The Battle For Columbus | Save The Crew | Episode 2

In a bumper Episode 2, the story moves to Austin, where the MLS2ATX campaign had been brewing for some time. If it couldn't be achieved through league expansion, relocation seemed the only alternative. Back in Ohio, the Save The Crew campaign gathers weight, as they fight for the reputation of their city.
The Battle for Columbus is the remarkable story of a fanbase who showed the world that fan action trumps money. The Columbus Crew, a founding member of MLS, was under threat of relocation to Austin, Texas for the 2019 MLS season by their owner Anthony Precourt. Fans in Columbus rallied around the team with the grassroots #SaveTheCrew campaign. This is their film, the only on-camera account of events as they happened in both Columbus and Austin, capturing some of the most fascinating moments in American soccer history.
Ep 1 | Tell Everyone You Know | July 25th
Ep 2 | Austin FC - Parallel Paths | July 27th
Ep 3 | Glory to Columbus | July 29th
#SaveTheCrew #Crew96 #MLS
All money from this project will be donated to the Columbus Community.
A huge thank you to the incredible Sean Kelly (@virtualstatman) who Produced and Directed this story from start to finish:
www.imdb.com/title/tt14911600...
Welcome to COPA90 Stories, a brand new channel exploring the greatest footballing stories from across the planet.
For more info and content: www.copa90.com/stories
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[@natealvarez9979]

Austin already had a second division team in the city for a while before Austin FC came along. I don’t think I’ll ever get over the fact they never supported that team and rather was happy to take a team from another city

[@surfhappens202]

I know right!

[@miguelpadilla31]

Before Austin Bold, there was the Austin Aztex and they have great women's club in FC Austin Elite in the UWS. They wont support unless it "trendy". Austin FC fans are fugazzi

[@XLRAshon]

Absolutley. Just look at St Louis mls. They already had a 2nd division team St. Louis FC averaging 5k fans a game but folded to make way for mls. And over 50k fans put a deposit for season tickets for St Louis mls within 24 hrs of being on sale. I mean that's cool and all but where were those 50k fans when you already had an option. It's sad how so many soccer fans in this country refuse to support their local lower division clubs. Sure the quality of play isn't as good. But they are just as fun and cheaper and if you are an active supporter you can build amazing relationships with the owner groups making it even harder for them to want to leave Unless you were an Austin Bold fab before Austin FC was a thing you don't have a lot of room to talk about supporting local

[@surfhappens202]

@@XLRAshon And us phoenix boys out here just trying to make a name for our selves.

[@natealvarez9979]

@@XLRAshon man I hated it when I learned that St Louis had to fold there previous team! Why can’t they just move up a division like other USL teams. I love MLS but there way of growing the league is just mind boggling sometimes

[@SJPace1776]

As a Cincinnati supporter I can't imagine not having Columbus around to play. That's the match I get up for regardless of table position of either club.

[@b.freeee]

We got the Hell is Real rivalry, but Austin will always be our hated enemy.

[@yetimelly523]

The truth is Columbus shouldn't be around. Haslam should've moved club to Cleveland. Built a new stadium there. Created a railroad motif crest like Borrussia dortmund. Cleveland SC.

[@jdale1785]

@@yetimelly523 Cleveland SC is already a club. A powerhouse in NPSL. Try again.

[@yetimelly523]

@@jdale1785 Indianapolis SC or Indy SC

[@jdale1785]

@@yetimelly523 in Cleveland?! Wtf? Makes zero sense. Anyways Cleveland SC is plying for a spot in the national finals AGAIN Saturday!

[@richardbeck818]

As a fan of Sheffield Wednesday in England, I can't imagine how shitty it must feel having your owner try to move the club your support and love to another city! And the fact people from Austin had the attitude of they have had their time in Columbus is despicable! Save the Crew!

[@tkb4026]

wawaw

[@geoffpecar]

Since this time, Columbus is doing better than ever and even won the title last year. Let precourt and these sad Austin people have the leftovers

[@xcel08]

@@geoffpecar No need to attack the fans of Austin FC. We had nothing to do with this decision but we will support our club. Attack precourt not us.

[@geoffpecar]

@@xcel08 Its not most of you. I guess i'm mostly just attacking the types of dudes that antagonized columbus fans online for that year and try to be the face of austin now lol

[@createimag4088]

Thanks for the support from Columbus!

[@thehungariansteven]

One of the things that will be hard to forget is the MLS2ATX Austin supporters organizing what they called a “Scouting” trip when the Crew played away in nearby Dallas, so they could get to watch what they thought was their future players.

[@papatrev6465]

The words of that Austin fan just make my blood curl in rage. If they want a football team so badly, start one. Don't take it from some place else. Imagine Hereford losing their club because some group of so called fans in Scarborough wanted a club of their own. This is the type of plastic bs (supported by MLS and their administration) that gives all other American football fans their undeservered reputation.

[@connerbowman1869]

Hey, you're forgetting this is America, where any millionaire will kill a baby seal if it makes them a dollar or two. This is a country that has a "school" for developmentally disabled children that has been condemned by the UN for torture and can't shut it down because "freedom". Everything is about money and who cares how many bodies or human rights violations you have to step over on your way to the top.

[@afrozen10-02]

Plus it’s obvious that Precourt doesn’t give a damn about them, the city, or the team. He’s in it for the money and nothing else. If he did he’d never think about moving an iconic team like the crew out of Columbus. Austin fans shouldn’t want this. He’d just rip out their hearts out like he did to Columbus.

