A WIN WOULD MAKE RARE CREW HISTORY ...
A win on Saturday would make for an odd statistical Crew record not achieved in the club’s first 18 years of existence ... the Black & Gold have never opened the season with back-to-back wins ... opening with consecutive victories may be a rare feat, but opening the season unbeaten after two games is not ... most recently in 2010, the club rattled off an eight-game clip of unbeaten soccer, posting an 6-0-2 run through the third week of May.
... BUT TAKE IT ONE GAME AT A TIME
The Crew opened the Gregg Berhalter era with a victory in Gregg Berhalter’s MLS coaching debut ... the Sporting Director and Head Coach began his MLS coaching career after coaching at Swedish side Hammerby IF ... said Berhalter postgame after his first win, “It was a great way to get started ... the emphasis was on starting and playing our game from minute one. I think we did that ... we went out there and we were brave and wanted to play ... when I look at going on the road and controlling the opponent, I think we did well. We scored two fantastic goals on the road and I’m happy with our overall performance.”
BERHALTER AMONG CREW COACHES WITH WINS IN CLUB DEBUTS
Gregg Berhalter, the seventh Head Coach -- and first Sporting Director -- in club history, led the Black & Gold to a win in his first game on the sidelines ... with the win, the Crew is now 5-1-2 all-time in the historic first match under a new coaching tenure, securing points in all but one debut (Sigi Schmid, 2005).
TOUGH TO BEAT GOOD DEFENSE
The Black & Gold blanked D.C. United, 3-0, in the first regular-season test of 2014 ... the Crew saw Philadelphia in the preseason during the Disney Pro Soccer Classic in a 1-0 win for the Crew on February 22 ... Columbus finished the 2014 preseason with a record of 4-0-1, competing in five matches and taking home a tournament title at the Disney Pro Soccer Classic ... the team’s lone draw came in a wild, back-and-forth 4-4 finish against USL-PRO side Orlando City SC to finish group play before a 4-1 victory over defending MLS Cup Champion Sporting KC on March 1.
