The Crew returns home this weekend to host FC Dallas in the Lamar Hunt Pioneer Cup on Saturday, May 12, at Crew Stadium. The Black & Gold has a chance to earn bragging rights in what is this year a one-game competition that is named after soccer pioneer, Crew Founder and FCD Investor-Operator Lamar Hunt.
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.
FC Dallas (3-5-3, 12 pts.) enters the match after suffering back-to-back 2-0 losses against Colorado on May 6, and Seattle on Wednesday night (May 9). It is led by Panamanian international Blas Perez and U.S. National Team midfielder Brek Shea, who have scored a team-leading three goals each.
The Black & Gold (2-4-2, 8 pts.) looks to build upon an exciting 0-0 draw earned at Portland last Saturday (May 5), in which goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum and center backs Eric Gehrig and Josh Williams shined to preserve the shutout.
Saturday’s match will be the lone regular-season meeting of 2012 between the two teams who have an even record of 16-16-8. Last year, the first that the Pioneer Cup was a regular-season competition, Dallas and the Crew split a pair of games with the Black & Gold winning the first match 2-0 behind a penalty by Andres Mendoza and a left-footed strike by a beardless Eddie Gaven on April 1. FC Dallas claimed a 2-0 victory of its own at FC Dallas Stadium on July 2, behind goals by Shea and Jackson, and won the Pioneer Cup by virtue of the second tiebreaker, all-time goal differential, by a single goal (55-54).
One of the founding fathers of American sports, Lamar Hunt pioneered the rise of soccer in the United States. As one of the founding investors in Major League Soccer, Lamar Hunt was a visionary and catalyst for the inception, growth and success of MLS. His legacy in soccer in North America lives on in the two professional teams owned and operated by the Hunt family: the Columbus Crew and FC Dallas. In honor of Lamar Hunt, who was often referred to as a “Pioneer” in American sports, the Crew and FC Dallas launched the annual, regular season competitive tribute series known as the Lamar Hunt Pioneer Cup. A trophy is awarded to the winning team (image attached).
Next, the Crew embarks on a two-game west-coast road trip, to San Jose on Saturday, May 19, and Seattle on Wednesday, May 23, before returning home to host the Chicago Fire on Saturday, May 26, at 7 p.m. at Crew Stadium.
COLUMBUS CREW vs. FC Dallas
Saturday, May 12 – 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)
CREW SOCCER ACADEMY WINS AND DRAWS MATCHES AGAINST INDIANA UNITED FIRE
The Crew Soccer Academy U-15/16s and U-17/18s returned to action on Sunday (May 6), hosting the Indiana United Fire Academy at the Crew Training Center at Obetz. The 17/18s won their match, 2-0, behind goals from Alex Bumpus and David Witkoff. The 15/16s tied their counterparts, 1-1, with Andrew McKelvey scoring the game-tying goal for CSA. The CSA teams host FC Milwaukee this Saturday, May 12, and Sockers FC on Sunday, May 13, at the Crew Training Center at Obetz. The 17/18s will kick off at 1 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. on Sunday, followed by the 15/16s at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday and 12:30 p.m. on Sunday.
SIXTH ANNUAL ROCK ON THE RANGE FESTIVAL IS NEXT WEEKEND
Crew Stadium will host America’s premier rock festival, ROCK ON THE RANGE, next Friday through Sunday, May 18-20, for the sixth straight year. The world-famous festival will feature artists such as headliners Incubus and Rob Zombie, as well as Slash, Anthrax, Cypress Hill and Marilyn Manson. The ROTR celebration will start early on Friday night, May 18, with a four-band show at Crew Stadium, featuring performances from Hairball, Foxy Shazam, Black Tide and Hell’s bells. Tickets for ROTR 2012 are still available at www.rockontherange.com <http://www.rockontherange.com/> and www.ticketmaster.com <http://www.ticketmaster.com/> , all local Ticketmaster outlets and the Crew Stadium Box Office.
FLOGGING MOLLY TO PLAY FULL SHOW FOLLOWING MAY 26 CREW-FIRE MATCH
International Irish rock band Flogging Molly will play a full concert at Crew Stadium following the Crew’s match vs. the Chicago Fire on Saturday, May 26. Flogging Molly drummer George Schwindt and manager Gary Schwindt are Columbus natives, and have been Crew season-ticket holders for the last five years. All tickets to the Crew vs. Fire game will grant access to the concert. A very limited number of VIP Field Access tickets that will allow field access for the concert are available – starting at $34 for Upper Level tickets and $39 for Lower Level tickets – at TheCrew.com, Ticketmaster.com, the Crew Stadium Ticket Office, Ticketmaster Outlets or by phone at 1-800-745-3000.
