MLS Columbus Crew SC

Crew News & Notes: Crew Opens Home Campaign Saturday vs. N.Y.

Published on March 23, 2011 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Columbus Crew SC News Release


COLUMBUS - The Columbus Crew hosts the Eastern Conference rival New York Red Bulls in its MLS FirstKick 2011 home opener this Saturday, March 26. Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m. at historic Crew Stadium, which enters its 13th season as the home of the Crew.

The match will be televised live regionally in ONN with Dwight Burgess and Duncan Oughton calling all the action. It will also be broadcast in high definition exclusively to Time Warner Cable Mid-Ohio customers in Columbus on Ch. 1311. The game can also be heard in English on News/Talk 610 WTVN and on-line at TheCrew.com, with Neil Sika and John Bluem behind the microphone, and in Spanish on La Mega 103.1, with Carlos Cordova and Benny Pietrangelo on the call.

Crew forward Jeff Cunningham enters the match with 132 goals scored, just one behind all-time MLS career leader Jaime Moreno. With his next goal, Cunningham will also become the Crew's all-time goal-scoring leader, breaking a tie with Brian McBride at 62.

The Black & Gold looks to bounce back from the 3-1 setback it suffered in its regular-season opener at D.C. United last Saturday (March 19). The Red Bulls are coming off a 1-0 victory over the Seattle Sounders at Red Bull Arena. New York will be without five starters from its opener, as defenders Rafa Marquez (Mexico) and Tim Ream (United States), midfielder Dane Richards (Jamaica), forward Juan Agudelo (United States) and goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul (Senegal) have been called up to their respective national teams for matches taking place next week during international FIFA dates.

Crew defender Korey Veeder and Red Bulls defender Sacir Hot will also be unavailable on Saturday as they have been named to the U.S. roster for the 2011 CONCACAF U-20 Championship in Guatemala from March 28 to April 10.

This is the 51st regular season encounter between the two teams with a record of 23-22-5 in favor of the Black & Gold. The Crew won both contests in 2010, with the most recent match being a 2-0 victory at Crew Stadium on July 17 behind goals by Emilio Renteria and Brian Carroll.

COLUMBUS CREW vs. New York Red Bulls

MLS FirstKick 2011

Saturday, March 26 - 4 p.m. - Crew Stadium

National Television: N/A; Regional Television: ONN (in HD on TWC Ch. 1311)

Crew Radio: News/Talk 610 WTVN (English); La Mega 103.1 (Spanish)

Crew Webcasts: TheCrew.com (English)

SINGLE-GAME TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW

Single-game tickets for all 17 regular-season matches are on sale now, at the Crew Stadium Box Office, all central Ohio Ticketmaster retail locations, via Ticketmaster phone at 1-800-745-3000 and on-line at TheCrew.com. For complete promotional schedule, please visit: http://www.thecrew.com/tickets/2011-promotional-schedule .

CREW KICKS OFF SEASON FRIDAY WITH STATEHOUSE SCRIMMAGE

A selection of Crew players, coaches and Crew Juniors will kick off the season in dramatic fashion on Friday, March 25, by holding a scrimmage on the Statehouse lawn. The event will take place from 1:30 to 3 p.m. and fans are invited to come and meet some the new players on the team as well as see some familiar faces.

FAN FORUM THURSDAY AT CREW STADIUM

The club will hold one of its popular Fan Forums on Thursday, March 24, at 6 p.m., in the Upper 90 Club at Crew Stadium. It features a panel scheduled to be made up of Crew President & General Manager Mark McCullers, head coach Robert Warzycha and Crew players Rich Balchan, Jeff Cunningham and William Hesmer (panelists subject to change). McCullers will kick off the interactive discussion with a brief outline of the club's current priorities and state of affairs, after which the entire panel will be available for questions. The event is open the first 100 people who register here: https://www.thecrew.com/form/fan-forum-rsvp .

