COLUMBUS, Ohio --
After a decisive victory over Real Salt Lake Saturday (Aug. 23) at Crew Stadium, the Crew prepares to travel to Frisco, Texas, to face FC Dallas this Saturday, Aug. 30. The match features a Crew squad (11-6-4, 37 pts.) that now finds itself tied with New England for the top spot in MLS standings, while FC Dallas (6-7-8, 26 pts.) currently sits in third place in the West, just behind Real Salt Lake (27 pts.) and two-time defending champion Houston (32 pts.).
Saturday's match kicks off at 9 p.m. (ET) and will be televised live locally on ONN, with Dwight Burgess and Dante Washington on the call. 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.
FC Dallas enters the match after drawing with the Kansas City Wizards, 1-1, on the road Saturday. The Hoops took the lead just seven minutes in, when Andre Rocha received a long cross from midfielder Dax McCarty, then beat Wizards goalkeeper Kevin Hartman with a stunning long-range blast from 30 yards away for his first career MLS goal. The Wizards answered with a goal deep into stoppage time, when Josh Wolff's low cross from the right side found a sliding Jimmy Conrad, who redirected the service into the back of the net for the late equalizer. With the tie, Dallas is now unbeaten in six of its last seven MLS games, with the lone loss coming courtesy of the Black & Gold at Crew Stadium on Aug. 16.
In that match, Guillermo Barros Schelotto led the Crew to a 2-1 comeback victory in front of a season-high crowd of 17,647 at Crew Stadium. Former Crew forward Jeff Cunningham put the Hoops into the lead in the 35th minute, notching the 100th league tally of his career, and giving FCD a 1-0 advantage at the half. Defensive midfielder Brian Carroll had his first goal of the season and just the third in 141 career games to tie the score for the Crew in the 62nd minute. Then just three minutes later, Schelotto delivered a free kick from the left of goal to the near post where Brad Evans placed a skillful, glancing header past goalkeeper Dario Sala for the game-winner. Carroll's goal was ultimately voted MLS Goal of the Week.
In Saturday's win over RSL, Schelotto was again the difference, as he notched a goal and two assists on his way to earning MLS Player of the Week honors for Week 22. The Crew took a 1-0 lead in the 15th minute thanks to Schelotto when he drew a foul from 25 yards left of goal. The Argentine playmaker placed the ensuing free kick with pinpoint accuracy, finding defender Chad Marshall at the back post for an easy header past Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando. Then, just 10 minutes later, midfielder Eddie Gaven was taken down by a RSL defender as he tried to cut back on the right side of the box. The referee emphatically pointed for a penalty kick, and Schelotto confidently stepped up and converted his fourth penalty goal in as many tries this season, to double the lead. Schelotto was at it again in the 55th minute, sending a leading pass down the right flank to Gaven. After controlling the service, Gaven struck a seeking cross into the box which found Brad Evans at the penalty spot for a crisp header, giving Schelotto his league-leading 14th assist, which leaves him one shy of the Crew's single-season record of 15 set by John Wilmar Perez in 2001. Defender Danny O'Rourke will miss Saturday's match at Dallas due to a one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation.
COLUMBUS CREW at FC Dallas
Saturday, Aug. 30 - 9 p.m. (ET) at Pizza Hut 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 AND NIGERIA EARN SILVER AFTER FALLING TO ARGENTINA IN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL FINAL
Crew midfielder Emmanuel Ekpo and his Nigerian squad fell to Argentina, 1-0, last Saturday (Aug. 23) in the gold medal final at the 2008 Beijing Olympics soccer competition. Argentina managed a narrow win over Nigeria in an exciting contest from the Bird's Nest national stadium in Beijing. A lone goal from Angel Di Maria early in the second half saw the Argentines take home their second straight Men's Olympic Football gold, while Nigeria was forced to settle for consolation silver. Ekpo came on for Nigeria in the 70th minute, and brought an immediate spark to the attack but it was not enough to draw his side even in the final 20 minutes. Ekpo and Nigeria finished the Olympic soccer tournament with a notable record of 4-1-1, with its lone loss coming to Argentina.
HESMER RECORDS SIXTH SHUTOUT OF THE SEASON
Goalkeeper William Hesmer earned a shutout in last Saturday's (Aug. 23) match vs. Real Salt Lake, giving him his sixth clean sheet of the season. Hesmer, who was forced to make just two saves, is now tied for fifth in shutouts among MLS goalkeepers this season. Hesmer's previous shutouts came vs. Toronto (3/29, 5/17), Houston (4/26), Kansas City (6/14) and Colorado (7/27).
