2012 Columbus Crew season

Columbus Crew
2012 season
Investor-operators	Clark Hunt ; Dan Hunt; Lamar Hunt Jr. ; Sharron Hunt Munson; Ron Pizzuti and a group of local investors
Head Coach	Robert Warzycha
Stadium	Columbus Crew Stadium
Major League Soccer	Conference: 6th; Overall: 10th
MLS Cup Playoffs	Did not qualify
U.S. Open Cup	Third Round
Trillium Cup	Winners (5 - 2)
Lamar Hunt Pioneer Cup	Winners (2 - 1)
Carolina Challenge Cup	3rd Place
MLS Reserve League	Conference: 1st; Overall: 1st
Top goalscorer	League: ; Eddie Gaven (9); Jairo Arrieta (9); All: ; Eddie Gaven (9); Jairo Arrieta (9)
Highest home attendance	19,674 (6/30 v. RSL)
Lowest home attendance	10,049 (8/22 v. TOR)
Average home league attendance	14,397 (
Biggest win	CLB 2–0 MON (3/24); SEA 0-2 CLB (5/23); CLB 2–0 RSL (6/30)
Biggest defeat	CLB 1-4 NY (4/7)
Home colors	Away colors
	← 2011 2013 →

Last updated August 16, 2025

The 2012 Columbus Crew season was the club's 17th season of existence and their 17th 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 10 against Colorado Rapids. It was the fourth season under head coach Robert Warzycha.

Background

Review

^[1] The Crew missed the playoffs in 2012 for the first time since 2007, marking a further step backwards from the height of 2008. The roster moves which took place leading into the season were ultimately unsuccessful, with both high-profile signings^[2] - Milovan Mirosevic and Olman Vargas - playing only a single season for the club.

The lackluster performance of Vargas and Mirosevic led the team to a series of midseason signings, which nearly salvaged the season. Costa Rican forward Jairo Arrieta joined the team in June, while Argentine midfielder Federico Higuain signed a Designated Player contract a month later. The tandem revitalized the Crew's offense, leading to a 4-game winning streak and thoughts of post-season glory. After this initial honeymoon, however, the team's performance declined; the team just missed out on a playoff berth.

After the season, coach Robert Warzycha began yet another rebuilding effort, jettisoning several veteran players including William Hesmer, Sebastian Miranda and Emilio Renteria.

The year's most significant event, however, had nothing to do with on-field performance. Rookie midfielder Kirk Urso collapsed and died on August 5 from a genetic heart defect (arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy), providing an emotional rallying cry for the remainder of the season and beyond.

Roster

As of August 29, 2012.^[3]

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	William Hesmer
2	DF	USA	Rich Balchan
3	DF	USA	Josh Williams (SUP)
4	DF	USA	Carlos Mendes
5	DF	USA	Danny O'Rourke
6	MF	CMR	Tony Tchani
7	MF	VEN	Bernardo Añor (INT; SUP)
8	MF	TRI	Chris Birchall (INT)
9	FW	IRQ	Justin Meram
10	MF	CHI	Milovan Mirošević (INT)
11	MF	USA	Dilly Duka
12	MF	USA	Eddie Gaven
13	MF	USA	Ethan Finlay
14	DF	USA	Chad Marshall (captain)
16	DF	USA	Eric Gehrig (SUP)
17	FW	CRC	Olman Vargas (INT)


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
18	FW	USA	Ben Speas (HGP; SUP)
19	FW	USA	Tom Heinemann (SUP)
20	FW	VEN	Emilio Rentería
21	DF	CHI	Sebastián Miranda (INT)
22	MF	USA	Cole Grossman (SUP)
25	FW	CRC	Jairo Arrieta (INT)
26	DF	TRI	Julius James
27	FW	USA	Aaron Horton (HGP; SUP)
28	GK	USA	Matt Lampson (HGP; SUP)
30	GK	USA	Andy Gruenebaum
32	DF	MNE	Nemanja Vuković (INT)
33	FW	ARG	Federico Higuaín (INT; DP)
34	FW	USA	Aaron Schoenfeld (SUP)
37	MF	TRI	Kevan George (SUP)

Technical Staff

Position	Staff
President/General Manager	Mark McCullers
Technical Director	Brian Bliss
Head Coach	Robert Warzycha
Assistant Coach	Ricardo Iribarren
Assistant Coach	Mike Lapper
Assistant Coach	Duncan Oughton
Goalkeeper Coach	Scoop Stanisic
Strength/Fitness Coach	Brook Hamilton
Athletic Trainer	David Lagow
Assistant Trainer	Phil Watson
Director of Team Operations	Tucker Walther
Equipment Manager	Rusty Wummel

Source: [^[4]]

Non-competitive

Preseason

The Crew started preseason in Columbus and played games in Florida and South Carolina before returning to Ohio. The Crew brought in the following trialists during training camp: Javier Alvial, Lance Laing, Travis Wall, Silvio Spann, Nermin Crnkić, John Daniele, Kasali Casal, Nemanja Vuković and Stéphane Auvray.

Unsigned draft picks Aubrey Perry, Kevan George, Kirk Urso, Jamie Finch, Darren Amoo and Andrew Bulls also joined the team for preseason.

February 8 Friendly	Columbus Crew	1-2	Malmö FF	Bradenton, FL
11:00 AM EST	Renteria 1'	Report	Ranegie 24' Durmaz 29'	Stadium: IMG Academy

February 11 Friendly	Columbus Crew	6-0	United States U-17	Bradenton, FL
10:00 AM EST	Gaven 8', 15' Mirosevic 27' (pen.) Renteria 33' Meram 51' Vargas 57'	Report		Stadium: IMG Academy

February 11 Friendly	Columbus Crew	4-0	United States U-17	Bradenton, FL
12:00 PM EST	George 3' Horton 21' Heinemann 39', 53'	Report		Stadium: IMG Academy

February 15 Friendly	Seattle Sounders FC	2-0	Columbus Crew	Bradenton, FL
11:00 AM EST	Hurtado 10' 13' Alonso 12' Montero 54' Gonzalez 68' Sanyang 82' Cato 114'	Report	Anor 29' 60' Tchani 38' Heinemann 118'	Stadium: IMG Academy
Note: Played in two 45-minute and one 30-minute periods

February 25 Carolina Challenge Cup	Charleston Battery	2-2	Columbus Crew	Charleston, SC
7:15 PM EST	Falvey 30' Kelly 40' Flatley 42' Cuevas 89'	Report	Gaven 6' Mendes 45' Mirosevic 58' Tchani 61' Mendes 89'	Stadium: Blackbaud Stadium

February 27 Friendly	Charleston Cougars	0-2	Columbus Crew	Charleston, SC
		Report	Vargas 54' Gehrig 71'	Stadium: Patriots Point Soccer Complex Attendance: 5,676

February 29 Carolina Challenge Cup	Columbus Crew	0-1	Chicago Fire	Charleston, SC
5:00 PM EST	Tchani 73'	Report	Sanyang 38' Segares 75' Puppo 80'	Stadium: Blackbaud Stadium

March 3 Carolina Challenge Cup	D.C. United	Cancelled	Columbus Crew	Charleston, SC
5:00 PM EST				Stadium: Blackbaud Stadium
Note: Cancelled due to inclement weather.

