MLS Colorado Rapids

Crew heads west to take on Colorado Rapids Sunday in Denver

July 23, 2008 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Colorado Rapids News Release


COLUMBUS, Ohio - After league play resumes, following Thursday's Pepsi MLS All-Star Game festivities in Toronto, the Crew will embark West to Colorado to take on the Rapids in the return leg of the home-and-home season series between the two clubs. The match features a Crew squad (8-5-4, 28 pts.) that is seeking to gain ground on first-place New England in the East, and a Rapids side (6-8-3, 21 pts.) that is looking to improve on its position in the middle of the pack in the West. In the first meeting between the two sides, on June 28 at Crew Stadium, the Black & Gold prevailed over the Rapids, 2-1, thanks to goals by Emmanuel Ekpo and Guillermo Barros Schelotto.

Sunday's match kicks off at 9:30 p.m. (ET) and will be televised live locally on ONN, with Dwight Burgess and Dante Washington calling all the action. The game can also be heard in English on News/Talk 610 WTVN with Neil Sika behind the microphone and on-line at TheCrew.com and MLSNet.com, as well as in Spanish on La Que Buena 1550-AM.

Colorado enters this week's match after drawing with FC Dallas, 2-2, last Saturday (July 19), thanks to tallies by Herculez Gomez and Conor Casey. The Rapids have now garnered points in each of their last three matches, including a 1-1 draw with San Jose on July 12 and a 4-0 victory over New York on July 4. Colorado is headlined by 2006 MLS MVP Christian Gomez (then with D.C. United) who has three goals and five assists this season.

Columbus heads into the weekend's match after enjoying a busy week last week. On Thursday (July 17), the Crew drew with the Kansas City Wizards, 3-3, in an exciting, back-and-forth match at Crew Stadium. Columbus found itself down early thanks to a Frankie Hejduk own goal and a score by former OSU Buckeye Roger Espinoza. The Crew stormed back with the match's next three goals - from Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Alejandro Moreno and Chad Marshall - to take a one goal lead into the half. Neither side was able to find the back of the net throughout most of the second half, as Columbus looked to put the game away and Kansas City sought to draw even. Late in the proceedings, Josh Wolff was finally able to find the goal the Wizards were looking for, as he equalized in the 75th minute to send both sides away from the match with a point apiece. Schelotto was named MLS Player of the Week for his one-goal, two-assist performance.

The Crew then welcomed West Ham United of England's Premier League last Sunday (July 20) for an international friendly, won by the Hammers, 3-1. Dean Ashton scored off a blistering shot in the 6th minute to put the West Ham up early but Jason Garey equalized the match for the Crew thanks to a beautifully-placed header in the 20th minute. The Black & Gold hit on bad luck just minutes after Garey's tally when Brad Evans' attempted clearance found the back of the Crew net for an own goal, giving West Ham the lead for good. Kyle Reid notched the match's final tally in the 53rd minute to put the game away for the visitors. West Ham now moves on to Toronto where it will provide the opposition for the MLS stars in Thursday's Pepsi MLS All-Star Game at BMO Field.

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