MLS Columbus Crew SC

Crew hosts Kansas City Thursday in ESPN Primetime

Published on July 15, 2008 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Columbus Crew SC News Release


COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Crew will once again enjoy a packed schedule this week, as it returns home to Crew Stadium for an ESPN Thursday Night Primetime match-up against the Kansas City Wizards, then welcomes English Premier League squad West Ham United in an international exhibition on Sunday (July 20).

This week's MLS match features a Crew squad (8-5-3, 27 pts.) that currently sits alone in second place in the Eastern Conference, with Major League Soccer's second-best record, while the Wizards (5-5-5, 20 pts.) enter Thursday's match looking to climb the standings as they currently sit tied with New York for sixth place in the East.

Thursday's match kicks off at 8 p.m. and will be televised live nationally on ESPN. The game can also be heard in English on News/Talk 610 WTVN with Dwight Burgess and John Bluem behind the microphone and Neil Sika providing sideline coverage and on-line at theCrew.com and MLSNet.com, as well as in Spanish on La Que Buena 1550-AM.

Kansas City enters this week's match after defeating New York, 2-1, last Thursday (July 10), extending its unbeaten streak to four games. Jimmy Conrad scored his team-leading fourth goal of the season and Davy Arnaud added his first for the Wizards, each coming early in each half. Juan Pablo Angel countered for the Red Bulls in the 71st minute and the visitors nearly grabbed a late equalizer, but the Wizards were able to hold on for their second consecutive win at home. Kansas City recently announced the signing of U.S. Men's National Team forward Josh Wolff, who rejoins the club after two seasons with 1860 Munich in the German Second Bundesliga. In his previous stint, Wolff played 80 games with the Wizards from 2003-2006, registering 27 goals and 20 assists. He will be available for selection in Thursday's match in Columbus.

Columbus heads into the weekend's match after experiencing a 2-0 setback last weekend (July 12) at Real Salt Lake. The Crew was unable to overcome Javier Morales' free kick goal in the 4th minute, and Robbie Findley put the game away for RSL late in the proceedings, keeping Salt Lake undefeated at Rice-Eccles Stadium this season.

Thursday's match will be the first of two scheduled Thursday Night Primetime match-ups for the Crew on the ESPN family of networks this season. It will host the New York Red Bulls at Crew Stadium on September 18 on ESPN2.

Sunday's friendly will kick off at 5:00 p.m. and be classified as ‘Special Game C' for Crew Soccer Nation Gold members (full-season ticket packages). Tickets are available at the Crew Stadium Box Office, all central Ohio Ticketmaster retail locations, via Ticketmaster phone at 614-431-3600 and on-line at TheCrew.com.

West Ham United, whose origins can be traced back to 1895, are an established English Premier League club who have just finished the 2007/08 season in a creditable tenth place out of the 20 participating teams. Managed by Alan Curbishley, the Hammers boast an array of international stars. Among them are England players Robert Green, Matthew Upson and Dean Ashton, the captains of Sweden, Australia and Wales in Freddie Ljungberg, Lucas Neill and Craig Bellamy and US men's national team defender Jonathan Spector.

West Ham United features one of soccer's most recognizable jerseys, with the claret body and sky blue sleeves. The team is affectionately known as the "Hammers," a reference to its origin as the company team for Thames Ironworks. Famed for producing the three players that ‘won' England the 1966 World Cup - namely Bobby Moore, Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst - West Ham United have a history and tradition for playing attacking football that is recognised the world over. Recent graduates of the club's famed academy system include Manchester United duo Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick and the Chelsea pair of Frank Lampard and Joe Cole - and there are signs that more exciting young talent is coming through the ranks in east London.

In the first match of its international series, The Crew got second-half goals from Robbie Rogers and Jason Garey to defeat Club Atletico Independiente of Argentina, 2-1, on July 9 at Crew Stadium. The win improved the Crew's all-time record in international exhibitions to 10-2-2. It was the Black & Gold's first-ever match against an Argentine club.

Following the match in Columbus, West Ham will travel to Toronto where it will provide the opposition for the MLS stars in the Pepsi MLS All-Star Game at BMO Field on Thursday, July 24.

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