A sea of black and gold lined the sides of Nationwide Boulevard Tuesday as the Columbus Crew’s victory parade marched from High street to Lower.com Field.
On Saturday, the Columbus Crew claimed a 2-1 victory over Los Angeles FC to win their third MLS Championship.
The parade included cheering fans, local businesses, vehicles throwing candy and beads and a giant replica of the MLS Championship Cup.
The replica was so tall it didn’t fit under the bridges near Lower.com Field, however the unexpected stop of the trophy did allow fans a unique photo-op.
The Columbus Crew was also in attendance, on floats pulled by semi-trucks. The team was just as enthusiastic as the fans, cheering and shouting the length of the route.
As the parade passed, onlookers joined in, following the procession to Lower.com Field, where music played loudly, and drinks were served.
The victory comes following a rough couple of years for the Columbus Crew, including almost leaving Columbus to getting a new owner and coach.
But some fans think that some of the changes were for the best.
A young Crew fan at the parade named Shawn said, “Mostly we had the same players, but I think the new coach, and his new play styles helped a lot.”
The Columbus Crew’s head coach Wilfried Nancy joined just over a year ago, coming from CF Montréal. Nancy led the Crew to finish third in the regular season and to win the MLS cup in the postseason.
Nancy is also the first Black coach to win the MLS Championship Cup.
This is the third time the Crew has won the championship title.
The team's first victory was in 2008 and the second was in 2020.
