Saturday afternoon was a celebration at MAPFRE Stadium. Columbus Crew SC was saved and remaining in its rightful city for years to come. Fans gathered in large numbers to see the Black & Gold open the 2019 season against the New York Red Bulls. The energy in the stadium was palpable.
The game on the field? That left something to be desired. Columbus drew 1-1 with a Red Bulls side that was in nearly full rotation after concluding a two-leg series in the CONCACAF Champions League earlier in the week. While the use of mostly a second team didn’t surprise the Crew, it certainly didn’t make a draw at home to open the year any easier to swallow.