COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Crew Soccer Academy 17/18 squad continued its recent success with another impressive performance last Saturday (March 27), as it defeated the U.S. Under-17 National Team, 3-1, at Crew Stadium prior to the first team’s 2-0 victory over Toronto FC in First Kick 2010.
After
neither side was able to break through in the match’s first half hour, CSA drew
first blood thanks to Matt Walker’s strike in the 32nd minute. The Crew then
doubled its lead shortly thereafter on a Kyle Culbertson penalty-kick goal in
the 38th minute. The U.S. U-17s halved the Crew’s lead just before the halftime
whistle thanks to a tally by Kelly Gully in the 44th minute. However, the Black
& Gold would extend its lead early in the second half, when Will Walker
struck in the 60th minute to give the Crew the eventual 3-1 victory.
The
friendly match – which was part of a First Kick doubleheader at Crew Stadium –
was the first in a 10-game tour for the U.S. U-17 National Team from March
until May, which features matches against five Academy clubs affiliated with
MLS clubs – including the Crew Soccer Academy
– and five other Development
Academy opponents. The
wide-ranging tour kicks off the national squad’s early stages of preparation
for the 2011 CONCACAF U-17 Championship and the subsequent 2011 FIFA U-17 World
Cup.
The
Crew Soccer
Academy 15/16 and 17/18 squads will
next take to the field April 10-11 when they travel to St.
Louis, Mo., to take on St. Louis
Scott Gallagher Metro and St. Louis Scott Gallagher Missouri in U.S. Soccer Development Academy
action. On Saturday (April 10), both squads will take on SLSG Metro, with the
15/16s kicking off at 5 p.m. and the 17/18s playing at 7 p.m. On Sunday (April
11), the 15/16s will take on SLSG Missouri at 10 a.m., followed by the 17/18s
at 12 noon.
Following
last Saturday’s youth friendly match, the Crew’s senior team took on Toronto FC
in the squad’s first MLS regular season match of 2010. Andy Iro and Guillermo
Barros Schelotto scored on either side of halftime to power the Black &
Gold to a 2-0 season-opening victory over Trillium Cup rival Toronto. In addition, Schelotto also assisted
on Iro’s game-winning goal. Iro put Columbus
up in the 29th minute, when Schelotto whipped a free kick near the right
sideline into the box, where Iro slipped his marker and headed the ball home
from seven yards.
Schelotto
then iced the game in the 87th minute. A collision between TFC goalkeeper
Stefan Frei and Crew defender Danny O’Rourke on the fringe of the Toronto penalty area
produced a loose ball and an open net. Toronto
defender Nick Garcia tried to clear, but the ball fell to Schelotto, whose
deftly placed shot found the open net to ensure the full three points for Columbus.
The
victory gives the Crew a 3 points to 0 lead in the 2010 Trillium Cup
competition. The second leg will be played at BMO Field in Toronto on Oct. 16.
The
Crew will now enjoy a weekend off from MLS play, although it will still be in
action as it will host a doubleheader of exhibitions vs. college teams this
Friday, April 2, at Crew Stadium. The action kicks off at 10 a.m., when the
Black & Gold will face Marshall
University and Bartosz
Warzycha, a Thundering Herd forward and son of Crew head coach Robert Warzcyha,
followed by a friendly against the Michigan State Spartans at 12 noon. Both
matches are free and open to the public.
SCHELOTTO
TALLIES 25TH CAREER MLS REGULAR-SEASON GOAL
Crew
forward Guillermo Barros Schelotto scored his 25th career regular-season goal
in the Black & Gold’s 2-0 win over Toronto FC last Saturday at Crew
Stadium. Schelotto, who also assisted on Andy Iro’s game-winner in the first
half, iced the match for the Crew in the 87th minute after pouncing on a loose
ball at the top of the Toronto
penalty box and sending a precise, bending shot into the back of the net. Since
joining the Crew in 2007 from storied Argentine club Boca Juniors, Schelotto
has been one of the finest attacking players in MLS, earning both league and
MLS Cup MVP honors, along with two MLS Best XI selections, while accumulating
27 goals and 40 assists in 79 regular-season and playoff games.
REGULAR-SEASON SINGLE-GAME TICKETS ON SALE
Single-game
tickets for the Crew’s 2010 regular-season home schedule are currently
available at the Crew Stadium Box Office, all central
Ohio Ticketmaster retail locations, via Ticketmaster phone at 800-745-3000 and
on-line at TheCrew.com and Ticketmaster.com. Fans can also still become
Crew Soccer Nation members by purchasing full-season ticket packages or partial
plans, starting as low as $95 for 5-Packs. Group tickets are also available for
all 15 home games. All ticket packages or plans are available through
TheCrew.com and 614-447-CREW. The Crew’s 2010 home schedule features a total of
13 Saturday games – including First Kick 2010, March 27, vs. Toronto FC – one
Sunday match and one Wednesday match.
CREWXTRA
AIRS TONIGHT AT 8 AND 11 P.M. ON ONN-TV
CrewXtra,
the Crew’s weekly show, airs tonight at 8 p.m. (and again at 11 p.m.) on
ONN-TV. This week, Dan Fronczak fills in for Beau Bishop in the host’s chair
and will be joined defender Andy Iro, Crew radio play-by-play man Neil Sika and
Columbus Dispatch beat writer Shawn Mitchell. CrewXtra provides viewers with
in-depth coverage and access to the team every week, including game recaps,
breakdowns and previews of the upcoming matches, while interspersing other
news, interviews, discussion and features.
– TheCrew.com –
