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Crew hits road for important matches in Costa Rica, Chicago

September 15, 2009 - Major League Soccer (MLS) - Columbus Crew SC News Release


COLUMBUS - After securing a big win over the Houston Dynamo on Sunday (Sept. 13), the MLS-leading Crew prepares for a pair of important road games this week as it travels to Costa Rica for a CONCACAF Champions League match at Deportivo Saprissa Wednesday (Sept. 16) in San Jose, Costa Rica, then travels to Chicago Sunday (Sept. 20) for a MLS match-up between the top two teams in the Eastern Conference.

Wednesday's Champions League match, which kicks off at 10 p.m. ET, will be televised nationally on Fox Soccer Channel on a tape delayed basis four hours later, Thursday at 2 a.m.

Sunday's MLS match in Chicago, which kicks off at 3 p.m. ET, will be televised live regionally on ONN-TV with Neil Sika and Dante Washington calling all the action, and will also be simulcast in English on 106.7 WRXS (please note change) and on-line at TheCrew.com and MLSNet.com. The match can also be heard in Spanish on La Que Buena 1550-AM.

Saprissa enters Wednesday's match after earning a 3-1 comeback win over the Puerto Rico Islanders in its previous Champions League match at Estadio Ricardo Saprissa on Aug. 25. Former Crew midfielder Domenic Mediate put the Islanders ahead in the 25th minute with the match's first goal, but Saprissa responded with three in a 15-minute span, as Jairo Arrieta, Walter Centeno and Armando Alonso tallied in the 34th, 39th and 48th minutes, respectively. Saprissa currently sits tied with the Crew for second place in the CONCCAF Champions League Group C standings with a 1-1-0 record (3 pts.), although it leads the Black & Gold in goal differential by three goals. The CONCACAF Champions League is the confederation's annual club championship which features 24 teams from CONCACAF's three sub-regions: North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The top two teams from each group qualify for the quarterfinals. The eventual champion qualifies for the prestigious seven-team FIFA Club World Cup - which annually pits each continental confederation's champion against the others - in December 2010.

Chicago, which currently sits in second place in the Eastern Conference with a 10-6-9 record (39 pts.), enters Sunday's Eastern Conference match-up after drawing with Real Salt Lake, 1-1, at Rio Tinto Stadium last Saturday (Sept. 12). Kettering, Ohio-native Chris Rolfe scored in the match's 44th minute to give the Fire an early lead, but RSL's Jamison Olave equalized in the 72nd minute to send both sides away with a point. Former Crew forward Brian McBride returned to the Chicago starting line-up in last Saturday's match after sitting out eight games with a shoulder injury. Despite his extended absence, McBride is tied with Rolfe for the team-lead in goals, with six, with both players also registering one assist on the season. Mexican international Cuauhtemoc Blanco leads the squad with eight assists this season, while also scoring five goals.

The Crew, which leads Major League Soccer with an 11-4-9 record and 42 points, enters the week's matches on the heels of its stirring 2-1 win over West-leading Houston at Crew Stadium. Crew captain Frankie Hejduk put the Black & Gold in the lead after heading home a re-directed cross from Gino Padula in the 34th minute, but Houston would respond with a match equalizer in the 80th minute from Cam Weaver. The Crew found the opportunity it was looking for in second-half stoppage time when forward Alejandro Moreno was pulled down in the Houston penalty box by Dynamo defender Geoff Cameron, earning a penalty kick assessment from referee Jorge Gonzalez. Eddie Gaven calmly stepped to the spot and slotted a low shot into the right corner past goalkeeper Pat Onstad for the game-winner.

COLUMBUS CREW at Saprissa (Costa Rica)

(CONCACAF Champions League)

Wednesday, Sept. 16 - 10 p.m. (ET) - Estadio Ricardo Saprissa

National Television: Fox Soccer Channel (TAPE DELAYED AT 2 a.m.); Regional Television: N/A

Crew Radio: N/A; Crew Webcasts: N/A

COLUMBUS CREW at Chicago Fire

Sunday, Sept. 20 - 3 p.m. (ET) - TOYOTA Park

National Television: N/A; Regional Television: ONN-TV

Crew Radio: 106.7 WRXS (English); La Que Buena 1550-AM (Spanish)

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

HEJDUK SCORES HIS FIRST GOAL OF THE SEASON

Crew captain and veteran defender Frankie Hejduk scored his first goal of the 2009 season in the Crew's 2-1 win over the Houston Dynamo last Sunday (Sept. 13) at Crew Stadium. In the 34th minute, Guillermo Barros Schelotto sent a short corner kick to Gino Padula, who then whipped the ball into the box. Houston's Andrew Hainault tried clearing the ball away with his head, but the ball deflected to the far post where Hejduk headed the loose ball past goalkeeper Pat Onstad and into the back of the net. The goal was Hejduk's first since Nov. 23, 2008 when he scored the Crew's third and final goal in its 3-1 victory over New York in the 2008 MLS Cup at The Home Depot Center.

