After a 3-1 setback at Chivas USA on Saturday (July 31), the first-place Crew pays its first visit to brand-new PPL Park in Chester, Pa., to take on the expansion Philadelphia Union for the first time ever on Thursday (Aug. 5).
Thursday’s match, which kicks off at 8 p.m., will be televised live nationally on ESPN2 with JP Dellacamera and Taylor Twellman calling all the action. The game can also be heard in English on News/Talk 610 WTVN, with Dwight Burgess and Neil Sika behind the microphone.
Philadelphia, which is currently tied for sixth place in the Eastern Conference with a 4-8-3 record (15 pts.), enters the match on the heels of a 1-1 draw vs. New England at PPL Park on Saturday (July 31). Sebastian LeToux scored his team-leading eighth goal of the season in the match.
The Crew, which remains in first place in the Eastern Conference with a 10-4-4 record (34 pts.), enters the match after falling at Chivas USA Saturday. The Black & Gold’s now leads New York by seven points in the Eastern Conference standings. Steven Lenhart came off the bench after missing the previous two games (nasal surgery) and scored the Crew’s lone goal in the game.
The Union’s roster features two members of the Crew 2008 MLS Cup championship squad, forward Alejandro Moreno and midfielder Stefani Miglioranzi.
COLUMBUS CREW at Philadelphia Union
Thursday, Aug. 5 – 8 p.m. (ET) at PPL Park
National Television: ESPN2 – Radio: News/Talk 610 WTVN (English)
CREW JUNIORS SUPER-20s WIN CLUB’S SECOND NATIONAL TITLE IN AS MANY WEEKS
On the heels of their Under-19 McGuire Cup championship victory last weekend, 13 of the same Crew Juniors players led the Crew Juniors U20s to remarkable repeat performance at the 2010 USL Super-20 National Finals that concluded this past weekend. The Crew Juniors defeated the LA Galaxy, 2-1, on Sunday (Aug. 1) at Sportscore II in Rockford, Ill., to win its second national title in as many weekends. The Crew Juniors U20s won its group at the tournament, with a 2-0-1 record and 7 points, then defeated Beachside SC, 3-1, in the semifinals. The Galaxy topped the Chicago Fire in the other semi. Coached by Crew technical director Brian Bliss and Ian Gordona, the Crew then got goals from Travis Wall and Ben Speas to defeat the Galaxy in the Finals and cap the incredible back-to-back feat.
CREW SOCCER FOUNDATION, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE TEAM UP FOR ‘AN EVENING OF SOCCER & SPIRTIS’ AUG. 10
The Crew’s charitable arm, The Crew Soccer Foundation, will host “An Evening of Soccer & Spirits,” featuring a runway show and scotch and wine tasting this Tuesday, August 10, from 6-8:30 p.m. in the Men’s Department of the Saks Fifth Avenue location at Polaris Fashion Mall (1350 Polaris Parkway, Columbus, OH 43240). Columbus Crew players and staff will be in attendance at the event, many of whom will be displaying the latest in fashion apparel from Saks Fifth Avenue. Tickets are available for $50 a person, with all proceeds supporting Crew Soccer Foundation programming for central Ohio youth and families. For more information, please call (614) 447-4175.
FORMER CREW DEFENDER THOMAS DOOLEY AMONG FOUR TO BE INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME PRIOR TO USA-BRAZIL ON AUG. 10
The National Soccer Hall of Fame and U.S. Soccer will host the 2010 Induction Ceremony at the New Meadowlands Stadium on Tuesday, Aug. 10, prior to the USA-Brazil match. The private ceremony will take place at 4 p.m., and will be followed by a reception for the new inductees, Hall of Famers, and invited guests. The 2010 Induction Class includes former Crew defender Thomas Dooley and Preki Radosavljevic in the Player category, Bruce Arena as a Builder, and Kyle Rote, Jr., as a Veteran. Dooley starred for the Crew from 1997-99. Current members of the Hall of Fame along with Colin Jose Media Award and Medal of Honor recipients have been invited to join the ceremony and will be acknowledged on the field prior to kickoff.
RASCAL FLATTS TO ONCE AGAIN VISIT CREW STADIUM ON SUNDAY, AUG. 8
Columbus Crew Stadium and the Ohio State Fair will once again be hosting Rascal Flatts at Crew Stadium, this Sunday, Aug. 8, marking the fifth time in six years they’ll perform at the venue. This year’s show will take place on the closing night of the 2010 Ohio State Fair. Rascal Flatts has topped America’s country music charts since bursting onto the scene a decade ago. Kellie Pickler, the popular country vocalist and former “American Idol” finalist, will open for the show, along with “Nashville Star” winner Chris Young. Tickets , priced at $75, $60 and $35, are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster by phone at 800-745-3000, Ticketmaster.com and the Crew Stadium Box Office. Admission to the Ohio State Fair is included with the purchase of any ticket. The show will begin at 7:30 p.m. with gates opening at 6 p.m. The multi-platinum-selling group has had 24 songs hit Billboard’s Hot Country chart, including 10 that reached number one. Its 2006 album, “Me and My Gang,” was the second-biggest selling album of any genre that year. The band’s hits include “Take Me There,” “Prayin’ for Daylight,” “Life is a Highway,” “My Wish”, “I’m Movin’ On,” “Summer Nights” and “Unstoppable.” Rascal Flatts was named top vocal group of the year by the Academy of Country Music for eight consecutive years and was nominated again in 2010. Earlier this year, the dynamic musical trio starred in an episode of the CBS television drama “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” in which they played themselves.
CREW TO FACE D.C. UNITED IN U.S. OPEN CUP SEMIFINALS SEPT. 1 AT RFK STADIUM
By virtue of its 2-0 victory over the Harrisburg City Islanders last Wednesday (July 21), D.C. United advanced to face the Crew in the semifinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tournament. D.C. will host the match at RFK Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Chivas USA and Seattle Sounders FC will meet in the other semifinal. The Crew is in the semis for the first time since winning it all in 2002.
TUNE IN TO CREWXTRA WEDNESDAYS 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 the Crew’s youth development director Andrew Arthurs and Tom Reed of the Columbus Dispatch 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.
