The first-place Columbus Crew return to MLS action this Saturday, June 26, when it hosts Eastern Conference rival D.C. United at Crew Stadium in a match that will kick off a stretch of six home games in four weeks and feature the winners of the last four MLS Supporters’ Shield winners (Crew: 2008, 2009; D.C. United: 2006, 2007). It will also be the first Bob Evans Buck-a-Brat Night of the season, when juicy, full-size Bob Evans bratwurst will be sold throughout Crew Stadium for just $1 each.
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 and Katie Witham providing sideline coverage. It will also be broadcast in high definition exclusively to Time Warner Cable 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, as well as in Spanish on La Mega 103.1-FM, featuring Carlos Cordova and Benny Pietrangelo on the call.
United, which currently sits in the seventh place in the Eastern Conference with a 3-8-1 record (10 pts.), enters the match after defeating Seattle Sounders FC, 3-2, at Qwest Field in its last MLS match on June 10, thanks to a pair of goals by Chris Pontius and a strike from Adam Cristman. Pontius, Cristman and Danny Alsopp are tied for the team lead in goals, with two apiece, while Rodney Wallace leads the club in assists with two.
The Crew, currently tied for first place (N.Y.) in the Eastern Conference with a 6-2-3 record (21 pts.), enters the match after falling to the Colorado Rapids, 1-0, on June 5 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, thanks to a late goal by Rapids defender Drew Moor.
In anticipation of its return to MLS regular season play this week, the Black & Gold traveled to Dayton last Saturday (June 19), to take on the Dayton Dutch Lions of the USL Premier Development League at Baujan Sports Field on the campus of the University of Dayton. The Crew came away with a 3-0 win in the match behind goals from Steven Lenhart, Eddie Gaven and Jason Garey.
COLUMBUS CREW vs. D.C. United
Saturday, June 26 – 7:30 p.m. (ET) at Crew Stadium
National Television: N/A; Regional Television: ONN-TV
(Available in HD exclusively to TWC Mid-Ohio customers in Columbus on Ch. 1310)
Crew Radio: News/Talk 610 WTVN (English); La Mega 103.1 (Spanish)
TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR JUNE 29 U.S. OPEN CUP ROUND OF 16 MATCH VS. ROCHESTER
The Crew has learned that it will host the Rochester Rhinos in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match on Tuesday, June 29, at Crew Stadium. Tickets for the match, which is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m., mirror prices for regular season Crew matches and are on sale now 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. The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, which is recognized as U.S. Soccer’s National Championship, is an annual competition open to all amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. The tournament has crowned a champion for 95 consecutive years dating back to 1914. It is the oldest annual team tournament in U.S. sports history and among the oldest soccer tournaments of its type in the world. In 1999, the competition was renamed to honor long-time soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt. The Crew enters the 2010 U.S. Open Cup looking for its second Open Cup title in club history. The first came in 2002 at Crew Stadium when Freddy Garcia provided the match’s lone goal in the 30th minute to defeat the 2002 MLS Cup Champion L.A. Galaxy. The Rhinos advanced to next Tuesday’s third round match-up with the Crew after earning a 3-0 win over the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Tuesday (June 22), thanks to two goals by Tyler Rosenlund and a strike from Aaron Pitchkolan. This year’s tournament quarterfinals will be played July 6-7, the semifinals will be played Aug. 31-Sept. 1, and the final will be played Oct. 5.
CREW OFF TO BEST START IN CLUB HISTORY THROUGH 11 GAMES
At 6-2-3 (21 pts.), the 2010 Columbus Crew is off to the best start in club history through 11 games. In 1998, the club began 6-5, with two losses in shootouts (translating to 6-3-2, 20 pts.), and in the club’s MLS Cup Championship season of 2008, the team went 6-4-1 record (19 pts.) in its first 11 matches. The 1999 squad started 7-4, giving it the most wins in its first 11 games, but three of those wins and one of its losses were in shootouts (translating to 4-3-4, 16 pts.).
MLS SUPERDRAFT SELECTION KWAKU NYAMEKYE JOINS CREW FOR TRIAL
Former Harvard defender Kwaku Nyamekye, selected by the Crew in the fourth round (No. 60 overall) of the 2010 MLS SuperDraft, joined the club this week for training at the Crew Training Facility at Obetz. Nyemekye, who completed his undergraduate studies at Harvard prior to joining the Black & Gold, was a three-time NSCAA All-Northeast Region selection and was voted to the All-Ivy League squad all four seasons of his career.
MANCHESTER UNITED COACH RENE MEULENSTEEN TO HOST CLINIC AT CREW STADIUM THIS WEEKEND
Rene Meulensteen, First Team Coach for English Premier League Champion Manchester United, and SportpartnersUSA will host a three-day clinic this weekend (June 25-27) for experienced high school, club and college coaches, many from the local area. Meulensteen has worked with the likes of Christiano Ronaldo, Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney, Patrice Evra and other players currently representing their country at the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Crew Juniors, the Crew’s Youth Development program, has also offered a question-and-answer session for its Crew Juniors coaches on Saturday (June 26). Coaches can still sign up by going to www.sportpartnersusa.com.
CSF SPORTS MEMORABILIA AUCTION/RAFFLE SET FOR THIS SATURDAY, JUNE 26
The Crew Soccer Foundation, the Crew’s charitable arm, will hold its fourth annual Sports Memorabilia Auction and Raffle in the southwest corner of the Stadium Club tent before and during the Crew’s match this Saturday, June. 26, vs. D.C. United. More than 80 unique collectibles will be available from stars throughout the sports world, with all proceeds supporting Crew Soccer Foundation programming for central Ohio youth and families including the Referee Scholarship Program, Kicks for Kids, inner-city soccer field development and the GOALS for KIDS handbook curriculum.
