COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Soccer season is back in Columbus as the Crew begins its 30th season Saturday against the Chicago Fire.

This new campaign for the Black & Gold comes after the team won the Leagues Cup and made the final of the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The agenda is similar for coach Wilfried Nancy’s team as it returns to both competitions and looks to make an MLS Cup run after being knocked out early in 2024 as defending champion.

The Crew will do so with many familiar faces but without a club legend. Here is everything to know about the 2025 season.

Life without Cucho

Columbus will play without the second-best player in MLS last season. Striker Cucho Hernandez is now in Spain’s La Liga with Real Betis after two and a half incredible seasons in black and gold. Another playoff hero — Christian Ramirez — also departed, heading to the defending MLS champion the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Those were the major departures from a roster that still is among the league’s best. Goalkeeper Patrick Schulte, fresh off signing a contract extension, should be among MLS’ best in net again. The defense will once again be anchored by Steven Moreira, the reigning defender of the year in the league.

Darlington Nagbe and Sean Zawadzki will lead the midfield, and Diego Rossi will be looked upon as the new main talisman after Cucho’s departure. Among the new signings to watch is Finnish midfielder Lassi Lappalainen, who played for Nancy in Montreal. He adds to the growing list of Crew players with positional versatility in Nancy’s attacking style of soccer.

WATCH: Crew general manager Issa Tall on roster

Days before the Columbus Crew begins its 2025 campaign, NBC4 sports anchor Whitney Harding caught up with General Manager Issa Tall to find out if the club is looking to add more players and when, plus what went down with Hernandez and Ramirez each moving on from the team.

CONCACAF, Leagues Cup back on the agenda

While returning to a third successive MLS Cup Playoffs is the priority in Columbus, the Crew will also run it back in two major cup competitions.

After a runner-up finish last year, the Crew is back in the CONCACAF Champions Cup and already earned an automatic bye into the round of 16. The road to another final could be grueling with Los Angeles FC, Inter Miami and Monterrey potentially standing in the way of making back-to-back finals.

Last year’s Leagues Cup triumph over LAFC at Lower.com Field was the end of an era in the newly expanded tournament. A new format this year will see the Crew play three Mexican teams in the opening round to try and make the knockouts, which will only consist of eight teams.

After playing 49 games last season, the Crew could play that many and more if it makes deep runs in each of these competitions again.

Where Crew sits among MLS Cup favorites

Oddsmakers have the Crew as a top-five favorite to hoist MLS Cup in 2025. Despite the departure of Cucho Hernandez, Columbus’ experienced and talented roster bodes well for a deep playoff run. And those odds could increase if the team signs another world class striker.

“We want to have somebody soon and we want to have somebody who is the right fit,” said general manager Issa Tall. “They need to make sense to our roster. They need to make sense to our coach. Hopefully we will get some signings very soon.”

Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are favorites after winning the Supporters’ Shield but crashing out in the first round of the playoffs. Both Los Angeles clubs will be contenders again with the defending champion Galaxy without star midfielder Riqui Puig for much of the season.

FC Cincinnati will be competitive again as former Portland Timbers attacker Brenner replaces ex-MLS MVP Luciano Acosta, who went to FC Dallas. Another team to watch is the Seattle Sounders, who added Dallas and USMNT tandem Jesus Ferreira and Paul Arriola this offseason.