Columbus Crew SC continues its 2018 preseason campaign with a trip to South Carolina as the defending champion of the Carolina Challenge Cup. The club will battle against Atlanta United FC and Minnesota United FC as well as host Charleston Battery (United Soccer League) for the 2018 edition of the exhibition tournament.
The 14th edition of the historic preseason tournament - at MUSC Health Stadium on Daniel Island - will feature Minnesota United FC for the first time as well as a few new faces including U.S. Men’s National Team members Darlington Nagbe (Atlanta United) and the Black & Gold’s Gyasi Zardes.
This will be Crew SC’s sixth overall appearance in the Carolina Challenge Cup. The Black & Gold won the first tournament’s trophy in 2004, and again in 2017 thanks to a 1-0 scoreline during its final match of the competition through 2017 MLS SuperDraft selection Niko Hansen’s debut goal.
In the Black & Gold’s first matchup of last year’s tournament, they faced Atlanta United FC in what resulted in a 2-1 victory for Crew SC thanks to a Federico Higuain brace. Crew SC then faced USL’s Charleston Battery for a 1-1 draw before defeating the 2017 MLS Cup Defending Champions, Seattle Sounders FC, with a 1-0 victory.
In this year’s tournament Columbus will face a few familiar faces including Ethan Finlay and Matt Lampson (Minnesota United FC), as well as former Crew SC Captain Michael Parkhurst (Atlanta United FC). Finlay, who was chosen by the club in the first round of the 2012 MLS SuperDraft, was with Crew SC from 2012 to 2017. Former Crew SC Homegrown Player, Lampson was with the Black & Gold from 2012 to 2015. Parkhurst, who, in 2014, became the first Crew SC player to be named to the MLS All-Star Team in four years, was with Columbus from 2014 to 2016.
The Black & Gold will enter the 2018 Carolina Challenge Cup fresh off the back of the Pacific Rim Cup where they faced two Japanese Professional Football League teams, Consadole Sapporo and Iwaki FC, at Aloha Stadium in Hawaii on February 8 and 10.
Crew SC’s first matchup in this year’s Carolina Challenge Cup sees the club take on Atlanta United on Saturday, with kickoff at 5 p.m. ET. Viewers can tune-in to all six of the tournament’s matches LIVE on beIN SPORTS.