Midseason

Jamie Finch and Blas Iribarren were guest players against West Virginia Mountaineers.

March 12 Friendly	Columbus Crew	2-2	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	Columbus, OH
11:00 AM EDT	Vargas 26', 63'	Report	Mishu 80' Priede 84'	Stadium: Columbus Crew Stadium

March 17 Friendly	Columbus Crew	5-1	Michigan State Spartans	Columbus, OH
11:00 AM EDT	Mirošević 4', 54' Vargas 33', 58' Urso 59'	Report	Montague 85'	Stadium: Columbus Crew Stadium

March 17 Friendly	Columbus Crew	1-0	West Virginia Mountaineers	Columbus, OH
1:30 PM EDT	Horton 49'	Report		Stadium: Columbus Crew Stadium

May 1Connor Senn Memorial Game	Ohio State Buckeyes	0-4	Columbus Crew	Columbus, OH
7:00 PM EDT		Report	Grossman 2', 27' Añor 5' Renteria 6'	Stadium: Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium Attendance: 1,072
Note: Cancelled in the 31st minute due to inclement weather.

July 24 Friendly	Columbus Crew	2-1	Stoke City F.C.	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Horton 71' Speas 87'	Report	Walters 23'	Stadium: Columbus Crew Stadium Attendance: 8,976

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	March 10, 2012	October 28, 2012	Matchday 1	10th	34	15	7	12	44	44	+0	044.12
U.S. Open Cup	May 29, 2012	May 29, 2012	Third Round	Third Round	1	0	0	1	1	2	−1	000.00
Total					35	15	7	13	45	46	−1	042.86

Source: Competitions

MLS

Standings

Eastern Conference

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	L	T	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
4	Chicago Fire	34	17	11	6	46	41	+5	57	MLS Cup Knockout Round
5	Houston Dynamo	34	14	9	11	48	41	+7	53	MLS Cup Knockout Round
6	Columbus Crew	34	15	12	7	44	44	0	52
7	Montreal Impact	34	12	16	6	45	51	−6	42
8	Philadelphia Union	34	10	18	6	37	45	−8	36

Source: MLS

Overall table

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	L	T	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
8	LA Galaxy (C)	34	16	12	6	59	47	+12	54	CONCACAF Champions League
9	Houston Dynamo	34	14	9	11	48	41	+7	53	CONCACAF Champions League
10	Columbus Crew	34	15	12	7	44	44	0	52
11	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	34	11	13	10	35	41	−6	43
12	Montreal Impact	34	12	16	6	45	51	−6	42	CONCACAF Champions League

Source: MLS
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head record; 3) goal difference; 4) number of 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	52	15	12	7	44	44	0	11	3	3	28	21	+7	4	9	4	16	23	−7

Last updated: 28 October 2012
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	A	H	A	H	H	A	H	A	A	H	A	A	H	A	H	H	A	A	H	H	A	H	A	H	A	A	H	A	H	H	A	H
Result	L	W	W	L	L	T	L	T	W	T	W	W	T	L	W	L	L	W	W	L	T	T	W	W	W	W	L	L	W	L	W	T	L	W

Updated to match(es) played on October 28, 2012. Source: MLS
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; L = Loss; T = Tie

Match results

March 101	Colorado Rapids	2-0	Columbus Crew	Commerce City, CO
7:00 PM EST	Moor 44' Amarikwa 89'	Report	Mirošević 40' Vargas 72' Wynne 80' Rentería 80'	Stadium: Dick's Sporting Goods Park Attendance: 14,746 Referee: Hilario Grajeda Assistant referees: Paul Scott Bill Dittmar Fourth official: Yader Reyes

March 242	Columbus Crew	2-0	Montreal Impact	Columbus, OH
4:00 PM EDT	Mirošević 30' Vargas 66' Urso 69' Francis 85'	Report	Brovsky 19' Nyassi 29' Gardner 34' Warner 52'	Stadium: Columbus Crew Stadium Attendance: 18,197 Referee: Mark Geiger Assistant referees: C.J. Morgante Steve Taylor Fourth official: Chris Penso

March 31 3	Toronto FC	0-1	Columbus Crew	Toronto, ON
2:00 PM EDT	de Guzman 74'	Report	Gaven 45' Añor 56' Schoenfeld 86'	Stadium: BMO Field Attendance: 18,944 Referee: Geoff Gamble Assistant referees: Eric Proctor Kevin Duliba Fourth official: Silviu Petrescu

April 74	Columbus Crew	1-4	New York Red Bulls	Columbus, OH
3:00 PM EDT	Añor 53' Marshall 89'	Report	Cooper 3', 13' Henry 40', 90' Keel 60'	Stadium: Columbus Crew Stadium Attendance: 11,516 Referee: Mark Kadlecik Assistant referees: Chris Strickland Jeff Muschik Fourth official: Allen Chapman

April 145	Philadelphia Union	1-0	Columbus Crew	Chester, PA
3:30 PM EDT	Gómez 25', 38' Carroll 45+3' Farfan 71' Martínez 85'	Report	Gehrig 70' Gaven 78'	Stadium: PPL Park Attendance: 18,526 Referee: Michael Kennedy Assistant referees: Kermit Quisenberry Bill Dittmar Fourth official: Andrew Chapin

April 216	Columbus Crew	2-2	Houston Dynamo	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Tchani 17' Gaven 63', 74'	Report	Hainault 55' Bruin 59' Ching 88'	Stadium: Columbus Crew Stadium Attendance: 10,479 Referee: Chris Penso Assistant referees: Jeff Muschik Frank Anderson Fourth official: Fotis Bazakos

April 287	Columbus Crew	0-1	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Marshall 81' O'Rourke 87'	Report	Harvey 50' Koffie 67' Young-Pyo 74'	Stadium: Columbus Crew Stadium Attendance: 11,978 Referee: Elias Bazakos Assistant referees: C.J. Morgante James Conlee Fourth official: Sorin Stoica

May 58	Portland Timbers	0-0	Columbus Crew	Portland, OR
10:30 PM EDT	Palmer 50' Songo'o 75' Chara 77'	Report	Miranda 57'	Stadium: Jeld-Wen Field Attendance: 20,438 Referee: Edvin Jurisevic Assistant referees: Mike Rottersman Jeremy Hanson Fourth official: Daniel Radford

May 12 9	Columbus Crew	2-1	FC Dallas	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Meram 52', 67' Miranda 72' Mirošević 80'	Report	Castillo 60', 74' Loyd 43' 63' Jacobson 45'	Stadium: Columbus Crew Stadium Attendance: 11,120 Referee: Baldomero Toledo Assistant referees: Corey Parker Jason Cullum Fourth official: Matthew Foerster

