COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Crew returns home for a pair of home games this week, including the first Bob Evans Buck-A-Brat Night on Wednesday, June 21, at 7:30 p.m. vs. the New England Revolution.
Saturday's (June 24) match is Budweiser Hispanic Heritage Night when the Black & Gold hosts Chivas USA at 7:30 p.m. The Crew will recognize local Budweiser Hispanic heroes at halftime and there will be Hispanic themed events on The Crew Kicker Plaza.</p>
The Crew (4-6-2, 14 pts) sits in third place in the Eastern Conference after a 2-0 loss at Chivas USA on Sunday, June 18. New England sits in fourth place in the East, just one point behind The Crew at 3-4-4 (13 pts.), while Chivas is in fourth place in the Western Conference at 5-5-1 (16 pts.).</p>
Wednesday's and Saturday's matches can be heard in English on The Brew @ 105.7 or in Spanish on Radio Sol, AM-1550. Both broadcasts can be heard on-line on TheCrew.com and MLSNet.com.</p>
Single-game tickets for the 2006 home season are currently on sale at the Crew Stadium Box Office, all Central Ohio Ticketmaster retail locations, via Ticketmaster phone at 614-431-3600 and on-line at TheCrew.com.</p>
Fans can become Crew Soccer Nation members by purchasing pro-rated, full-season ticket packages or partial plans, starting as low as $30 for the new Crew 3-Packs. Group tickets are also available. All ticket packages or plans are available through TheCrew.com and 614-447-CREW. </p>
COLUMBUS CREW vs. New England Revolution
Wednesday, June 21 - 7:30 p.m. (ET) at Crew Stadium
Crew Radio: The Brew @ 105.7 (English) and 1550-AM, Radio Sol (Spanish)
Crew Webcasts: TheCrew.com and MLSNet.com (English and Spanish)
COLUMBUS CREW vs. Chivas USA
Saturday, June 24 - 7:30 p.m. (ET) at Crew Stadium
Crew Radio: The Brew @ 105.7 (English) and 1550-AM, Radio Sol (Spanish)
Crew Webcasts: TheCrew.com and MLSNet.com (English and Spanish)
BOB EVANS BUCK-A-BRAT NIGHT BY THE NUMBERS
Bob Evans Buck-A-Brat Nights return to Crew Stadium for an eighth season starting Wednesday, June 21. All game long, and throughout the stadium, juicy, full-size bratwurst will be sold for just $1, as they have been for all regular-season Wednesday home games since Crew Stadium opened in 1999. Below are some all-time Bob Evans Buck-A-Brat numbers:</p>
CREW TO PLAY IN CLEVELAND ON JUNE 22 IN RPM WORLD LEGENDS MATCH
The Crew announced that it has again partnered with former Crew great and current English Premier League goalkeeper Brad Friedel to play in the Second Annual RPM World Legends match on Thursday, June 22, at 7 p.m., at Bay High School Memorial Stadium.</p>
The match, which will pit The Crew vs. a team of international stars, is a fundraiser to benefit Brad Friedel's Premier Soccer Academies, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.</p>
Players scheduled to appear for the World Legends team include former international stars Friedel, Paul Caligiuri and Desmond Armstrong (United States), Gianfranco Zola (Italy), Peter Enckelman (Finland), Marc Hottiger (Switzerland), John Barnes and Scott Sellars (England) and more.</p>
Tickets are available at www.PremierSoccerAcademies.com,,by calling 440-473-9066 or at the gate prior to the game. They will also be available at Crew Stadium's "Cup Headquarters" viewing parties for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and at The Crew's home games on June 10 and June 21. Tickets are $12 for adults and $7 for children under 13. Gates will open at 5:30 p.m. Bay's stadium is located at 29230 Wolf Rd., in the Cleveland suburb of Bay Village, Ohio.</p>
Premier Soccer Academies recently broke ground on the Premier Soccer Academy, an $8-million, state-of-the-art facility, in Lorain, Ohio. The Academy, which is scheduled for completion in spring 2007, is the country's first residential soccer academy free to players, and will be home to soccer's rising stars recruited from around the world. A freshmen class of 20-24 boys, ages 13-14, will enter the Academy in August 2007, where they will live and train 10 months a year.</p>
Premier Soccer Academies was co-founded by Friedel, Armstrong and Barry Venison to deliver a sound, proven method of education and training for the many talented soccer players throughout the U.S. and around the world. Premier Soccer Academies is structured after professional team training camps abroad and U.S. National Team experiences. Visit www.PremierSoccerAcademies.com for additional information.</p>
SOCCER AID IV WILL RUN THROUGH JULY 4
The Crew Soccer Foundation announced that "Soccer Aid IV," a unique, adrenaline-loaded fund-raiser, kicked off on June 13. The exciting program capitalizes on soccer fans' passion for the sport to raise money for charity through the non-profit arm of Major League Soccer's Columbus Crew.</p>
Through its first three years, Soccer Aid has raised more than $28,000 (over $23,000 net) for the Mid-Ohio Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), which remains the program's primary beneficiary.</p>
The concept is simple: Soccer fans bid on-line at CrewSoccerFoundation.org and TheCrew.com for a chance to win official game jerseys autographed by Crew players, as well as the opportunity to experience the thrill of match day at one-of-a-kind Columbus Crew Stadium.</p>
The winning bidder will not only receive the autographed jersey, but will also be entitled to two Center Circle Club seats to The Crew's game vs. D.C. United on July 8, a Soccer Aid T-shirt, on-field recognition and the opportunity to play a 30-minute scrimmage prior to the July 8 game.</p>
