Columbus Crew announce Roster Decisions

Who stays? Who goes?
Nov 3, 2024; Harrison, New Jersey, USA; The Columbus Crew starting 11 huddle prior to a match against the New York Red Bulls in a 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs Round One matchat Red Bull Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark Smith-Imagn Images
Nov 3, 2024; Harrison, New Jersey, USA; The Columbus Crew starting 11 huddle prior to a match against the New York Red Bulls in a 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs Round One matchat Red Bull Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark Smith-Imagn Images / Mark Smith-Imagn Images
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After crashing out of the first round in the 2024 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, the Columbus Crew announced their end-of-the-year roster decisions earlier this week. The Black & Gold exercised the options of six players, with 17 that were already under contract for the 2025 MLS season.

Goalkeepers Nicholas Hagen, Abraham Romeo, and Patrick Schulte; Midfielder AZ Jackson and forwards Christian Ramirez and Jacen Russell-Rowe. Evan Bush and Alex Matan are out of contract. However, the Club is in active negotiations to re-sign Bush. Columbus also declined the options of Keegan Hughes and Yaw Yeboah. Both are available for the MLS re-entry process.

Hughes, 24, featured for just one minute in one game played for the Black & Gold.

Yeboah joined the Crew in 2022 under former head coach Caleb Porter. The Ghana native made 10 starts in 19 appearances for the Club, tallying just one assist in his MLS and Columbus debut in the season opener against the Vancouver Whitecaps. In 2023, under current head coach Wilfried Nancy, Yeboah appeared in 31 games (22 starts), collecting three goals and five assists. Yeboah would score the game-winning goal in the 2-1 MLS Cup Final win over LAFC, giving Columbus their third MLS Cup in franchise history.

For Alex Matan, the Romanian midfielder leaves Columbus in a better headspace than when he joined in 2021. After recording nine starts in 28 matches during that year, Matan would soon be loaned out to Romanian side Rapid Bucuresti in 2022 after playing in six matches. Once coming back in 2023, Matan had a career year, appearing 31 times (27 starts), tallying one goal and 11 assists, and making six post-season appearances.

Matan announced his departure from Columbus via Instagram last week.

Columbus returns their core players who saw them play north of 60 games across all competitions last year including Diego Rossi, Cucho Hernandez, Darlington Nagbe, and Rudy Camacho, just to name a few.

Below is the current updated roster for Columbus as they begin their offseason preparations for the 2025 MLS campaign.

Goalkeepers (3): Patrick Schulte, Nicholas Hagen, Abraham Romero

Defenders (7): Malte Amundsen, Rudy Camacho, Yevhen Cheberko, Mohamed Farsi, Andres Herrera, DeJuan Jones, Steven Moreira

Midfielders (9): Max Arfsten, Dylan Chambost, Taha Habroune, AZ Jackson, Cole Mrowka, Marino Hinestroza, Derrick Jones, Darlington Nagbe, Sean Zawadzki

Forwards (4): Cucho Hernandez, Jacen Russell-Rowe, Christian Ramirez, Diego Rossi

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