May 1910	San Jose Earthquakes	1-1	Columbus Crew	Santa Clara, CA
10:30 PM EDT	Lenhart 35' Gordon 66', 90' Corrales 90+4'	Report	Meram 45+2' Tchani 90+1'	Stadium: Buck Shaw Stadium Attendance: 10,256 Referee: Juan Guzman Assistant referees: Ian Anderson Colin Arblaster Fourth official: Ramon Hernandez

May 2311	Seattle Sounders FC	0-2	Columbus Crew	Seattle, WA
10:00 PM EDT	Meram 15' Duka 47' Mendes 71' Rentería 76'	Report	Burch 85' Osvaldo 88'	Stadium: CenturyLink Field Attendance: 38,311 Referee: Geoff Gamble Assistant referees: Kevin Duliba Jeff Hosking Fourth official: Alejandro Mariscal

May 2612	Columbus Crew	2-1	Chicago Fire	Columbus, OH
7:00 PM EDT	Gaven 9' Rentería 43' Añor 67'	Report	Berry 72'	Stadium: Columbus Crew Stadium Attendance: 16,024 Referee: Allen Chapman Assistant referees: Greg Barkey Jeff Muschik Fourth official: José Carlos Rivero

June 1613	New England Revolution	0-0	Columbus Crew	Foxborough, MA
7:30 PM EDT	Soares 21' Moreno 43'	Report	Miranda 62'	Stadium: Gillette Stadium Attendance: 12,218 Referee: Hilario Grajeda Assistant referees: Chris Strickland Eric Proctor Fourth official: Sorin Stoica

June 2314	Chicago Fire	2-1	Columbus Crew	Bridgeview, IL
8:30 PM EDT	Pappa 2' Oduro 26' Segares 29' Gargan 85'	Report	Tchani 36' George 66' Schoenfeld 90'	Stadium: Toyota Park Attendance: 17,144 Referee: Armando Villarreal Assistant referees: Craig Lowry Adam Garner Fourth official: Ramon Hernandez

June 3015	Columbus Crew	2-0	Real Salt Lake	Columbus, OH
9:00 PM EDT	Tchani 16' Vuković 38' Gaven 43' George 82'	Report	Espíndola 57' Steele 67'	Stadium: Columbus Crew Stadium Attendance: 19,674 Referee: Geoff Gamble Assistant referees: Daniel Belleau Matt Nelson Fourth official: Sorin Stoica

July 816	Montreal Impact	2-1	Columbus Crew	Montreal, QC
7:30 PM EDT	Nyassi 44' Warner 68' Valentin 78' Bernier 89'	Report	Vuković 3' Tchani 39' Mirošević 64' Rentería 68'	Stadium: Stade Saputo Attendance: 15,118 Referee: Matthew Foerster Assistant referees: Anthony Vasoli Jeff Muschik Fourth official: Mathieu Bourdeau

July 1417	Columbus Crew	0-2	Sporting Kansas City	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Añor 9' Rentería 69' Birchall 83'	Report	Peterson 7' Joseph 57' Nagamura 69' Bunbury 82'	Stadium: Columbus Crew Stadium Attendance: 17,588 Referee: Edvin Jurisevic Assistant referees: Eric Boria James Conlee Fourth official: Sorin Stoica

July 2118	Columbus Crew	1-0	D.C. United	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Birchall 46' Miranda 67'	Report		Stadium: Columbus Crew Stadium Attendance: 17, 150 Referee: Chris Penso Assistant referees: Claudiu Badea Matt Nelson Fourth official: Terry Vaughn

July 2819	Sporting Kansas City	1-2	Columbus Crew	Kansas City, KS
8:30 PM EDT	Kamara 8'	Report	Arrieta 17', 34' Grossman 90' 90+1'	Stadium: Livestrong Sporting Park Attendance: 18,938 Referee: Dave Gantar Assistant referees: George Gansner Jeff Muschik Fourth official: Leszek Stalmach

August 420	D.C. United	1-0	Columbus Crew	Washington, D.C.
7:30 PM EDT	Pontius 50' Neal 74'	Report	Duka 24' Meram 28'	Stadium: Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Attendance: 14,640 Referee: Allen Chapman Assistant referees: C.J. Morgante Steve Taylor Fourth official: José Carlos Rivero

August 1521	Columbus Crew	1-1	LA Galaxy	Columbus, OH
7:00 PM EDT	Arrieta 48'	Report	Keane 64' Marcelo Sarvas 88'	Stadium: Columbus Crew Stadium Attendance: 17,019 Referee: Edvin Jurisevic Assistant referees: James Conlee Brian Dunn Fourth official: Sorin Stoica

August 1922	Houston Dynamo	2-2	Columbus Crew	Houston, TX
9:00 PM EDT	Davis 19' Moffat 82'	Report	Grossman 33' Duka 40' Gaven 58' Higuaín 79'	Stadium: BBVA Compass Stadium Attendance: 20,567 Referee: Drew Fischer Assistant referees: Chris Strickland Jeff Muschik Fourth official: Ted Unkel

August 22 23	Columbus Crew	2-1	Toronto FC	Columbus, OH
6:30 PM EDT	Gaven 4' Higuaín 20', 58'	Report	O'Dea 69' Silva 71' Morgan 90'	Stadium: Columbus Crew Stadium Attendance: 10,049 Referee: Sorin Stoica Assistant referees: Jason Cullum Kevin Klinger Fourth official: Hilario Grajeda

August 2524	Columbus Crew	4-3	New England Revolution	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Higuaín 26', 43' Arrieta 32', 86'	Report	Guy 17' Bengtson 23' Alston 70' Nguyen 80' (pen.)	Stadium: Columbus Crew Stadium Attendance: 13,651 Referee: Armando Villarreal Assistant referees: Sean Hurd James Conlee Fourth official: Kevin Terry Jr.

August 2925	Philadelphia Union	1-2	Columbus Crew	Chester, PA
8:00 PM EDT	Valdés 29' Hoppenot 69'	Report	Birchall 28' Williams 41', 68' Gaven 90+5'	Stadium: PPL Park Attendance: 16,568 Referee: Yader Reyes Assistant referees: C.J. Morgante Brian Dunn Fourth official: José Carlos Rivero

September 126	Columbus Crew	2-1	Montreal Impact	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	O'Rourke 18' Marshall 80' Rentería 90+3'	Report	Warner 24' Di Vaio 73'	Stadium: Columbus Crew Stadium Attendance: 12,522 Referee: Chris Penso Assistant referees: Chris Strickland Eric Proctor Fourth official: Daniel Fitzgerald

September 527	New England Revolution	2-0	Columbus Crew	Foxborough, MA
9:00 PM EDT	Imbongo 53', 53' Marshall 74' (o.g.)	Report	O'Rourke 90+4'	Stadium: Gillette Stadium Attendance: 10,345 Referee: Geoff Gamble Assistant referees: Bill Dittmar Scott Kachmarik Fourth official: Niko Bratsis

September 1528	New York Red Bulls	3-1	Columbus Crew	Harrison, NJ
6:00 PM EDT	Henry 9', 93' Cahill 56' McCarty 79'	Report	Mirošević 3' James 49'	Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 17,134 Referee: Abiodun Okulaja Assistant referees: Adam Garner Scott Kachmarik Fourth official: José Carlos Rivero

