COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Crew remains in Columbus this weekend for its second straight home game and final home contest of the 2007 MLS regular season. The Black & Gold is set to play host to FC Dallas Saturday (Oct. 6) at 7:30 p.m. at Crew Stadium. Columbus (7-10-10, 31 pts.) comes into the match after suffering a 2-1 setback at the hands of the Los Angeles Galaxy Sunday before a sellout crowd of 24,300 at Crew Stadium. Alejandro Moreno had the Crew's lone goal in the second minute, his team-leading sixth on the season, but L.A. answered with two in the first half to offset it.
Saturday's match will be televised live nationally on Fox Soccer Channel. The game can be heard live in English on The Brew @ 105.7 and on-line on TheCrew.com and MLSNet.com, with Neil Sika and John Bluem behind the microphone, as well as in Spanish on WDLR 1550-AM, with Marcelo Carrera, Eduardo "Eddie" Carvacho and Benny Pietrangelo on the call.
The Crew and FC Dallas meet for the second and final time this season and for the only time at Crew Stadium. The last time the two teams met, August 11 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas, FC Dallas twice fought back - Arturo Alvarez's 60th-minute goal answered a Marcos Gonzalez header in the sixth minute, and a Carlos Ruiz header in the 80th minute provided a second equalizer after Andy Herron converted a penalty kick in the 74th. Clarence Goodson was then able to head home the game-winner for Dallas off a corner kick in one of the game's final possessions.
FC Dallas will play host to the New England Revolution tonight (Wednesday, Oct. 3) in the 2007 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final at 8 p.m. at Pizza Hut Park. FC Dallas is seeking its second U.S. Open Championship, having previously won it in 1997, when the club was known as the Dallas Burn. New England is after its first-ever U.S. Open Cup championship and the match will be broadcast live nationally on Fox Soccer Channel. The Crew won the 2002 U.S. Open Cup title.
In MLS play, FC Dallas enters this weekend's match coming off a 3-0 loss to Houston on Saturday. The club currently sits third in the Western Conference standings, with a 12-11-4 record (40 pts.), and fifth overall in the playoff race. The Crew is currently sixth in the Eastern Conference and ninth overall in the playoff race, just two points behind Chicago (8-10-9, 33 pts.) for the eighth and final playoff position. Columbus closes out the regular season with matches at New England, on Oct. 13, and at D.C., on Oct. 20.
COLUMBUS CREW vs. FC Dallas
Saturday, October 6, 2007 - 7:30 p.m. (ET) at Crew Stadium
National Television: Fox Soccer Channel; Local Television: None
Crew Radio: The Brew @ 105.7 (English); WDLR 1550-AM (Spanish)
Crew Webcasts: TheCrew.com and MLSNet.com (English)
OUGHTON NAMED TO 18-MAN NEW ZEALAND SQUAD FOR WORLD CUP QUALIFYING
New Zealand Men's National Team head coach Ricki Herbert announced today (Wednesday, Oct. 3) that Crew midfielder Duncan Oughton will be among the 18-man squad called to participate in the Oceania Nations Cup-World Cup qualifying matches later this month. Toronto FC defender Andy Boyens will join Oughton as the lone MLS representatives on the squad. New Zealand opens qualifying action with matches against Fiji on October 13 and 17. New Zealand will also face Vanuatu on November 17 and 21 before rounding out the Oceania qualifying process against New Caledonia on September 6 and 10 of next year. This national team call-up will be Oughton's second of the year. On May 26, Oughton went the full 90 minutes and assisted on the first goal in New Zealand's impressive 2-2 draw at Wales in an international friendly.
CSF RAISES MORE THAN $8,000 SUNDAY IN FIRST ANNUAL SPORTS MEMORABILIA AUCTION AND RAFFLE
The Crew Soccer Foundation, the club's charitable arm, hosted its first annual Sports Memorabilia Auction and Raffle Sunday (Sept. 30), in conjunction with the Crew's match vs. the L.A. Galaxy. Dozens of unique collectibles, from stars around the world, were auctioned off to benefit the Crew Soccer Foundation and more than $8,000 was raised.
JUNGE SCHEDULED TO APPEAR AT VIOLET ELEMENTARY ASSEMBLY THURSDAY
Crew defender Ryan Junge is scheduled visit Violet Elementary School in Pickerington (8855 Education Drive, 43147) this Thursday, Oct. 4, from 1:45-2:40 p.m. Junge will speak to school assemblies about teamwork and the importance of being a good sport.
MIGLIORANZI SCHEDULED TO APPEAR AT COLUMBUS ITALIAN FESTIVAL ON SUNDAY
Crew midfielder/defender Stefani Miglioranzi is scheduled to appear at the Columbus Italian Festival this Sunday, Oct. 7, from 4-5:30 p.m. A native of Brazil of Italian ancestry who moved to the U.S. at the age of 12, Miglioranzi will be on hand to sign autographs.
CREW TRAINING AND GAME SCHEDULE
(Media availability at the conclusion of training; All times listed Eastern Time)
Thur., 10/4 - Training at Obetz, 10 a.m.
Fri., 10/5 - Training at Obetz, 10 a.m.
Sat., 10/6 - Game vs. FC Dallas at Crew Stadium, 7:30 p.m.
Sun., 10/7 - OFF
Mon., 10/8 - OFF