[@Fatblue246]

this type of thing was unfortunately normalized in NA sports as in the inception of professional sports was quite unstable in the US, and teams often had to genuinely relocate due to financial constraints and to find adequate areas to play. That being said, what normalized it once it was established was when the MLB allowed the Giants and Dodgers to move west to California back in the 50's, despite the two of them making up two of the three way rivalry that was the NYC subway series between the Dodgers, Yankees, and Giants that had been going on since the very inception of the sport. My grandparents, one an avid dodgers fan the other an avid giants fan, could not talk about specific pennant matches because the rivalry was so heated they would get into genuine arguments. When they left the city one of my grandmothers refused to watch a professional baseball game for over 20 years. That really opened the door for any team to move, regardless of what sport they are and of the club's history. In NA you really are at the whim of your ownership group regardless of the sport/club and you just have to pray to god that they respect the club and its history. Most do thankfully as sports teams are a lot more of a money pit then people tend to realize, and you really have to love it to be in it, but there are plenty who are looking for a "quick"(that term is obviously relative here)flip rather than actually trying to grow the team/club/brand. Not to mention moving really is a last ditch effort most of the time, MLS is just in an expansion/development phase that most leagues are not/have not been in in a while so these types of discussions aren't really on the table anymore. The only other leagues that has had a scare like this recently in recent memory have been the Coyotes in the NHL and the A's in MLB and both have to do with attendance actually being abysmal or there not being a proper facility for the team, and only one of them ended up actually moving so it isn't like it always happens. Still sucks when it does, like in a way that is hard to explain.

[@guilhermebatistella1105]

It makes me sad that Crew fans thought they should have to justify, by financial arguments, the reason they want to keep the club in their city. I mean, is the love for the club not enough? The franchise system is bullshit and is the big reason you may feel guilty for not achieving the good financial numbers that MLS requires. Congrats to everyone who was involved in the defense of the club and cheers from Brazil, here the love for the club matters more than anything.

[@createimag4088]

Thanks for the support from Columbus!

[@elijahwatson2136]

Serious MK Dons vibes about this, Austin FC and Precourt the villains in this instance. Would love to see a partnership between AFC Wimbledon and Columbus Crew.

[@sdot5389]

This makes me quickly feel the same way about Austin FC fans as I do about Oklahoma City Thunder fans.

[@DrPepperone]

To be fair, Seattle is a thriving city that could bear to lose basketball in order to give to a C-Tier city where the biggest attraction is tornado-leveled or bomb-leveled buildings.

[@sdot5389]

@@DrPepperone C-Tier? That's generous :) All things considered, Seattle needs an NBA team though....pronto.

[@obesetoussaint6283]

You can blame Howard Schultz for that fiasco and we tried to tell you all that Clay Bennett was as crooked as a question mark.

[@augustacovington481]

What? What did OKC say?

[@canaryinc]

that Crew bee is such a sweetheart, made me shed a tear ngl

[@holdencovington151]

3 things - 1. While Austin doesn’t have another pro sports team, they have the University of Texas, which is a huge brand in American football 2. Austin deserves an MLS team… just not one from another city 3. This series is freaking great

[@BDaily9]

It’s obvious Austin deserves one. Their support is insane.

[@ECLyrical]

If America wasn’t so backward, you’d make a pyramid, multiple leagues, promotion and relegation. Austin can then found a team, rent some space for a ground to play, and give the city a natural, organic football club to grow with its city, as it rises from the ground up.

[@fighterck6241]

​@ECLyrical America's culture is corporate, and we expect corporate solutions to our problems. Go figure. Look at the NFL. One of it's most successful franchises is Green Bay who play at their original stadium but they outright BAN any similar ownership structure to be replicated anywhere else because cities have to be beholden to billionaires for their entertainment and also how can you blackmail a city to build a new stadium every 15 years if the team is owned by its citizens?!

[@PC-pc2rw]

Before Austin FC, Austin Bold of the USL Championship was trying to make noise - same for St. Louis FC. One of the MANY pet-peeves that I have with American sports fans and their landscape is this: If it's NOT "Major League," we won't support it.

[@redheadredemption1573]

That was part of what made FC Cincinnati so special in their USL days. Not that they were alone, but it is definitely nice to see teams start in the lower levels, connect with a city, and then be promoted, rather than just being founded to go straight to MLS, regardless of other teams in the city

[@sticks_0441]

Thankfully the lower league clubs in the US are getting really popular and I support a lower leage club myself, Queensboro fc

[@k.n2574]

@@sticks_0441 I for the El Paso Locomotive

[@harborhighlights6573]

@@k.n2574 Hartford Athletic

[@mountdelicious]

@@harborhighlights6573 Charleston Battery

[@aaap6516]

This should be made into a movie one day. Amazing story

[@lukasapplication688]

I am a Philadelphia Union fan and if a team from Austin ever shows up here wearing green and black there should be some hell to pay! #SaveTheCrew

[@AKUNJIG]

That's some Brotherly Love right there!

[@jeffcook2570]

Throw snow balls at em like Santa!

[@createimag4088]

Thank you from Columbus! I wouldn't advise for Austin fans to come to Columbus.

[@danielneilson3706]

I am really loving this series. I would love to see you guys do a MLS history series. Going through each team in their journey.

