MLS Columbus Crew SC

Columbus Crew Turns Three

Published on May 16, 2002 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Columbus Crew SC News Release


COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Crew's 7-2 victory over FC Nurnberg of the German Bundesliga, in an international exhibition match Wednesday, helped mark a milestone for Columbus Crew Stadium. The first major-league stadium built specifically for soccer team in the U.S. turned three years old in hosting its 111th event since opening on May 15, 1999.

Three years after that historic night, when The Crew defeated the New England Revolution, 2-0, before a still-record overflow crowd of 24,741, Columbus Crew Stadium continues to shine brightly as the jewel of U.S. soccer venues in its fourth season as the home of The Crew.

"It is hard to believe we already have three years under our belts," said Mark McCullers, the stadium's general manager since the beginning. "At the same time, it has been a very eventful three years. We can look back with satisfaction on where we have been and look forward to a similarly exciting future."

Developed for the Columbus community by the Hunt Sports Group, led by Lamar and Clark Hunt, the 22,555-seat stadium features a combination of European atmosphere and traditional American amenities. From the foundation up, Crew Stadium's sharp-cut industrial look is a steel and concrete masterpiece designed in the very image of America's Hardest Working Team.

In its inaugural 1999 season, The Crew averaged a MLS-best 17,696 fans per game and the event schedule has grown to include NFL practices involving the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts, Ohio State University Spring Football games, the NCAA Men's College Cup and Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) soccer and football championship and all-star games - even an *NSYNC concert - since the historic Inaugural Game.

But the biggest events in the stadium's history have been soccer blockbusters. A pair of U.S. Men's National Team World Cup qualifiers, the 2000 MLS All-Star Game and MLS Cup 2001 headline that list. On Oct. 11, Columbus played host to the U.S.-Costa Rica semifinal-round match which ended in a 0-0 tie before 24,430 and marked the first time that any full international U.S. men's game has been played in the state of Ohio. Then, in 27-degree temperatures on Feb. 28, 2001, the U.S. opened final-round qualifying back at Crew Stadium with a 2-0 victory over mighty Mexico in front of an overflow crowd of 24,624. The U.S. ultimately qualified for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, which begins this moth (May 31) in Korea/Japan.

To date more than 1,175,000 people have passed through Crew Stadium's gates, as it has played host to 52 Major League Soccer matches, including playoffs; 13 U.S. Soccer games, including seven involving the national team program; 22 high school football and soccer games; two NFL training camp events; two Ohio State football Spring Games; one *NSYNC concert and a large-scale, innovative Honda employee party.

Columbus Crew Stadium Highlights - The First Three Years

* Home of the Columbus Crew

* Home of 1999 Major League Soccer attendance champion (17,696 average per game)

* MLS Record for season tickets sold in 1999 (9,282)

* Named the 2000 Foremost Sports Facility of the Year by the International Sports Summit

* Recipient of a 1999 American Institute of Architects' Honor Award

* Awarded the 1999 Ohio Concrete Masonry Association's Merit Award for Outstanding Use of Concrete Masonry in Ohio

* Hosted its first doubleheader, as well as its first U.S. Soccer Federation event, when the U.S. U-17 Men's National Team faced El Salvador's U-17 National Team prior to The Crew's game vs. Tampa Bay on May 22, 1999

* Hosted the 1999 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final between Rochester (A-League) and Colorado (MLS)

* Hosted the 1999 Nike U.S. Women's Cup opening doubleheader in October 1999, attended by an SRO crowd of 23,101

* In 1999, also hosted special events such as the NFL Fan Fest with the Cincinnati Bengals, an Ohio High School Athletic Association regional football championship and the OHSAA State Soccer Finals

* Played host to the 2000 and 2001 Ohio State University spring football games

* Hosted the first game of the Major League Lacrosse (MLL) Summer Showcase on July 8, 2000

* Hosted joint full pad practice sessions involving the NFL's Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts in July 2000

* Hosted the 2000 MLS All-Star Game on July 29, which drew a sellout crowd of 23,495

* Hosted World Cup qualifying match between the U.S. and Costa Rica on Oct. 11, 2000, which drew an overflow crowd of 24,430

* Hosted first game of the U.S. Women's National Team's 2000 Glory Tour on Nov. 11, 2000

* Hosted a final-round World Cup qualifying match between the U.S. and Mexico on Feb. 28, 2001, which attracted an overflow crowd of 24,624

* Hosted a sold-out *NSYNC concert on Aug. 20, 2001

* Hosted MLS Cup 2001, won by San Jose over L.A. 2-1 in OT, on Oct. 21

* Hosted 2001 NCAA Men's College Cup on Dec. 14 & 16

* Site of the 2003 NCAA Men's College Cup

Columbus Crew Stadium Facts and Figures * MLS Capacity - 22,555

* Seating - Bleacher-style seating with backs, 1,157 Club seats, and 30 open-air Club Loges.

* Lighting - Four-corner tilted lighting provides a European lighting effect.

* Playing Surface - 115 yds x 75 yds

* Field Surface - Four-Blend Kentucky Blue Grass

* Amenities- Concession plazas in all four corners offer clear sight lines of the field; the 57,000-square-foot Crew Kicker Plaza - embedded with an 84-foot-diameter concrete soccer ball - for pregame festivities; an interactive fun center called the Wreck Deck; and a 384-square-foot LED Video Board.

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Major League Soccer Stories from May 16, 2002


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