At least nine jerseys will be available for bidding during each of the three week-long bidding periods. The first bidding period begins on Tuesday, June 13, and runs through June 20. Bidding periods from June 20-27 and June 27-July 4 follow. Details on how to bid for jerseys can be found at CrewSoccerFoundation.org and TheCrew.Com.</p>
Soccer Aid is modeled after the highly successful "Football Aid" program, which was founded by Craig Paterson in the United Kingdom in 2000 (and launched in 2001) out of a father's desire to create an exciting and rewarding way to raise funds for diabetes research. Football Aid now benefits a host of charitable organizations and has spread throughout Europe. It was brought to the U.S. in 2003 by former Crew head coach Greg Andrulis, whose son, Austin, has type 1 diabetes. </p>
The Crew Soccer Foundation is dedicated to giving back to the community that supports Ohio's Major League Soccer club, by serving as a catalyst for community investment and development. Leveraging the club's unique status as the state's - and region's - acknowledged soccer leader, the CSF works to advance the sport at all levels and enrich the overall quality of life in central Ohio and beyond, with an emphasis on developing the potential of our area's young people. </p>
For more information on Soccer Aid or the Crew Soccer Foundation, please contact Dave Stephany, executive director, at 614-447-4190 or visit us on the Web at www.CrewSoccerFoundation.org. For more information on JDRF, please call Staci Perkins, executive director of the Mid-Ohio Chapter at 614-464-2873.</p>
CREW ANNOUNCERS DWIGHT BURGESS AND BILL McDERMOTT HOSTING DAILY WORLD CUP SHOWS ON XM SATELLITE RADIO
Crew announcers Dwight Burgess and Bill McDermott are hosting daily shows on XM Satellite Radio for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. McDermott hosts World Cup This Morning from 6-9 a.m., while Burgess hosts World Cup Tonight from 7-10 p.m.</p>
CREW STADIUM "CUP HEADQUARTERS" VIEWING PARTIES RUN THROUGH JULY 9
Crew Stadium is once again serving as "Cup Headquarters" and will host viewing parties for all 64 games of the World Cup in Germany that will be televised live on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2. Germany is six hours ahead of the Eastern Time Zone meaning the games will be played during the day.</p>
Admission to "Cup Headquarters" is free and complimentary snacks and Pepsi products will be provided. Budweiser product will be available for purchase, including tournament specials. In addition to juicy Bob Evans bratwursts being available for just $1 throughout the entire tournament, Best Buy will also provide TVs for the event. The games will be shown in the Stadium Club tent located just west of the stadium, via Time Warner Cable service. Prizes will be given away daily, including a grand prize from Time Warner Cable.</p>
The World Cup began on June 9 and runs through the July 9 final. The World Cup is the most anticipated and watched sporting event in the world. Thirty-two nations qualify for the World Cup Finals, which are held every four years, and they are drawn into eight groups of four. The top two teams in each group, after a three-game round-robin, advance to the Round of 16, which begins the knockout phase of the competition. Complete details can be found at www.thecrew.com.</p>
THE CREW AND EVERTON TO MEET ON JULY 26 AT CREW STADIUM
The Crew will face Everton FC of the English Premier League on Wednesday, July 26, at 7:30 p.m. at Crew Stadium. The game is "Special Game A" for Crew Soccer Nation members.</p>
Individual advance ticket pricing is $15 adult/$13 youth (south end), $20/$17 (north end), $25/$19 (corner), $27/$21 (midfield) and $40/$30 (club seats). Day of game pricing is $2 more than advance purchases. Group pricing is also available and can be purchased by calling 614-447-CREW. Tickets are available for purchase at the Crew Stadium Box Office, all Central Ohio Ticketmaster retail locations, via Ticketmaster phone at 614-431-3600 and on-line at TheCrew.com.</p>
Everton finished 11th in the 20-team Premier League's just completed 2005-2006 season. The July 26 game vs. The Crew will be one of the final preparation matches before Everton kicks off the next Premier League season in mid-August.</p>
CREW TO PLAY RIVERHOUNDS IN PITTSBURGH ON AUGUST 8
The Crew will visit Washington County to take on the Riverhounds FC in an exhibition match on August 8 at 7:05 p.m. Tickets for the Crew match are available at the Falconi Field Box Office and on line at www.riverhounds.com.</p>
THE CREW AND RED BULLS TO MEET IN HALL OF FAME GAME ON AUGUST 28 IN ONEONTA, NY
The National Soccer Hall of Fame announced today that the New York Red Bulls and Columbus Crew will meet in the 2006 edition of the annual Hall of Fame Game on Monday, August 28, at 1:00 p.m. on At-A-Glance Field in Oneonta, NY.</p>
Tickets are available at the Hall of Fame Kicks Museum Store or by calling 800-545-FAME (3263). Advance general admission is $15, while game day tickets are $18. Group (20 or more) discounts are also available.</p>
CREW TRAINING AND GAME SCHEDULE
(Media availability at end of training; Times listed Eastern)
June
Tues., 20: 10 a.m. training at Obetz
Wed., 21: Crew vs. New England - 7:30 p.m. at Crew Stadium
Thurs., 22: Crew vs. World Legends exhibition match - 7 p.m. at Bay High School
Fri., 23: 11 a.m. training at Obetz
Sat., 24: Crew vs. Chivas USA - 7:30 p.m. Crew Stadium