GAVEN, SCHELOTTO EACH RECORD 25TH CAREER ASSIST
Eddie Gaven and Guillermo Barros Schelotto each recorded their 25th career assist last Saturday (Aug. 23) in the Crew's 3-0 victory over Real Salt Lake. The players' milestone assists came on Brad Evans clinching goal in the 55th minute when Schelotto sent a leading pass down the right flank to Gaven. After controlling the service, Gaven struck a seeking cross into the box which found Evans at the penalty spot for a crisp header to give the Black & Gold a final margin of 3-0.
CREW RECORDS 11th WIN OF SEASON IN RECORD FASHION, MATCHES LAST'S YEAR'S POINT TOTAL
With its 11th win in 21 games this season, 2008 is the fastest the Crew has reached the 11-win plateau in the post shootout era (since 2000). The 2001 squad earned its 11th victory it its 22nd game. That 2001 team also recorded the most wins in a season in club history in the post shootout era, going 13-7-6 in a season shortened by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The Crew has already earned as many points this season in just 21 games as it did all of last season (37).
CREW PLAYERS AMONG LEAGUE STATISTICAL LEADERS
Several Crew players find themselves among the league statistical leaders after the 3-0 victory over Real Salt Lake last Saturday (Aug. 23). Midfielder Guillermo Barros Schelotto is enjoying an MVP-type season, as he currently leads the league in both assists and corner kicks by a wide margin. Thanks to two more helpers in last Saturday's win, Schelotto now has 14 assists on the season, distancing himself from his closest competitors (Beckham, Morales, Moreno - 8), while also adding three corner kicks to bring his total to 101 for the season. Forward Alejandro Moreno finds himself tied for eighth in MLS in goals scored, with seven, and despite being away on U.S. Olympic duty for several weeks, midfielder Robbie Rogers still ranks among the league's best in several categories, as he is currently tied for third in shots (53) and is tied for fifth in shots on goal (27). Rogers is also tied for third 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 four most-fouled players in Major League Soccer - Alejandro Moreno currently sits second with 55, while Guillermo Barros Schelotto currently sits third with 53 fouls suffered. U.S. Olympian Robbie Rogers currently sits fourth in the fouls suffered rankings with 46 this season.
CREW SOCCER FOUNDATION, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE TEAM UP FOR 'AN EVENING OF SOCCER & SPIRTIS'
The Crew's charitable arm, The Crew Soccer Foundation, and Saks Fifth Avenue have announced a partnership to host "An Evening of Soccer & Spirits," a scotch and wine tasting event on Thursday, September 4 in the Men's Department of the Saks Fifth Avenue location at Polaris Fashion Mall (1350 Polaris Parkway, Columbus, OH 43240). Columbus Crew players and staff will be in attendance at the fine scotch and wine tasting, while displaying the latest in fashion apparel from Saks Fifth Avenue. The tasting will take place from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and will also include hors d'oeuvres. Tickets are available for $35 a person, with all proceeds supporting Crew Soccer Foundation programming for Central Ohio youth and families. For more information, please contact Robin Ungerleider at (614) 447-4175 or rungerleider@thecrew.com.
SOCCER AID VI AUCTIONS CONTINUE AT TheCrew.com, CrewSoccerFoundation.org
On-line auctions for "Soccer Aid VI," a unique, fund-raising program of the Crew Soccer Foundation, continue at "MLS Auctions." 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, including its primary beneficiary, the Mid-Ohio Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Through its first four years, Soccer Aid has raised more than $30,000 for JDRF. In addition to the jersey, winning bidders will have the opportunity to experience the thrill of match day at one-of-a-kind Columbus Crew Stadium, with two tickets to the Crew's game vs. the New York Red Bulls on Sept. 18, on-field recognition and the opportunity to play a 30-minute scrimmage prior to the Sept. 18 game. All jerseys are official, yellow long-sleeve locker-room issue and many of them are game-worn. Six jerseys will be up for bids during each of five overlapping five-day bidding periods. The current period runs through Saturday, with subsequent periods scheduled for Aug. 28-Sept. 2 and Aug. 31-Sept. 5 follow. "MLS Auctions" can be accessed through CrewSoccerFoundation.org and TheCrew.com.
