After coming away from last week’s back-to-back games at D.C. United with a pair of victories, the Crew travels to Southern California for a marquee matchup against the LA Galaxy on Saturday (Sept. 11). The highly anticipated affair will pit the top two teams in the league – the Eastern Conference-leading Crew and West-leading Galaxy, both of which own 13-5-5 records (44 pts.) – against one another for the second and final time this season.
Saturday’s match, which kicks off at 10:30 p.m. ET, will be televised live regionally on ONN-TV, with Dwight Burgess and Dante Washington calling all the action. It can also be heard in English on News/Talk 610 WTVN, with Neil Sika behind the microphone, as well as in Spanish on La Mega 103.1-FM, featuring Carlos Cordova and Benny Pietrangelo on the call.
LA, which on Saturday reportedly could welcome back midfielder David Beckham from a six-month layoff following Achilles tendon surgery, is coming off a 1-1 draw at Chicago on Saturday (Sept. 4) thanks to Omar Gonzalez’s dramatic stoppage-time equalizer. The Galaxy is led offensively by former Crew forward Edson Buddle’s 13 goals and Landon Donovan’s 12 assists.
The Crew, which is pursuing its unprecedented third straight MLS Supporters’ Shield, enters the match on the heels of a 1-0 win at D.C. on Saturday (Sept. 4), in which Guillermo Barros Schelotto scored the lone goal and William Hesmer earned his 10th shutout of the season. The Black & Gold now leads second-place New York by seven points in the Eastern Conference standings.
The Galaxy won the first game of the season series, 2-0 on May 26 at Crew Stadium, despite being outshot by a 21-3 margin. Columbus also earned all 15 corner kicks in that game, but Michael Stephens and Tristan Bowen scored goals against the run of play to give LA the victory.
COLUMBUS CREW at LA GALAXY
Saturday, Sept. 11 – 10:30 p.m. ET at The Home Depot Center
Regional Television: ONN-TV
Radio: News/Talk 610 WTVN (English); La Mega 103.1 (Spanish)
CREW ADVANCES TO LAMAR HUNT U.S. OPEN CUP FINAL, OCT. 5 AT SEATTLE
With its dramatic come-from-behind 2-1 overtime win at D.C. United last Wednesday, Sept. 1, in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Semifinals, the Crew returns to the Open Cup Final for the first time since winning the competition in 2002. The Black & Gold will travel to Seattle to face the defending Open Cup-champion Sounders on Oct. 5, in a match that will kick off at 10 p.m. ET and be televised live on Fox Soccer Channel. With more than 19,000 tickets already sold, a record crowd for an Open Cup final is anticipated at Qwest Field. The record attendance for an Open Cup final is 21,583 in 1929 between New York Hakoah and Madison Kennel Club of St. Louis. The record in the tournament’s modern era, which began in 1996 when Major League Soccer teams joined, is 19,164 for the 2000 final between the Chicago Fire and Miami Fusion. The Sounders earned the opportunity to defend its Open Cup title at home after defeating Chivas USA, 3-1, last week at Starfire Sports Stadium. With its second straight appearance in the Open Cup final, Seattle is looking to become the first team to repeat as champions since the New York Pancyprian-Freedoms accomplished the feat in 1983. The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is an annual competition open to all amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer and is recognized as the federation’s National Championship. The tournament has crowned a champion for 96 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 and Crew Founder Lamar Hunt.
RENTERIA EARNS CAPS WITH VENEZUELA VS. BOTH COLOMBIA AND ECUADOR
Crew forward Emilio Renteria earned a pair of caps in the last week, with appearances for the Venezuelan National Team in friendlies vs. Colombia and Ecuador. Renteria came on in the 68th minute of Venezuela’s 2-0 loss to Colombia on Friday, Sept. 3, then started and went the first 67 minutes in its 1-0 victory over Ecuador on Tuesday night (Sept. 7). Renteria, who now has five caps to his credit with Venezuela, has tallied four goals and one assist in 15 games with the Crew this season.
HESMER EXTENDS ALL-TIME CLUB LEAD IN SHUTOUTS TO 32 WITH YET ANOTHER CLEAN SHEET
Crew goalkeeper William Hesmer recorded his 10th shutout of the 2010 season in the Crew’s 1-0 victory at D.C. United on Saturday (Sept. 4), extending his all-time club lead in shutouts to 32. Hesmer is currently tied for second in the league in shutouts and ranks fourth in goals-against-average (0.87 GAA).
MENDOZA MAKES MLS DEBUT SEPT. 4 AT D.C.
Peruvian international forward Andres Mendoza made his MLS debut on Saturday, Sept. 4, at D.C., a day after his signing became official. Mendoza entered the Crew’s 1-0 victory at RFK Stadium in the 89th minute.
DUKA MAKES FIRST CAREER MLS START SEPT. 4 AT D.C.
Rookie midfielder Dilly Duka made his first career MLS regular-season start Saturday (Sept. 4) at D.C. The Crew’s top pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft (No. 8 overall) made his MLS debut with 15 minutes off the bench Aug 14 at Real Salt Lake and had started U.S. Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League matches, but Saturday’s assignment was his first start in league play. He went the first 77 minutes of the Crew’s 1-0 victory.
GAREY, HESMER, IRO CELEBRITY BARTENDING AT AVERAGE JOE’S IN NEW ALBANY WEDNESDAY
Join Budweiser and the Crew on Wednesday, Sept. 8, from 7-8:30 p.m. at Average Joe’s in New Albany (4949 E. Dublin-Granville Road). Crew players Jason Garey, William Hesmer and Andy Iro will be on hand as celebrity bartenders for the evening, serving your favorite Budweiser products, and all tips will benefit the club’s charitable arm, the Crew Soccer Foundation. One lucky fan will win a trip for two to Chicago to see the Crew play the Fire on October 8 (must be at least 21 years of age and must be present to win the trip). Visit http://www.thecrew.com/celebrity-bartending for more details.
OUGHTON ON CREWXTRA THIS WEDNESDAY 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 Duncan Oughton, TV analyst Dante Washington and Dispatch beat writer Shawn Mitchell 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.