September 1929	Columbus Crew	1-0	Chivas USA	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Meram 89', 90'	Report	Minda 75' Valencia 86' Correa 90'	Stadium: Columbus Crew Stadium Attendance: 13,874 Referee: Jorge Gonzalez Assistant referees: C.J. Morgante Brian Dunn Fourth official: Sorin Stoica

September 2230	Chicago Fire	2-1	Columbus Crew	Bridgeview, IL
8:30 PM EDT	Rolfe 23', 26' Johnson 89'	Report	Arrieta 15' O'Rourke 29' Rentería 35'	Stadium: Toyota Park Attendance: 19,172 Referee: Michael Kennedy Assistant referees: Peter Manikowski Baboucarr Jallow Fourth official: Ricardo Salazar

September 2931	Columbus Crew	3-2	Philadelphia Union	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Arrieta 44', 45+5' O'Rourke 61' Gruenebaum 65' Mirošević 88'	Report	Okugo 45+3' Cruz 65' (pen.) McInerney 86'	Stadium: Columbus Crew Stadium Attendance: 14,673 Referee: Matthew Foerster Assistant referees: Adam Wienckowski Matt Nelson Fourth official: Abbey Okulaja

October 732	Columbus Crew	1-1	Sporting Kansas City	Columbus, OH
4:00 PM EDT	James 67' Gaven 90+1'	Report	Sapong 10'	Stadium: Columbus Crew Stadium Attendance: 13,566 Referee: Mark Geiger Assistant referees: Joe Fletcher James Conlee Fourth official: Hilario Grajeda

October 2033	D.C. United	3-2	Columbus Crew	Washington, D.C.
7:30 PM EDT	DeLeon 39' Saragosa 59' Neal 90+1'	Report	Arrieta 4', 41' Gaven 7' Mendes 26' Williams 59'	Stadium: Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Attendance: 19,647 Referee: Edvin Jurisevic Assistant referees: Anthony Vasoli James Conlee Fourth official: Jorge Gonzalez

October 28 34	Columbus Crew	2-1	Toronto FC	Columbus, OH
4:00 PM EDT	Higuaín 17', 61' (pen.)	Report	Wiedeman 27' Dunfield 61'	Stadium: Columbus Crew Stadium Attendance: 15,672 Referee: Drew Fischer Assistant referees: Greg Barkey Claudiu Badea Fourth official: Geoff Gamble

MLS Cup Playoffs

The Columbus Crew failed to qualify for the playoffs in this season.

U.S. Open Cup

May 29Third Round	Columbus Crew (MLS)	1-2	Dayton Dutch Lions (USLP)	Columbus, OH
7:30 PM EDT	Finlay 45+3' Vargas 61' (pen.)	Report	Bardsley 33', 81' Bartels 79' Knotek 87'	Stadium: Columbus Crew Stadium Attendance: 1,646 Referee: Sorin Stoica

Reserve League

Eastern

Pos	Club	Pld	W	L	T	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Columbus Crew Reserves (C)	10	7	2	1	21	9	+12	22
2	Montreal Impact Reserves	10	7	2	1	19	10	+9	22
3	Philadelphia Union Reserves	10	4	4	2	20	20	0	14
4	New York Red Bulls Reserves	10	3	5	2	14	16	−2	11
5	D.C. United Reserves	9	3	5	1	9	19	-10	10
6	New England Revolution Reserves	10	2	5	3	9	15	−6	9
7	Toronto FC Reserves	9	2	5	2	13	16	−3	8

Match results

March 241	Columbus Crew	1-2	Montreal Impact	Columbus, OH
6:30 PM EDT	Grossman 84' Perry 89'	Report	Neagle 23' Montaño 55'	Stadium: Columbus Crew Stadium

March 312	Toronto FC	0-1	Columbus Crew	Toronto, ON
4:30 PM EDT	Mannella 81'	Report	Grossman 41' Finlay 46', 58'	Stadium: BMO Field

April 73	Columbus Crew	2-1	New York Red Bulls	Columbus, OH
5:00 PM EDT	Tchani 40' George 52' Schoenfeld 70' Meram 87'	Report	Borrajo 48' Lade 69' Pálsson 77' Ruthven 90'	Stadium: Columbus Crew Stadium

April 154	Philadelphia Union	0-4	Columbus Crew	Chester, PA
6:00 PM EDT	Hoppenot 43' Jordan 45' Hernández 46' Pfeffer 84'	Report	Rentería 12', 20', 38', 45' Grossman 41' Tchani 51' 78' Meram 85'	Stadium: PPL Park

June 105	Columbus Crew	1-0	New England Revolution	Columbus, OH
10:00 AM EDT	Añor 81', 90'	Report	Boucher 56'	Stadium: Columbus Crew Stadium Referee: Andrew Bigelow Assistant referees: Joe Kuzma John Safar Fourth official: Michael Farmer

June 176	New England Revolution	1-0	Columbus Crew	Foxborough, MA
11:00 AM EDT	Nyassi 62'	Report	James 37' Vargas 86'	Stadium: Gillette Stadium Referee: Michael Solla Assistant referees: Scott Kachmark Joseph Poremba Fourth official: Bruno Mozzo

July 27	New York Red Bulls	1-3	Columbus Crew	Montclair, NJ
11:00 AM EDT	Stahler 38' Ballouchy 67'	Report	Arrieta 34' Vargas 59' Meram 77'	Stadium: MSU Soccer Park at Pittser Field Referee: Jorge Gonzalez Assistant referees: Albert Calise Adam Alfi Fourth official: Bartek Cieslak
Note: Originally scheduled for September 16

July 228	Columbus Crew	4-1	D.C. United	Obetz, OH
11:00 AM EDT	Vargas 6', 65' Schoenfeld 19' Gehrig 53' Crognale 78' Horton 85'	Report	Morsink 48' Tan 49' Dudar 65'	Stadium: Crew Training Center

September 309	Columbus Crew	3-3	Philadelphia Union	Columbus, OH
11:00 AM EDT	Rentería 23' Vargas 53' Meram 69' Grossman 76'	Report	Mkosana 1' Pfeffer 63' Hernández 71' Hoffman 73'	Stadium: Columbus Crew Stadium Referee: Corey Richardson Assistant referees: Andre Castel Tre Gaither Fourth official: Devon Duling

October 2110	D.C. United	0-2	Columbus Crew	Washington, D.C.
11:00 AM EDT	Augusto 60'	Report	Tchani 44' Duka 45' Finlay 56'	Stadium: DC United Training Field
Note: Originally scheduled for August 5

