If there was anything at all tempering the joy in the celebratory aftermath of Columbus Crew SC's MLS Cup title, it was that the duo of Darlington Nagbe and Pedro Santos weren't there to share it with their teammates.
Both players tested positive for COVID-19 in the lead-up to match, leaving the Crew without two of their most important contributors. Nagbe had been the club's rock and tempo-setter in the midfield all season long, while Santos was one of their most productive attacking players. It was their absences on the field that led many to tab the Seattle Sounders as favorites going into the match, even as the road team.
As it turned out, their teammates played the game of their lives and topped Seattle 3-0 giving the Crew their second-ever MLS Cup title.
While many of the players and coach Caleb Porter noted they wished the duo could have been there, a few Columbus teammates did the next best thing, surprising Nagbe and Santos with the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy itself, as documented on the club's official Twitter account. Watch the video below, which features cameo appearances from Crew players and a FaceTime appearance from Porter.
