COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Crew remains on the road this weekend to take on Chivas USA on Saturday, September 3, at 10 p.m. (ET) at The Home Depot Center. Saturday's game against Chivas is their first-ever appearance against the new expansion team.
The Crew (8-12-3, 27 pts.) is 4-2-1 under Interim Head Coach Robert Warzycha after winning 1-0 at Kansas City on the road on Friday. It was The Crew's first road win of the year. Chivas USA (3-17-5, 14 pts.) sits in sixth place in the Western Conference after a 2-2 tie to FC Dallas on the road on Saturday.</p>
Saturday's game is not televised locally but can be seen on the MLS Direct Kick package. It can also be heard in English on 103.9, TED-FM, or on-line at TheCrew.com and MLSNet.com.</p>
Tickets for Crew home games can be acquired at the Crew Stadium Box Office, at any area Ticket Master outlet, via phone at 614-431-3600 or on line at TheCrew.com. </p>
BUFFALO WILD WINGS SET FOR CREW AWAY GAME VIEWING PARTY ON SATURDAY
Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar on Bethel Road, the "Official Away Game Headquarters" for all Crew road games, will host a viewing party on Saturday, September 3, at 10:00 p.m. for The Crew's game at Chivas USA. Buffalo Wild Wings is located on 5240 Bethel Centre Mall.</p>
COLUMBUS CREW at Chivas USA
Saturday, September 3 - 10:00 p.m. (ET) at The Home Depot Center
Crew Radio: 103.9, TED-FM (English)
Crew Webcasts: TheCrew.com and MLSNet.com (English)
U.S. vs. Mexico - World Cup Qualifier
Saturday, September 3 - 7:30 p.m. (ET) at Crew Stadium
National Television: TBD (English); Telemundo (Spanish)
U.S. CAN CLINCH BERTH TO 2006 FIFA WORLD CUP WITH WIN ON SATURDAY AT CREW STADIUM
The U.S faces Mexico on U.S. soil in World Cup Qualifying once every four years in the most highly anticipated match played in the U.S. over that time period. On Feb. 28, 2001 the U.S. took on Mexico at Columbus Crew Stadium in a final round World Cup Qualifier, winning 2-0, en route to qualifying for the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan/Korea. </p>
Fast forward four years later and U.S.-Mexico II comes to Crew Stadium on September 3, 2005, in an equally important final round World Cup Qualifying match. </p>
The Labor Day weekend tilt looms even larger as former Crew star Brian McBride scored just 91 seconds into the game as the U.S. defeated Trinidad & Tobago, 1-0, on August 17 and can now clinch a berth to the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany with a win over Mexico on Sept. 3. The World Cup berth would be the fifth consecutive for the U.S. squad and its eighth overall since the first World Cup in 1930. The 2006 tournament will be the 18th World Cup Finals played.</p>
A tie vs. Mexico could also clinch a U.S. berth in the 2006 World Cup, but only if the other two CONCACAF qualifying matches on September 3 (Panama vs. Costa Rica and Trinidad & Tobago vs. Guatemala) result in ties, or T&T and Guatemala tie and Costa Rica loses. </p>
Mexico defeated Costa Rica, 2-0, at home on August 17 to maintain the top spot in the final round of qualifying with 16 points (5-0-1), while the U.S sits in second place with 15 points (5-1-0). In the other CONCACAF match last night, Guatemala beat Panama at home, 2-1. Costa Rica and Guatemala are tied for third with seven points each, with Trinidad & Tobago in fifth with four points and Panama sixth with two points. </p>
Fans from 46 states, the District of Columbia and three countries other than the U.S. have purchased tickets to the U.S. vs. Mexico World Cup qualifier. Besides fans from around the country, fans will also travel to Columbus from Canada, England and Mexico. The four states that aren't represented are Hawaii, Maine, Montana and North Dakota.</p>
The CONCACAF Final Round Qualifying tournament is a 10-game round-robin format tournament that began on Feb. 9 and runs through Oct. 12, 2005, with the top three teams automatically advancing to the 2006 World Cup. The fourth-place team will compete in a two-game playoff to be held Nov. 12/13 and Nov. 16 against the fifth-place finisher in Asian qualifying.</p>
Tickets for the U.S. vs. Mexico qualifier in Columbus sold out minutes after they went on sale to the general public on August 2. Anticipating the biggest international soccer event in Crew Stadium since the U.S. faced Mexico on Feb. 28, 2001, fans snapped up tickets during a week-long presale for select members of the U.S. Soccer community, including registered ussoccerfan.com members and Crew season ticket holders. The remaining tickets sold out in 20 minutes.</p>
SECOND ANNUAL CREW SOCCER FOUNDATION SILENT AUCTION ON TAP FOR SEPTEMBER 17
Crew General Manager Mark McCullers has announced that the Second Annual Crew Soccer Foundation Silent Auction will be held on Saturday, Sept. 17, in conjunction with The Crew's 7:30 p.m. game vs. Chicago that evening.</p>
The auction will take place in the Stadium Club tent located on the west side of Crew Stadium beginning at 6 p.m., when gates open for the game, and running for an hour and a half until the game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. It will then close at 7:30 p.m. for the duration of the game, before resuming for another 45 minutes following the game.</p>
All proceeds will go to the Crew Soccer Foundation, the club's charitable arm [501(c)(3)], whose initiatives include the successful Kicks for Kids program - now in its eighth season - which affords deserving children, who might not otherwise have the opportunity, the chance to attend Crew home games.</p>
The auction,coordinated by Crew assistant coach/director of soccer business Mike Lapper, will provide an opportunity for fans to bid on some fabulous, unique items and packages. In addition to priceless soccer memorabilia, there will also be a wide variety of auction items from a great many supporting organizations and companies.</p>
Among the items that have been donated to the auction so far are framed jerseys from soccer stars Brad Friedel, Freddy Adu and Tony Meola; Golf foursomes to some of the finest private golf courses in central Ohio; Romantic packages, including hotel stays and fine dining gift certificates; Getaway packages; gift baskets and many more great items.</p>
The Crew Soccer Foundation is dedicated to giving back to the community that supports Ohio's Major League Soccer club, by serving as a catalyst for community investment and development. The CSF works to advance the sport at all levels and enrich the overall quality of life in central Ohio and beyond, with an emphasis on developing the potential of our area's young people.</p>
Fans must be present to participate and cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express will be accepted. For more information on the CSF, please contact Dave Stephany at 614-447-4190 or <b>DStephany@TheCrew.com</b>.</p>
CREW INJURY REPORT
Player Status Injury
Mario Rodriguez Probable Hamstring strain (R)
Stephen Herdsman Out Groin Strain (L)
Jon Busch Out for the year Knee (R)
Duncan Oughton Out for the year Knee (R)
Ross Paule Out for the year Post Concussion Syndrome
CREW OTHER PLAYERS OUT
Edson Buddle Out MLS SABH Assessment
