COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Columbus Crew will officially close out its 12th season on Tuesday (Nov. 13) when it plays host Tecos UAG of the Mexican Premier Division in an international exhibition at Crew Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday's match will be broadcast live exclusively via webcast at TheCrew.com, with Neil Sika on the call.
The game is included in all Gold-level Crew Soccer Nation memberships, designated as Special Game "C." Tickets - priced at $12 adults/$10 youth (south end), $17/$13 (north end), $20/$15 (upper sideline), $24/$17 (lower sideline) and $37/$27 (club seats) - are 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. Group pricing is available and may be acquired by calling 614-447-CREW. Please note that with construction having recently begun on a new permanent stage at Crew Stadium, seating will not be available in sections 135-139 for this game.
Tecos, short for tecolotes - or "owls" in English - is a member of the Mexican Premier Division and is associated with Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara (Independent University of Guadalajara). It finished sixth in Group 1 of the just-completed 2007 Apertura season with a record of 5-10-2. Its roster features Jose de Jesus Corona, Mexico's backup goalkeeper at the 2006 FIFA World Cup; defender Joel Sanchez, a member of Mexico 1998 World Cup team; Mexican League legend Rodrigo "Pony" Ruiz; and forward Sammy Ochoa, a member of the U.S. Under-20 National Team squad coached by current Crew head coach Sigi Schmid at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship.
The club plays its home matches at Estadio 3 de Marzo in Zapopan, a municipality in the metropolitan area of Guadalajara. The stadium's name, which translates to "Stadium Third of March" is a tribute to the anniversary of the University's inauguration on March 3, 1935. Founded in 1971 by a group of UAG students, Tecos has been a member of the Mexican Premier Division since 1975. Much of the Owls' success to date occurred in the mid-90's, as the club won the Mexican Championship in 1993-94 and the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 1995.
COLUMBUS CREW vs. Tecos UAG (Mexico)
Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2007 - 7:30 p.m. (ET) at Crew Stadium
National Television: N/A; Local Television: N/A; Crew Radio: N/A
Crew Webcast: TheCrew.com (English)
CREWZERS DANCE TEAM TRYOUTS SET FOR NOV. 16-18 AT CREW STADIUM'S HUNTINGTON CLUB
The Crewzers Professional Dance Team will be holding auditions for women interested in performing for the Crew's official dance and cheerleading squad Nov. 16-18 at Crew Stadium's Huntington Club. Registration and the first round of clinics will be held Friday, Nov. 16, at 6 p.m. The second clinic and preliminaries are slated for Saturday, Nov. 17, and the final auditions will be Sunday, November 18. Attendance at all clinics is mandatory to be eligible for the final auditions. The Crewzers are comprised of career women and college students who commit themselves to countless hours each week to make them the dynamic team they are. The squad has a variety of ages, but ladies must be 18 by Aug. 31, 2008 to be eligible for the 2008 team. Registration for walk-ins will begin Nov. 16 at 5 p.m. For more information, audition details and pre-registration options, visit www.thecrewzers.com.
OUGHTON DEPARTS FOR NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL TEAM DUTY
Duncan Oughton has joined the New Zealand Men's National Team for its World Cup Qualifying match at Vanuatu on Saturday, Nov., 17 in Port Vila. The return leg is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 21, in Wellington, N.Z. The call-up is Oughton's third of the year. In his last World Cup qualifying action, Oughton and the All Whites defeated Fiji, 2-0, Oct. 17 in Lautoka, Fiji, in what was supposed to be the second game of a World Cup qualifying series. Oughton playied the full 90 minutes for the All Whites, which saw the first game, scheduled for Oct. 13, postponed due to a controversy involving the visa of Fiji's starting goalkeeper. A new date and time have yet to be determined for the postponed match. New Zealand will round out the Oceania qualifying process against New Caledonia on September 6 and 10 of next year. On May 26 of this year, 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.
KAMARA RETURNS FROM RIGHT TO PLAY ATHLETE FORUM IN LIBERIA
Crew forward Kei Kamara is scheduled to return today from Monrovia, Liberia, where he participated in Right To Play's 2007 Athlete Forum. A world leader in using sport and play for child development and peace, Right To Play became an MLS W.O.R.K.S. partner this year and Kamara serves as an Athlete Ambassador. The purpose of Right To Play Athlete Forums is to show Athlete Ambassadors first-hand the organization's specially-designed sport and play programs geared to improving health, building life skills, and fostering peace for children an communities affected by war, poverty and disease. A native of neighboring Sierra Leone, Kamara was joined on the trip by a variety of Olympic athletes, including Adam van Koeverden (Canada - Kayak), James McIlroy (UK - Track and Field), Whitney Ping (USA - Table Tennis) and Cheil Warners (Netherlands - Decathlete). Kamara is one of 20 MLS Right To Play Athlete Ambassadors who help raise awareness and funds to assist children in the world's most disadvantaged places.
CREW TO HOLD OPEN TRYOUTS AT PREMIER SOCCER ACADEMIES CAMPUS IN LORAIN, OHIO, JAN. 25-26
The Columbus Crew of MLS will host a tryout for the 2008 season at Brad Friedel's Premier Soccer Academies campus in Lorain, Ohio, on Friday, Jan. 25, and Saturday, Jan. 26. (Please note that the tryout originally scheduled for Dec. 8-9 in Sacramento, Calif., has been cancelled.) The tryouts will be open to all players regardless of age, with the lone exception being that college players with any eligibility remaining are not allowed to participate due to NCAA rules and regulations. Participants need to arrive at PSA by 8 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 25, for registration and orientation. Players should plan on being there through 5 p.m. on the 25th. Training will begin at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday the 26th and conclude at 4 p.m. Players should plan on attending both days in order to have the coaching staff properly evaluate their skills. It is recommended that players bring both types of cleats (indoor and molded). There will be a fee of $100 that must be paid two weeks prior to the tryout. Individuals are responsible for their own food, accommodations and transportation. Potential prospects can visit www.TheCrew.com to register for either of the two tryout locations and for more details.
CREW OPERATING KIOSK AT POLARIS FASHION PLACE THROUGH HOLIDAYS
A Crew kiosk will be open now through the holidays next to the Food Hall in Polaris Fashion Place. From Crew merchandise to the Holiday Pack, it will have something for every Crew fan. The kiosk is open Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m. and Sunday from Noon-6 p.m.
CREW ATTENDANCE AVERAGES MORE THAN 20,000 OVER LAST FIVE HOME GAMES IN 2007
Over the last five home games of the 2007 regular season, Crew attendance averaged 20,295. The impressive run at the gate started on Aug. 18, when 21,639 filled Crew Stadium for the Black & Gold's game vs. D.C. United. That was followed by crowds of 16,036 on Sept. 2; 19,983 on Sept. 8; 24,300 on Sept. 30; and 19,517 on Oct. 6.
