After suffering its first setback of the 2008 season, on the road at New York Saturday, the Crew returns home to Crew Stadium to play host to Western Conference foe CD Chivas USA this Saturday, April 12.
Saturday's match, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET, will be televised live locally on Columbus Sports Network, with Dwight Burgess and Bill McDermott calling all the action. The game can also be heard in English on News/Talk 610 WTVN with Neil Sika and John Bluem behind the microphone and on-line at TheCrew.com and MLSNet.com, as well as in Spanish on La Que Buena 1550-AM, featuring Marcelo Carrera, Eduardo Carvacho and Benny Pietrangelo.
Chivas USA enters this weekend's match still unbeaten in the 2008 season, after tying FC Dallas, 1-1, in its season opener March 30 and defeating Real Salt Lake, 3-1, Saturday (April 5) in its home opener. Chivas has notched four goals in two games so far and all have been tallied by different players - Maykel Galindo, Sasha Kljestan, Atiba Harris and Alecko Eskandarian.
Saturday's match is the first of two regular-season meetings between the two clubs and the lone Crew Stadium appearance of one of the league's top teams. The defending regular-season Western Conference champs are coached by reigning MLS Coach of the Year, Preki, one of the league's all-time greats as a player, and features reigning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Brad Guzan. The teams will meet again at the Home Depot Center in greater-Los Angeles on Saturday, May 31.
In last Saturday's mach at New York, the Crew was unable to overcome a blazing start by the Red Bulls, who got a goal from Dave van den Bergh just 46 seconds into the contest, and followed that tally with a second, just seven minutes later, thanks to Kevin Goldthwaite.
COLUMBUS CREW vs. CD Chivas USA
Saturday, April 12 - 7:30 p.m. (ET) at Crew Stadium
National Television: N/A; Local Television: CSN
Crew Radio: News/Talk 610 WTVN (English); La Que Buena 1550-AM (Spanish)
Crew Webcasts: TheCrew.com and MLSNet.com (English)
CREW TO TAKE ON CLEVELAND CITY STARS IN FRIENDLY MATCH THIS SUNDAY, APRIL 13, IN PARMA
The Crew travels to the Cleveland area Sunday, April 13, for an exhibition match vs. the Cleveland City Stars of the USL Second Division at 5 p.m. The City Stars kick off their second season this month, after enjoying a successful inaugural season in the USL-2 in 2007. The friendly match is part of Cleveland's "2008 Season Launch Weekend" at Byers Field in Parma. A one-day game pass is $15. For more information about the Cleveland City Stars or the weekend schedule, visit http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=nhjbxkcab.0.0.vndbwgcab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clevelandcitystars.com%2F&id=preview or call the CCS ticket hotline at 216-916-6586. Current Crew players Adam Moffat and Andrew Peterson spent time with Cleveland last year.
HESMER REGISTERS PK SAVE IN TWO STRAIGHT GAMES FOR ONLY THIRD TIME IN MLS HISTORY
Crew goalkeeper William Hesmer has performed a rare feat, only seen twice before in MLS history, by denying an opponent's penalty kick attempt in a second consecutive match April 5 at New York. Hesmer, who made a diving save on Collin Samuels' penalty kick try in the Crew's season-opening win vs. Toronto on Mar. 29, again came up big in New York, as he made a leaping stop of Juan Pablo Angel's try in the 52nd minute. Matt Jordan was the first goalkeeper in league history to accomplish the feat when, in 2001, he stopped penalty tries in consecutive matches against Chicago and New York while with Dallas. In 2003, D.J. Countess, also of Dallas, stopped penalty attempts in consecutive games against Los Angeles and Colorado. No player in MLS history has ever made penalty saves in three consecutive matches. Hesmer has performed well against penalty kick attempts since joining the Crew prior to the 2007 season, allowing only two goals in five penalty attempts faced.
HERNANDEZ MAKES BLACK & GOLD DEBUT IN NEW YORK
Forward Nicolas Hernandez made his Crew debut Saturday (April 5) at New York, coming on as a substitute in the 62nd minute for countryman Guillermo Barros Schelotto. Hernandez was acquired by the Crew on Feb. 27 from the Colorado Rapids in exchange for defender Tim Ward and the Crew's natural third-round selection in the 2009 MLS Supplemental Draft. He was the Rapids' team MVP for the 2006 season after tallying seven goals and six assists in 30 appearances.
PADULA ADDED TO ROSTER, AVAILABLE FOR SELECTION SATURDAY
Recently-signed left back Gino Padula has received all necessary clearance and has been officially added to the Crew's roster. Padula, who signed with the Crew on March 24 and was waiting approval of his P-1 visa, joined the club late last week and accompanied the team to New York. He will wear uniform No. 4 and be available for selection when the Crew takes on Chivas USA this Saturday.
CREW, OHIO STATE TO SQUARE OFF APRIL 29 IN SEVENTH ANNUAL CONNOR SENN MEMORIAL MATCH
The Crew and Ohio State Buckeyes will once again meet on the field Tuesday, April 29, in the seventh annual Connor Senn Memorial Match. Game time is set for 7 p.m. ET at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium on the campus of Ohio State. The first six exhibition matches in the annual series have raised nearly $100,000 for the Connor Senn Memorial Scholarship Fund, which is now nearly fully endowed.
CREW SOCCER ACADEMY SQUADS PLAY PAIR OF MATCHES IN DETROIT
The CSA squads took to the road last weekend, April 5-6, making their way to Detroit to take on two clubs ranked in the top 20 nationally. Both teams took on Vardar on April 5, with the Under-16s taking home a 2-1 victory in the day's first match. The Under-18s followed up with a 2-2 draw in a closely contested match. On Sunday, CSA matched up with the Michigan Wolves. The U-16s started the day off with a 0-0 draw with the Wolves and the U-18s capped the weekend with a 2-1 victory over the Wolves, which improved their record to 6-3-2, giving them sole possession of first place in the U-18 Great Lakes Conference of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. The Under-16s are currently tied for third place in the Great Lakes Conference with 5-2-4 record. Both squads now have a two-week break until their next matches, which will be played at home in Crew Stadium the weekend of April 19-20. On April 19, the CSA U-16s and U-18s welcome Internationals at 1 p.m. ET and 3 p.m. ET, respectively. The following morning, CASA visits Crew Stadium to take on the CSA U-16s at 10 a.m. ET and the U-18s at 12 noon ET.
CREW NAMED A FINALIST FOR 2008 CORPORATE CARING AWARD
Along with its charitable arm, the Crew Soccer Foundation, the Crew has been named a Finalist for a 2008 Corporate Caring Award. Business First and sponsors Battelle, Grange Insurance, KPMG, Mills/James Productions, and Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease will celebrate corporate philanthropy in Columbus this Thursday, April 10, presenting awards at the 12th Annual Corporate Caring Awards Luncheon that will be held at the Hyatt Regency Ballroom.
CREW TRAINING AND GAME SCHEDULE
(Media availability at the conclusion of training; All times listed Eastern Time)
Thur., 4/10: Training at Crew Stadium, 10 a.m.
Fri., 4/11: Training at Obetz, 10 a.m.
Sat., 4/12: Game vs. CD Chivas USA, Crew Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
Sun., 4/13: Reserve friendly at Cleveland City Stars, Byers Field in Parma, 5 p.m.
Mon., 4/14: Off
Tues., 4/15: Training at Obetz, 10 a.m.
