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Columbus Crew SC

Match Preview: Columbus Crew Sc to Visit Philadelphia Union for Midweek Clash Tomorrow

June 2, 2015 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Columbus Crew SC News Release


COLUMBUS - Columbus Crew SC (4-4-4, 16 points) travels to Eastern Pennsylvania to meet the Philadelphia Union (3-8-3, 12 points) in a midweek match at PPL Park tomorrow, June 3 at 7:00 p.m. ET. Time Warner Cable SportsChannel is televising the game, with Dwight Burgess and Neil Sika co-hosting the broadcast. Burgess and Sika's call is set to be simulcast on CD102.5 FM, and Juan Valladares is calling the action for La Mega 103.1 FM in Spanish.

Tomorrow's match is the 14th all-time meeting between Crew SC and the Union as well as the seventh meeting at PPL Park. The last time Columbus visited Philadelphia, on October 11, 2014, the Black & Gold won by a 3-2 final in a match that saw the club set records for the largest road deficit overcome to win (two goals) as well as the fastest three goals in team history (four minutes).

All-time against Philadelphia, Crew SC holds a record of 9-3-1. The Black & Gold have earned 28 out of a possible 39 points (71.8%) against the Union, which is the club's highest points-earned percentage against any current MLS opponent (minimum three matches played). Columbus is 3-3-0 all-time at PPL Park and has won two of its last three visits to Chester.

Crew SC forward Kei Kamara's goal at Orlando City SC helped the Sierra Leone international maintain his two-goal lead in the Major League Soccer goal-scoring race. Kamara, now at 10 goals on the season, is two ahead of San Jose's Chris Wondolowski for the League lead. The goal gave Kamara a double-digit goal-campaign for the third time in MLS; he also registered the 19th-such campaign in Black & Gold history. By reaching 10 goals in just 12 matches played, Kamara became the fastest player in club history to hit the milestone, surpassing Guillermo Barros Schelotto, who scored 10 goals in his first 13 matches in 2009. The all-time MLS record for goals in one season is 27, shared by Roy Lassiter (Tampa Bay, 1996), Wondolowski (San Jose, 2012) and Bradley Wright-Phillips (New York Red Bulls, 2014).

With an assist at Orlando City SC, defender Waylon Francis notched his 10th all-time in MLS and for Crew SC, a total that leads all League defenders since the Costa Rican international entered the League prior to the 2014 season. Francis is also tied for the lead in assists by a defender this season (four). Additionally, in last Saturday's match at Orlando, goalkeeper Steve Clark set a new career-high in saves (seven).

Midfielder Justin Meram reached 100 appearances in both MLS and for Crew SC at Orlando City SC on Saturday. Meram joined a club of players to reach 100 Black & Gold appearances that now contains 21 members, and is led by Chad Marshall, who notched 253 matches played for Columbus. The current longest-tenured member of the club, Meram has made 53 starts from 2011-present for Crew SC. He has notched 16 goals and 11 assists in Black & Gold, with 11 goals and seven assists coming since the start of the 2014 season under Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter.

Columbus Crew SC at Philadelphia Union

Wednesday, June 3 - 7:00 p.m. ET - PPL Park (Chester, Pennsylvania)

Regional Television: Time Warner Cable SportsChannel

Crew SC Radio: CD102.5 FM (English); La Mega 103.1 (Spanish)

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