Columbus Crew General Manager Mark McCullers announced today that The Crew will take on Chilean First Division power Universidad Católica on Saturday, June 4, at 7:30 p.m. at Crew Stadium. The game against Católica marks the first time The Crew has taken on a team from South America.
The game is a part of Crew Soccer Nation ticket packages for all Gold Level members (full season packages) and some Black Level members (Half-Pack A). It is marked "Special Game A" in their season ticket booklets.
Tickets for this international match are on sale now and are priced the same as Crew single-game tickets ($35 club seats; $22 midfield advance/$24 day of game; $20 corners advance/$22 day of game; $16 endlines advance/$18 day of game). Tickets can be acquired at the Crew Stadium Box Office, at any area Ticketmaster outlet, via phone at 614-431-3600 or on line at TheCrew.com.
"Universidad Católica is a very respected and successful institution," said McCullers. "This is a great example of the opportunity that international matches bring to The Crew, in terms of top competition, fan entertainment and global relationships, along with cultural diversity and exposure for the City of Columbus and Franklin County."
The game in Columbus is part of a two-game tour for Católica in the United States. They will also play at Real Salt Lake on June 8 (7:30 p.m. local time).
Católica is currently in first place in the Chilean First Division with a 13-2-1 record, outscoring its opponents 35-10. It leads Universidad de Chile by seven points. Católica is the former club of MetroStars goalkeeper Jonny Walker, and is coached by Jorge Alberto Pellicer Barcelo. Jose Luis Villanueva leads the team with eight goals. Católica is based in Santiago, Chile, and was founded in 1937.
The storied Chilean team was the 1993 Libertadores Runner-up, the 1995 Copa InterContinental Champions, and 15-time Champions/Runner-up in the Chilean First Division.
PRONOUNCED: Kuh-TOLE-ee-ka
