Columbus Crew dethrones Seattle Sounders to win second MLS Cup.

Columbus Crew SC wins the club’s second MLS Cup title after defeating defending champion Seattle Sounders FC 3-0 Saturday night at Mapfre Stadium. 

The Crew became the seventh team in league history to win multiple MLS Cups after their title in 2008. 

Two goals and an assist from midfielder and former Tigres UANL player Lucas Zelarayan helped Columbus lift the MLS Cup in its final game at Mapfre Stadium.

The Crew opened the scoring in the 25th minute when club-record signing Zelarayan volleyed a cross from defender Harrison Afful and beat Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei. 

Zelarayan then set up the second goal in the 31st minute as midfielder Derrick Etienne curled the ball past Frei to double Columbus’ lead. 

Even though the scoreboard said otherwise, the game was end-to-end. Seattle finished with 65% of the possession and had opportunities to score throughout the match. 

Whether it was forward Jordan Morris misfiring on a counterattack, midfielder Cristian Roldan heading a corner just over the bar, or midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro just plain missing the target in the box, Seattle didn’t take its chances. 

The tempo of the game picked up after Seattle made some substitutions in the second half, but it ultimately proved futile. 

A Morris header in the 80th minute nearly put the Sounders back in the game, but goalkeeper Eloy Room’s last-ditch save preserved the two-goal lead for the Crew. 

A quick Columbus counterattack later, Zelarayan blasted the ball into the top left corner as he scored his second goal of the night in the 82nd minute to put the game out of reach for Seattle. 

With the win, head coach Caleb Porter becomes the third coach in MLS history to have won titles with more than one club as he lifted the MLS Cup with Portland in 2015.