The Columbus Crew returns home this weekend to host the Eastern Conference-rival Houston Dynamo on Saturday, April 21, at Crew Stadium. It will be “Dollar Night” at the stadium as the ever-popular Bob Evans Buck-a-Brat Night and Dollar Draft Night, presented by Budweiser, are combined. All fans will be able to enjoy juicy, full-size Bob Evans Bratwursts for just $1 throughout the game and those of legal drinking age will be able to enjoy Bud and Bud Light drafts for $1 at select locations until the 45th minute.
Saturday’s match will kick off at 7:30 p.m. and be televised live regionally in high definition on FOX Sports Ohio, with Dwight Burgess and Duncan Oughton calling all the action and Ashleigh Ignelzi reporting from the sidelines. The game can also be heard in English on News/Talk 610 WTVN and on-line at TheCrew.com with Neil Sika and John Bluem on the call, and in Spanish on La Mega 103.1, with Carlos Cordova and Benny Pietrangelo behind the microphones.
It is the first of two meetings between the clubs as the Crew (2-3-0, 6 pts.) looks to regain footing and bounce back from recent setbacks against New York (4-1 loss on April 7) and in Philadelphia (1-0 loss on April 14). The Black & Gold holds the all-time advantage against the Dynamo with a 4-2-6 record, highlighted by last year’s historic first win in Houston (2-0 on June 18) in which then-rookie midfielder Bernardo Anor tallied a goal and an assist to earn MLS Player of the Week honors. The Black & Gold added another point on Sept. 14 when the Dynamo’s visit to Crew Stadium ended in a 2-2 draw.
Houston (2-1-1, 7 pts.) enters the match on the heels of a 1-1 draw at Chicago last Sunday (April 15). It is in the midst of a seven-game road trip to start the season as they prepare to open their brand new BBVA Compass Stadium on May 12 against D.C. United. After opening with back-to-back 1-0 wins at Chivas USA on March 11 and San Jose on March 17, Houston suffered a 2-0 loss in Seattle on March 23 and drew Chicago.
The Dynamo could be without 2011 assist leader and MLS MVP runner-up Brad Davis, who suffered a calf strain in training on April 7. Former Crew midfielder Adam Moffat will be available for selection, as will longtime Dynamo stalwart Brian Ching. Houston coach Dominic Kinnear will also be able to rely on the firepower of second-year forward Will Bruin and Calen Carr.
Next, the Crew continues its homestand on April 28 when it hosts the Vancouver Whitecaps at 7:30 p.m. at Crew Stadium.
COLUMBUS CREW vs. Houston Dynamo
Saturday, April 21 – 7:30 p.m. (ET) – Crew Stadium
Regional Television: Fox Sports Ohio
Crew Radio: News/Talk 610 WTVN (English); La Mega 103.1 (Spanish)
Crew Webcast: TheCrew.com (English)
GAME DAY TRAFFIC ADVISORY
Please be aware of construction detours affecting I-71 and I-670 traffic flows this weekend. Fans coming to Crew Stadium for the match on Saturday via I-670 eastbound and westbound will be detoured, with both 11th Avenue ramps being closed for bridge work. Fans are encouraged to allow a little extra time and refer to the map linked here (http://www.dot.state.oh.us/districts/D06/projects/PublishingImages/CrewRoutes.pdf) for the best alternate routes to the stadium.
CREW TO FACE OHIO STATE IN 11TH ANNUAL CONNOR SENN MEMORIAL MATCH ON MAY 1
The Crew and Ohio State Buckeyes will once again meet on the field Tuesday, May 1, in the 11th annual Connor Senn Memorial Match, which raises awareness for sudden cardiac arrests in athletes. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium on the campus of Ohio State. Tickets for the event are $5 for adults and $3 for children and can be purchased online at OhioStateBuckeyes.com and at the Crew Stadium Box Office, all central Ohio Ticketmaster retail locations and via Ticketmaster phone at 1-800-745-3000. Proceeds will benefit the Dorothy M. Davis Heart & Lung Research Institute. In addition to the exhibition match, the event features a silent auction that consists of a wide array of Ohio State and Columbus Crew memorabilia, including autographed items, as well donations from a variety of Columbus businesses and organizations. Senn collapsed during Ohio State’s match at Akron Sept. 26, 2001, and died that night from a congenital heart defect. A native of Granville, Ohio, Connor was a freshman walk-on defender who had earned a starting position for the 2001 season. A plaque honoring Connor hangs outside the Buckeyes’ locker room door and Connor’s chair hangs in the locker room, which all the players on the 2001 team signed with personal messages to Connor, who was known for his tremendous work ethic, positive attitude and selfless play. The following week, on May 8, Crew President & General Manager Mark McCullers and defender Danny O’Rourke, a childhood friend of Connor’s, will speak at The Connor Senn Memorial Symposium on Sudden Cardiac Arrest, a new program devoted to the topic of sudden cardiac death, educating the medical community and the general public on the scope of the problem, sharing the latest advancements in diagnostic imaging and testing and promoting proper training in the interpretation of young adult electrocardiograms. The symposium will take place from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Ohio Union (1739 N. High St.) and there is no fee for members of the community to attend.
CSA STANDOUT WIL TRAPP SHINES IN U.S UNDER-20 NATIONAL TEAM CAMP
University of Akron midfielder and Crew Soccer Academy product Wil Trapp returned home after participating in the U.S. Under-20 National Team camp held in Portland, Ore., April 9-16. The team trained for a week before edging the University of Washington, 1-0, in an exhibition match, which Trapp started and played 83 minutes. Crew technical director Brian Bliss, an assistant coach on the U-20 staff, noted that Trapp was widely considered one of the top performers throughout the camp.
CREW SOCCER ACADEMY SPLITS RESULTS OVER THE WEEKEND
The CSA U-15/16s and U-17/18s returned to U.S. Soccer Development Academy action last weekend as they hosted Vardar FC Freiburg and the CSA Wolves (both from Michigan) at the Crew Training Facility at Obetz. On Saturday, April 14, the 17/18s lost to Vardar 2-1 with a cross from Nick Parianos resulting in an own goal for CSA. The 15/16s defeated their counterparts 2-1 with goals by Noah Hutchins and William Bayemi. On Sunday, April 15, the 17/18s beat the Wolves 3-1 behind two goals from Brett Elder and one from Rylee Woods, while goals from Aiden Bean and William Bayemi were not enough for the 15/16s to avert a 3-2 setback. Both CSA teams return to action this weekend as they host the Chicago Fire Academy on Saturday, April 21 (17/18s at 1 p.m. and 15/16s at 3:30 p.m.), and the Chicago Magic PSG on Sunday, April 22, (17/18s at 10 a.m. and 15/16s at 12:30 p.m.) at the Crew Training Center at Obetz.
