‘Dos a Cero’ Strikes Again: Why the USMNT Loves Playing in Columbus, Ohio
More than 20,000 fans in Columbus, Ohio on Sept. 9 motivated the USMNT to achieve the 2-0 win over Japan
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The U.S. Men’s National Team loves playing in Columbus, Ohio. And for good reason.
The team has achieved remarkable success there, winning 11 times in 15 games in program history. The latest, a resounding 2-0 win over World Cup-bound Japan, gave Columbus the highest win rate out of any American city the USMNT has played 12 or more matches in, edging out a tie with fellow soccer city St. Louis.
Columbus has hosted some of iconic games in that time, including two wins in World Cup Qualifying that were crucial to the United States securing qualification to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Columbus also produced the famous “Dos a Cero” chant that defined four consecutive qualifying victories over Mexico from 2001-2013.
Most recently, the United States created another 2-0 scoreline in its latest trip to Ohio’s capital. Though, this edition of a “Dos a Cero” win came not over rival Mexico but against another quality opponent. Japan, No. 17 in FIFA’s international rankings, was the first team to qualify for the World Cup outside of the host nations, and prior to Tuesday’s result owned the all-time series against the United States.
The crowd in attendance for USA-Japan on Sept. 9 was electric. More than 20,000 fans packed Lower.com Field, the soccer-specific venue that is home to Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer. The exciting atmosphere garnered gratitude from the night’s two goal scorers: Man of the Match Alex Zendejas and striker Folarin Balogun.
“Shoutout to the fans,” Zendejas said. “Thank you guys for all the love. Appreciate it.”
“The atmosphere was good,” said Balogun. “We felt the support from the home crowd. The boys were really happy about that, and it motivated us to get the win.”
In his first visit to Columbus as USMNT head coach, Mauricio Pochettino was also gracious – and impressed. Prior to the match, his team trained at OhioHealth Performance Center, the Crew’s immaculate facility located at the foot of Historic Crew Stadium. Pochettino credited the MLS club and the city throughout his time there, after training and in his post-match press conference.
“I also want to say thank you to the fans from Columbus because they were fantastic,” he said. “That is a joy to come and play here. I’m looking forward to coming here again one day.”
For Christian Pulisic, the city serves as a special reminder of the historic start of his nine years with the U.S. National Team. In March 2016, Pulisic made his National Team debut in Columbus in a 4-0 win over Guatemala. On that day, he became the youngest National Team player to appear in a World Cup Qualifying match.
The forward made the most of his return to the city, capping a dynamic and quality performance with an assist against Japan.
“Ohio in general has always been a pretty special place for me and for the team,” Pulisic said. “I made my debut in the city with the national team. The support here has always been incredible. Having that pro-U.S. crowd and them really cheering us on, it helps us so much. I can't explain how much it means.”
Christian Pulisic of the United States signs autographs after playing Japan at Lower.com Field (Photo by John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)
Pulisic was the second contributor of the night with personal ties to Columbus. Max Arfsten, the Columbus Crew midfielder who’s played for the club since its championship season in 2023, also recorded an assist. In addition to a sharp performance, Arfsten received warm praise from the home crowd. They welcomed him affectionately when his name and picture appeared on the video board in the starting XI and the excitement grew whenever he touched the ball.
As a youth player, midfielder Sebastian Berhalter progressed through the Columbus Crew academy, recording 103 appearances and 97 starts from 2014-2019. Defender Chris Richards has family from the area.
For them, too, Columbus remains a fond place with a heart that beats for American soccer.
“I feel like we always have a ‘Dos a Cero' moment here in Columbus,” Richards said. “It was good to get a win. Good for our confidence but also good for our progression. It was a good camp overall. Anytime you can end the camp on a win, it's always nice.”