Cucho will be missed, but Crew's future still bright
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Cucho Hernández brought Crew fans some incredible moments during his time in Columbus. Photo: Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
There's no way around it, Crew fans: Losing Cucho Hernández is a huge bummer.
Why it matters: Cucho was the best player ever to wear a Crew jersey.
- It's OK to be sad. It's OK to feel less excited about the 2025 season.
Yes, but: It's not necessarily the sign of an organizational failure.
Reality check: Losing your best player is the price of competing in a global sport.
- If your club isn't Real Madrid, Barcelona or Manchester City, this will happen to you.
- Even Liverpool — while leading the Premier League — is struggling to hold on to its best players.
The big picture: The Crew has arrived on that global scene. Players are coming to Columbus from England, France and Turkey.
- A quick way to ruin progress? Holding players hostage.
- Instead, this builds the Crew's international reputation as a career launching point, attracting the next Cucho.
The alternative: Sign older players who will never provide a return on investment, or sign worse players that foreign teams don't want.
💭 My thought bubble: I'll pass on those options. It's better to have loved and lost Cucho than never to have loved him at all.
What's next: With Real Betis, Cucho will play the Seville Derby in February, host Real Madrid in March and visit Camp Nou to play Barcelona in April.
- It's a massive jump for his career — Crew fans should understand that.
Fun fact: The last two times the Crew said goodbye to a star player, Columbus won the MLS Cup within a year.
- Consider judging the front office at the end of 2025, not now.