Playoff-bound Crew host United, Adu

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The first-place Crew will look to run their team-record unbeaten streak to 14 games when the Black & Gold host Freddy Adu and D.C. United on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Crew Stadium. The Crew are unbeaten in their last 13 games (6-0-7) after a 4-2 win over the second-place MetroStars last Saturday at Crew Stadium.

The Crew (10-5-10, 40 pts.) lead the MetroStars (10-10-6, 36 pts.) by four points for first-place in the Eastern Conference, and have played one fewer game than the rest of the East. Columbus has five games remaining and the rest of the East just four.

Saturday's game can be heard in English on The New Eagle, 103.9, or online through TheCrew.com and MLSNet.com. The game can also be heard in Spanish on AM-1550 WXOL.

Tickets for Crew home games can be acquired at the Crew Stadium Box Office, at any area Kroger Ticket Master outlet, via phone at 614-431-3600 or on line at TheCrew.com.

COLUMBUS CREW vs. D.C. United

Saturday, Sept. 25 - 7:30 p.m. (ET) at Crew Stadium

Crew Radio: The New Eagle, 103.9 (English); AM-1550 WXOL (Spanish)

Crew Webcast: TheCrew.com and MLSNet.com (English)

CREW FIRST TEAM TO CLINCH PLAYOFF SPOT, CAN SECURE NO LOWER THAN SECOND IN THE EAST WITH A WIN ON SATURDAY VS. D.C.
The Crew became the first team to clinch a playoff spot, their seventh appearance in nine seasons, after defeating the MetroStars 4-2 on Saturday. With 40 points and a 13-point cushion on last-place New England (27 pts.) in the Eastern Conference, the Crew have outdistanced the Revolution, who can only get a maximum of 39 points over their last four games. With a win Saturday vs. third-place D.C., Columbus can clinch at least second place in the East and secure home field advantage for the first round of the playoffs. A win would give the Crew 43 points, with United only able to reach a maximum of 42 points. The Crew's magic number to clinch the team's first-ever Eastern Conference title is nine points. The second-place MetroStars have 36 points with a max of 48 points available. The magic number would decrease to eight points if Columbus defeats the MetroStars on Oct. 9 and wins the season series and tiebreaker.

CREW STRETCH TEAM-RECORD UNBEATEN STREAK TO 13 GAMES, SECOND LONGEST IN MLS HISTORY AND LONGEST UNBEATEN STREAK IN ONE SEASON
After the 4-2 win vs. the MetroStars last Saturday, the Crew stretched their team record unbeaten streak to 13 consecutive games (6-0-7). The 13-game streak is the second longest in MLS history, trailing only a 15-game run by Los Angeles over the course of the 1997 and 1998 seasons (shootouts included). The 13-game run is the longest unbeaten streak in one season. Los Angeles won their last six games of 1997 and their first nine of 1998. The previous Crew record of nine (7-0-2) was set on 7/4 to 8/19, 2001. Columbus also had a seven-game (4-0-3) unbeaten streak earlier in the year from 5/1 to 6/12 that ranks as the third longest unbeaten streak in team history.

BUDDLE BECOMES FIRST PLAYER IN CREW HISTORY TO SCORE FOUR GOALS IN A GAME, ONLY EIGHTH TIME IN MLS HISTORY THAT A PLAYER HAS TALLIED AT LEAST FOUR GOALS
Crew forward Edson Buddle became the first player in Crew history to tally four goals in a game. There have been nine previous hat tricks in team history (8 regular season, and 1 playoffs), but never a four-goal game. Buddle's scoring spree was only the eighth time in MLS history that a player has notched at least four goals in a game. Clint Mathis holds the league record with five goals in a game, while there have been seven other four-goal matches, including Buddle's career day. It was the first four-goal output since 2002. The eight points by Buddle on Saturday tied The Crew record for points in a game. Dante Washington had an eight point game (3 goals, 2 assists) in 2001. Below are the eight times that a player has scored four or more goals in a game.

GAMES WITH FOUR OR MORE GOALS SCORED