# 2018 Columbus Crew SC season

The 2018 Columbus Crew SC season was the club's twenty-third season of existence, and their twenty-third consecutive season in Major League Soccer, the top flight of American soccer. Columbus also competed in the U.S. Open Cup, and took part in the Pacific Rim Cup and Carolina Challenge Cup during preseason. The season covered the period from November 30, 2017, to the start of the 2019 Major League Soccer season.
Columbus finished in third place in the inaugural Pacific Rim Cup during preseason. Facing a pair of Japanese opponents, Crew SC were defeated by Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo in the semifinals, but bounced back with a victory over Iwaki FC in the consolation game. Columbus then took part in the Carolina Challenge Cup, winning that title for the second consecutive season. Crew SC won all three matches in the tournament, claiming the CCC championship for the third time in club history.
Columbus additionally won each of their midseason rivalry matches, defeating Toronto FC across two games for the Trillium Cup and dispatching FC Dallas on tiebreakers to defend the Lamar Hunt Pioneer Cup. Against Toronto, Columbus was trailing in the aggregate series by a 3–2 line inside of the final 30 minutes of the season series; the Crew put in three late goals to tie the match and win the cup. The match against Dallas ended in a scoreless draw, with Columbus retaining the cup based on the head-to-head goals tiebreaker. Crew SC won the Pioneer Cup for the seventh time that it had been contested.
Columbus qualified for the playoffs for the second consecutive season, again finishing in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. Just as in 2017, Crew SC was victorious in a penalty shootout on the road in the knockout round, this time advancing past D.C. United with goalkeeper Zack Steffen making two saves. However, Columbus was eliminated in the conference semifinals by New York Red Bulls after suffering a 3–0 defeat in the second leg. In the U.S. Open Cup, Crew SC were eliminated in the fourth round by Chicago Fire, with the tie coming down to a penalty shootout. Crew SC goalkeeper Logan Ketterer had his shot saved in the eleventh round of kicks.

## Background

Overshadowing the season for Columbus was a threat by owner Anthony Precourt to move the team to Austin, Texas; Precourt had announced the proposed move in October 2017, five days before the team's final regular season game. The #SavetheCrew movement had been created in the aftermath of this proposed move.
Two days after the 2018 regular season began, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and the City of Columbus filed a lawsuit against Precourt, citing a 1996 state law that prevents sports teams that benefited from public facilities or financial assistance from relocating to another city without a six-month notice and attempting to sell the team to a local ownership group. The lawsuit worked its way through the courts throughout the 2018 season.
On October 12, 2018, with two games remaining in the regular season, the owner of the Cleveland Browns (Jimmy Haslam) released a statement stating he, along with other local groups, was in the process of buying the Crew. MLS later released a statement stating their willingness to keep the Crew in Columbus, and that Precourt would get the rights to start a team in Austin if the deal went through.

