbus Crew Supplemental Draft Picks^[23]
1	10	Paul Caligiuri	DF	FC St. Pauli
2	13	Michael Robles	MF	Montclair Standard Falcons
2	20	Rob Smith	MF	Delaware Wizards
3	30	Kevin East	GK	Jersey Dragons

Awards

MLS Player of the Week

Week	Player	Opponent(s)
2	Brian McBride	D.C. United
4	Bo Oshoniyi	NY/NJ MetroStars
6	Brian McBride	New England Revolution
19	Adrián Paz	Dallas Burn San Jose Clash
21	Brad Friedel	LA Galaxy
22	Brian Maisonneuve	Kansas City Wiz
24	Brad Friedel	NY/NJ MetroStars New England Revolution

MLS Player of the Month

Month	Player	Stats	Link
September	Brad Friedel

1996 MLS All-Star Game

Starters

FW Brian McBride ^[24]

Reserves

MF Doctor Khumalo ^[25]

Postseason

MLS Executive of the Year

Jamey Rootes

Crew Team Awards

Most Valuable Player – Brian McBride ^[26]
Defensive Player of the Year – Brad Friedel
Scoring Champion – Brian McBride
Man of the Year – Todd Yeagley
Coach's Award – Paul Caligiuri

References

↑ "August News". Archived from the original on June 12, 1997.
↑ "Columbus Crew Roster". www.thecrew.com.
↑ "Can fledgling MLS afford soccer star?". The Star-Ledger. March 17, 1996.
↑ "CREW HOPES WORK ETHIC WORKS WONDERS". The Columbus Dispatch. March 19, 1996.
↑ https://old.socceramerica.com/publications/article/15398/mls-the-doctor-is-incolumbus.html ^{[ bare URL ]}
↑ "Transactions". The Cincinnati Enquirer. February 2, 1996.
1 2 "Transactions". The Plain Dealer. February 5, 1996.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 "Major League Soccer: History: Archive". web.mlsnet.com. Archived from the original on March 24, 2008. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
↑ "Longtime friends, rivals meet in professional soccer league". The Miami Herald. March 31, 1996.
↑ "FOR THE RECORD". USA Today. June 5, 1996.
↑ "RON FEARON". www.thecrew.com.
1 2 "1998 media guide – Columbus Crew".
1 2 3 "BRAD FRIEDEL". www.thecrew.com.
1 2 3 4 5 6 "Transactions". The Plain Dealer. November 8, 1996.
↑ "Monome signs with Crunch". News Herald. September 17, 1996.
1 2 "Latest News". www.thecrew.com.
1 2 "Latest News". www.thecrew.com.
1 2 3 "Transactions". USA Today. April 17, 1996.
↑ "Coach cites luck in Galaxy's 8-0 start". News Herald. June 6, 1996.
↑ "Ukrop returns to Richmond". Richmond Times-Dispatch. July 3, 1996.
↑ "Hard bargain". News Herald. July 17, 1996.
↑ "1996 MLS College Draft | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer.
↑ "1996 MLS Supplemental Draft | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer.
↑ "CREW NEWS ARCHIVE / June 1996". www.thecrew.com.
↑ "CREW NEWS ARCHIVE / July 1996". www.thecrew.com.
↑ "December 4,1996 -- Columbus CREW Bestows Season Awards". Archived from the original on June 12, 1997.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] "August News". Archived from the original on June 12, 1997.

[2] "Columbus Crew Roster". www.thecrew.com.

[3] "Can fledgling MLS afford soccer star?". The Star-Ledger. March 17, 1996.

[4] "CREW HOPES WORK ETHIC WORKS WONDERS". The Columbus Dispatch. March 19, 1996.

[5] ttps://old.socceramerica.com/publications/article/15398/mls-the-doctor-is-incolumbus.html ^{[ bare URL ]}

[6] "Transactions". The Cincinnati Enquirer. February 2, 1996.

[Bliss_and_Paz-7] 1 2 "Transactions". The Plain Dealer. February 5, 1996.

[MLS_Draft_History-8] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 "Major League Soccer: History: Archive". web.mlsnet.com. Archived from the original on March 24, 2008. Retrieved March 27, 2025.

[David_Winner-9] "Longtime friends, rivals meet in professional soccer league". The Miami Herald. March 31, 1996.

[10] "FOR THE RECORD". USA Today. June 5, 1996.

[11] "RON FEARON". www.thecrew.com.

[1998_Media_Guide-12] 1 2 "1998 media guide – Columbus Crew".

[Brad_Friedel_signed-13] 1 2 3 "BRAD FRIEDEL". www.thecrew.com.

