Thursday marked the 15th anniversary of the opening of Columbus Crew Stadium, a groundbreaking venue and one that has continued to serve American soccer well since its inception in 1999. We think America’s first professional soccer-specific stadium is worthy of a tribute, so here’s a chronological run-through of the stadium’s most significant games.

May 15, 1999

Columbus Crew Stadium opened with a victory, as the home Crew beat the New England Revolution 2-0 in front of a sell-out crowd of 22,555. The atmosphere on opening day (and throughout the stadium’s history) is often credited as a huge factor in the rise of soccer-specific stadiums throughout the country. In just 15 years, MLS has gone from zero professional soccer-only stadiums to the current count of 13, with plenty more to come in the near future. It’s impossible to ignore the success of Columbus Crew Stadium as a catalyst for this incredible growth.

February 28, 2001

Columbus’s passionate fan base quickly drew the eye of the U.S. Soccer Federation, and the stadium duly drew the marquee qualifying match in the 2001 Hexagonal: U.S. vs. Mexico. In a game that has come to be known as La Guerra Fría due to the freezing temperatures and intense play, the Yanks stormed to a 2-0 win behind goals from Josh Wolff and Earnie Stewart. American players were blown away by the incredible home support. “I can’t say enough about the people who supported us here in Columbus,” said left back Jeff Agoos. “Everything here was a home-field advantage. Every person on the field and on the bench felt it.” “I think the crowd helped us more than the weather did,” added Brad Friedel. “That was a factor in the game. It would be great to play here a lot in the future.” Little did Friedel know how thoroughly his wish would be granted.

September 28, 2003

The U.S. women’s national team got a taste of the Columbus home crowd advantage in its final group game of the 2003 Women’s World Cup. A penalty from Abby Wambach and a brace from Cat Reddick led the Americans to an easy 3-0 victory.

November 17, 2004

In an otherwise forgettable 1-1 draw against Jamaica in the third round of qualifying for the 2006 World Cup, something astonishing happened in the 28th minute. The U.S. conceded a goal at Columbus Crew Stadium. To date, Andy Williams’ penalty is the only goal the U.S. has ever conceded in Columbus, where it owns a 15-1 goal differential over 10 games played.

September 3, 2005

After providing a springboard for the U.S.’s previous Hex campaign, it was fitting that this time around, the U.S.—Mexico showdown in Columbus would seal the Yanks’ place in the World Cup. Steve Ralston and DaMarcus Beasley struck within four minutes of each other to deliver the second dos a cero in as many chances over Mexico. At the final whistle, a fired up Frankie Hejduk celebrated in front of his hometown fans.

November 13, 2008

The Columbus Crew finally broke through and reached the MLS Cup final in 2008 with a stirring 2-1 comeback win over the Chicago Fire. Roars such as the ones that accompanied Chad Marshall’s equalizer and Eddie Gaven’s winner are hard to find in America outside of the Pacific Northwest. The Crew would go on to beat the New York Red Bulls 3-1 to clinch its first and only MLS Cup.

February 11, 2009

In similar conditions to the triumph in 2001, the U.S. once again beat Mexico 2-0 in Columbus, this time thanks to two Michael Bradley goals. Below, the fans wildly celebrate Bradley’s opener. By this point, Columbus Crew Stadium had firmly established itself as the home of U.S. vs. Mexico, and once again the Yanks did not disappoint. The delirious “dos a cero!” chants are clearly audible following Bradley’s second goal.

September 10, 2013

After three straight 2-0 victories in the three previous Hex contests against Mexico in Columbus, was there ever any doubt that the U.S. would deliver yet again? Eddie Johnson and Landon Donovan scored the goals and the U.S. backline held firm to clinch another dos a cero in Columbus. Even a missed Clint Dempsey penalty in stoppage time couldn’t dim the mood, as the U.S. supporters joyously launched into a chorus of “he missed on purpose!”, clearly valuing the tradition of the dos a cero above an extra goal.

Here, the special relationship between the U.S. players and the fans in Columbus is captured well, as Tim Howard and Brad Guzan celebrate their World Cup berth with the fans. "It's become its own monster. People want to come to Columbus and see U.S.-Mexico. And so it's almost like the mecca really for us. You almost feel like it's our destiny to win here,” Howard later said.

Given the U.S.’s incredible track in the stadium, it’s hard to disagree.

Where does Columbus Crew Stadium rank on the list of most important soccer stadiums in the U.S.? Given its limited size, would it ever make sense for the U.S. to play Mexico elsewhere like, say, Seattle? Let us know in the comments section below.

Blake Thomsen is a frequent ASN contributor. Follow him on Twitter.