After earning a thrilling 3-2 win over New England last Saturday (May 8) at Crew Stadium, the Crew will continue its two-game homestand this Saturday (May 15) when it plays host to Western Conference foe Chivas USA. At 3-0-2, the Black & Gold is unbeaten through five games for the first time in club history and remains one of just two MLS clubs yet to lose in 2010 (LA Galaxy).
Saturday’s match, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET, will be televised live regionally on ONN-TV with Dwight Burgess and Bill McDermott on the call. It will also be available in high definition exclusively to Time Warner Mid-Ohio customers in Columbus, on Ch. 1310. The game can also be heard in English on News/Talk 610 WTVN with Neil Sika and John Bluem behind the microphone, and on-line at TheCrew.com and MLSsoccer.com, as well as in Spanish on La Mega 103.1-FM, featuring Carlos Cordova and Benny Pietrangelo on the call.
Chivas USA, which currently sits in fourth place in the Western Conference with a 3-4-1 record (10 pts.), enters the match after playing a pair of matches in last week’s MLS action. On Wednesday (May 5), Chivas defeated the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium, 4-0, thanks to two goals by Jesus Padilla and strikes from Justin Braun and Blair Gaven. The Goats then returned home to the Home Depot Center last Saturday (May 8), where they fell to Houston by a score of 2-0. Chivas has been led this season by Padilla, who leads the club with three goals, while Braun, Mariano Trujillo and Sacha Kljestan each share the team lead in assists with two apiece.
The Crew, which currently sits in second place in the Eastern Conference with a 3-0-2 record (11 pts.), enters Saturday’s match after securing a rousing 3-2 victory over the New England Recolution last Saturday (May 8) at Crew Stadium. Zak Boggs made the most of his first MLS start, scoring twice for New England, in the 29th and 40th minutes. The Crew's Eddie Gaven countered Boggs’ first strike just two minutes later to tie the score at 1-1, firing a headed clearance by Revs defender Cory Gibbs past goalkeeper Preston Burpo. Gibbs then redirected a Rogers cross past Burpo in the 35th minute for an own goal that gave the Crew a 2-1 lead. The winning goal came after New England’s Darrius Barnes had cleared a header by Jason Garey off the goal line. Robbie Rogers pounced on the loose ball and skipped the winner past Burpo and into the roof of the net for the dramatic game-winner.
COLUMBUS CREW vs. Chivas USA
Saturday, May 15 – 7:30 p.m. (ET) at Crew Stadium
National Television: N/A; Regional Television: ONN-TV
Crew Radio: News/Talk 610 WTVN (English); La Mega 103.1-FM (Spanish)
Crew Webcasts: TheCrew.com and MLSsoccer.com (English)
GIVE US YOUR CHIVAS, WE’LL GIVE YOU YOUR CREW
The Crew and La Michoacana Mexican Market have teamed up to present a unique offer for Columbus-area Crew fans in anticipation of this Saturday’s match against Chivas USA at Crew Stadium. Fans are encouraged to turn in any Chivas USA or Chivas de Guadalajara merchandise to any La Michocana location in central Ohio in exchange for a special $9 ticket to this Saturday’s inter-conference match-up against the Goats, courtesy of La Michoacana. All collected merchandise will be donated to the U.S. Soccer Foundation Passback Program. Locations: 2175 Morse Rd., 3881 Cleveland Ave., 3629 Sullivant Ave., 166 S. Hamilton Rd., 939 Dublin-Granville Rd., 3160 S. Hamilton Rd., 534 Norton Rd. and 5445 Bethel Sawmill Center.
GAVEN TALLIES FIRST GOAL OF SEASON
Midfielder Eddie Gaven tallied his first goal of the 2010 season, and 35th of his MLS career, last Saturday (May 8) against New England. After the Revs’ Zak Boggs tallied the match’s first goal in the 29th minute, Gaven answered for the Crew, just two minutes later. His chance came after a headed clearance by New England defender Cory Gibbs. Gaven pounced on the loose ball and calmly fired a low, left-footed shot past goalkeeper Preston Burpo to equalize the match a 1-1. Of Gaven’s 35 career goals, 19 have come in his five seasons with the Black & Gold.