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		U.S. Open Cup
No.	Pos	Nat	Player	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
1	GK	USA	William Hesmer	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
2	DF	USA	Rich Balchan	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
3	DF	USA	Josh Williams	31	1	27+3	1	0+1	0
4	DF	USA	Carlos Mendes	12	0	12+0	0	0+0	0
5	DF	USA	Danny O'Rourke	21	0	18+3	0	0+0	0
6	MF	CMR	Tony Tchani	22	2	14+8	2	0+0	0
7	MF	VEN	Bernardo Añor	12	1	5+6	1	0+1	0
8	MF	TRI	Chris Birchall	19	1	17+1	1	1+0	0
9	FW	IRQ	Justin Meram	23	4	11+11	4	1+0	0
10	MF	CHI	Milovan Mirošević	26	4	25+1	4	0+0	0
11	MF	USA	Dilly Duka	20	0	14+6	0	0+0	0
12	MF	USA	Eddie Gaven	34	9	34+0	9	0+0	0
13	MF	USA	Ethan Finlay	16	0	3+12	0	1+0	0
14	DF	USA	Chad Marshall	24	2	24+0	2	0+0	0
16	DF	USA	Eric Gehrig	13	0	8+4	0	1+0	0
17	FW	CRC	Olman Vargas	12	2	7+4	1	1+0	1
18	FW	USA	Ben Speas	1	0	1+0	0	0+0	0
19	FW	USA	Tom Heinemann	1	0	0+1	0	0+0	0
20	FW	VEN	Emilio Rentería	28	3	16+11	3	0+1	0
21	DF	CHI	Sebastián Miranda	33	1	33+0	1	0+0	0
22	MF	USA	Cole Grossman	11	1	5+5	1	1+0	0
25	FW	CRC	Jairo Arrieta	18	9	18+0	9	0+0	0
26	DF	TRI	Julius James	13	0	7+5	0	1+0	0
27	FW	USA	Aaron Horton	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
28	GK	USA	Matt Lampson	4	0	1+2	0	1+0	0
30	GK	USA	Andy Gruenebaum	33	0	33+0	0	0+0	0
32	DF	MNE	Nemanja Vuković	15	0	12+3	0	0+0	0
33	FW	ARG	Federico Higuaín	13	5	11+2	5	0+0	0
34	FW	USA	Aaron Schoenfeld	9	0	3+6	0	0+0	0
37	MF	TRI	Kevan George	8	0	4+3	0	1+0	0
			Own Goal	0	0	-	0	-	0
Players who left Columbus during the season:
15	MF	USA	Kirk Urso	6	0	5+1	0	0+0	0
23	DF	USA	Korey Veeder	0	0	0+0	0	0+0	0
29	DF	JAM	Shaun Francis	11	0	6+4	0	1+0	0
36	FW	USA	Aubrey Perry	1	0	0+0	0	1+0	0

Source:

Disciplinary record

No.	Pos.	Name	MLS		U.S. Open Cup		Total
No.	Pos.	Name
1	GK	William Hesmer	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	DF	Rich Balchan	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	DF	Josh Williams	1	1	0	0	1	1
4	DF	Carlos Mendes	2	0	0	0	2	0
5	DF	Danny O'Rourke	5	0	0	0	5	0
6	MF	Tony Tchani	3	0	0	0	3	0
7	MF	Bernardo Añor	3	0	0	0	3	0
8	MF	Chris Birchall	4	0	0	0	4	0
9	FW	Justin Meram	3	0	0	0	3	0
10	MF	Milovan Mirošević	2	0	0	0	2	0
11	MF	Dilly Duka	3	0	0	0	3	0
12	MF	Eddie Gaven	2	0	0	0	2	0
13	MF	Ethan Finlay	0	0	1	0	1	0
14	DF	Chad Marshall	1	0	0	0	1	0
16	DF	Eric Gehrig	1	0	0	0	1	0
17	FW	Olman Vargas	1	0	0	0	1	0
18	FW	Ben Speas	0	0	0	0	0	0
19	FW	Tom Heinemann	0	0	0	0	0	0
20	FW	Emilio Rentería	4	0	0	0	4	0
21	DF	Sebastián Miranda	3	0	0	0	3	0
22	MF	Cole Grossman	1	1	0	0	1	1
25	FW	Jairo Arrieta	1	0	0	0	1	0
26	DF	Julius James	2	0	0	0	2	0
27	FW	Aaron Horton	0	0	0	0	0	0
28	GK	Matt Lampson	0	0	0	0	0	0
30	GK	Andy Gruenebaum	2	0	0	0	2	0
32	DF	Nemanja Vuković	2	0	0	0	2	0
33	FW	Federico Higuaín	2	0	0	0	2	0
34	FW	Aaron Schoenfeld	2	0	0	0	2	0
37	MF	Kevan George	2	0	0	0	2	0
Players who left Columbus during the season:
15	MF	Kirk Urso	1	0	0	0	1	0
23	DF	Korey Veeder	0	0	0	0	0	0
29	DF	Shaun Francis	1	0	0	0	1	0
36	DF	Aubrey Perry	0	0	0	0	0	0

Source:

Clean sheets

No.	Name	MLS	U.S. Open Cup	Total	Games Played
No.	Name	1	William Hesmer	0	0	0	0
28	Matt Lampson	0	0	0	4
30	Andy Gruenebaum	8	0	8	33

Source:

Reserve League 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 Reserve League
No.	Pos	Nat	Player	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
7	MF	VEN	Bernardo Añor	4	1	4+0	1
25	FW	CRC	Jairo Arrieta	2	1	2+0	1
2	DF	USA	Rich Balchan	1	0	1+0	0
8	MF	TRI	Chris Birchall	1	0	1+0	0
-	GK	USA	Nick Ciraldo	0	0	0+0	0
-	DF	USA	Alex Crognale	4	0	1+3	0
-	GK	USA	Ethan Dewhurst	0	0	0+0	0
11	MF	USA	Dilly Duka	4	1	4+0	1
-	FW	USA	Brett Elder	2	0	0+2	0
-	MF	USA	Evans	1	0	0+1	0
13	MF	USA	Ethan Finlay	9	2	9+0	2
29	DF	JAM	Shaun Francis	1	0	1+0	0
12	MF	USA	Eddie Gaven	1	0	0+1	0
16	DF	USA	Eric Gehrig	7	1	7+0	1
37	MF	TRI	Kevan George	8	0	7+1	0
22	MF	USA	Cole Grossman	8	1	8+0	1
1	GK	USA	William Hesmer	2	0	2+0	0
27	FW	USA	Aaron Horton	8	1	0+8	1
-	MF	USA	Blas Iribarren	0	0	0+0	0
26	DF	TRI	Julius James	2	0	2+0	0
-	GK	USA	Francisco Juarez	0	0	0+0	0
-	DF	GEO	Irakli Khutsidze	1	0	0+1	0
-	MF	USA	Conor Klekota	2	0	0+2	0
-	FW	USA	Nathan Kohl	0	0	0+0	0
28	GK	USA	Matt Lampson	9	0	8+1	0
14	DF	USA	Chad Marshall	1	0	1+0	0
4	DF	USA	Carlos Mendes	2	0	2+0	0
9	FW	IRQ	Justin Meram	6	3	5+1	3
21	DF	CHI	Sebastián Miranda	0	0	0+0	0
10	MF	CHI	Milovan Mirošević	1	0	1+0	0
-	MF	SOM	Omar Mohamed	1	0	0+1	0
-	MF	USA	Rhodes Moore	5	0	0+5	0
-	GK	USA	Nick Noble	1	0	0+1	0
36	FW	USA	Aubrey Perry	6	1	5+1	1
20	FW	VEN	Emilio Rentería	4	4	4+0	4
-	GK	USA	Carter Richardson	0	0	0+0	0
34	FW	USA	Aaron Schoenfeld	6	2	6+0	2
-	MF	USA	Andrew Souders	1	0	0+1	0
18	FW	USA	Ben Speas	6	0	3+3	0
-	MF	USA	Ben Swanson	1	0	0+1	0
6	MF	CMR	Tony Tchani	6	0	6+0	0
17	FW	CRC	Olman Vargas	4	3	4+0	3
23	DF	USA	Korey Veeder	6	0	3+3	0
32	DF	MNE	Nemanja Vuković	8	0	8+0	0
3	DF	USA	Josh Williams	5	0	5+0	0
-	DF	USA	Rylee Woods	0	0	0+0	0
-	GK	USA	Carl Woszczynski	0	0	0+0	0
			Own Goal	0	0	-	0