CREW EXTENDS MLS RECORD REGULAR SEASON HOME UNBEATEN STREAK TO 21 GAMES

With its 2-1 victory over Houston on Sunday (Sept. 13), the Crew extended its active regular-season home unbeaten streak to an MLS record 21 games (24 including playoffs and Champions League). The Black & Gold, which has accrued a record of 15-0-6 during the streak, currently holds the significant distinction as owners of the longest regular-season home unbeaten streak (21 games - June 7, 2008 to Sept. 13, 2009), longest regular-season road unbeaten streak (9 games - July 10, 2004 to Oct. 16, 2004) and the longest overall unbeaten streak (19 games - July 3, 2004 to April 2, 2005) in MLS history.

SCHELOTTO STILL TIED FOR FOURTH PLACE ON MLS GOAL SCORING LIST

Reigning MLS MVP and 2009 MLS All-Star First XI selection Guillermo Barros Schelotto currently sits tied for fourth place among MLS goal-scoring leaders. Colorado's Conor Casey is currently first on the list with 13 goals, followed by Dallas' Jeff Cunningham with 12 and Seattle's Fredy Montero with 11. Schelotto, who leads the Crew in goals this season, is currently tied with Toronto's Dwayne De Rosario, L.A.'s Landon Donovan and Salt Lake's Robbie Findley for fourth place on the list with 10 goals apiece.

CREW SOCCER ACADEMY'S ANDREW SOUDERS INVITED TO JOIN U.S. UNDER-17 RESIDENCY PROGRAM

U.S. Under-17 Men's National Team head coach Wilmer Cabrera and his staff recently announced that Crew Soccer Academy defender Andrew Souders of Amherst, Ohio, is among 40 players who have been invited to participate in U.S. Soccer's Under-17 Men's National Team Residency Program for the 2009 fall semester. The roster blends 24 players who were born in 1992 and 1993 as they build toward the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup from Oct. 24-Nov. 16, in Nigeria, and 16 born in 1994, who are also eligible for the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup. The U.S. players live on campus at the IMG Academies in Bradenton, Fla., and train in the morning under the guidance of Cabrera and assistant coaches Paul Caffrey, Gerson Echeverry, Paul Grafer and Keith Fulk. In the afternoon, the players attend classes at nearby Bradenton Preparatory Academy. While in the full-time residency program, the U.S. not only trains daily under Cabrera, but also has access to the IMG Academies' spacious facilities. The team regularly uses the state-of-the-art strength-training facilities, as well as some of the nation's best sports psychologists. The facilities include top-of-the-line soccer equipment, three Bermuda grass fields, an indoor dome with artificial turf, two swimming pools, newly renovated student housing and dining facilities.

'SOCCER AID VII' AUCTIONS UNDERWAY

"Soccer Aid VII," a unique, fund-raising program of the Crew Soccer Foundation, is underway here 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 six years, Soccer Aid has raised more than $33,000 for JDRF. In addition to an autographed jersey, winning bidders will have the opportunity to experience the thrill of match day at first-of-its-kind Columbus Crew Stadium, with two tickets to the Crew's CONCACAF Champions League game vs. Deportivo Saprissa of Costa Rica on Sept. 29, on-field recognition and the opportunity to play a 30-minute scrimmage prior to the Sept. 29 game. All jerseys are official, locker-room issue pregame jerseys worn during the Crew 2008 MLS Cup championship season. Seven jerseys will be up for bids during each of four overlapping four-day bidding periods that run through Sept. 25. "MLS Auctions" can be accessed through CrewSoccerFoundation.org and TheCrew.com.

CREW, FANS PREPARE TO 'BLACK OUT THE GALAXY' ON SEPT. 26 AT CREW STADIUM

With the help of its fans, the Crew will be aiming to "Black Out" David Beckham, Landon Donovan and the Los Angeles Galaxy in a match-up between two of MLS's top clubs on Sept. 26 at 7:30 p.m. at Crew Stadium. Fans attending the game against the Galaxy are encouraged to show their support for the Black & Gold by wearing black attire to Crew Stadium that night. In addition, fans will receive a special edition Crew poster, presented by NAPA, while supplies last. The "Black Out" is intended as a rallying point for Crew fans in attendance, while also providing an electric atmosphere for a match that promises to be an exciting, up-tempo affair.

CSF Sports Memorabilia Auction/Raffle SET FOR SATURDAY, SEPT. 26

The Crew Soccer Foundation, the Crew's charitable arm, will hold its third annual Sports Memorabilia Auction and Raffle in the southwest corner of the Stadium Club before and during the Crew's match on Saturday, Sept. 26 vs. the Los Angeles Galaxy. More than 80 unique collectibles will be available from stars throughout the sports world, with all proceeds supporting Crew Soccer Foundation programming for central Ohio youth and families including the Referee Scholarship Program, Kicks for Kids, inner-city soccer field development and the GOALS for KIDS handbook curriculum.


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