COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Crew will hold its 2007 Team Awards Ceremony, presented by adidas, on Wednesday, Oct. 24, at Lifestyles Community Pavilion. This year's festivities will feature a new twist, as the Crew will host a "Casino Night" for attendees immediately following the Awards Ceremony, which will be emceed by Dionne Miller, host of Columbus Sports Network's Crew pregame shows and "Crew Corner" weekly magazine show.
Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., with the Awards Ceremony beginning at 7 p.m. and a variety of casino games to follow. The following season awards will be presented during the ceremony: Huntington Man of the Year, OhioHealth Comeback Player of the Year, Sierra Mist Goal of the Year, Honda MVP, Budweiser Golden Boot, U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year, CSF Crew Chiefs Hardest Working Player, Defender of the Year, Coaches Award, Fan's Choice Award and Crew Fan of the Year.
Gold Level Crew Soccer Nation members will be admitted free of charge. The general public can purchase tickets for $10 in advance or $15 at the door. All proceeds will benefit the Crew Soccer Foundation, the charitable arm of the Columbus Crew.
The Crew's 12th MLS season came to a close on Saturday with its second straight impressive road win, a 3-2 triumph over Supporters' Shield winners D.C. United. Robbie Rogers scored twice and Alejandro Moreno added his team-leading seventh goal of the year, as Columbus finished 9-11-10 for 37 points. The Crew scored nine more goals and earned one more victory and four more points than it did last season, in two fewer games (1.23 points-per-game in 2007 vs. 1.03 ppg in 2006).
TODAY IS FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF CREW WINNING FIRST MAJOR TROPHY, 2002 U.S. OPEN CUP CROWN
This Date in Crew History - On Oct. 24, 2002, the Crew won its first-ever championship, defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy, 1-0, to win the U.S. Open Cup title at Crew Stadium. Guatemalan midfielder Freddy Garcia scored the game's lone goal and keeper Jon Busch recorded the shutout, capping a magical run that was highlighted by a dramatic come-from-behind 3-2 overtime victory over Kansas City in the semifinals.
CREW ATTENDANCE AVERAGES MORE THAN 20,000 OVER LAST FIVE HOME GAMES IN 2007
Over the last five home games of the 2007 regular season, Crew attendance averaged 20,295. The impressive run at the gate started on Aug. 18, when 21,639 filled Crew Stadium for the Black & Gold's game vs. D.C. United. That was followed by crowds of 16,036 on Sept. 2; 19,983 on Sept. 8; 24,300 on Sept. 30; and 19,517 on Oct. 6.
PACHECO, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO BATTLE TO 0-0 DRAW AGAINST EL SALVADOR
Crew defender Andrei Pacheco and the Trinidad & Tobago Men's National Team tied host El Salvador 0-0 in an international friendly last Wednesday (Oct. 17) at Estadio Cuscatlan in San Salvador. T&T gave a gutsy showing before some 13,000 fans against a team that was coming off a 2-2 draw with Costa Rica at the same venue on Saturday. Pacheco, who played 72 minutes for the Soca Warriors, had a crack at goal in the 35th minute, but his free kick at the top of the box was blocked low and gobbled up by El Salvador goalkeeper Henry Hernandez. The tie gives T&T its second consecutive draw following a 1-1 result with Guatemala at the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup in June.
CREW TO HOLD OPEN TRYOUTS OVER THE WINTER IN SACRAMENTO AND CLEVELAND
The Crew will host two sets of open tryouts for the 2008 season, the first being held in Sacramento, Calif., at Larchmont Park on December 8-9 and the second at Krenzler Field on the campus of Cleveland State University on January 25-26. Tryouts will be open to all players regardless of age, with the lone exception being that college players with any eligibility remaining are not allowed to participate due to NCAA rules and regulations. Players should plan on attending both sessions at their chosen tryout location in order to have the coaching staff properly evaluate their skills. Individuals are responsible for their own food, accommodations and transportation. There will be a registration fee of $100 that should be paid at least 2 weeks prior to the date of the selected tryout. Potential prospects can visit www.TheCrew.com to register for either of the two tryout locations and for more details.