Disciplinary record

No.	Pos.	Name	MLS Reserve League		Total
No.	Pos.	Name
7	MF	Bernardo Añor	1	0	1	0
25	FW	Jairo Arrieta	0	0	0	0
2	DF	Rich Balchan	0	0	0	0
8	MF	Chris Birchall	0	0	0	0
-	GK	Nick Ciraldo	0	0	0	0
-	DF	Alex Crognale	1	0	1	0
-	GK	Ethan Dewhurst	0	0	0	0
11	MF	Dilly Duka	0	0	0	0
-	FW	Brett Elder	0	0	0	0
-	MF	Evans	0	0	0	0
13	FW	Ethan Finlay	1	0	1	0
29	DF	Shaun Francis	0	0	0	0
12	MF	Eddie Gaven	0	0	0	0
16	DF	Eric Gehrig	0	0	0	0
37	MF	Kevan George	1	0	1	0
22	MF	Cole Grossman	3	0	3	0
1	GK	William Hesmer	0	0	0	0
27	FW	Aaron Horton	0	0	0	0
-	MF	Blas Iribarren	0	0	0	0
26	DF	Julius James	1	0	1	0
-	GK	Francisco Juarez	0	0	0	0
-	DF	Irakli Khutsidze	0	0	0	0
-	MF	Conor Klekota	0	0	0	0
-	FW	Nathan Kohl	0	0	0	0
28	GK	Matt Lampson	0	0	0	0
14	DF	Chad Marshall	0	0	0	0
4	DF	Carlos Mendes	0	0	0	0
9	FW	Justin Meram	0	1	0	1
21	DF	Sebastián Miranda	0	0	0	0
10	MF	Milovan Mirošević	0	0	0	0
-	MF	Omar Mohamed	0	0	0	0
-	MF	Rhodes Moore	0	0	0	0
-	GK	Nick Noble	0	0	0	0
36	DF	Aubrey Perry	0	0	0	0
20	FW	Emilio Rentería	0	1	0	1
-	GK	Carter Richardson	0	0	0	0
34	FW	Aaron Schoenfeld	0	0	0	0
-	MF	Andrew Souders	0	0	0	0
18	FW	Ben Speas	0	0	0	0
-	MF	Ben Swanson	0	0	0	0
6	MF	Tony Tchani	4	1	4	1
17	FW	Olman Vargas	2	0	2	0
23	DF	Korey Veeder	0	0	0	0
32	DF	Nemanja Vuković	0	0	0	0
3	DF	Josh Williams	0	0	0	0
-	DF	Rylee Woods	0	0	0	0
-	GK	Carl Woszczynski	0	0	0	0

Clean sheets

No.	Name	MLS Reserve League	Total	Games Played
No.	Name	-	Nick Ciraldo	0	0	0
-	Ethan Dewhurst	0	0	0
1	William Hesmer	1	1	2
-	Francisco Juarez	0	0	0
28	Matt Lampson	3	3	9
-	Nick Noble	0	0	1
-	Carter Richardson	0	0	0
-	Carl Woszczynski	0	0	0

Transfers

In

Pos.	Player	Transferred from	Fee/notes	Date	Source
MF	Milovan Mirošević	Universidad Católica	Free transfer	January 4, 2012	^[5]
FW	Olman Vargas	Deportivo Saprissa	Free transfer	January 6, 2012	^[6]
FW	Ben Speas	North Carolina Tar Heels	Signed to a homegrown contract	January 11, 2012	^[7]
FW	Ethan Finlay	Creighton Bluejays	Drafted in round 1 of the 2012 MLS SuperDraft	January 12, 2012	^[8]
DF	Aubrey Perry	South Florida Bulls	Drafted in round 2 of the 2012 MLS SuperDraft	March 1, 2012	^[8]^[9]
MF	Kirk Urso	North Carolina Tar Heels	Drafted in round 1 of the 2012 MLS Supplemental Draft	March 1, 2012	^[10]^[9]
MF	Kevan George	UCF Knights	Drafted in round 2 of the 2012 MLS SuperDraft	March 8, 2012	^[8]^[11]
DF	Nemanja Vuković	OFK Grbalj	Free transfer	March 21, 2012	^[12]
FW	Aaron Schoenfeld	Montreal Impact	Traded for a third round draft pick in the 2013 MLS Supplemental Draft	March 23, 2012	^[13]
FW	Jairo Arrieta	Deportivo Saprissa	Free transfer	April 26, 2012	^[14]
MF	Chris Birchall	Los Angeles Galaxy	Free transfer	May 7, 2012	^[15]
FW	Federico Higuaín	Club Atlético Colón	Transfer, $650,500	July 27, 2012	^[16]^[17]
DF	Tony Tchani	Columbus Crew		December 7, 2012	^[18]
MF	Wil Trapp	Akron Zips	Signed to a homegrown contract	December 13, 2012	^[19]

Out

Pos.	Player	Transferred to	Fee/notes	Date	Source
DF	Aubrey Perry	Gimo IF	Placed on waivers	June 27, 2012	^[20]
DF	Shaun Francis	Charlotte Eagles	Placed on waivers	June 27, 2012	^[20]
DF	Korey Veeder	New York Cosmos	Placed on waivers	June 27, 2012	^[20]
MF	Kirk Urso	Deceased	Died due to a congenital heart defect	August 5, 2012	^[21]
MF	Cole Grossman	Real Salt Lake	Placed on waivers; Selected in the 2012 MLS Waiver Draft	November 19, 2012	^[22]^[23]
FW	Olman Vargas	C.S. Herediano	Placed on waivers	November 19, 2012	^[22]
DF	Nemanja Vuković	Mladost Podgorica	Placed on waivers	November 19, 2012	^[22]
DF	Rich Balchan	Real Salt Lake	Option declined	November 28, 2012	^[24]
DF	Julius James	Carolina RailHawks	Option declined	November 28, 2012	^[24]
DF	Sebastián Miranda	Everton de Viña del Mar	Option declined	November 28, 2012	^[24]
DF	Chris Birchall	Port Vale F.C.	Option declined	November 28, 2012	^[24]
DF	Tom Heinemann	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	Option declined	November 28, 2012	^[24]
GK	William Hesmer	Los Angeles Galaxy	Option declined; Selected in stage 2 of the 2012 MLS Re-Entry Draft	November 28, 2012	^[24]
MF	Tony Tchani	Columbus Crew	Option declined	November 28, 2012	^[24]
DF	Carlos Mendes	New York Cosmos	Contract expired	November 28, 2012	^[24]
FW	Emilio Rentería	Defensor Sporting	Contract expired	November 28, 2012	^[24]

