The Columbus Crew is not supposed to be here right now. Cup, against the Seattle Sounders on Saturday night — though for some fans that feels unlikely enough. Their path to Saturday’s final begins in October 2017, when Crew fans received the nauseating news that the owner of their beloved team — an M.L.S. It was a devastating revelation, precisely because Crew fans knew how these things often go: rich owners, omnipotent leagues — in American sports, they tend to get their way. Keeping their team in Columbus, in defiance of the wishes of wealthy and powerful forces, felt like a long shot.

Source: New York Times December 11, 2020 20:15 UTC