## Roster

    As of match played November 11, 2018
| No. | Name | Position(s) | Date of birth (age) | Signed in | Previous club | Apps | Goals |
| Goalkeepers |||||||||
| 12 | Ben Lundgaard | GK | (1995-09-02)September 2, 1995 (aged 23) | 2018 | Virginia Tech Hokies | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Zack Steffen | GK | (1995-04-02)April 2, 1995 (aged 23) | 2016 | SC Freiburg | 71 | 0 |
| 24 | Jon Kempin | GK | (1993-04-08)April 8, 1993 (aged 25) | 2018 | LA Galaxy | 5 | 0 |
| 30 | Logan Ketterer | GK | (1993-11-09)November 9, 1993 (aged 25) | 2017 | Bradley Braves | 1 | 0 |
| Defenders |||||||||
| 3 | Josh Williams | CB | (1988-04-18)April 18, 1988 (aged 30) | 2017 | Toronto FC | 126 | 7 |
| 4 | Jonathan Mensah | CB | (1990-07-13)July 13, 1990 (aged 28) | 2017 | Anzhi Makhachkala | 61 | 3 |
| 17 | Lalas Abubakar | CB | (1994-12-25)December 25, 1994 (aged 23) | 2017 | Dayton Flyers | 35 | 2 |
| 19 | Milton Valenzuela | LB, RB | (1998-08-13)August 13, 1998 (aged 20) | 2018 | Newell's Old Boys (loan) | 34 | 1 |
| 21 | Alex Crognale | CB | (1994-08-27)August 27, 1994 (aged 24) | 2017 | Maryland Terrapins | 24 | 1 |
| 22 | Gastón Sauro | CB | (1990-02-23)February 23, 1990 (aged 28) | 2015 | Basel | 31 | 0 |
| 25 | Harrison Afful | RB, DM | (1986-07-24)July 24, 1986 (aged 32) | 2015 | ES Tunis | 108 | 6 |
| 31 | Connor Maloney | RB | (1995-05-18)May 18, 1995 (aged 23) | 2017 | Penn State Nittany Lions | 4 | 0 |
| Midfielders |||||||||
| 2 | Ricardo Clark | DM | (1983-02-10)February 10, 1983 (aged 35) | 2018 | Houston Dynamo | 13 | 1 |
| 6 | Wil Trapp | DM | (1993-01-15)January 15, 1993 (aged 25) | 2013 | Akron Zips | 177 | 2 |
| 7 | Pedro Santos | RM, LM | (1988-04-22)April 22, 1988 (aged 30) | 2017 | Braga | 47 | 1 |
| 8 | Artur | DM | (1996-03-11)March 11, 1996 (aged 22) | 2018 | São Paulo | 63 | 1 |
| 9 | Justin Meram | LM, RM | (1988-12-04)December 4, 1988 (aged 29) | 2018 | Orlando City SC | 225 | 43 |
| 10 | Federico Higuaín | AM | (1984-10-25)October 25, 1984 (aged 34) | 2012 | Colón | 196 | 58 |
| 13 | Mike Grella | LM, RM | (1987-01-23)January 23, 1987 (aged 31) | 2018 | New York Red Bulls | 12 | 1 |
| 16 | Hector Jiménez | AM, LM, LB, RB | (1988-11-03)November 3, 1988 (aged 30) | 2014 | LA Galaxy | 116 | 1 |
| 18 | Cristian Martínez | LM, RM | (1997-02-06)February 6, 1997 (aged 21) | 2017 | Chorrillo | 31 | 3 |
| 20 | Eduardo Sosa | AM | (1996-06-20)June 20, 1996 (aged 22) | 2018 | Zamora | 11 | 1 |
| 26 | Luis Argudo | LM, RM, AM, DM | (1995-12-13)December 13, 1995 (aged 22) | 2018 | Wake Forest Demon Deacons | 21 | 0 |
| 28 | Niko Hansen | LM, RM | (1994-09-14)September 14, 1994 (aged 24) | 2017 | New Mexico Lobos | 40 | 4 |
| Forwards |||||||||
| 11 | Gyasi Zardes | ST | (1991-09-02)September 2, 1991 (aged 27) | 2018 | LA Galaxy | 36 | 20 |
| 14 | Adam Jahn | ST | (1991-01-05)January 5, 1991 (aged 27) | 2016 | San Jose Earthquakes | 46 | 7 |
| 27 | Edward Opoku | FW, RM, LM | (1996-08-01)August 1, 1996 (aged 22) | 2018 | Virginia Cavaliers | 6 | 0 |
| 32 | Patrick Mullins | ST | (1992-02-05)February 5, 1992 (aged 26) | 2018 | D.C. United | 13 | 1 |

## Non-competitive
### Preseason

On October 5, 2017, Crew SC were announced as a participant in the 2018 Carolina Challenge Cup, the fifth time that the club was to participate in the tournament. Columbus entered the event as defending champions. On November 13, 2017, the club announced that they would also take part in the inaugural Pacific Rim Cup during preseason. Crew SC were joined by Vancouver Whitecaps FC from MLS, as well as Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo and Iwaki FC from Japan. Columbus was drawn against Consadole Sapporo, with the winner advancing to the championship match and the loser going to the third place match.