Loans out

Pos.	Player	Loanee club	Length/Notes	Beginning	End	Source
FW	Aaron Horton	Dayton Dutch Lions		April 30, 2012	June 3, 2012	^[25]

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	College
2012 Columbus Crew SuperDraft Picks^[26]
1	10	Ethan Finlay	MF	Creighton Bluejays
2	26	Aubrey Perry	DF	South Florida Bulls
2	29	Kevan George	MF	UCF Knights

Round	Pick	Player	Position	College
2012 Columbus Crew Supplemental Draft Picks^[27]
1	10	Kirk Urso	MF	North Carolina Tar Heels
2	29	Jamie Finch	DF	Washington Huskies
3	48	Darren Amoo	FW	Liberty Flames
4	67	Andrew Bulls	FW	UMBC Retrievers

Awards

MLS Team of the Week
Week	Starters	Honorable Mentions	Opponent(s)	Link
3		Shaun Francis Emilio Rentería	Montreal Impact	^[28]
4		Shaun Francis Andy Gruenebaum Chad Marshall	Toronto FC	^[29]
6		Chad Marshall	Philadelphia Union	^[30]
7	Eddie Gaven	Chad Marshall	Houston Dynamo	^[31]
8		Aaron Schoenfeld	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	^[32]
9		Andy Gruenebaum Josh Williams	Portland Timbers	^[33]
10		Justin Meram Sebastián Miranda	FC Dallas	^[34]
11	Andy Gruenebaum	Justin Meram	San Jose Earthquakes	^[35]
12	Andy Gruenebaum Emilio Rentería Robert Warzycha (Coach)	Eddie Gaven	Seattle Sounders FC Chicago Fire	^[36]
13-15	Andy Gruenebaum	Josh Williams	New England Revolution	^[37]
16		Tony Tchani	Chicago Fire	^[38]
17	Eddie Gaven	Danny O'Rourke Josh Williams	Real Salt Lake	^[39]
18		Chad Marshall Josh Williams	Montreal Impact	^[40]
20		Jairo Arrieta Chris Birchall Andy Gruenebaum	D.C. United	^[41]
21	Jairo Arrieta Robert Warzycha (Coach)	Andy Gruenebaum	Sporting Kansas City	^[42]
24		Jairo Arrieta Eddie Gaven Federico Higuaín	Los Angeles Galaxy Houston Dynamo	^[43]
25	Federico Higuaín Jairo Arrieta	Eddie Gaven Milovan Mirošević	New England Revolution	^[44]
26	Federico Higuaín	Eddie Gaven Justin Meram Emilio Rentería	Philadelphia Union Montreal Impact	^[45]
27		Andy Gruenebaum	New England Revolution	^[46]
28		Andy Gruenebaum	New York Red Bulls	^[47]
29		Jairo Arrieta Justin Meram Tony Tchani	Chivas USA Chicago Fire	^[48]
30		Jairo Arrieta Federico Higuaín	Philadelphia Union	^[49]
31	Eddie Gaven	Dilly Duka	Sporting Kansas City	^[50]
32		Jairo Arrieta Josh Williams	Toronto FC	^[51]

MLS Player of the Week

Week	Player	Opponent
12	Emilio Rentería	Seattle Sounders FC
21	Jairo Arrieta	Sporting Kansas City
25	Federico Higuaín	Toronto FC New England Revolution
26	Federico Higuaín	Philadelphia Union Montreal Impact

MLS Save of the Week

Week	Player	Opponent	Link
11	Andy Gruenebaum	San Jose Earthquakes

Postseason

MLS Newcomer of the Year ^[52]

FW Federico Higuaín

Crew Team Awards

Most Valuable Player – Andy Gruenebaum ^[53]
Defensive Player of the Year – Andy Gruenebaum
Scoring Champion – Jairo Arrieta & Eddie Gaven
Breakout Performance of the Year – Jairo Arrieta
Goal of the Year – Sebastian Miranda
Humanitarian of the Year – Eddie Gaven
Comeback Player of the Year – Julius James
Kirk Urso Heart Award – Kirk Urso
Special Recognition, The 200 Club – Eddie Gaven & Chad Marshall
Jim Nelson Fan of the Year – Alex Thomas
Academy U15/U16 Player of the Year – Ben Swanson
Academy U17/U18 Player of the Year – Zach Mason
Academy U19/U20 Player of the Year – Sage Gardner

References

↑ "Massive Report > Data > Season".
↑ Merz, Craig (March 10, 2012). "Crew vow to be more aggressive after subpar showing". mlssoccer. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
↑ "Players | Columbus Crew". Archived from the original on August 29, 2012.
↑ "Front Office Staff | Columbus Crew". Archived from the original on July 29, 2012.
↑ mlssoccer. "Crew ink Chilean playmaker Mirosevic to multi-year deal | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ mlssoccer. "Crew hope Vargas will buck recent trend of foreign signings | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ mlssoccer. "NCAA hero Speas inks Home Grown contract with Crew | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
1 2 3 mlssoccer. "Crew hope Finlay will add to new offensive impetus | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
1 2 "Crew signs Perry and Urso, as club submits roster on compliance day | Columbus Crew".
↑ mlssoccer. "Crew aim to build depth with Supplemental picks | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ "George inks deal with the Crew | Columbus Crew".
↑ mlssoccer. "Vukovic expected to compete for Crew's left back spot | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ "Crew signs forward Aaron Schoenfeld | Columbus Crew". Archived from the original on May 3, 2014.
↑ mlssoccer. "New striker Arrieta set to arrive in Columbus on June 27 | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ mlssoccer. "Columbus get experience they need in Birchall signing | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ mlssoccer. "Columbus ink Argentine forward Federico Higuain as DP | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ "8/1/2012: Columbus Paid Considerable Transfer Fee for Higuain | Crewture". Archived from the original on August 4, 2012.
↑ "Crew Re-signs Tchani".
↑ "Keeping Trapp in Black & Gold was a priority for Bliss | Columbus Crew".
1 2 3 mlssoccer. "Columbus preparing to make major signing, possible DP | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ mlssoccer. "Columbus Crew mourn passing of midfielder Kirk Urso | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
1 2 3 mlssoccer. "List of players available for Monday MLS Waiver Draft | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ mlssoccer. "RSL nab ex-Crew midfielder with sole MLS Waiver pick | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 mlssoccer. "In need of defensive revamp, Columbus cut seven players | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ "Crew loans forward Aaron Horton to Dayton Dutch Lions | Columbus Crew".
↑ https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/2012-mls-superdraft-369919 ^{[ bare URL ]}
↑ https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/2012-mls-supplemental-draft-373209 ^{[ bare URL ]}
↑ mlssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 3): The last shall be first | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ mlssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 4): The beasts from the East | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ mlssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 6): MLS road warriors take a bow | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ mlssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 7): USMNT candidates make their case | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ mlssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 8): When stars step aside | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ mlssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 9): Midweek stars make the cut | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ mlssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 10): Old faces & new come together | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ mlssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 11): United's big week rewarded | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ mlssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 12): FWs put in huge performances | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ mlssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wks 13-15): Canada stands apart | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ mlssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 16): Comeback kings honored | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ mlssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 17): Quakes, TFC rule our selection | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ mlssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 18): Union youth lead the charge | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ mlssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 20): Midseason changes pay off | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ mlssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 21): Ticos terrorize MLS backlines | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ mlssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 24): Midfielders take the reins | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ mlssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 25): Attacking players light up MLS | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ mlssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 26): 10 MLS teams represented | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ mlssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 27): Plenty to like over short week | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ mlssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 28): Playoff race brings out best | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ mlssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 29): Supporters' Shield in view | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ mlssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 30): Cream rises to the top | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ mlssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 31): Stars shine in the West race | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ mlssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 32): Midfielders make presence felt | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20121208042902/https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2012/11/28/crews-higuain-named-mls-newcomer-year ^{[ bare URL ]}
↑ "Crew Announces Team Awards". October 24, 2012.