ROGERS’ GAME-WINNER IS FIRST GOAL OF 2010 SEASON
Midfielder Robbie Rogers’ first goal of the 2010 MLS season came against New England last Saturday (May 8), and it couldn’t have come at a better time, as Rogers’ tally in the waning moments proved to be the decisive strike in the match. The play’s sequence began when second-half substitute Sergio Herrera collected a loose ball at midfield and pushed it ahead to Guillermo Barros Schelotto in the left channel. Schelotto served a precise cross to Jason Garey at the back post, but Garey’s header was cleared off the goalline by Revs defender Darrius Barnes, right to the feet of Rogers who bounced his shot into the top of the net for late game-winner.
HERRERA MAKES CREW, MLS DEBUT
Colombian forward Sergio Herrera made his Crew and MLS debut in the Black & Gold’s 3-2 win over New England last Saturday (May 8), coming on as a substitute in the 89th minute. Herrera made an immediate impact on the game, as his first touches in a Crew uniform were intercepting a goal kick and sending a connecting pass to Guillermo Barros Schelotto which sparked the sequence that eventually led to the game-winning goal by Robbie Rogers. Prior to joining the Crew, Herrera played for Deportivo Cali of the Colombian First Division, where he scored 26 times in 92 games. He has also scored four goals in 11 appearances with the Colombian national team.
CREW SOCCER ACADEMY SWEEPS OHIO ELITE SATURDAY
The Crew Soccer Academy once again had a single-match weekend, as it traveled to Cincinnati on Saturday (May 8) to take on Ohio Elite at the Xavier University Soccer Complex. The day kicked off with the 15/16s defeating their counterparts from Ohio Elite, 2-0, thanks to goals from Ben Crognale and Will Trapp. The 17/18 squad next took on Ohio Elite and came away with a 5-0 victory, with the offensive display coming from two goals by Tyler Ranalli, and single tallies by Jacob Eganhouse, Ian O’Keefe and Will Walker. Both CSA squads will return home this Saturday (May 15) to host Indiana United at the Crew Training Center at Obetz, with the 17/18s kicking off at 11 a.m., followed by the 15/16s kicking off at 1 p.m. The CSA 15/16 squad currently sits in second place in the Great Lakes Division with a 5-1-2 record (10-5-2 overall), while the 17/18s are currently third in the Great Lakes with a 4-3-1 record (9-5-3 overall).
CREW, CSF TO HOLD FIRST-EVER ‘KICKS FOR KIDS NIGHT’ SATURDAY AT CREW STADIUM
The Crew and Crew Soccer Foundation will host the first-ever “Kicks for Kids Night” at Crew Stadium this Saturday (May 15) during the Crew’s match against Chivas USA. More than 5,000 area youth will have the opportunity to enjoy Saturday’s match thanks to the Kicks for Kids program. Over the past four years, the Crew Soccer Foundation has brought more than 25,000 deserving young people to Crew Stadium through Kicks for Kids. As part of Saturday’s festivities, the Crew Soccer Foundation will also recognize the support of its Kicks for Kids sponsors and volunteers.
SPRING SOCCER FESTIVAL FOR CREW SOCCER NATION MEMBERS IS THIS SUNDAY, MAY 16
Spring Soccer Festival, one of the exclusive benefits of Crew Soccer Nation Gold, Black and Silver memberships, will be held this Sunday, May 16, at Crew Stadium from 1-3 p.m. CSN members will have the opportunity to interact with Crew players and coaches at a variety of stations on the field. Members are asked to bring their CSN credentials. Media is invited to cover the event.
CREWXTRA AIRS WEDNESDAY NIGHTS AT 8 AND 11 P.M. ON ONN-TV
CrewXtra, the Crew’s weekly show, airs every Wednesday at 8 p.m. (and again at 11 p.m.) on ONN-TV. This week, host Beau Bishop will be joined by midfielder Eddie Gaven, 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.
