WHERE TO WATCH/LISTEN
Sunday's home match against New York City FC kicks-off at 12:30 p.m. ET and is set to be televised regionally on SportsTime Ohio as well as streamed live via the FOX Sports GO App. Neil Sika, Jordan Angeli and Brett Hiltbrand are set to have the call in English, with pre-match and post-match coverage airing exclusively on SportsTime Ohio. Locally, the contest is available in English on 97.1 The Fan, as well as via stream on 971TheFan. com, with Chris Doran on the call. A Spanish radio stream is available on ColumbusCrewSC.com, with Juan Valladares on the call.
CREW SC WINS ITS FOURTH CONSECUTIVE PRE-SEASON TOURNAMENT
By virtue of its victory over the Houston Dynamo on Saturday, Crew SC won the 2020 Visit Tucson Sun Cup tournament to secured its fourth consecutive pre-season tournament. The Crew's streak dates back to 2017, when the Club won the Carolina Challenge Cup. The Black & Gold successfully retained their trophy the next two years, winning the 2018 and 2019 editions of the tournament. The Crew finished the 2020 pre-season with a record of 4-0-2.
GYASI ZARDES SECURES MVP AND GOLDEN BOOT AWARDS AT 2020 VISIT TUCSON SUN CUP
Following his performance at the 2020 Visit Tucson Sun Cup tournament, Gyasi Zardeswas the recipient of the Most Valuable Player award, as well as the winner of the Golden Boot award. The forward scored three goals over two matches for Crew SC during the pre-season tournament, helping the Black & Gold post a record of 2-0-1 to secure seven points and win the Sun Cup.
ZARDES: TOP AMERICAN GOAL SCORER IN MLS SINCE 2018
Since the beginning of the 2018 MLS regular season, no other American player has scored more goals than forward Gyasi Zardes. The 28-year-old has tallied 32 goals in 61 regular-season appearances (all starts) for Crew SC, which ties Mauro Manotas for fourth-most goals in MLS regular-season action over that same span. Since joining MLS in 2013, Zardes has made 192 regular-season appearances (177 starts), registering 66 goals and 19 assists.
MILTON VALENZUELA RETURNS TO ACTION IN 2020
After missing the entirety of the 2019 season due to a knee injury, defender Milton Valenzuela is set to return to action in 2020. Valenzuela suffered an injury during the 2019 preseason and had to undergo Anterior Cruciate Ligament reconstruction on his right knee on February 7 of that year. During his first year with the Black & Gold in 2018, the defender made 30 regular-season appearances (29 starts), scoring one goal and providing six assists.
BLACK & GOLD ADD 11 PLAYERS DURING OFFSEASON
Crew SC added 11 players ahead of the 2020 MLS season. Fourteen players are on the current roster that were not on the roster at the start of the 2019 season. The acquisitions were headlined by Argentine Designated Player Lucas Zelarayan (midfielder), who joined the Club on December 20, 2019 from Tigres UANL of Liga MX, setting a club record transfer fee; two-time MLS Cup winner Darlington Nagbe (midfielder) who joined via a trade with Atlanta United on November 13, 2019; and Dutch defender Vito Wormgoor, who signed with the club on December 18 after spending three seasons in Norway with SK Brann. Other additions in the offseason include goalkeepers Matt Lampson and Andrew Tarbell; defender Axel Sjoberg; midfielders Sebastian Berhalter, Derrick Etienne Jr. and Aidan Morris; as well as forwards Fanendo Adi and Miguel Berry.
