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MLS Columbus Crew SC

East-leading Crew preps for busy week of play

August 25, 2009 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Columbus Crew SC News Release


COLUMBUS, Ohio - After earning a 2-0 win over the Puerto Rico Islanders at Crew Stadium last Tuesday (Aug. 18) in its opening match of the CONCACAF Champions League (CCL), and a weekend off from MLS action, the Crew prepares for a busy week which includes two road matches. On Wednesday (Aug. 26), the Crew will travel to Estadio Azul in Mexico City, Mex. to face Cruz Azul in its second match of the CCL, before making the trip to New York City Sunday (Aug. 30) to face the New York Red Bulls in MLS action at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Wednesday's Champions League match in Mexico, which kicks off at 10 p.m. (ET), will be televised live nationally on Fox Soccer Channel.

Sunday's MLS match in New York, which kicks off at 6 p.m. ET, will be televised live regionally on ONN-TV with Dwight Burgess and Dante Washington on the call. The match can also be heard in English on News/Talk 610 WTVN and on-line at TheCrew.com and MLSNet.com, with Neil Sika behind the microphone as well as in Spanish on La Que Buena 1550-AM.

Cruz Azul, which is tied with the Crew for first place in the CCL Group C standings with a 1-0-0 record (3 pts.), enters Wednesday's match after defeating Saprissa, 2-0, in its first match of Group C play last Wednesday (Aug. 19) at Estadio Azul, thanks to goals by Christian Riveros and Joel Hiqui in the match's first 35 minutes. Cruz Azul is also currently in the opening stages of its campaign in the 2009 Apertura season of the Mexican First Division, and currently sits in 11th place in the standings with a 2-3-0 record (6 pts.). The CONCACAF Champions League is the confederation's annual club championship which features 24 teams from CONCACAF's three sub-regions: North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The top two teams from each group qualify for the quarterfinals, with each group winner drawn to face a runner-up from one of the other groups and the winners of the quarterfinal match-ups advancing to the semifinals. Both the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds consist of home-and-away elimination. The final, to be held in late April 2010, will also be two-legged, home-and-away. The eventual champion qualifies for the prestigious seven-team FIFA Club World Cup - which annually pits each continental confederation's champion against the others - in December 2010.

New York, which is in seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 3-16-4 record (13 pts.), enters Sunday's MLS match after earning a 3-2 win over FC Dallas at Giants Stadium last Sunday (Aug. 23) in the club's first match under the guidance of interim head coach Richie Williams, who took over for the recently departed Juan Carlos Osorio after the latter's resignation on Aug. 21. Red Bull striker Juan Pablo Angel scored twice in the victory over Dallas - including the game-winner in the 88th minute - and Dane Richards added a goal of his own in the 27th minute to give New York its first MLS win since May 8 against San Jose. New York has been paced this season by the aforementioned Angel, who leads the club with nine goals, to go with one assist.

The Crew, which is tied for first place in the CCL Group C standings with a 1-0-0 record (3 pts.) and sits alone atop the MLS Eastern Conference standings with a 10-3-9 record (39 pts.), enters its slate of matches this week after earning a 2-0 victory over the Puerto Rico Islanders of USL-1 in its first Champions League Group C match last Tuesday (Aug. 18) at Crew Stadium. After a scoreless first half, with Puerto Rico playing extremely defensively, Crew coach Robert Warzycha switched from four in the back to three at halftime, replacing defender Jed Zayner with forward Steven Lenhart. The opening goal involved six Crew players, starting with a free kick from 30 yards by Guillermo Barros Schelotto, in his first extensive action after recovering from a hamstring strain, and finishing with Lenhart charging through the box to finish Chad Marshall's cross. Robbie Rogers iced the win after Eddie Gaven, another substitute, fed Alejandro Moreno in the goal area. He got a heel on the ball to send it to the far side where Rogers had an easy tap-in as the Crew continued its run of superb play in Crew Stadium.

Fans can check out both Wednesday's Champions League match and Sunday's MLS match at Claddagh Irish Pub (585 South Front Street in the Brewery District), which features each Crew away game on numerous televisions throughout the bar, and also airs live audio from the telecast. Fans in attendance will have the opportunity to win prizes and merchandise, courtesy of the Crew and away game viewing party partner, Budweiser.

COLUMBUS CREW at Cruz Azul (Mex.)

(CONCACAF Champions League)

Wednesday, August 26 - 10 p.m. (ET) - Estadio Azul

National Television: Fox Soccer Channel; Regional Television: N/A

Crew Radio: N/A; Crew Webcasts: N/A

COLUMBUS CREW at New York Red Bulls

Sunday, August 30 - 6 p.m. (ET) - Giants Stadium

National Television: N/A; Regional Television: ONN-TV

Crew Radio: News/Talk 610 WTVN (English); La Que Buena 1550-AM (Spanish)

Crew Webcasts: TheCrew.com and MLSNet.com (English)

CREW, HESMER RECORD FOURTH STRAIGHT SHUTOUT IN ALL COMPETITIONS

The Crew earned its fourth consecutive shutout in all competitions, in its 2-0 victory over the Puerto Rico Islanders in its opening match of the 2009 CONCACAF Champions League last Tuesday (Aug. 18) at Crew Stadium. Goalkeeper William Hesmer was called on to make just one save in the match, as the Crew now sits tied atop the Group C standings with a 1-0-0 record (3 pts.). In MLS play this season, the Crew has six shutouts to its credit, including five by Hesmer - which have all come since he returned to the starting lineup on June 27 after missing eight matches early in the season due to knee and back ailments.

SCHELOTTO SITS TIED FOR SECOND PLACE ON MLS GOAL SCORING LIST

After missing four consecutive matches due to a hamstring injury, reigning MLS MVP and 2009 MLS All-Star First XI selection Guillermo Barros Schelotto made his return to the field on Aug. 15 against FC Dallas as a substitute in second-half stoppage time. After last week's MLS action, Schelotto now sits tied for second place among MLS goal-scoring leaders. Colorado's Conor Casey is currently first on the list with 11 goals, followed by Schelotto, who leads the Crew in goals this season, along with Seattle's Fredy Montero and L.A.'s Landon Donovan, who each have 10. They are followed on the list by Dallas' Jeff Cunningham, New York's Juan Pablo Angel and Dwayne De Rosario of Toronto, who each have nine goals in 2009.

MORENO TO DEPART FOR VENEZUELAN NATIONAL TEAM FOLLOWING SATURDAY'S MATCH AT NEW YORK

Crew forward Alejandro Moreno will depart the Crew following its match at New York this Sunday (Aug. 30) to join the Venezuelan national team for its upcoming pair of FIFA World Cup qualifying matches. On Sept. 5, the Venezuelans will travel to Ñuñoa, Chile - just outside of Santiago - to face the Chilean national team, and will then return home to Venezuela on Sept. 9 to host Peru. Both matches will be crucial for a Venezuelan side that is currently tied for seventh place in the South American World Cup qualifying standings.

CHECK OUT CREWXTRA WEDNESDAY AT 8 AND 11 P.M. ON ONN-TV

CrewXtra, the Crew's weekly show, airs every Wednesday at 8 p.m. (and again at 11 p.m.) on ONN-TV. This week, host Beau Bishop will be joined by rookie midfielder Alex Grendi, Crew radio play-by-play man Neil Sika and Columbus Dispatch beat writer Shawn Mitchell. CrewXtra provides viewers with in-depth coverage and access to the team every week, including game recaps, breakdowns and previews of the upcoming matches, while interspersing other news, interviews, discussion and features.

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Major League Soccer Stories from August 25, 2009


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