CREW, CSF HOLDING FOOD DRIVE SATURDAY
June is National Hunger Awareness Month and the Crew and Crew Soccer Foundation are holding a food drive this Saturday, June 26, to benefit the Mid-Ohio Food Bank. For every 10 food items that fans drop off at the game, they will receive a free raffle ticket for the Crew Soccer Foundation’s Auction & Raffle which will be going on that evening in the Stadium Club tent.
CREW JUNIORS SUPER-20s TOP CINCINNATI UNITED PREMIER ON WEDNESDAY
The Crew Juniors Super-20s continued play in the USL’s Super-20 League as it faced off against Kings Soccer Academy last Saturday (June 19) at Town and Country Sports Complex in Ocean City, N.J. and came away with a 3-0 win, thanks to two goals by Eric Stevenson and a strike by Kofi Agyapong. The CJ Super-20 squad will next take to the field tonight (June 23) when it hosts Kings Soccer Academy at 7 p.m. at the Crew Training Facility at Obetz. Coached by Crew Technical Director Brian Bliss, the CJ Super-20s currently sit in second place in the Midwest division at 5-0-0 (15 pts.).
BOTH CREW SOCCER ACADEMY SQUADS SET FOR ACADEMY PLAYOFFS THIS WEEKEND IN N.C.
The Crew Soccer Academy (CSA) recently completed its 2009-10 schedule in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy regular season. The CSA 15/16 squad finished the regular season in second place in the Great Lakes Division with a 6-2-2 record (11-8-3 overall), securing an automatic berth in the Development Academy Playoffs, while the 17/18s finished just shy of an automatic playoff berth, finishing third in the Great Lakes with a 5-4-1 record (13-6-3 overall), but qualified for one of 12 wild card spots, thanks to having one of the best overall points per game averages across the full season. The 2009-10 Development Playoffs will feature 64 teams (32 each from the 15/16 and 17/18 divisions), playing in 96 games slated for this weekend, June 25-29, in Greensboro, N.C. It will be the second consecutive year that the event will be held at Bryan Park, where Academy teams will play on eight of the facility’s Bermuda grass fields. The 32 teams were placed into four pots for each age group, based on seeding, and were randomly drawn into eight groups of four. The top finisher in each group will move on to the third annual Development Academy Finals Week at The Home Depot Center from July 10-17.
WORLD CUP VIEWING PARTIES CONTINUE AT CREW STADIUM
World Cup Viewing Parties continue at Crew Stadium as the second week of group play draws to a close. Thousands of fans have already visited Cup Headquarters and games will continue to be shown in high definition on Panasonic HD televisions provided by Best Buy in the Stadium Club tent, located just west of the stadium. Parking and admission to Cup Headquarters is free, and complimentary snacks and Pepsi products are available to fans in attendance, as is a cash bar and $1 Sugardale hot dogs throughout the tournament. Wireless internet access is available in the Time Warner Cable Business Center for those who wish to bring their work to Crew Stadium while they watch the games, and elements of the Crew Soccer Tour will be set up just north of the Stadium Club tent. State Farm Insurance, Claddagh Irish Pub and Montgomery Inn are also supporting the events and will be on-site at each of the 64 games. Fans can also enter into daily drawings for the chance to win prizes from the Viewing Parties’ various sponsors. By entering into the daily drawing, fans also enter themselves into a pair of Grand Prize drawings, to be held at halftime of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final on July 11. The two Grand Prizes are for a 42-inch flat-screen HD television, courtesy of Best Buy, and one year of Bundled Home Services including digital cable, internet and home phone service, courtesy of Time Warner Cable.
ALL REMAINING HOME GAME BROADCASTS ON ONN-TV WILL BE AVAILABLE IN HD ON TW CABLE
Each of the remaining nine Crew home games being televised by ONN-TV this season will be available in high definition on Time Warner Cable in Columbus. Six of those games will air on HD channel 1310, with three moving to Ch. 1311, which is an add-in HD channel that is used as a sports alternate and only appears on game days as needed. It will become active on the days listed below and the on-screen guide should be updated with the game.
Saturday, June 26 vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m. (Ch. 1310)
Wednesday, July 14 vs. Kansas City, 7:30 p.m. (Ch. 1310)
Saturday, July 17 vs. New York, 7:30 p.m. (Ch. 1311)
Saturday, July 24 vs. Houston, 7:30 p.m. (Ch. 1310)
Saturday, Aug. 21 vs. Colorado, 7:30 p.m. (Ch. 1311)
Saturday, Aug. 28 vs. FC Dallas, 4 p.m. (Ch. 1310)
Saturday, Sept. 18 vs. Seattle, 7:30 p.m. (Ch. 1311)
Saturday, Oct. 2 vs. San Jose, 7:30 p.m. (Ch. 1310)
Sunday, Oct. 24 vs. Philadelphia, 4 p.m. (Ch. 1310)
TUNE IN TO CREWXTRA WEDNESDAYS AT 8 AND 11 P.M. ON ONN-TV
This week on CrewXtra, the Crew’s weekly show on ONN-TV, host Beau Bishop will be joined by midfielder Adam Moffat and Crew radio man Neil Sika at 8 and 11 p.m. CrewXtra is broadcast every Wednesday and 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.
