Lucas Zelarayan's sudden exit leaves Columbus Crew fans feeling 'bittersweet'
It was one of the most memorable evenings at Lower.com Field and also one of the Crew's most bittersweet.
Not long before tailgating started for the Crew's exciting 4-1 victory over Club América to win the Central 1 group of the Leagues Cup tournament, news broke that midfielder Lucas Zelarayan was headed to Saudi Arabia's Al Fateh club for an undisclosed transfer fee.
Poof.
Just like that, the Crew’s “El Mago” disappeared with a move that arrived on phone screens a few hours before a highly anticipated match. Zelarayan, who pumped excitement for soccer back into Columbus for three-plus seasons and led the Crew to 2020 MLS Cup and Campeones Cup championships, said a quick goodbye to fans during a pre-match, on-field interview.
More: Watch as Lucas Zelarayan says goodbye to Columbus Crew fans
Prior to the match, during a lively tailgate featuring pinatas and Mexican music, Crew supporters came to grips with their star’s sudden departure. Many wore Zelarayan jerseys as they did, including Hilliard’s Jeff Cowles, who owns three Zelarayan jerseys and has rooted for the Crew since the club's 1996 inception.
“I saw Lucas do stuff that I can’t really put into words, so it’s kind of hard to imagine him leaving,” Cowles said. “It’s business at the end of the day. Nobody likes business, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. You’ve got a league over there that’s overpaying for every player and if they’re willing to pay $700 million for (French star Killian Mbappe), then they’re going to give us money for Lucas Zelarayan. As long as they replace him, and it looks like they might, then it is what it is.”
That was the main sentiment among supporters, whose pre-match conversations were dominated by Zelarayan's departure. There was a touch of anger, but sentiments mainly were comprised of sadness about losing a beloved player and thankfulness for the memories Zelarayan created.
Eric Harding, of Columbus, felt a bit of all three emotions.
“It’s a bittersweet day,” Harding said. “He did so much for the Crew, but it definitely hurts losing him. Now we’ve got to find somebody to do what he does, and I can’t think of who that might be on the team right now.”
As it turned out in the victory, it wasn’t just one replacement player. It was a full team effort that forged an impressive victory over Club América, whose whose fans are legion wherever they play. That was no different in Columbus, where Crew supporters went drum-for-drum and cheer-for-cheer with their Club América guests while the players matched wits.
"No one person can pick up the slack of what Lucas brings," Crew forward Christian Ramirez said. "It has to be a collective effort and you saw that tonight."
Zelarayan saw it from a private box and got quite a send off from his now former teammates. Close friends, Cucho Hernandez (two goals) and Ramirez (one goal) led the way during an impressive second-half surge.
“It was an emotional day, but I think what I’ll take (from) how the game went and the end result is we sent Lucas out on a high, on a great note,” Ramirez said. “I’m proud that we won this game and gave him that farewell that he so truly deserves, because he’ll go down as one of the best players to play for the Columbus Crew, if not the best. I’m proud to call him a friend and a teammate.”
Crew supporters felt the same pride for what Zelarayan accomplished in Columbus, including the championships, two MLS All-Star appearances and many breathtaking plays. His magical vision and deft footwork will be missed along with his leadership and friendly demeanor.
“Who’s going to bring the energy and keep the team up?” said Tracey Larick, of Gahanna. “That’s a lot of personality that just left.”
More: Watch Crew coach Wilfried Nancy talk Lucas Zelarayan, win against Club America
Larick and daughter, Madelin, are Crew season-ticket holders who almost always attend matches together. They've enjoyed watching Zelarayan pump life back into the club upon his arrival in 2019 and meld into the local area like it was his hometown.
“He was out and about," Larick said. "You might see him at the grocery store, and he’d stop to take pictures with you. It’d be like, ‘Oh my god, I just saw him at the store.’ Who else do you see at the store? Like, nobody. He’ll definitely be missed, but you’ve got to go where you’ve got to go. Go get some years in ( Saudi Arabia), make a lot of money and then come back ... just don’t come back and play for Cincinnati.”
Speaking of which, the Crew’s first MLS match following the Leagues Cup is Aug. 20 at Lower.com Field against FC Cincinnati, an in-state rival running away with the lead spot in the Eastern Conference. The Crew will now be without Zelarayan and head coach Wilfried Nancy, who’ll finish his two-game suspension for an on-field tirade last month against New York City FC.
Hell is real.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew fans 'bittersweet' about Lucas Zelarayan transfer
