COLUMBUS, Ohio - After league play resumes, following Thursday's Pepsi MLS All-Star Game festivities in Toronto, the Crew will embark West to Colorado to take on the Rapids in the return leg of the home-and-home season series between the two clubs. The match features a Crew squad (8-5-4, 28 pts.) that is seeking to gain ground on first-place New England in the East, and a Rapids side (6-8-3, 21 pts.) that is looking to improve on its position in the middle of the pack in the West. In the first meeting between the two sides, on June 28 at Crew Stadium, the Black & Gold prevailed over the Rapids, 2-1, thanks to goals by Emmanuel Ekpo and Guillermo Barros Schelotto.
Sunday's match kicks off at 9:30 p.m. (ET) and will be televised live locally on ONN, with Dwight Burgess and Dante Washington calling all the action. The game can also be heard in English on News/Talk 610 WTVN with Neil Sika behind the microphone and on-line at TheCrew.com and MLSNet.com, as well as in Spanish on La Que Buena 1550-AM.
Colorado enters this week's match after drawing with FC Dallas, 2-2, last Saturday (July 19), thanks to tallies by Herculez Gomez and Conor Casey. The Rapids have now garnered points in each of their last three matches, including a 1-1 draw with San Jose on July 12 and a 4-0 victory over New York on July 4. Colorado is headlined by 2006 MLS MVP Christian Gomez (then with D.C. United) who has three goals and five assists this season.
Columbus heads into the weekend's match after enjoying a busy week last week. On Thursday (July 17), the Crew drew with the Kansas City Wizards, 3-3, in an exciting, back-and-forth match at Crew Stadium. Columbus found itself down early thanks to a Frankie Hejduk own goal and a score by former OSU Buckeye Roger Espinoza. The Crew stormed back with the match's next three goals - from Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Alejandro Moreno and Chad Marshall - to take a one goal lead into the half. Neither side was able to find the back of the net throughout most of the second half, as Columbus looked to put the game away and Kansas City sought to draw even. Late in the proceedings, Josh Wolff was finally able to find the goal the Wizards were looking for, as he equalized in the 75th minute to send both sides away from the match with a point apiece. Schelotto was named MLS Player of the Week for his one-goal, two-assist performance.
The Crew then welcomed West Ham United of England's Premier League last Sunday (July 20) for an international friendly, won by the Hammers, 3-1. Dean Ashton scored off a blistering shot in the 6th minute to put the West Ham up early but Jason Garey equalized the match for the Crew thanks to a beautifully-placed header in the 20th minute. The Black & Gold hit on bad luck just minutes after Garey's tally when Brad Evans' attempted clearance found the back of the Crew net for an own goal, giving West Ham the lead for good. Kyle Reid notched the match's final tally in the 53rd minute to put the game away for the visitors. West Ham now moves on to Toronto where it will provide the opposition for the MLS stars in Thursday's Pepsi MLS All-Star Game at BMO Field.
COLUMBUS CREW at Colorado Rapids
Sunday, July 27 - 9:30 p.m. (ET) at Dick's Sporting Goods Park
National Television: N/A; Local Television: ONN
Crew Radio: News/Talk 610 WTVN (English); La Que Buena 1550-AM (Spanish)
Crew Webcasts: TheCrew.com and MLSNet.com (English)
EKPO JOINS NIGERIA FOR OLYMPIC PREPARATIONS
Crew midfielder Emmanuel Ekpo departed Columbus on Friday (July 18) to join his Nigerian countrymen as they begin final preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Ekpo and Nigeria will participate in Group B of the Olympic competition where he will be joined by Crew teammate Robbie Rogers and the United States, along with the Netherlands and Japan. Ekpo, who has registered two goals and an assist for the Black & Gold this season, will lead Nigeria into the group stage of the competition on Thursday, Aug. 7, when the "Eagles" open play against the Netherlands.
HEJDUK TO TAKE PART IN 2008 MLS PEPSI ALL-STAR GAME AT BMO FIELD IN TORONTO THIS THURSDAY
Crew defender Frankie Hejduk will take part in his sixth MLS All-Star Game, and fifth since joining the Crew, this Thursday, July 24, when the MLS All-Stars take on West Ham United of England's Premier League at BMO Field. Best known for his endurance and gritty defending, Hejduk has helped spark a resurgence in Columbus this season, as the Black & Gold has posted the second-best record in the league to date. Crew teammate Robbie Rogers was also named to the All-Star Starting XI, but he was named to the U.S. Olympic squad, which is preparing for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, so he is unavailable for this week's All-Star Game festivities in Toronto.