[@natealvarez9979]

A story about the San Jose Earthquakes is one that I don’t think gets talked about and it’s super interesting and extremely depressing. I’m also a San Jose supporter so maybe a tinge of bias.

[@DrPepperone]

Lmao Austin FC fans = MK Dons fans

[@anthonylong9067]

Throw houston fans in there too. After what the houston dynamo did to the san Jose earthquakes in 2006, they deserve the same amount of hate as austin FC.

[@dylanreid4371]

Was thinking that the whole way through

[@coreycaustic2133]

No lies detected

[@alternatehistorysports]

@@anthonylong9067 I quite like Houston, but yeah that's true. In fact they succeeded where Austin failed. FC Dallas need a massive banner for Texas games that says 'Born and raised in Texas' or 'The only team from Texas'

[@dandandan3909]

@@alternatehistorysports yeah i love my dynamo but our origin is not very good. however, i'm glad san jose wasn't stripped completely of mls and returned after hiatus.

[@algorithm1193]

5 years later, the Columbus Crew won MLS Cup on the patch of dirt Dante Washington was standing on in this video.

[@SteelJacket729]

🖤💛⭐️🌟⭐️💛🖤 🖤💛🏆🏆🏆💛🖤

[@ivanmalanquini625]

Football in Brazil at that time was a sport for the elites, and Vasco da Gama's racially diverse squad didn't appease them. In 1924 Vasco da Gama was pressured by the Metropolitan League to ban some players who were not considered adequate to play in the aristocratic league, notably because they were black or mulato and/or poor. After Vasco refused to comply with such a ban, the other big teams, including Fluminense, Flamengo and Botafogo created the Metropolitan Athletic Association and prohibited Vasco from participating unless it complied with their racist demands. The former President of Vasco, José Augusto Prestes, responded with a letter that became known as the Historic Response, (Resposta Histórica),which revolutionized the practice of sports in Brazil, because the team refused to exclude their players to please the League. After a few years, the racism barriers fell. Vasco da Gama had led the move toward a more inclusive football culture, forward-thinking not employed by leaders from Fluminense, Flamengo and Botafogo. Even though the club was not the first to field black players, it was the first one to win a league with them, which led to an outcry to ban "blue-collar workers" from playing in the league - a move that in practice meant barring blacks from playing. In 1925 Vasco was readmitted into the "elite" league, with its black and mulatto players. After that, as Vasco da Gama won the championship again, and it was again banned to play the league for the same others teams (Fluminense, Flamengo and Botafogo) because "the team didn't have a own stadium" (Vasco played in another club field). The supporters, all of them humble people gathered money and they built the BIGGEST stadium of American Latin called São Januário, who was open to the public in 1927. That same year that the team returned to play, Vasco da Gama was champion again. This is more than just football. "As long as there is a childish heart, Vasco will be immortal" Go Vasco! Go Columbus!

[@southfieldtrill9690]

Nice information bro💯👍

[@fisherbrashear6894]

I LOVE THIS SERIES AS A CREW FAN! Shows the commitment crew fans had

[@CauldronOfWeird]

Every time I heard the Austin fans speak, it made my skin crawl and blood boil.

[@gustavoguimaraes2851]

Incredible effort by the Save The Crew. I’m a Red Bull fan and you guys have my respect!

[@jesuspiceno2168]

LAFC supporter here and it would suck the MLS without the crew in Columbus

[@NickResen]

In the name of the soccer gods, may Precourt FC never win a single game over the most MASSIVE club the world has ever known. Amen.

[@user-zn8bj3ww1k]

The Rhinos?

[@NickResen]

@@user-zn8bj3ww1k The pride of Rochester

[@thorazine8402]

LAFC fan here. Hey, we did our job, handing Austin a loss in their first MLS game. Long May they suffer.

[@TheNamesJER]

Really cool seeing The Hive get a moment to shine in this! 💛🖤

[@webMonkey_]

It’s beautiful to see kids enjoying football

[@blackatleftismyt5001]

copa 90 got me intrested in mls lol

[@G4GMonty]

As a Austin fc fan, we will always be hated because of our owners and the original fans that wanted to move Columbus to Austin. I was excited that we got our team but not proud how it came to be and respect the Crew fans for their passion for their club

[@sirgoss]

I respect you

[@alternatehistorysports]

@@sirgoss Can I get in on this?

[@southfieldtrill9690]

That's real talk💯 RESPECT

[@spritepunk]

As an Austin fan from outside Texas, I also feel bad about the conception of the team

[@peterbyrnes3891]

Seeing the arrogance and general attitude of Austin FC’s fans toward Columbus fans is just pathetic. That club can rot in turmoil and mediocrity for it’s entire existence. As a fan of the Crew and the Cleveland Browns in the NFL, I’ve seen the effects that ripping a legendary franchise away can have on a city. Columbus sure did not deserve that pain. Glad they eventually #SavedTheCrew

[@bernielinstrom4959]

If the fan base wasn’t so blatantly disinterested in their support of the team my attitude would of been different.

[@RobOgden614]

@@bernielinstrom4959 Dude’s over here doing backflips trying to justify his morally reprehensible position. Let’s call a spade a spade: Your slimy snake of an owner planned to move the team from day 1 and brainwashed you and others into believing Columbus didn’t want its soccer team so that he could get his way.