[End_of_Season_Waivers-14] 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Transactions". The Plain Dealer. November 8, 1996.

[15] "Monome signs with Crunch". News Herald. September 17, 1996.

[Crew_1996_March_News-16] 1 2 "Latest News". www.thecrew.com.

[Crew_1996_April_News-17] 1 2 "Latest News". www.thecrew.com.

[Developmental_Squad-18] 1 2 3 "Transactions". USA Today. April 17, 1996.

[19] "Coach cites luck in Galaxy's 8-0 start". News Herald. June 6, 1996.

[20] "Ukrop returns to Richmond". Richmond Times-Dispatch. July 3, 1996.

[21] "Hard bargain". News Herald. July 17, 1996.

[22] "1996 MLS College Draft | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer.

[23] "1996 MLS Supplemental Draft | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer.

[24] "CREW NEWS ARCHIVE / June 1996". www.thecrew.com.

[25] "CREW NEWS ARCHIVE / July 1996". www.thecrew.com.

[26] "December 4,1996 -- Columbus CREW Bestows Season Awards". Archived from the original on June 12, 1997.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[24]

[25]

[26]

v t e Columbus Crew
Columbus, Ohio
Club	Coaches Players Records and statistics Seasons
Stadiums	Ohio Stadium (1996–1998) Historic Crew Stadium (1999–2021) Lower.com Field (2021–present) EAS Training Center
Affiliated clubs	Columbus Crew 2 (MLS Next Pro) Columbus Crew Academy (MLS Next)
Culture	Hudson Street Hooligans
Rivalries	Hell Is Real Derby (FC Cincinnati) Trillium Cup (Toronto FC)
Key personnel	Owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam President Issa Tall Technical director Marc Nicholls Head coach Wilfried Nancy
Championships	MLS Cup 2008 MLS Cup 2020 MLS Cup 2023 2002 U.S. Open Cup 2021 Campeones Cup 2024 Leagues Cup
Seasons	1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Crew 2 Seasons	2022 2023 2024 2025

v t e Major League Soccer
Seasons 2025 season Records and statistics 400 or more appearances 100 or more goals Hat-tricks Players Association Rivalry cups History Timeline Expansion U.S. Soccer Canada Soccer
Eastern Conference	Atlanta United FC Charlotte FC Chicago Fire FC FC Cincinnati Columbus Crew D.C. United Inter Miami CF CF Montréal Nashville SC New England Revolution New York City FC New York Red Bulls Orlando City SC Philadelphia Union Toronto FC
Western Conference	Austin FC Colorado Rapids FC Dallas Houston Dynamo FC LA Galaxy Los Angeles FC Minnesota United FC Portland Timbers Real Salt Lake San Diego FC San Jose Earthquakes Seattle Sounders FC Sporting Kansas City St. Louis City SC Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Former teams	Tampa Bay Mutiny (1996–2001) Miami Fusion (1998–2001) Chivas USA (2005–2014)
Personnel	Foreign players National team players International slots Designated Players Homegrown Players Generation Adidas Cup Transfers Coaches Owners Professional Referee Organization Professional Soccer Referees Association
Competition	MLS Cup Playoffs Finals Trophy Supporters' Shield SuperDraft Stadiums Attendance Television Broadcasters All-Star Game MLS Cup
Associated competitions	All-Star Game MLS Next CONCACAF Champions Cup Campeones Cup Leagues Cup U.S. Open Cup Canadian Championship Reserve League eMLS Cup MLS is Back Tournament MLS Next MLS Next Pro
Other	Generation Adidas Performance in Champions Cup Hall of Fame Valuations Central Division (2000–2001) Fraser v. Major League Soccer (2002)
Category Portal Multimedia

v t e 1996 MLS season by team
College Draft Supplemental Draft First match All-Star Game Playoffs MLS Cup Transfers
Eastern	Columbus Crew D.C. United New England Revolution New York/New Jersey MetroStars Tampa Bay Mutiny
Western	Colorado Rapids Dallas Burn Kansas City Wiz Los Angeles Galaxy San Jose Clash

1996 Columbus Crew season

Contents

Roster

Out on loan

Technical Staff

Non-competitive

Preseason

Midseason

Competitive

Overview

MLS

Standings

Eastern Conference

Overall table

Results summary

Results by round

Match results

MLS Cup Playoffs

Conference Semifinals

Statistics

Appearances and goals

Disciplinary record

Clean sheets

Transfers

In

Loan in

Out

Loans out

MLS Draft picks

Awards

MLS Player of the Week

MLS Player of the Month

1996 MLS All-Star Game

Postseason

Crew Team Awards

References