While the Columbus Crew First Team are preparing for Leagues Cup 2025 and the final stretch of the regular season, the summer marks the end of the Crew Academy’s 2024-25 campaign.
From changes in leadership to playing in Egypt, there’s been a ton of happenings around the Academy! Here’s a quick rundown to get you up to speed:
Familiar Face Returns as Academy Director
Earlier this month, Brian Bliss was named Crew Academy Director. Bliss was on the Crew’s inaugural roster in 1996 and spent time with the Black & Gold as a player and front office executive.
Now, he’s back to lead the Academy with the goal of fast-tracking players from the Academy to the First Team – all while maintaining the team’s One Club philosophy.
U-15s Finish Spring Season Undefeated
The future is bright for the Black & Gold. The Under-15 team went undefeated (9-0-1) during the MLS NEXT spring season. This set the stage for their MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs appearance, which they qualified for with victories over Barca Residency Academy (1-0), Queen City Monarchs (3-1) and Weston FC (5-3 in a penalty shootout) at MLS NEXT Flex.
In addition to the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs, the U-15 side spent time playing internationally. Earlier this year, the boys traveled to Cairo, Egypt and played in the Zed International Tournament.
There, they finished second out of six teams and even beat Egyptian giants Al Ahly FC, 5-1, and Aston Villa FC, 4-1, of the English Premier League. While in Northern Africa, the Crew went undefeated, and Jamil Danjaji finished as the top scorer in the tournament with five goals.
Next, the U-15s played in the Mina Cup in Dubai, where they finished third out of eight teams. Goalkeeper Cedomir Stevanovic was named the top keeper of the competition.
U-16s’ Strong Season Headlined by International Call-Ups
The next age group also found plenty of success this past season.
The U-16s were unbeaten in nine of their 11 Spring 2025 matches, highlighted by six wins. The boys also advanced to the quarterfinals of this year’s Generation adidas Cup (GA Cup) in Bradenton, Florida, where they defeated LAFC, 3-0, the San Jose Earthquakes, 3-0, and Ulsan HD FC in penalties, 2-2 (5-3). The Ulsan First Team was one of the sides competing in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
The U-16s also qualified for MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs with a 3-2 win over Strikers FC, 3-1 win over Cedar Stars Academy Bergens and 5-2 win over Nashville SC.
Three players on the team were called up to play for the U.S. Youth National Team: Jamil Danjaji, Immanuel Ewing and Keller Abbott. Dacian Delgado also received a call-up with Puerto Rico.
U-18s: Call-ups to Crew 2 and National Teams
Perhaps the best compliment for this group is the number of players who earned spots in Crew 2 matchday squads. Twelve players from the U-18 team have either played or been on the bench for the Capybaras this season in MLS NEXT Pro play.
Here’s the list of players who’ve made a Crew 2 squad:
Shalom Adja, Gianmarco Di Noto, Cooper Flanary, Prince Forfor, Alex Gimple, Artem Grinblat, Apolo Marinch, Deven Patel, Dylan Randazzo, Austin Su, Isaac Tortola, Alex Zochowski
Three of these players also earned call-ups with their respective national teams. Forfor and Di Noto joined the USYNT, while Tortola received the nod with Canada.
Preformation Activities
Our preformation teams (U-11s–U-14s) also had productive seasons. In September, the U-13s were invited to participate in the FC Burnley x Dude Perfect International Youth Cup where they took on some of Europe’s top academies, including Liverpool, Juventus and Wolverhampton.
The U-14s travelled to Houston in November to compete with some of the top American and Mexican academies at Copa Rayados International, where they finished as runners-up in the silver bracket. They most recently competed in the Patterson Cup, hosted by Sporting Kansas City.
Academy Team Awards:
In addition to highlighting team success across all levels, the Academy also awarded a handful of players individual accolades for their efforts both on and off the pitch this past season.
Player of the Year: Chase Adams
Student of the Year: Zach Lloyd
Joy: Prince Forfor
Win the Day: Yuriy Rushchak
Who Dares Wins: Gianmarco Di Noto
We Not Me: Elliot Faber
These awards celebrate accomplishments both on and off the field, recognizing some of those who embody the same everyday attitudes and mindsets that the Club carries.
Academy Team Events
There were two massive evenings for the Academy earlier this month: Academy Recognition Night (June 4) and the Senior Dinner/Celebration (June 5).
Academy Recognition Night presented by Donatos was a wonderful evening at Lower.com Field, where players received accolades and were praised for their efforts from the past season. General Manager Issa Tall and Technical Director Marc Nicholls both attended to offer their congratulations and celebrate the achievements of the Academy.
Following Academy Recognition Night, the Crew Senior Dinner celebrated players who graduated from the Academy following the spring campaign.
Final Steps on the Player Pathway
17-year-old Tristan Brown became the second-youngest player in Club history to sign a Homegrown contract when he officially inked a deal with the First Team in June. Brown has been with the Club since he joined the Academy in 2022.
Brown worked his way up to Crew 2, ultimately logging over 2,000 minutes, two goals and one assist across 29 matches (24 starts). He became the second-youngest player in Crew history to debut with the First Team when he entered the March 22 match against NYCFC in the 73rd minute earlier this season.
Academy Impact around the Club
The Academy is flourishing at all levels of the Club. At Lower.com Field, former Academy players Sean Zawadzki, Taha Habroune, Stanislav Lapkes, Cole Mrowka and the aforementioned Brown all represent the Academy at the MLS level.
Current Academy players have contributed over 1,500 minutes and started 15 matches for Crew 2 this season. Crew 2, the highest level of the Academy, is also full of players that joined the Club as Academy players, including Nico Rincon, Quinton Elliot, Brent Adu-Gyamfi, Anthony Alaouieh, Owen Presthus, Giorgio De Libera, Chase Adams and Chris Rogers. Academy products have combined for 12 goals and 10 assists so far this season.
Crew Academy in the Community
Let’s be clear: the Crew Academy isn’t just about developing players. All levels of the Black & Gold are focused on providing a positive impact on the Greater Columbus community.
This past spring, Academy players attended and competed in goal ball, a more accessible version of soccer created for people with visual impairments, at the Ohio State School for the Blind. Academy students from each team took turns, blindfolded, playing goal ball against Ohio State School for the Blind students.
Additionally, the U-18 side attended the Mini-Pitch opening at North Linden Elementary School. The school is part of Columbus City Schools.
Crew School & Homestay: Beyond the Pitch
Academy players also continue to grow through Crew School, the organization’s holistic education initiative focused on developing well-rounded individuals.
Students expanded their horizons with hands-on mechanic classes, gaining practical knowledge and skills that extend beyond soccer. Additionally, players participated in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training, learning discipline, focus, and body control—traits that directly support their development as elite athletes.
Many Academy players stay with host families through the Homestay Program. The Crew Academy Homestay Program has a long history in the community of offering elite youth soccer players from around the country the opportunity to become full-time athletes while residing with local Columbus families. The Club matches them with safe, caring and healthy families in the area to ensure meaningful development both on and off the field.
Families that are interested in becoming host parents or becoming involved in the Homestay Program can click here or contact us at ccacademy@columbuscrew.com. For more information about the Columbus Crew Academy, visit columbuscrew.com/academy/.
