The Columbus Crew are an American soccer team that plays in Major League Soccer in Columbus , Ohio . They started play in 1996 , and have played in their own stadium , Columbus Crew Stadium , since 1999 . On May 15 , 1999 the Crew opened Columbus Crew Stadium , the first stadium built specifically for soccer in Major League Soccer , as the Crew beat the New England Revolution 2-0 before a sold-out crowd of 24,741 .