[@andrewkunkel468]

@@bernielinstrom4959 you still ignoring the fact that your trust fund baby ruined the club and attendance on purpose?

[@bernielinstrom4959]

@@andrewkunkel468 3 out of four years he owned the team it made the playoffs. One of those years were a finals appearance. Yeah, he really tried to tank the team.

[@andrewkunkel468]

@@bernielinstrom4959 We had one of the best coaches in the league, who is now the national team coach as a result, who was praised by several high profile coaches as being some of the best soccer they played against in the league. Our roster vastly over performed what it was being paid, given that we had about a bottom 3 payroll in the league during those years. He spent zero money on players. There’s actually reports that he visited and opposing team’s locker room during a playoff game and wished them luck and didn’t visit the home locker room, lol. And that’s just player stuff, not to mention the stadium falling apart horrifically, Precourt taking local business leaders out to dinner and making them pay for their food, not paying for any kind of marketing or anything, being offered land for a stadium and turning it down despite citing that as a condition for the club to stay. etc etc etc etc. His time here is very well documented, there’s a myriad of examples.

[@yeetgaming4065]

Austin FC fans are a bunch of clowns in this video. They will be the same ones crying foul when Precourt wants to move them again one day.

[@dandandan3909]

lol to this day austin fans are a bunch of insufferable dickheads

[@yeetgaming4065]

@@dandandan3909 agreed. I’m a Rapids fan and I’m scared that one day my team might end up like the Crew. Wanting to move out due to an inadequate stadium. But I gotta say F Austin FC fans and the club

[@dandandan3909]

@@yeetgaming4065 yeah i'm a dynamo fan and we know a thing about bad ownership. our attendance had dropped significantly because of it and i see the same with rapids. i hope you can get a new owner who cares about the team. this is a big problem in mls right now. also if there's anything fcd fans and dynamo can agree on it's fuck austin.

[@yeetgaming4065]

@@dandandan3909 us Rapids fans will join y’all with that statement. Fuck Austin FC. And I hope for the best with your club. Y’all deserve a lot better owners for sure

[@dandandan3909]

@@yeetgaming4065 we currently have a new owner and we hope he keeps his words

[@jaquaviousdasian6857]

One of the most beautiful pieces of journalism I have ever seen

[@HarlowGlobetrotter]

my in-laws live near Austin. last spring i decided to pick an MLS team to follow. even though i ended up choosing the awful FCC (blue and orange won out), i am thrilled i didn't choose Austin. their "we want what we want and f**k everyone else" attitude is everything that's wrong with the world. throw in the fact they wanted something that somebody already had and it's much worse. justification doesn't bring happiness. it just makes you look pathetic.

[@davidevans916]

Moving teams to another city is such a bizarre concept and comes across as soulless. So good the fans are standing up for their club.

[@blackatleftismyt5001]

I haven't even finished watching this, but if there is another episode please upload it now i beg you

[@ryanfebrianto8973]

Knowing today they had a brand new stadium, I feel happy for them. Congratulation guys, now you can taste a sweet fruit from your emotional long fights

[@coreycaustic2133]

That is 100% me talking at the Supporters Summit asking what can we do. 6:20

[@anthonylong9067]

To be a contribution to a movement that worked and kept the crew in columbus is something worthy of respect. Im a san jose earthquakes fan. When i heard the news break out, it reminded me of when alexi lalas moved us to houston. To see another historic club suffer the same fate as we did was something i could not fathom. I’ve been supportive of STC and doing what i could to make my voice heard.

[@alternatehistorysports]

@@anthonylong9067 Hopefully that momentum will keep building, and fans will boycott any team who try this shit.

[@Drakshl]

The most heartwarming bit of this is watching those little girls ALL THE WAY invested in the team and the game. They get to just be themselves and love the beautiful game and honestly this sort of love is why people in Europe (im British) get SO invested

[@maherhamadouch2005]

Seeing this makes me think that there could be a Columbus version of AFC Wimbledon

[@balham5606]

Yes, the other team in Milton Keynes should never exist though It’s good Austin have a club now in Texas Columbus have a new stadium too

[@maherhamadouch2005]

@@balham5606 I don't get your point

[@james-cq4bn]

He's saying he's glad it worked out. Columbus where never moved they never lost there club. And austin got a new club to support. So they got what they wanted. So in short both fans of both clubs got what they wanted

[@balham5606]

@@james-cq4bn which is good Charlotte are going to be the next new MLS team

[@tinocappa]

Welcome to the beautiful game America. I love seeing this real passion building... Keep it up Crew supporters.

[@scotts685]

I wonder how they feel now after the Crew won their 3rd Cup last night while Austin missed the Western Conference playoffs

[@chamberlainwonder369]

Crew is balling out of the world right now, and one of the greatest teams in the world today

[@miguelpadilla31]

I hope Copa 90 covers how the "Battle for Columbus" affected San Antonio's bid and Austin Bold in the USL.

[@alternatehistorysports]

Sounds interesting, can you give a summary please?

[@miguelpadilla31]

@@alternatehistorysports in 2016, Spurs Sports and Entertainment (SS&E), the city of San Antonio and Bexar County submitted a MLS bid. Don Garber guaranteed that San Antonio will would get a fair shot as well as the other candidate cities at the time to become a MLS expansion team. Bexar County purchased the 8,800 seat Toyota Field which is designed to be expanded to 18,000 with renovation and SS&E would lease the stadium on a 20 year deal. Well....Don Garber and Precourt had the deal done to move to Austin in 2013. San Antonio FC bid to MLS was doomed before they even existed. The Bexar County commissioner was publicly furious at MLS for misleading the bid.

