The Columbus Crew is currently in Bradenton, Fla. at the IMG Academies and will play its first exhibition games of the 2006 preseason this week.
The Crew will face the MetroStars on Thursday, Feb. 10, at 10 a.m. at IMG in its first match of the year. Columbus will also face a USASA Amateur Select team on Thursday at 4 p.m. The other exhibition match slated for this week is part of the Second Annual Tom Fitzgerald Memorial Soccer Festival, which is Sunday, Feb. 12, in Tampa.
The day's festivities will be held at the University of Tampa and will feature The Crew taking on Real Salt Lake at 6:30 p.m. at Pepin Stadium. The day also includes the MetroStars vs. the U.S. U-17 National Team at 4 p.m. and a Youth Clinic from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The clinic is open to youth ages 6-14 and is $50.00 per child, which includes a ticket to the games.
Tickets to games are $12 for adults (18 and older), $7 for youth (ages 12-17) and $5 for kids under 12. All proceeds from the games and clinic will go to the Tom Fitzgerald Memorial Scholarship Fund.
The Crew-Real Salt Lake game and the MetroStars-U.S. U-17 games can be heard on-line at TheCrew.com and MLSnet.com with Crew radio play-by-play voice Jim Henderson calling all the action.
Anyone wishing to contribute can send donations to: Tom Fitzgerald Memorial Scholarship Fund, Univ. of Tampa, 401 W. Kennedy Blvd. Box I, Tampa, FL 33606. To date, the scholarship fund has raised over $45,000.
For further information, please contact Adrian Bush at 813-253-6240 ext. 3407 or 3184. If you are interested in attending the Youth Clinic, send an e-mail to Maurice Loregnard at mloregnard@ut.edu. There will also be a photo and autograph session after each game, and prizes will be raffled during halftime of each game. The raffle will include various autographed items and soccer memorabilia.
The team reported for camp on January 31 and in addition to Florida, will take trips to Cyprus and Los Angeles as it continues to prepare for its season opener at Kansas City on Saturday, April 1.
The Crew will train in Bradenton from Feb. 2-16 before returning to Columbus. The Crew will then be in Columbus from Feb. 17-22, before heading to Cyprus. The Black & Gold will be based in Ayia Napa, Cyprus from Feb. 23-March 3. After Cyprus, the team will be in Columbus from March 4-12, before heading to Los Angeles from March 13-24.
Other games currently scheduled in Florida are matches vs. Kansas City (Feb. 14), the University of South Florida (Feb. 15) and the Chicago Fire (Feb. 16). The complete preseason schedule can be found at TheCrew.com.
The Crew will open the 2006 MLS season on the road on Saturday, April 1, at Kansas City, and the home opener is set for Saturday, April 15, vs. the Chicago Fire. MLS kicks off its 11th season on Saturday, April 1. The complete schedule, including start times and the national TV schedule, will be announced this week.
Crew fans can get a "Put out the Fire" Home Opener Pack for $60, which includes four midfield vouchers, and can become Crew Soccer Nation members by purchasing Season Tickets, including a new three-game season ticket package with prices starting as low as $24. All ticket packages are available through TheCrew.com and 614-447-CREW.
SEBASTIAN ROZENTAL AND MARCOS GONZALEZ ARRIVE IN FLORIDA, DAVID CHUN TO REMAIN IN SCHOOL
Attacking midfielder Sebastian Rozental and defender Marcos Gonzalez have acquired their work visas and have arrived in Florida to join The Crew for preseason. The Crew signed the Chilean players in January. British defender Joel Kitamirike has not yet arrived in Florida. Also, midfielder David Chun, The Crew's second round pick in the supplemental draft, has chosen to remain in school at Southern Methodist will not join the team.
CHRIS CARRIERI, ADAM FRYE, RUSTY PIERCE AND BRENT RAHIM IN FLORIDA WITH CREW
Four players have joined The Crew in Florida as non-roster invitees in their attempts to get a contract offer from the club. Forward Chris Carrieri, defenders Adam Frye and Rusty Pierce, and midfielder Brant Rahim are with the team this week.
CREWZERS TRYOUTS SET FOR FEB. 10-12, AT CREW STADIUM
The Crew announced that the Crewzers Professional Dance Team will hold its annual tryouts on Feb. 10-12 at the Crew Stadium Huntington Club. Interested participants can register on-line at thecrewzers.com or on Friday, Feb. 10, from 5:30-6 p.m. at Crew Stadium. A $35 non-refundable registration fee is required.