### Midseason
## Competitive
### MLS
#### Standings
##### Eastern Conference

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 3 | New York City FC | 34 | 16 | 10 | 8 | 59 | 45 | +14 | 56 | MLS Cup Knockout Round |
| 4 | D.C. United | 34 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 60 | 50 | +10 | 51 | MLS Cup Knockout Round |
| 5 | Columbus Crew | 34 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 43 | 45 | −2 | 51 | MLS Cup Knockout Round |
| 6 | Philadelphia Union | 34 | 15 | 14 | 5 | 49 | 50 | −1 | 50 | MLS Cup Knockout Round |
| 7 | Montreal Impact | 34 | 14 | 16 | 4 | 47 | 53 | −6 | 46 | |

##### Overall table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 8 | Portland Timbers | 34 | 15 | 10 | 9 | 54 | 48 | +6 | 54 |
| 9 | D.C. United | 34 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 60 | 50 | +10 | 51 |
| 10 | Columbus Crew | 34 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 43 | 45 | −2 | 51 |
| 11 | Philadelphia Union | 34 | 15 | 14 | 5 | 49 | 50 | −1 | 50 |
| 12 | Real Salt Lake | 34 | 14 | 13 | 7 | 55 | 58 | −3 | 49 |

##### Aggregate table

As Toronto FC won MLS Cup 2017, one of the U.S. berths for the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League had to be reallocated, to the U.S. non-champions with the best aggregate record over the 2017 and 2018 MLS regular seasons. As the top ranked team in the table, Atlanta United FC, also qualified for the Champions League by winning MLS Cup 2018, the Champions League spot via the aggregate table was instead awarded to the second-placed team, the New York Red Bulls.
Note: Only U.S. teams are listed in this table.
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 5 | Sporting Kansas City | 68 | 30 | 17 | 21 | 105 | 69 | +36 | 111 | 2019 CONCACAF Champions League |
| 6 | Portland Timbers | 68 | 30 | 21 | 17 | 114 | 98 | +16 | 107 | |
| 7 | Columbus Crew | 68 | 30 | 23 | 15 | 96 | 94 | +2 | 105 | |
| 8 | FC Dallas | 68 | 27 | 19 | 22 | 100 | 92 | +8 | 103 | |
| 9 | Real Salt Lake | 68 | 27 | 28 | 13 | 104 | 113 | −9 | 94 | |
* ↑ As 2017 U.S. Open Cup champions (USA2)

#### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
| Pld | Pts | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD |
| 34 | 51 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 43 | 45 | −2 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 32 | 21 | +11 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 11 | 24 | −13 |
Source: MLS standings Pld = Matches played; Pts = Points; W = Matches won; T = Matches tied; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference

#### Results by round

| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 |
| Stadium | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | A | H |
| Result | W | W | D | W | L | L | L | D | W | D | W | W | W | D | D | D | L | L | W | L | L | W | W | W | L | D | W | D | L | W | D | L | L | W |

#### Match results

On December 19, 2017, the league announced the home openers for every club. Just like in 2016, Columbus opened the season on the road against the defending MLS Cup champions, playing at Toronto FC in the first match of the MLS season. Columbus then opened the season at home on March 10, facing Montreal Impact.
The schedule for the remainder of the 2018 season was released on January 4, 2018. Crew SC played three times against Chicago Fire and Philadelphia Union, twice against every other Eastern Conference club, and once against every Western Conference club.