[@alternatehistorysports]

@@miguelpadilla31 That is shady as hell! Isn't there be some federal law against that? It has to come up in business when bidding for contracts.

[@miguelpadilla31]

@@alternatehistorysports i dont know, so far SS&E quietly removed the MLS bid at the end of 2018 but no updates if they plan to take any legal action.

[@alternatehistorysports]

@@miguelpadilla31 I hope they do. But also maybe they should get a major league Rugby team in there too to make full use of the stadium.

[@eboethrasher]

Some of the things left out in the film: Austin lost 2 USL teams before this happened, and Precourt made the announcement the day AFTER another USL team was announced. The Austin supporters couldn't be happy with a USL team. As a matter of fact, Alexi fucking Lalas had the balls to suggest that Columbus be happy with a USL team in place of The Crew.

[@connerbowman1869]

Panayotis (that's his real name, look it up) Lalas always has to be the "hot take" guy. Before MLS cup 2020 (Seattle vs Columbus) he said winning the trophy definitely counts because of how unusual and difficult the season was. As soon as the Crew won he changed his tune to "Oh I'm not sure it really counts because the season was so weird". Panayotis is a moron.

[@ejyounggun08]

Been on my honeymoon for the past 2 weeks and once I learned this was uploaded I couldn't wait to get home. I love my wife but I love Crew more.

[@createimag4088]

Hahaha that's funny man

[@cbjcrewfan8425]

Does your wife already know this?!🤣😂

[@ejyounggun08]

@@cbjcrewfan8425 Oh yeah! Half my clothes are Crew gear.

[@koba2140]

That's the attitude! Respect from Europe! 😂

[@nycfcawaydays3259]

NYCFC supporter here -- teared up a few times watching this beautiful piece of American soccer history. We feel the same way about our stadium. Not sure if our Precourt are the Yankees, government officials or the Arabs, but it's nice to see Columbus and Austin both striving in the league(with new stadiums too)!

[@loufancelli1330]

Another very well done episode. The parallel paths was a lie from the start, and really the seeds of this whole mess were sown when Lamar Hunt passed away. Even though he was an "out of town owner" he really had a knack for understanding how important it was to become part of the local community. There's a reason why he owned half of the original MLS teams. His sons didn't inherit that trait from him and sadly we had to endure the mess that was Precourt. But like they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger and I am very excited to see how you cover the rest of the story in Part 3. I don't think it is spoiling anything to mention this tidbit - that patch of dirt and rocks with a view of downtown Columbus... I happen to live right next to it, and it's no longer a patch of dirt and rocks :) Go Crew!

[@daviddunne7794]

As a bohemians fan in Ireland our club is a members club and 100 percent fan ownership. It’s sad to see this type of shit happen to clubs. Save the crew

[@hawkinsstern5356]

well it was never a club to begin with since its a franchise, but yes. Unfortunately this type of closed and measured franchising of soccer is what it took to bring the sport to a high level in the past. My team, San Jose Earthquakes, of which my dad played for in the wake of the demise of NASL but before MLS. They were a top team in early MLS but moved to Houston for better prospects on building a downtown stadium. A nice one was erected but it was only 3 years before our sport specific one in SJ. "Their" team won consecutive titles the years they arrived with largely the players who won the Supporter's Shield (regular season standings) the year before leaving. With the Save the Crew movement and the national attention I think MLS has learned a bit on how to prevent these issues from building up. They had been trying to encourage ownership transfers to local figures before as MLS stabilized and became attractive. Before MLS was less picky and in 2001 three owners together practically bailed out MLS and owned multiple teams each. Precourt's intentions as a Californian in Ohio highlighted this need for local owners for every team. It's a prerequisite for an expansion team bid at this point

[@thorazine8402]

Huge respect for you and the Bohs, buddy. For anyone that’s interested, Copa90 did a great Derby Days vid on Bohemians vs Shamrock called Anarchy in Ireland: Bohemians vs Shamrock Rovers. Look it up, people.

[@gamemasteroffun]

I wish copa90 would do a docuseries in Louisville City and how much it means to louisville and Kentucky as a whole. Louisville has always been seen as a 2nd rate city. One of which nobody chooses to move to louisville but often do because their work requires them to. And as a result the only form of professional team the city has are minor league teams. Despite having the same metropolitan population (or around the same size) as cities like Kansas City, Cincinnati, Columbus, Memphis, Charlotte, Cleveland, Indianapolis. Louisville is A rugged divided town with a large crime problem and huge drug problem. It’s not often that you hear once you go west of the University of Louisville, you are considered to be in the ghetto and your risk of being affected by crime goes up exponentially. Despite the economic, racial, class divide the city has. the one thing that has brought Louisville together has been Louisville City FC. Especially after being stripped of there NCAA men’s Basketball National Championship banner in 2013.You can’t go anywhere in the city without seeing some sort of support for the team. The state can’t get a pro basketball team despite have 2 colleges with arenas that can fit well over the average size of an nba crowd. Because the university of Louisville has there grubby hands in local politics and fights it as much as possible. We can’t get a baseball team because the st.louis cardinals have fandom zones of the west state and red have a fan zone over the east. American Football isn’t an option because the University of Louisville owns the stadium and won’t let teams share it. So Louisville FC is the closest thing to Professional sports team the entire state has.