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] "Massive Report > Data > Season".

[2] Merz, Craig (March 10, 2012). "Crew vow to be more aggressive after subpar showing". mlssoccer. Retrieved October 6, 2024.

[3] "Players | Columbus Crew". Archived from the original on August 29, 2012.

[4] "Front Office Staff | Columbus Crew". Archived from the original on July 29, 2012.

[5] ssoccer. "Crew ink Chilean playmaker Mirosevic to multi-year deal | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[6] ssoccer. "Crew hope Vargas will buck recent trend of foreign signings | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[7] ssoccer. "NCAA hero Speas inks Home Grown contract with Crew | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[SuperDraft-8] 1 2 3 mlssoccer. "Crew hope Finlay will add to new offensive impetus | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[Urso-9] 1 2 "Crew signs Perry and Urso, as club submits roster on compliance day | Columbus Crew".

[Supplemental_Draft-10] ssoccer. "Crew aim to build depth with Supplemental picks | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[11] "George inks deal with the Crew | Columbus Crew".

[12] ssoccer. "Vukovic expected to compete for Crew's left back spot | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[13] "Crew signs forward Aaron Schoenfeld | Columbus Crew". Archived from the original on May 3, 2014.

[14] ssoccer. "New striker Arrieta set to arrive in Columbus on June 27 | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[15] ssoccer. "Columbus get experience they need in Birchall signing | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[16] ssoccer. "Columbus ink Argentine forward Federico Higuain as DP | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[17] "8/1/2012: Columbus Paid Considerable Transfer Fee for Higuain | Crewture". Archived from the original on August 4, 2012.

[18] "Crew Re-signs Tchani".

[19] "Keeping Trapp in Black & Gold was a priority for Bliss | Columbus Crew".

[June_Cuts-20] 1 2 3 mlssoccer. "Columbus preparing to make major signing, possible DP | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[21] ssoccer. "Columbus Crew mourn passing of midfielder Kirk Urso | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[End_of_Season_Waivers-22] 1 2 3 mlssoccer. "List of players available for Monday MLS Waiver Draft | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[23] ssoccer. "RSL nab ex-Crew midfielder with sole MLS Waiver pick | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[End_of_Season_Cuts-24] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 mlssoccer. "In need of defensive revamp, Columbus cut seven players | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[25] "Crew loans forward Aaron Horton to Dayton Dutch Lions | Columbus Crew".

[26] ttps://www.mlssoccer.com/news/2012-mls-superdraft-369919 ^{[ bare URL ]}

[27] ttps://www.mlssoccer.com/news/2012-mls-supplemental-draft-373209 ^{[ bare URL ]}

[28] ssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 3): The last shall be first | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[29] ssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 4): The beasts from the East | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[30] ssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 6): MLS road warriors take a bow | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[31] ssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 7): USMNT candidates make their case | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[32] ssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 8): When stars step aside | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[33] ssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 9): Midweek stars make the cut | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[34] ssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 10): Old faces & new come together | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[35] ssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 11): United's big week rewarded | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[36] ssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 12): FWs put in huge performances | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[37] ssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wks 13-15): Canada stands apart | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[38] ssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 16): Comeback kings honored | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[39] ssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 17): Quakes, TFC rule our selection | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[40] ssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 18): Union youth lead the charge | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[41] ssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 20): Midseason changes pay off | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[42] ssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 21): Ticos terrorize MLS backlines | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[43] ssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 24): Midfielders take the reins | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[44] ssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 25): Attacking players light up MLS | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[45] ssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 26): 10 MLS teams represented | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[46] ssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 27): Plenty to like over short week | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[47] ssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 28): Playoff race brings out best | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[48] ssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 29): Supporters' Shield in view | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[49] ssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 30): Cream rises to the top | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[50] ssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 31): Stars shine in the West race | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[51] ssoccer. "Team of the Week (Wk 32): Midfielders make presence felt | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved August 10, 2025.

[52] ttps://web.archive.org/web/20121208042902/https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2012/11/28/crews-higuain-named-mls-newcomer-year ^{[ bare URL ]}

[53] "Crew Announces Team Awards". October 24, 2012.

[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]

[35]

[36]

[37]

[38]

[39]

[40]

[41]

[42]

[43]

[44]

[45]

[46]

[47]

[48]

[49]

[50]

[51]

[52]

[53]

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 Current season 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 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 2012 MLS season by team
SuperDraft Supplemental Draft All-Star Game Playoffs MLS Cup Transfers
Eastern	Chicago Fire Columbus Crew D.C. United Houston Dynamo Montreal Impact New England Revolution New York Red Bulls Philadelphia Union Sporting Kansas City Toronto FC
Western	Chivas USA Colorado Rapids FC Dallas Los Angeles Galaxy Portland Timbers Real Salt Lake San Jose Earthquakes Seattle Sounders FC Vancouver Whitecaps FC

2012 Columbus Crew season

Contents

Background

Review

Roster

Technical Staff

Non-competitive

Preseason

Midseason

Competitive

Overview

MLS

Standings

Overall table

Results summary

Results by round

Match results

MLS Cup Playoffs

U.S. Open Cup

Reserve League

Eastern

Match results

Statistics

Appearances and goals

In

Out

Loans out

MLS Draft picks

Awards

MLS Player of the Week

MLS Save of the Week

Postseason

Crew Team Awards

References