CREW PLAYERS AMONG LEAGUE STATISTICAL LEADERS
Several Crew players find themselves among the league statistical leaders so far in the 2008 season. Current MLS Player of the Week Guillermo Barros Schelotto is enjoying a standout 2008 season, as he currently leads the league in assists with ten and also leads MLS in corner kicks by a wide margin with 90 on the season. Forward Alejandro Moreno finds himself fifth in MLS in goals scored with seven, while midfielder Robbie Rogers ranks among the league's best in several categories, as he currently sits second in shots (52) and is tied for fourth in shots on goal (25). Rogers is also tied for second in MLS in multi-goal games, with two on the season.
CREW FEATURES THREE OF THE LEAGUE'S FOUR MOST-FOULED PLAYERS
The Crew's roster features three of the six most-fouled players in Major League Soccer - Guillermo Barros Schelotto currently sits second with 45, while Alejandro Moreno currently sits third with 44 fouls suffered. Midfielder Robbie Rogers is currently ranked fourth, with 43 fouls suffered this season.
CREW SOCCER ACADEMY U-18s TAKE THIRD PLACE IN DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY FINALS IN CARSON, CALIF.
The Crew Soccer Academy Under-18 squad competed in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Finals in Carson, Calif. last week (July 12-19), as it sought to take home the Development Academy's inaugural championship. The CSA U-18s defeated CASL, 2-0, Saturday (July 12) in its opening game in group play, thanks to goals by Thomas Schmitt and Mike Green. The team had Sunday off then took on LAFC Monday (July 14) in its second contest. The Crew and LAFC tied, 1-1, in front of a large crowd on the grounds of HDC, with the Crew's goal coming from Green in the fourth minute. In its third and final match of group play, the CSA squad defeated Concorde Fire, 2-1, with both goals coming from Travis Wall. The win improved the U-18s to an undefeated record of 2-0-1 in group play, but the squad fell just short of advancing to the championship game due to finishing second place in its group based on goal differential. The team moved on to compete in the third-place match on Friday (July 18) against Colorado Rush, finishing up its Finals week with a 4-0 victory, thanks to goals by Wall, Matthew Bonfini, Schmitt and John Wargo. The win earned the CSA U-18 squad a third place finish in the inaugural U.S. Soccer Development Academy Finals, which featured 64 of the best youth U-17/18 teams in the entire country.
COACH NICHOLS, FIVE CSA PLAYERS HONORED WIH U.S. DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY REGIONAL RECOGNITION
The U.S. Soccer Development Academy's eight Conference Starting XI squads and Coaches of the Year from the Under-17/18 age groups were announced during the Academy Finals week at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The recipients of the awards were voted upon by U.S. Soccer's Development Academy coaches and National Team scouts. The Crew U-18s were represented by five honorees on the Great Lakes Conference Starting XI squad: GK Matt Lampson, D Chad Barson, M Mike Green, M Ben Speas and F Nick Blevins. CSA U-18 head coach Eric Nichols was also honored as Coach of the Year in the Great Lakes Conference after his club's stellar inaugural season.
DAVE MATTHEWS BAND TO PERFORM AT CREW STADIUM NEXT TUESDAY, JULY 29
Crew Stadium is proud to welcome Dave Matthews Band to Columbus next Tuesday, July 29, 2008 for a stop in their full summer tour. Fans attending Tuesday's DMB show will be the first to hear the latest material from Dave Matthews Band as the band debuts songs from their forthcoming album. DMB is currently in the studio with Rob Cavallo (Green Day, My Chemical Romance, Alanis Morrisette) working on the yet-to-be-titled album. Guitarist and longtime friend Tim Reynolds is playing on the album, marking his first recording with DMB since 1998's Before These Crowded Streets. Tickets are available at the Crew Stadium Ticket Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com, AEGLIVE.COM or charge by phone at 614.431.3600.
CREW SOCCER FOUNDATION REFEREE SCHOLARS RECOGNIZED AT JULY 17 GAME
Participants in the Crew Soccer Foundation's inaugural Referee Scholarship class were recognized prior to the Crew's match vs. K.C. on July 17, with members of the CSF Board of Directors on hand to congratulate them. With the goal of advancing the sport and helping young people to supplement their income through the great game of soccer, the Crew Soccer Foundation launched a Referee Scholarship program in 2008, after months of development. The program is targeted at youth who have the desire, but not the financial means to obtain their referee training, certification and uniform. Thirteen Columbus residents between the ages of 14 and 18 made up the inaugural class. Each of the scholars had an interest in becoming a referee or advancing his or her referee training. Upon successful completion of a certification course at Gladden Community House in Columbus with instructors from the Columbus Area Soccer Officials Association (CASOA), each scholar received a referee kit that consists of yellow shirt, black shorts, black socks, whistles, book, yellow/red cards, two flags and a sports watch. Scholars will now be assigned to recreational and/or competitive youth matches by CASOA, which will also serve as a mentoring resource.
