The Columbus Crew has re-written its record books with its hot start to the 2014 campaign, the first under Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter. The Crew won its first three games on the schedule, marking the first time the team has done so in club history.
The Black & Gold started the 2014 season with a 3-0 win at D.C. United, which marked the second-consecutive year it has won 3-0 in the opening match of the season as 2013 began with a 3-0 win at Chivas USA on March 2. With a 2-1 win over Philadelphia on March 22, the Crew made history by winning its first two games for the first time in 19 seasons.
The team wrote another chapter with its third win of the year last weekend, after midfielder Justin Meram scored the game-winning goal in injury time on the road against Seattle.
The Black & Gold’s 3-0-0 start marks the best in the team’s history, but where does it stack up against other great Crew teams? Let’s look at the three teams in Crew history that took home a Supporters’ Shield.
The 2009 Columbus Crew went 0-1-2 in its first three games (1-1 draws against Toronto and Houston, and a 4-1 loss against Real Salt Lake) and 0-2-4 in the first two months of the season. It wasn’t until the team won 13 games following the two-month slump, and was awarded the Supporter’s Shield.
In 2008, the Crew started its first two games 1-1-0 with a 2-0 win against Toronto FC and a 2-0 loss against New York Red Bulls. However, the team went on to win the next five games and later both, the Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup.
The 2004 Columbus Crew squad had a rough three-loss start to the season before going on to win the team’s first Supporter’s Shield.
A 3-0-0 month of March marked the first perfect (no draws or losses) since last September when the Crew went 3-0-0. A 4-0-0 run in 2004 is only topped by the 1996 squad, which went 6-0-0 in the month of August in a time before draws in MLS. A complete look at perfect and unbeaten stretches in months in which the club played three or more regular season games is below.
Perfect months (Three or more regular-season games in the month, no draws or losses)
March 2014: 3-0-0
September 2013: 3-0-0
September 2004: 4-0-0
August 1996: 6-0-0
Unbeaten months (Three or more regular-season games)
March 2014: 3-0-0
September 2013: 3-0-0
August 2012: 4-0-1
May 2012: 3-0-2
April 2011: 3-0-2
May 2009: 2-0-3
July 2009: 2-0-2
September 2008: 3-0-1
September 2004: 4-0-0
August 1996: 6-0-0
