The Columbus Crew SC's playoff run that came amid a backdrop of a potential move to Austin, Texas, is over.
The Crew lost the second leg of Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference Finals to Toronto FC 1-0 on Wednesday. Since the first leg ended in a 0-0 tie, the Wednesday victory advances Toronto to MLS Cup, where they'll play either Seattle or Houston on December 9.
The loss starts a long offseason for Crew players and fans who continue fighting to keep the team from moving. Team owner Anthony Precourt has said the team is no longer economically viable here, and he'll likely move the club to Austin unless a new downtown Columbus stadium is built.
The Wednesday loss came hours after Columbus city and business leaders released documents provided to Precourt in a meeting earlier this month. Mayor Andrew Ginther and Columbus Partnership CEO Alex Fischer say they offered Precourt land in two public parks: Berliner Park on the South Side and Dodge Recreation Center in Franklinton.
Precourt and Garber continue to say they haven't been presented with any "actionable" offers to keep the team in Columbus.