[@Pflameslinger]

I'm not crying I just got something in both my eyes.

[@TheNotoriousNemo]

This series is so good

[@mattloveohiost5]

Love my crew 💛🖤💛🖤💛

[@Nick_1790]

great stuff guys. love it.

[@matthewzepeda7745]

To believe the team survived all this and is now playing in that beautiful stadium and attracting crowds every game day

[@AKUNJIG]

And they won their 3rd MLS Cup in that Beautiful Stadium.

[@matthewzepeda7745]

@@AKUNJIG I know , they won it against my team . It is what it is .

[@scottspaine4864]

Those 2 idiots being interviewed at 13:24. Columbus wasn't given a team it was a part of the original franchising for the MLS. And buddy we ain't giving your our team!! Get your own the hard way. But watch out. The second Andrew Precourt can make a buck moving a potential Austin franchise he will leave you guys in a Texas Finstant.

[@krisdelgado4922]

Right, and fuck that whole excuse of Austin not having a team to bring them together, they let the Austin Aztex dissolve not once but TWICE, seems like they were the ones doing something wrong

[@bernielinstrom4959]

I only spoke facts. To say they weren’t you are fooling yourself.

[@scottspaine4864]

Ha! You didn't get the Crew. So lessee how Austin does now.

[@andrewkunkel468]

@@bernielinstrom4959 Theres quite a difference between gaining a team via relocating a 25 year old club/community and Columbus getting a club from thin air off the back of 10k season ticket holders before the league had even started, if you can’t understand that I don’t know what to tell you. You should be ashamed you advocated for a club being stolen from another community instead of advocating for ATX getting a club the right way (going through the expansion process and paying the fee like everyone else). It’s incomprehensible. Do y’all not understand that Precourt bought the Crew with the intention of moving it to ATX from day one, and then ruined the club over time to justify moving? That’s the guy you love? lol.

[@ayedonp9484]

@@bernielinstrom4959 bum

[@mogarba1463]

I live in Columbus and my Mom is moving to Austin. When I visit there I’ll be wearing the black old everyday🔥🔥

[@jldch26]

Went to Columbus few weeks back to watch NYCFC play over there, beautiful new stadium I must say.

[@jonathanbocanegra5809]

5 years later. The Crew has 🏆 🏆 MLS Cups; 17-19 Straight Sell Outs; Sell Out of Season Tickets; and three other trophies. . .

[@Dkmo94]

MLS seems as though they still have it out for Columbus. Its the only thing explains that horrible badge change and the random switch to white shirts

[@xboscarx]

At the end of the day MLS like every other corporation in the US only care about branding and money, it’s up to the supporters to hopefully try and check them which Columbus fans have done over and over again. I have a lot of respect for the Crew fans

[@dontmakemegothere7904]

Because their fan base is terrible.

[@TheMothdemon]

@@dontmakemegothere7904 cute attempt at a jab but our fanbase is as loud and abundant as ever 🙄

[@dontmakemegothere7904]

@@TheMothdemon still white as ever and eclipsed by Cincinnati.

[@TheMothdemon]

@@dontmakemegothere7904 hahahahaha cincy? That's an adorable joke, you think baby brother is a bigger club then the original MLS club hahahahaha 🤣🤣 I needed that laugh today thanks. As for your little racial remark I can assure you the Nordecke and crew supporters in general come from many many ethnicities and walks off life, that's like me saying "oh all I see is Mexican or Latin fans supporting LA FC" it's an untrue statement and is not at all a fair assumption. Maybe do your research before talking crap and casting a club as "white" cincy will never be the bigger club either so dream on

[@eboethrasher]

Having seen the "Columbus cut" early on, while the whole thing was happening, there was so much more fun footage that was lost, with ex players like Alejandro Moreno... Someday I would love to see a full director's cut from the master, Sean Kelly.

[@seaninterpop]

It's not lost, it's just not in this final version. I'll have to do a special edition box set with deleted scenes and all that jazz :)

[@seaninterpop]

Also thank you for the compliment!

[@myguyTrevorSabo]

*anticipation for the finally* I wonder what happens 😁

[@alltoads7330]

as someone from austi and an austin fc fan I'm happy we did not end up getting there club i never wanted to take it in the first place

[@sstar202]

It would be glorious if Austin FC suffer the same fate as Chivas USA. lol

[@oscarvillalobos775]

LMAO i cannot wait to see a Columbus vs Austin game.

[@bernielinstrom4959]

Already happened, 0-0.

[@thepositivelyfe8114]

Both trash so it works out

[@AKUNJIG]

I think he means Austin at Columbus. The Hate is Gonna be Real!

[@jeffcook2570]

@@thepositivelyfe8114 defending champs baby! Also that's a funny comment from a username like yours lol.

[@southfieldtrill9690]

@@thepositivelyfe8114 Positive my ass

[@mackemftm74]

Just seen a sign in the nordecke section saying no offensive language and couldn’t stop laughing thinking if that sign was in England with some songs we sing 🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂

[@andrewkunkel468]

Nordecke sings tons of curse words, not sure where u saw that or who made it. It’s probably being sarcastic

[@alternatehistorysports]

@@andrewkunkel468 I suspect it's more about slurs than curse words. But that said I can't imagine any fans saying racial stuff etc, MLS as a whole seems very social justicey.

