In 2019, Luis Díaz was a 20-year-old winger with unmatched speed. Díaz joined a Columbus Crew side that wasn’t supposed to exist. It was the first season after the Crew was saved and remained in Columbus, but on the field, there was a lot more needing to be rescued.
It was head coach Caleb Porter’s first season in charge of the Black & Gold and it was a campaign of transition, to put it lightly. Starting goalkeeper Zack Steffen left for English Premier League side Manchester City.
In MLS, Columbus lost a pair of starters to season-ending injuries.