### U.S. Open Cup
## Statistics
### Appearances and goals

Federico Higuaín entered the season sitting fifth in club history for most goals, needing three to pass Edson Buddle for fourth all-time. He tallied a penalty kick against Chicago on May 12, cracking the tie with Buddle. Higuaín had also begun the year having appeared 163 times for Crew SC, needing seven appearances to crack the top ten in club history. He started each of the first ten games, leaping Frankie Hejduk for ninth place. By the end of the season, Higuaín moved up the charts in all three categories: eighth all-time in appearances, with 196; third all-time in goals, with 58; and second all-time in assists, with 64.
Upon his return to the club midway through the season, Justin Meram had the chance to add to his previous totals with the club; he sat fifth in appearances, sixth in goals, and tied for seventh in assists. He needed to play 28 times, score ten goals, or tally six assists in order to move up the charts. At the end of the year, Meram still sat fifth in appearances (with 225) and sixth in goals (with 43), but had taken sole possession of seventh in assists (with 36).
Wil Trapp began the season having appeared 144 times in all competitions for Crew SC, needing to play in 27 games to crack the all-time top ten. Although he missed several games while on international duty, Trapp appeared for the 27th time on the season in a draw with Philadelphia on September 29. He initially jumped into the table in a tie for tenth place with Hejduk. By the end of the season, Trapp had appeared in 177 games for the club, enough for sole possession of tenth.
| No. | Pos. | Name | MLS | MLS | MLS Playoffs | MLS Playoffs | U.S. Open Cup | U.S. Open Cup | Total | Total |
| No. | Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| 2 | MF | Ricardo Clark | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 |
| 3 | DF | Josh Williams | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | Jonathan Mensah | 27 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 1 |
| 6 | MF | Wil Trapp | 30 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 1 |
| 7 | MF | Pedro Santos | 30 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 1 |
| 8 | MF | Artur | 32 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 0 |
| 9 | MF | Justin Meram | 9 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| 10 | MF | Federico Higuaín | 30 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 8 |
| 11 | FW | Gyasi Zardes | 33 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 20 |
| 12 | GK | Ben Lundgaard | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | MF | Mike Grella | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| 14 | FW | Adam Jahn | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 1 |
| 16 | MF | Hector Jiménez | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| 17 | DF | Lalas Abubakar | 23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 1 |
| 18 | MF | Cristian Martínez | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 1 |
| 19 | DF | Milton Valenzuela | 30 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 1 |
| 20 | MF | Eduardo Sosa | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 1 |
| 21 | DF | Alex Crognale | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| 22 | DF | Gastón Sauro | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| 23 | GK | Zack Steffen | 29 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| 24 | GK | Jon Kempin | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 25 | DF | Harrison Afful | 32 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 2 |
| 26 | MF | Luis Argudo | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| 27 | FW | Edward Opoku | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 28 | MF | Niko Hansen | 22 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 3 |
| 30 | GK | Logan Ketterer | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 31 | DF | Connor Maloney | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 32 | FW | Patrick Mullins | 10 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 |
| Players who left the club during the season: |||||||||||
| 5 | MF | Mohammed Abu | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
Source: Columbus stats

### Disciplinary record

| No. | Pos. | Name | MLS | MLS | MLS Playoffs | MLS Playoffs | U.S. Open Cup | U.S. Open Cup | Total | Total |
| 2 | MF | Ricardo Clark | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | Josh Williams | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | Jonathan Mensah | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 6 | MF | Wil Trapp | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | Pedro Santos | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| 8 | MF | Artur | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 10 | MF | Federico Higuaín | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| 11 | FW | Gyasi Zardes | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 13 | MF | Mike Grella | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 17 | DF | Lalas Abubakar | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 18 | MF | Cristian Martínez | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 19 | DF | Milton Valenzuela | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 20 | MF | Eduardo Sosa | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 21 | DF | Alex Crognale | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 22 | DF | Gastón Sauro | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 23 | GK | Zack Steffen | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 25 | DF | Harrison Afful | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 28 | MF | Niko Hansen | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 31 | DF | Connor Maloney | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Players who left the club during the season: |||||||||||
| 5 | MF | Mohammed Abu | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Source: Columbus stats

