What happened: The Columbus Crew climbed the standings on Sunday to secure an automatic place in Round One. The final whistle against Chicago confirmed the leap over the play-in threshold.

Why it matters: Advancing directly spares Columbus the risk of an elimination match before the conference bracket begins. The outcome provides the squad uninterrupted preparation time ahead of postseason action.

What to watch: The Crew await their confirmed Round One opponent once conference matchups are finalized.