COLUMBUS — The Columbus Crew are officially headed back to the MLS Cup Playoffs. After taking care of business with a 3-0 victory over D.C. United on Saturday, the Crew received the help they needed Sunday evening when Toronto FC and the New York Red Bulls both lost, securing Columbus' fourth consecutive postseason appearance.
Toronto fell 3-1 to Atlanta United, while the Red Bulls suffered a dramatic 3-2 defeat against Nashville SC. New York led 2-0 before two own goals pulled Nashville even, and Sam Surridge scored the winner in stoppage time, eliminating the Red Bulls from playoff contention and helping send Columbus into the postseason.
The Crew's return to the playoffs represents a remarkable turnaround for a team that sat at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings on September 1. Since then, Columbus has won eight of 11 league matches, including its last five, climbing into eighth place with 44 points and one regular-season match remaining.
The resurgence has come under interim head coach Laurent Courtois, who took over following the departure of Henrik Rydström in May. Columbus has also benefited from midseason roster changes, including the additions of Brais Méndez and Santiago Rodríguez, as the club worked its way back into postseason contention.
At 13-15-5, the Crew are currently positioned for the Eastern Conference Wild Card round, although their final seeding remains undecided. The top seven teams advance directly to the best-of-three first round, while the eighth- and ninth-place teams meet in a single Wild Card match.
Columbus can still improve its position when it visits the Chicago Fire on Saturday, November 7, for Decision Day. The Crew can finish as high as sixth or as low as ninth in the Eastern Conference, with a top-seven finish allowing them to bypass the Wild Card round.
For a club that appeared headed toward missing the postseason just two months ago, securing a playoff berth with one match remaining is a huge accomplishment. The Crew now have an opportunity to build on their late-season momentum and pursue their first MLS Cup championship since 2023 as they play their best soccer of the season.
