By the time Thursday’s game against the Chicago Fire kicks off, it will have been 21 days since Columbus Crew SC took the field in an official match. It will also be 174 days since the Black & Gold last played a game at MAPFRE Stadium.
The Crew had a successful run at the MLS is Back Tournament, winning all three group games — ones that counted toward the MLS regular season standings — before falling in a penalty kick shootout to Minnesota United. Now Columbus is back and ready to take part in Phase 1 of the MLS’s 2020 regular season as the top team in the league’s standings.