Columbus Crew SC today announced the scheduled participation of eight club legends in the final reveal of the "Top Twenty Moments in Black & Gold" content series, to occur at halftime of the club's match on September 26 versus Portland at MAPFRE Stadium. Mike Clark, Brad Friedel, Frankie Hejduk, Stern John, Brian McBride, Alejandro Moreno, Duncan Oughton and Gino Padula are all scheduled to reveal the top five supporter-ranked moments on the series list, which chronicles the top 20 moments in 20 years of Black & Gold history.
Clark, Friedel, Hejduk, John, McBride, Moreno, Oughton and Padula are among the most influential and recognizable figures in club history. These icons each played a part in several major milestones over the last 20 seasons, including the organization being named the first club in MLS and later paving the way for the sport in the U.S. with the opening of the first soccer-specific stadium in the country. The legendary list also features representation of title teams that captured the 2002 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, Supporters’ Shields in 2004, 2008 and 2009 as well as the first major league championship for Columbus via MLS Cup in 2008.
The group of eight combined for 888 Black & Gold appearances, 73,419 minutes played, 140 goals and 111 assists in regular-season action. Also included in this group are 16 MLS All-Star nominations, one MLS All-Star Game MVP award (McBride, 1998), three team MVP awards, one MLS Goalkeeper of the Year honor (Friedel, 1997), one MLS Fair Play award (McBride, 2003), and one League Golden Boot (John, 1998). McBride and Hejduk also represent both current members of the club’s elite Circle of Honor program, with both names emblazoned upon the upper fascia of MAPFRE Stadium.
The voting process for “Top Twenty Moments in Black & Gold” began with an exclusive media balloting window ahead of initial supporter voting that opened on August 26 and runs through tonight. On Wednesday, September 9, the final top 20 will be revealed chronologically to give supporters a broad look at the timeline of significant events in club history. In the week following that, through Wednesday, September 16, supporters then will rank those chosen 20 events in order to determine the final list.
During the week leading up to Crew SC's clash against the Portland Timbers on Saturday, September 26, moments 20 through six will be revealed five at a time on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. During the match against Portland, Clark, Friedel, Hejduk, John, McBride, Moreno, Oughton and Padula are all set to take part in the halftime ceremony on the field when the final reveal is made, which showcases the moments ranked fifth through first in club history. The Black & Gold legends are set to participate in media availability surrounding the match on September 26, with more details to follow. Additional Black & Gold alumni will also be in attendance for this special event.