[@zacharthurs2656]

@@alternatehistorysports as a crew fan it’s definitely more about slurs and stuff fans swear all they want

[@Aztec_knight27]

22:50 parenting done right

[@dc1261]

Good faith question: what other team in any sport in the USA can say they have a story like this?

[@jeremytwoface]

None that I can think of. Usually when the decision is made to move, it's a done deal. This story is special.

[@davidadkins1881]

@@jeremytwoface As a native from Atlanta, I can confirm. Our hockey team was moved to Winnipeg and no one seemed to care.

[@Thatguywithaname23]

@@jeremytwoface Sacramento held off Seattle when the kings were for supposed to move.

[@TWINKIEful]

The Cleveland Browns and The Baltimore Colts. Those teams went up and left. The city of Cleveland went to court to keep the name of the team within their city. The Baltimore Colts just packed up and left for Indianapolis in the middle of the night.

[@nathanellis622]

13:00 That’s some of the most ignorant shit I’ve seen about Columbus….

[@XLRAshon]

Wearing a Man U jersey too tells you everything you need to know

[@David-pf9xe]

@@XLRAshon they scream plastic.

[@TANOFTZ]

He even says that they are either doing something wrong, or it's the city. Well they were definitely doing something wrong.

[@bernielinstrom4959]

Just facts, I know reality is hard sometimes.

[@AKUNJIG]

Yeah the Man U Fan wants to talk about Fan Support. Piss Off.

[@kingwrister]

Well made

[@RemozGaming]

Start a club as a community, build it and take good care of it. And let investors take upto 49 percent of ownership. 51 percent rule is best for everybody

[@tartanmarvel9436]

Watching this series if you don't feel for Columbus Crew fans after this you don't love the sport and the Austin fans come across as really dislikeable

[@yetimelly523]

Precourt did give CC a great logo that they won the Championship in.

[@balham5606]

It’s good Austin have a team now in Texas Columbus crew old original logo crest badge was good i thought It’s good Columbus in Ohio have a team

[@anthonylong9067]

I feel ashamed to have the same first name as anthony precourt.

[@a.j.petrarca2268]

Same dude. So glad I go by my initials lol

[@southfieldtrill9690]

Me 2. That's my middle - first name😂

[@thorazine8402]

@@southfieldtrill9690 Too all you Anthonys here, be proud of repping the light side to counteract Precourt’s dark side. Stay strong, good Anthonys!

[@astudentthatwantstolearn]

Lol 😂 you can’t just move a club to another city, regardless if it’s popular or not

[@jeremytwoface]

The American sports system disagrees with you.

[@timothompson]

Have you heard of Al Davis?

[@astudentthatwantstolearn]

@@timothompson no I haven’t

[@astudentthatwantstolearn]

@@jeremytwoface it happened in England everyone went mental about it!

[@xcel08]

May I introduce you to the Houston Oilers.

[@galenirias]

🙌🏽🙌🏽

[@Alexworldtravels]

The Austin fans come across really bad in this

[@outright4620]

Its really suck when i hear a club in MLS is a "franchise", well i know most of MLS is from the first club i hope they can have 100 years more to come to write theirs story

[@hawkinsstern5356]

Yeah, I dont mind what they are just call it what it is. Really the only teams people call clubs in American sports are the baseball teams because only some of those of that sports era have continuity to modern times

[@chamberlainwonder369]

Which country does gucho from columbus come from?

[@Shadowgrace760]

31:50 Why don’t Austin fans just go to Dallas or Houston? Oh too far? Well imagine how Columbus fans feel.

[@richardfinlayson1524]

Why move a team ,teams are clubs,should be owned by members, wouldn't it be just as easy to start a new team in wherever, just sounds mad.

[@cactitiger]

It’s really expensive to buy an mls team

[@nathanscoggins5743]

If you’re a Crew fan you have to absolutely hate Austin FC right? Like instant rivals.

[@alternatehistorysports]

Not even a crew fan and I hate Austin. But the interesting thing is it will result in a genuine rivalrly, not a manufactured one.

[@mattloveohiost5]

I hate both cincy and austin. Difference is that I respect FC cincinnati and their fans, i have zero respect for austin and their fans

[@jeremytwoface]

Yes and no. We kept our team, they got theirs... the hate is really for Precourt and not necessarily for Austin. That being said, I do hate Austin lol, but Cinci is higher on my list of hate. And there are a lot of Crew fans who d9nr even care about Austin anymore.

[@mikelanghorst]

Do you have to be a Crew fan to partake?

[@jeremytwoface]

@@mikelanghorst nope!

[@agckirozx4902]

I fell that the austin supporters were acting like the vilians of the history, instead of just gave their opinion, they just said:"give me your team, i going to give them more support than you".

[@thepositivelyfe8114]

The comment at 19:04 😂🤣🤣😂😂

[@AdzSONLINE]

I can tell you from experience you don't want an open end to your stadium it messes with the sound of the fans cheering

[@connorsuehs1440]

San Antonio needs an mls team :/

[@galacticeagle1990]

You have a USL team support them.

