After Saturday’s scoreless draw with FC Dallas, the Crew returns to action this week with a pair of matches at D.C. United. First up is a semifinal showdown in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tournament on Wednesday (Sept. 1), followed by a league match on Saturday (Sept. 4). Both games will kick off at 7:30 p.m. at RFK Stadium.
A live audio webcast of Wednesday’s match will be available at TheCrew.com, with Neil Sika behind the microphone. Both clubs advanced to Open Cup’s final four with quarterfinal victories over USL2 clubs – the Crew 3-0 winners over the Charleston Battery on July 6 and D.C. a 2-0 victor over the Harrisburg City Islanders on July 21. Chivas USA and Seattle Sounders FC will meet in the other semifinal later Wednesday, with the winners squaring off for the Dewar Cup in October. The Crew is in the semis for the first time since winning it all in 2002.
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is an annual competition open to all amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer and is recognized as the federation’s National Championship. The tournament has crowned a champion for 96 consecutive years dating back to 1914. It is the oldest annual team tournament in U.S. sports history and among the oldest soccer tournaments of its type in the world. In 1999, the competition was renamed to honor long-time soccer pioneer and Crew Founder Lamar Hunt.
Saturday’s MLS match will be televised live nationally on FOX Soccer Channel with Dave Johnson and Christopher Sullivan calling all the action and Katie Witham reporting from the sidelines. It can also be heard in English on News/Talk 610 WTVN, with Neil Sika behind the microphone, as well as in Spanish on La Mega 103.1-FM, featuring Carlos Cordova and Benny Pietrangelo on the call.
D.C., which sits eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 4-15-3 record (15 points), is coming off a 1-0 loss at Chivas USA on Sunday (Aug. 29). United is led offensively by Danny Allsopp’s four goals, while Worthington native Troy Perkins is its starting goalkeeper.
The Crew, which remains in first place in the Eastern Conference with a 12-5-5 record (41 pts.), enters the match on the heels of a scoreless draw with FC Dallas last Saturday (Aug. 28), in which William Hesmer earned his ninth shutout of the season. The Black & Gold now leads New York by four points in the Eastern Conference standings and trails L.A. by just two points in the race for the Supporters’ Shield.
The Crew won the first game of the season series, 2-0, on June 26. Guillermo Barros Schelotto led the way in that one, with a goal and an assist, and defender Eric Brunner added the second goal.
COLUMBUS CREW at D.C. UNITED
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Semifinals
Wednesday, Sept. 1 – 7:30 p.m. at RFK Stadium
Audio Webcast: TheCrew.com
COLUMBUS CREW at D.C. UNITED
Saturday, Sept. 4 – 7:30 p.m. at RFK Stadium
National Television: FOX Soccer Channel
Radio: News/Talk 610 WTVN (English); La Mega 103.1 (Spanish)
RENTERIA CALLED IN BY VENEZUELAN NATIONAL TEAM FOR COLOMBIA, ECUADOR MATCHES
Crew forward Emilio Renteria has been called in by the Venezuelan National Team for a pair of friendlies, this Friday, Sept. 3, vs. Colombia and Sept. 7 vs. Ecuador. Renteria, who will miss both of this week’s games at D.C., has tallied four goals and one assist in 15 games with the Crew this season. He has made three prior appearances with Venezuela.
HESMER EXTENDS ALL-TIME CLUB LEAD IN SHUTOUTS TO 31 WITH YET ANOTHER CLEAN SHEET
Crew goalkeeper William Hesmer recorded his ninth shutout of the 2010 season in the Crew’s 0-0 tie vs. FC Dallas on Saturday (Aug. 28), extending his all-time club lead in shutouts to 31. Hesmer currently ranks third in the league in shutouts and fourth in goals-against-average (0.91 GAA).
CREW CELEBRITY BARTENDERS WILL BE AT AVERAGE JOE’S IN NEW ALBANY SEPT. 8
Join Budweiser and the Crew on Wednesday, Sept. 8, from 7-8:30 p.m. at Average Joe’s in New Albany (4949 E. Dublin-Granville Road). Select Crew players will be on hand as celebrity bartenders for the evening, serving your favorite Budweiser products, and all tips will benefit the club’s charitable arm, the Crew Soccer Foundation. One lucky fan will win a trip for two to Chicago to see the Crew play the Fire on October 8 (must be at least 21 years of age and must be present to win the trip). Visit http://www.thecrew.com/celebrity-bartending for more details.
WITH CREW PLAYING WEDNESDAY NIGHT, CREWXTRA WILL NOT AIR THIS WEEK
With the Crew taking on D.C. United in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., CrewXtra will not air this week. The Crew’s weekly show on ONN-TV, CrewXtra will return next Wednesday at 8 and 11 p.m. to provide viewers with in-depth coverage and access to the team, including game recaps, breakdowns and previews of the upcoming matches, while interspersing other news, interviews, discussion and features.