### Clean sheets

Zack Steffen entered the season with the seventh-most clean sheets in club history. He needed to keep two on the season in order to pass Brad Friedel for sixth all-time, which he did just three games into the campaign. Three saves in a scoreless draw with Philadelphia on March 17 moved Steffen up on the all-time chart. He promptly passed Mark Dougherty for fifth place, thanks to a 1–0 victory over the Union on May 9. Steffen finished the season with 22 career shutouts for Crew SC, good for fifth place in club history.
| No. | Name | MLS | MLS Playoffs | U.S. Open Cup | Total | Games Played |
| No. | Name | 12 | Ben Lundgaard | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Zack Steffen | 10 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 32 |
| 24 | Jon Kempin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 30 | Logan Ketterer | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Source: Columbus stats

## Transfers
### In

| Pos. | Player | Transferred from | Fee/notes | Date |
| MF | Artur | São Paulo | Completed permanent transfer. | December 6, 2017 |
| GK | Jon Kempin | LA Galaxy | LA receives a Fourth Round pick in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft. | December 13, 2017 |
| MF | Mike Grella | Colorado Rapids | Colorado receives a Second Round pick in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft. | December 15, 2017 |
| MF | Eduardo Sosa | Zamora | Acquired as a Discovery Signing. | January 9, 2018 |
| FW | Edward Opoku | Virginia Cavaliers | Selected in the second round of the 2018 MLS SuperDraft. Signed as a Generation Adidas player. | January 19, 2018 |
| FW | Gyasi Zardes | LA Galaxy | LA receives FW Ola Kamara. | January 20, 2018 |
| MF | Ricardo Clark | Houston Dynamo | Signed as a free agent. | February 2, 2018 |
| MF | Luis Argudo | Wake Forest Demon Deacons | Selected in the third round of the 2018 MLS SuperDraft. | March 1, 2018 |
| GK | Ben Lundgaard | Virginia Tech Hokies | Selected in the first round of the 2018 MLS SuperDraft. | March 1, 2018 |
| FW | Patrick Mullins | D.C. United | D.C. receives $150,000 in targeted allocation money. | July 11, 2018 |
| MF | Justin Meram | Orlando City SC | Orlando receives $750,000 in targeted allocation money, a 2019 international roster slot. | August 3, 2018 |

#### SuperDraft

The following players were selected by Columbus in the MLS SuperDraft, but did not sign a contract with the club.
| Pos. | Player | College | Notes | Date | Source |
| MF | Jake Rozhansky | Maryland Terrapins | Selected in the second round of the 2018 MLS SuperDraft. Signed with Maccabi Netanya on January 11, 2018. | January 19, 2018 | |

### Loan in

| Pos. | Player | Parent club | Length/Notes | Beginning | End | Source |
| DF | Milton Valenzuela | Newell's Old Boys | Duration of the 2018 MLS season, with an option to purchase at the end of the season. Signed as a Young Designated Player. | January 26, 2018 | November 26, 2018 | |