[@miguelpadilla31]

@@galacticeagle1990 we do, always top 10 in attendance. The problem is MLS and Don Garber dooped the ownership into paying for a MLS bid knowing thay Austin was done deal before it went public

[@uzkhan9803]

Should have been you guys instead of Austin. Sorry man looks like a team ain’t coming to SA no more :(

[@connorsuehs1440]

@@uzkhan9803 I think so too, and it sucks because San Antonio has such a diverse football/soccer fan base and a stadium that could easily be mls standard

[@connorsuehs1440]

@@galacticeagle1990 I’m a season ticket holder there and it’s top 10 in attendance every season. No matter what sport is here, San Antonio will always back it, especially football

[@Berlin-Amerikaner]

splendid. remember to like and comment!

[@sonh788]

Those 2 Austin lemons sums up american culture ... They're happy to take another team from another state and claim it as their own because his own city can't have / start their own club . Shameless 😂

[@jemersonsousa582]

All i hope is that create a rivalry similar to arsenal Tottenham.

[@LordGexSenpai]

As much as some Austin supporters are trying to force it with bad attempts at smack talk, it won't happen. It's a really pathetic "NOTICE ME SENPAI" moment.

[@giuseppelarocca2930]

Austin is such clowns they already had the bold lmao

[@DrPepperone]

Damn that stadium plan looked much better than the one they actually built

[@Elwer2009]

uh definitely not lmao

[@DrPepperone]

@@Elwer2009 the one they built looks sealed and oppressive, like the Death Star. Maybe the design was amateurish but the idea of leaving a corner open to see the skyline was intriguing (just like with the LAFC one)

[@Elwer2009]

@@DrPepperone the new stadium has a corner open to see the skyline though...

[@TheDonDCAC]

so much cringe for those dudes in the beer garden "too little too late"

[@TheDonDCAC]

"we find it disappointing"....that our city council representative did some due diligence prior to making a major decision

[@dudekhater4760]

Lmao same haha

[@AdzSONLINE]

How can you be a fan of a team that doesn't exist and be happy to steal another city's team? The MLS has such a weird view on what football means to people

[@BIGSAUCEONLY]

Quit playing with these Midwesterners, man. This is why MLS has been successful.

[@fays_bn4321]

I am a Austin FC fan. But moving a team from a city to another wtf America !

[@fays_bn4321]

@@tykobes4132 He probably is but at the end of the day he's a buisness man. Football soccer whatever you want to call always been a comunity driven not a buisness. Save the crew is the proof. Imo those laws should be reviewed !

[@od9694]

Mls needs to bring in relegation and promotion let the teams who deserve to play play

[@anthonylong9067]

Trust me. We’ve been wanting that for a while

[@fardinmahid3881]

Millionares here would just fucking relocate if their precious teams get relegated lmao. Unless the culture around the sport changes, this will never be possible

[@henriquearaujo6127]

Everyone in the world expected MLS to follow the same rules, but nah, they kept the no relegation and promotion rules. I hope they change that and they become like the rest of the world

[@richardfinlayson1524]

Yeah that is an important part of football.

[@anthonylong9067]

@@henriquearaujo6127 we should structure the league like Liga MX. They got pro-rel and they keep playing year round.

[@mattbalshaw5937]

Austin fans have no true understanding of loyalty. Franchise fc.

[@josegaldamez5887]

Is that right Matt? Tell me, a person living in Austin, who has seen the hype building years before we ever got to see a ball kicked at Q2, and before we got to see those first goals being thrown in, and who's seen legions of die-hard fans to other teams like UT Austin, Dallas Cowboys, SA Spurs, who’ve all seen good and bad seasons and continue to attend regardless, rally behind this team and continues to show up despite having a rough start, how we know nothing about loyalty. Go ahead. I’ll wait.

[@David-pf9xe]

@@josegaldamez5887 you support an owner that tried to rip a club from it's city. A man that purposely neglected it so he could try to justify moving. Austin would've earned respect if you found someone else to bring a team to your city. Unfortunately you wanted sloppy seconds from a scumbag owner. You get zero respect.

[@mattbalshaw5937]

@@josegaldamez5887 if you knew something about football we wouldn’t be having this discussion. Loyalty comes from ones roots following their local team. I never brought up the other sports teams because I couldn’t care less. Austin tried to steal a team, it’s that simple. No loyalty to soccer and the roots.

[@GeliCarlosJ]

I will always wonder how promotion-relegation between MLS-USL-USL2 would play out so they can be like the rest of the football world but it'll probably turn into a disaster w/ tons of fans leaving relegated clubs and making the lower tier teams even harder to run & make money

[@gregthekillswitchchaffin]

Precourt can rot in hell for what he tried to do

[@treydadzie5615]

22:30 honestly just pissed me off. People in the US needs to be better taught about African countries especially Ghana. That’s where my dad is from that’s where my grandparents are from that’s where my family still lives. The economy is growing and the poverty is below 40% in rural areas and 10% in urban areas.

[@seaninterpop]

Film director here. Eddie Opoku had told Kenadi of his personal experiences growing up in Ghana, so her words are based on her real life friendship with a Ghanaian.

[@gameofjones4693]

44:41 why are they playing Italy??? 😅

[@webMonkey_]

I already dislike Austin fans for their attitude, you don’t steal another city’s team.

[@BoxOfOranges84]

Austin is the best representation of first world decadence and covert vapidness. A city that has sold off or corporatized its personality within a generation and is living off the caricature of its past. Austin in the 2020s is just a smaller San Francisco

[@jarent2652]

Why would fans from another city try to steal a club from another city? Fucking bizarre