Off
15 -- 7:00 p.m. vs. Cincinnati Kings (Keith Evans at Obetz)
16 -- Depart for Charleston, S.C. (Carolina Challenge Cup)
17 -- 10:00 a.m. train; 4:00 p.m. train
18 -- 10:00 a.m. train; 4:00 p.m. train
19 -- 6:00 p.m. vs. Charleston Battery
20 -- 10:00 a.m. train; 4:00 p.m. train
21 -- 10:00 a.m. train; 4:00 p.m. train
22 -- 6:00 p.m. vs. San Jose
23 -- 10:00 a.m. train; 4:00 p.m. train
24 -- 10:00 a.m. train; 4:00 p.m. train
25 -- 8:15 pm vs. D.C. United
26 -- Depart for Columbus
27-April 1 -- Crew Week X
CREW AND VIRGINIA BEACH MARINERS PLAY TO 1-1 TIE IN VIRGINIA BEACH
The Crew and Virginia Beach (United Soccer Leagues First Division) played to a 1-1 tie on Saturday in an exhibition game at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex. Virginia Beach went up 1-0 after converting a penalty kick midway through the second half, but The Crew tied the game at 1-1 after Ross Paule scored on a 25-yard free kick with 10 minutes to play. </p>
CREW PRESEASON EXHIBITION RESULTS (4-4-1)
Preseason exhibition results: U-17 National Team (T 1-1, Bradenton, Fla., Feb. 4), D.C. United (L 1-0, Bradenton, Fla., Feb. 5), Central Florida (W 3-1, Bradenton, Fla., Feb. 7), South Florida (W 1-0, Bradenton, Fla., Feb. 8), MetroStars (W 1-0, Bradenton, Fla., Feb. 11), Real Salt Lake (L 2-0, Tampa, Fla., Feb. 13), Viking, Norway (L 5-0, La Manga, Spain, Feb. 28), Molde, Norway (W 3-2, La Manga, Spain, March 2), Bodo/Glimt, Norway (T 0-0, La Manga, Spain, March 4), Start, Norway (L 5-1, La Manga, Spain, March 6), and Virginia Beach, USL First Division (T 1-1-, Virginia Beach, Va., March 12).</p>
2005 SIERRA MIST MLS ALL-STAR GAME SET FOR COLUMBUS ON JULY 30
Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber and Crew General Manager Mark McCullers announced on March 8 that the MLS All-Stars will face English Premier League club Fulham FC as MLS goes global in the 2005 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game to be played on Saturday, July 30, in Columbus Crew Stadium (live on ABC Sports at 3:30 p.m. ET).</p>
The game on July 30 will represent the return of forward Brian McBride to the city which he called home for eight seasons while playing for the Crew before joining Fulham in January 2004. Former Chicago Fire defender and U.S. National Team stalwart Carlos Bocanegra, a two-time MLS Defender of the Year, will also make his return to the All-Star Game wearing the black and white of Fulham.
Crew Soccer Nation members (season ticket holders) will get a priority offer to purchase All-Star tickets before they go on sale to the general public. The on-sale date for the general public will be announced in the near future. For more information call 614-447-CREW.
U.S.-MEXICO RETURNS TO CREW STADIUM ON SEPTEMBER 3
Columbus Crew General Manager Mark McCullers, in conjunction with U.S. Soccer, announced on March 9 that Columbus Crew Stadium will be the site for the U.S.-Mexico World Cup Qualifying match on Saturday, Sept. 3, at 7:30 p.m. (ET). The game will be shown live on ESPN Classic and Telemundo.</p>
Ticketing details will be announced at a later date, but Crew Season Ticket holders will receive a priority offer to purchase tickets before they go on sale to the general public.
In World Cup qualifying, the U.S. has a 3-13-5 record vs. Mexico, including a 2-0 victory over the Tricolors in the now famous "La Guerra Fria" game at Crew Stadium on Feb. 28, 2001. The Mexican media dubbed the game "La Guerra Fria," The Cold War, because of the cold temperatures expected in Columbus. In that match, Josh Wolff and Earnie Stewart scored for the U.S. before a pro-American, sold-out crowd of 24,624 fans in below freezing temperatures. The Feb. 28, 2001, game was also a final round World Cup qualifying game, and the last time the two nations have played in the U.S. in World Cup qualifying action.
Approximately 19,000 tickets were sold prior to the Feb. 28, 2001, game going on sale to the general public. The approximately 5,000 tickets that did go on sale to the general public sold out in just six hours. Fans from at least 38 states, the District of Columbia, and the countries of Mexico and England attended the match.
MARSHALL AND BUSCH MAKE U.S. DEBUTS IN 3-0 WIN OVER COLOMBIA
MARSHALL SCORES AND BUSCH NOTCHES SHUTOUT
Crew defender Chad Marshall and goalkeeper Jon Busch made their U.S. National Team debuts in the U.S.'s 3-0 win over Colombia on March 9 in Fullerton, Calif. Both debuts were memorable as Marshall scored a goal and Busch notched the shutout. Kyle Martino also played in the game, coming on as a substitute in the 83rd minute. Those three Crew players and Frankie Hejduk remain with the national team as they continue preparations for the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Mexico on March 27 and Guatemala three days later, on March 30.</p>
The 22-man training camp squad gathered in Carson, Calif. on Sunday, Feb. 27, and is composed entirely of domestic-based players. The European-based players are expected to begin arriving into camp March 20. Kickoff for the March 27 match vs. Mexico at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City is set for 1 p.m. ET, while the game vs. Guatemala is set for 8 p.m. ET on March 30 at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala.
The team will play one more match in advance of the qualifiers, when the U.S. makes its third-ever appearance in Albuquerque, N.M. as they welcome Honduras for a 4:30 p.m. (ET) kickoff at University Stadium on March 19.
The U.S. will play 10 games in the final round of qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup from Feb. 9 - Oct. 13, 2005. The USA, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama and Trinidad & Tobago are competing for three automatic berths to the World Cup finals in Germany. The fourth-place finisher will face the fifth-place team from the Asian Football Confederation in a home-and-home series to determine the last entrant into the tournament. The U.S. opened final round play with a 2-1 victory in Trinidad on Feb. 9.
COMPLETE 2005 CREW AND MLS SCHEDULE IS AVAILABLE
The Crew announced its 2005 season schedule on Monday, February 14. For the complete Crew schedule log-on to The Crew's official website at www.thecrew.com. Major League Soccer also announced the complete 2005 composite schedule which can be found at www.mlsnet.com.</p>
SEASON AND HOME OPENER SET FOR APRIL 2 VS. LOS ANGELES AT 7:30 P.M.
The Crew will kick off year No. 10 of Major League Soccer on April 2 at Columbus Crew Stadium, when the Black & Gold face the Los Angeles Galaxy at 7:30 p.m. </p>
