WAYNESVILLE, Ohio — As the Columbus Crew seek their third MLS Cup, fans from across Ohio are gearing up for the game on Saturday.

But perhaps one of the club’s biggest fans is looking forward to watching the big game with his young son. You can say the boy was born ready to cheer on the Crew. 

What You Need To Know

• Crew Boesenberg is 8 and was named after the Columbus Crew


• His parents are big Crew fans and liked the name so it seemed like the perfect fit


• Crew is a budding soccer star and loves watching his namesake on the field


• Crew and his dad plan to watch the MLS Cup match together 

In the basement of the Boesenberg household, chances are you’ll see some soccer being played. And usually, that’s between Ryan and his oldest son.

The family is pretty big soccer fans — so much so that they named their eldest, Crew, after the Columbus Crew.

Crew has attended Crew games since a young age. (Photo courtesy of Ryan Boesnberg)

“It started off with it’s a good name," Ryan said. "And where it came from was a little more of a point of contention because it was like why would he be named after a soccer team? But again it goes back to it’s a good name, it’s a strong name — she likes the short strong names, so it all played well. Plus the Crew were the Crew.”

Now, Crew is 8 years old and a Crew fan himself.

Crew is hoping the Crew adds another star to the jersey. (Spectrum News 1/Katie Kapusta)

“Because it’s named after me, and I like the colors," Crew said about why he liked the team. “No, no, no! I’m named after them!” he said later correcting himself. 

The budding soccer star takes after his namesake, keeping that ball at his feet at all times.

“I like how you get to pick your position," Crew said. "I like winning trophies and medals.”

And he has someone to look up to. His dad played college ball and is helping him learn the ropes.

Crew and his dad kick the soccer ball in the basement. (Spectrum News 1/Katie Kapusta)

“I promised my wife I wouldn’t push," Ryan said. "I have not pushed it, it’s kind of happened organically.”

“Mostly about being aggressive and stuff, positions, work hard," Crew said of what his dad has taught him about the game.

Ryan and Crew are ready to cheer on the Columbus Crew in the MLS Cup. (Spectrum News 1/Katie Kapusta)

Now that the Crew is back in the MLS Cup and Crew is old enough to understand the game, it’s certainly a special time for this father and son.

“Perhaps one of the most exciting championships because of that," Ryan said. "We’re clear of the first one, we’re clear of the Save the Crew pandemic we’ll call it. We got to move on and enjoy what they’ve built.”