CREW INVESTOR-OPERATOR CLARK HUNT TO DELIVER KEYNOTE ADDRESS AT EO/WPO COLUMBUS SEMINAR

On Friday, March 25, Crew Investor-Operator Clark Hunt will give the keynote address at an EO/WPO Columbus seminar entitled "The Business of Running a Professional Sports Franchise and Its Impact in Our Community" seminar. Mr. Hunt will discuss his family's notable experience in the business of professional sports. Following Hunt's keynote address, he will be joined in a panel discussion focusing the impact of our professional sports teams and the role they play in central Ohio's future by Crew President & General Manager Mark McCullers, Blue Jackets President Mike Priest, and Columbus Partnership CEO Alex Fischer. The event runs 4 to 6 p.m. at the Hyatt on Capitol Square (75 East State Street).

CREW TO JOIN WITH MAYOR COLEMAN FOR CLEAN-UP EFFORT ON SATURDAY

On Saturday, March 26, Crew executives, Crew Cat and members of the front office will lend their support and elbow grease to a neighborhood cleanup from 9 to 11 a.m. Investor-Operator Clark Hunt, President & General Manager Mark McCullers and the rest of the Crew contingent will join Mayor Michael B. Coleman and Keep Columbus Beautiful in a litter removal effort with residents of South Linden. The clean-up will take place in areas adjacent to Hamilton Avenue (the starting point will be the Hamilton Stem Academy at 2047 Hamilton Avenue). Following welcome remarks by Mayor Coleman, Clark Hunt and Mark McCullers at Hamilton Stem Academy, volunteers will be transported to and from cleanup sites.

korey veeder called into u20 national team

Crew defender Korey Veeder joined the U.S. U20 National team earlier this week in advance of the CONCACAF U20 Championship in Guatemala City. Veeder, already a staple on the U17 team, is part of the 20-man squad that will attempt to qualify for the FIFA U20 World Cup to be held in Colombia this July.

CREW SOCCER ACADEMY WINS BIG IN CLEVELAND

The Crew Soccer Academy 17/18s and 15/16s won both matches in Cleveland against the Internationals last Saturday (March 19) at the Pinnacle Sports Complex in U.S Soccer Development Academy League action. The 15/16s won their match, 2-1, behind goals by Zachary Mason and Thomas Harr, while the 17/18s edged the Internationals, 1-0, with a goal by John Macias. The CSA teams return to league play on Saturday, April 2, as they host Indiana United Soccer Academy for a pair of matches at the Crew Training Center at Obetz.

YOUTH SOCCER DESCENDS ON COLUMBUS

The Crew Juniors and the Crew Soccer Academy will be hosting a tournament and a series of friendly matches at different locations around town, including the Value City Fields at Easton and the Crew Training Center at Obetz. All three CSA teams, 13/14s, 15/16s and 17/18s, will participate in a four-club tournament against the teams from Toronto FC, the Chicago Fire and Sporting Kansas City. In addition, Crew Juniors teams will participate in various friendlies around town. In total, 102 youth teams will be playing matches in the Columbus area over the weekend.

AUTOGRAPH ALLEY RETURNS THIS WEEKEND

One of the most popular features at Crew home games returns this weekend. After Saturday's match vs. New York, fans will be able to meet and get autographs from several Crew players, including Robbie Rogers, Eddie Gaven and Andy Gruenebaum, in the first Autograph Alley signing of the season. Participating players may vary but fans are encouraged to stop by and meet some of the fresh new faces as well as connect with some of the Crew's veterans.

CAPTAIN CHAD MARSHALL ON CREWXTRA THIS WEDNESDAY

CrewXtra, the weekly show on ONN Wednesdays at 8, 8:30, 11 and 11:30 p.m., will feature Crew captain Chad Marshall this week, along with Crew analyst Duncan Oughton and Shawn Mitchell of the Columbus Dispatch, as they discuss last Saturday's opener at D.C. the upcoming match against New York.

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Major League Soccer Stories from March 23, 2011


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