### Out

| Pos. | Player | Transferred to | Fee/notes | Date |
| MF | Marshall Hollingsworth | | Option declined. Retired. | December 1, 2017 |
| FW | Kekuta Manneh | Pachuca | Contract expired. Signed for Pachuca on December 26, 2017. | December 1, 2017 |
| MF | Abuchi Obinwa | Inter Orlando | Option declined. Signed for Inter for the 2018 Spring UPSL season. | December 1, 2017 |
| MF | Rodrigo Saravia | Swope Park Rangers | Option declined. Signed for Swope Park on January 8, 2018. | December 1, 2017 |
| MF | Ben Swanson | | Option declined. | December 1, 2017 |
| DF | Jukka Raitala | Los Angeles FC | Selected by LAFC in the 2017 MLS Expansion Draft. | December 12, 2017 |
| GK | Brad Stuver | New York City FC | Option declined. Traded to NYCFC in exchange for a Fourth Round pick in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft. | December 14, 2017 |
| DF | Waylon Francis | Seattle Sounders FC | Option declined. Traded to Seattle in exchange for $50,000 in general allocation money. | December 14, 2017 |
| FW | Ola Kamara | LA Galaxy | Columbus receives FW Gyasi Zardes, $400,000 in targeted allocation money, future considerations. | January 20, 2018 |
| MF | Justin Meram | Orlando City SC | Columbus receives $1,050,000 in allocation money, a 2019 international roster slot. | January 29, 2018 |
| MF | Mohammed Abu | Vålerenga | Columbus receives an undisclosed transfer fee. | October 4, 2018 |

### Loan out

| Pos. | Player | Loanee club | Length/Notes | Beginning | End |
| GK | Ben Lundgaard | Indy Eleven | Duration of the 2018 USL season. | March 7, 2018 | October 21, 2018 |
| DF | Alex Crognale | Orange County SC | On a match-by-match basis. | March 15, 2018 | May 5, 2018 |
| DF | Alex Crognale | Orange County SC | On a match-by-match basis. | May 22, 2018 | June 2, 2018 |
| DF | Alex Crognale | Orange County SC | On a match-by-match basis. | June 18, 2018 | November 4, 2018 |
| FW | Edward Opoku | Saint Louis FC | On a match-by-match basis. | April 27, 2018 | May 18, 2018 |
| DF | Connor Maloney | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | On a match-by-match basis. | May 25, 2018 | June 30, 2018 |
| FW | Adam Jahn | OKC Energy | On a match-by-match basis. | July 24, 2018 | October 14, 2018 |
| MF | Mohammed Abu | Vålerenga | Duration of the 2018 Eliteserien. | August 10, 2018 | October 4, 2018 |

## Awards
### MLS Team of the Week

| Week | Starters | Bench | Opponent(s) |
| 1 | Lalas Abubakar Federico Higuaín Milton Valenzuela | | Toronto FC |
| 2 | | Gyasi Zardes | Montreal Impact |
| 4 | Gregg Berhalter (coach) Federico Higuaín Cristian Martínez Milton Valenzuela | Pedro Santos | D.C. United |
| 9 | | Mike Grella | San Jose Earthquakes |
| 10 | Lalas Abubakar | Milton Valenzuela | Seattle Sounders FC |
| 11 | Gregg Berhalter (coach) Gyasi Zardes | Zack Steffen | Philadelphia Union Chicago Fire |
| 12 | Jonathan Mensah | | New England Revolution |
| 13 | Artur Josh Williams | | Sporting Kansas City |
| 14 | Federico Higuaín | | Toronto FC |
| 15 | Harrison Afful | | New York Red Bulls |
| 18 | Eduardo Sosa | | Real Salt Lake |
| 21 | Wil Trapp | | Orlando City SC |
| 22 | Harrison Afful | Patrick Mullins | New York Red Bulls |
| 24 | Gyasi Zardes | Federico Higuaín Milton Valenzuela | Houston Dynamo |
| 27 | Harrison Afful | Justin Meram | New York City FC |
| 29 | Jonathan Mensah | | FC Dallas |
| 30 | Federico Higuaín | Niko Hansen | Portland Timbers Colorado Rapids |
| 35 | Gyasi Zardes | | Minnesota United FC |

## Kits

| Home | Away |
| Type | Shirt | Shorts | Socks | First appearance / Record |
| Home | Gold | Gold | Gold | Match 1 vs. Toronto / 9–6–7 |
| Away | Black | Black | Black | Match 2 vs. Montreal / 6–6–3 |
| Specialty | White | White | White | Match 8 vs. New England / 0–0–1 |