Mandatory clinics are Friday, Feb. 10, from 6-9 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 11, from 1-3 p.m. An optional clinic is also available on Feb. 11 from 9 a.m.-Noon. The final audition is Sunday, Feb. 12, at 1 p.m. All participants must be 18 years of age by August 31. For more information, contact Kelly Brooks at 614-210-6382 or auditions@thecrewzers.com.
CREW TO HOLD OPEN TRYOUTS ON SATURDAY, MARCH 25, AT OBETZ
The Crew announced today that the club will hold open tryouts for the fourth straight year, on Saturday, March 25, at the Crew Training Center at Obetz located at 4153 Alum Creek Dr.
The tryout will last all day, with registration beginning at 7 a.m. and the evening session ending at 6 p.m. Select members of the Crew coaching staff will be in attendance throughout the day to assess and evaluate the entire player pool. As part of that evaluation process, the coaching staff will reserve the right to dismiss candidates at any time throughout the day. College players will not be eligible to participate in the tryout due to NCAA regulations. There is no pre-registration, and players should just show up on the day of the tryout.
All tryout participants will receive an official numbered tryout shirt that is theirs to keep. There will be a $50 administrative fee per player, which must be paid in cash or check prior to the first training session. All proceeds from participation in the Crew open tryouts will go to the Crew Soccer Foundation.
Individuals wishing to try out are solely responsible for any and all accommodations and transportation they deem necessary. They are also responsible for their own training gear, and must also bring their own ball.
For further information, interested players are encouraged to call Mike Lapper, Crew Assistant Coach and Director of Soccer Business Development, at 614-447-4141. Times are subject to change according to weather and administrative reasons.
CARVACHO GIVING DAILY UPDATES ON RADIO SOL, 1550-AM
Crew Assistant Coach Eduardo Carvacho is supplying 15-minute daily updates on Radio Sol, 1550-AM, Monday through Friday at 9:05 a.m. while the team is in Florida for preseason. Due to the team's schedule in Florida, Pasion de Gol (Passion for Goals), Carvacho's a hour-long soccer show that airs every Thursday, will resume at a later date. Radio Sol is also the Spanish radio play-by-play home for all Crew home games.
HEJDUK AND MARTINO STILL IN U.S. CAMP AS THE TEAM PREPARES FOR JAPAN ON FEB. 10
Crew defender Frankie Hejduk and midfielder Kyle Martino are still with the U.S. National Team as it prepares for a Thursday, Feb. 10, match vs. Japan at SBC Park in San Francisco. The USA's first match in the city in 26 years kicks off at 11 p.m. (ET) and will be shown on ESPN2.
Hejduk has started both U.S. matches in 2006, a 0-0 tie vs. Canada and a 5-0 win over Norway. Martino did not see action in either game. The U.S. will play one more game in February and two in March.
The U.S. will face Guatemala on Feb. 19 at 2 p.m. (ET) at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas, and then head to Germany for a pair of games in March. The U.S. battles Poland on March 1 at 2 p.m. (ET) in Kaiserslautern, Germany, and then visits three-time World Cup champion Germany on March 22 at 2 p.m. (ET) in Dortmund, Germany, one of 12 cities hosting matches in the tournament next summer. All three games will be televised live on ESPN2.
The USA was drawn into Group E for the World Cup along with the Czech Republic, Ghana, and Italy. The U.S. plays its opening match against the Czechs on June 12 in Gelsenkirchen at 12 p.m. ET. Five days later, the USA faces Italy in Kaiserslautern, and then finishes off group play against Ghana on June 22 in Nuremberg. The U.S. has chosen the city of Hamburg as its base of operations throughout the tournament.
CREW TRAINING AND EXHIBITION SCHEDULE IN FLORIDA
February
6 - 10 am train; 3:30 pm train
7 - 10 am train; 3:30 pm train
8 - 10 am train; 3:30 pm train
9 - 10 am train; 3:30 pm train
10 - 10 am vs. MetroStars (IMG); 4 pm vs. USASA Amateur Select Team (IMG)
11 - 10 am train; 3:30 pm train
12 - Noon train; 6:30 pm vs. Real Salt Lake (Fitzgerald Match)
13 - 10 am train; 3:30 pm train
14 - 11 am vs. Kansas City (at South Florida); 3:30 pm train
15 - 11 am at University of South Florida; 3:30 pm train
16 - 10 am vs. Chicago (IMG); Depart for Columbus
