Weekly Notes: Supporters' Shield within grasp
Black & Gold seek points on road in pursuit of second consecutive trophy
Saturday's match, which kicks off at 8 p.m. ET, will be televised live regionally on ONN-TV, with Dwight Burgess and Dante Washington calling all the action. The match can also be heard in English on News/Talk 610 WTVN and on-line at www.TheCrew.com and www.MLSNet.com, with Neil Sika behind the microphone as well as in Spanish on La Que Buena 1550-AM.
Following Saturday's match at D.C., the club will proceed directly to Puerto Rico, which it will take on the Islanders, of the United Soccer Leagues First Division, in its final group-play match in the CONCACAF Champions League on Oct. 20 at 8 p.m. The match, in which the Crew needs a tie (or a Cruz Azul victory over Saprissa) to advance to the quarterfinal stage, will be televised by Fox Soccer Channel on a tape-delayed basis at 2 a.m.
D.C. United, which currently sits in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings with an 8-8-12 record (36 pts.), enters Saturday's match after enjoying a bye week off from MLS play last weekend. In its previous MLS match on Saturday, Oct. 3, D.C. fell to Chivas, 2-0, at RFK Stadium thanks to an own goal by United's Milos Kocic and a second half strike from Chivas' Jesus Padilla. D.C. has been led this season by the duo of Luciano Emilio and Jaime Moreno. Emilio leads the club with nine goals this season, along with two assists, while Moreno sits in second with eight goals, to go with three assists.
The Crew, which sits in first place in both the Eastern Conference and overall MLS standings with a 13-5-10 record and 49 points, enters Saturday's match after earning a gritty victory over New England on Saturday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. The Black & Gold's lone goal came in the 36th minute when Gino Padula's long-distance free kick into the Revolution penalty box evaded the New England defense and goalkeeper Matt Reis to give the Argentine defender his first career MLS goal, which proved to be the game-winner.
The Crew hit on some adversity in the 65th minute when midfielder Emmanuel Ekpo was sent off with a red card ejection after making contact with the head of a New England player on an aerial challenge. However, the Crew was able to stave off the New England attack in the remaining portion of the second half, earning a crucial three points on the road and securing its second consecutive Eastern Conference regular season title in the process. The Black & Gold was without several regular starters in New England, as Frankie Hejduk (U.S. National Team), Chad Marshall (left knee sprain), Alejandro Moreno (Venezuela National Team), Danny O'Rourke (yellow card suspension) and Robbie Rogers (U.S. National Team) all missed the match due to various reasons, while Guillermo Barros Schelotto was rested.
COLUMBUS CREW at D.C. United
2009 MLS CUP PLAYOFFS TICKETS NOW ON SALE WARZYCHA REGISTERS 20th CAREER WIN AS HEAD COACH CREW EARNS 65th WIN OF McCULLERS' TENURE PADULA SCORES FIRST GOAL OF MLS CAREER CREW EARNS EIGHTH SHUTOUT IN 2009, HESMER COLLECTS SEVENTH CLEAN SHEET OF SEASON SCHELOTTO TIED FOR THIRD ON MLS GOAL SCORING LIST U.S. ADVANCES TO 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP, VENEZUELA FALLS TO PARAGUAY CREW STADIUM TO HOST COLUMBUS PUBLIC SCHOOLS CITY SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP THIS THURSDAY LENHART, CARROLL TO VISIT LOCAL SCHOOLS THIS WEEK TO PROMOTE RECYCLING LENHART TO VISIT AVONDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THURSDAY FOR CLASS PIZZA PARTY AUTOGRAPH ALLEY POSTERS NOW UP FOR AUCTION AT THECREW.COM CREW TO HOST ANNUAL AWARDS CEREMONY AND CASINO NIGHT ON MONDAY, OCT. 26 MCCULLERS TO APPEAR ON CREWXTRA WEDNESDAY AT 8 AND 11 P.M. ON ONN-TV
Saturday, Oct. 17 - 8 p.m. (ET) - RFK Stadium
National Television: N/A; Regional Television: ONN-TV
Crew Radio: News/Talk 610 WTVN (English); La Que Buena 1550-AM (Spanish)
Crew Webcasts: www.TheCrew.com and www.MLSNet.com (English)
Two-game Crew playoff ticket strips are currently on sale at the Crew Stadium Box Office and all central Ohio Ticketmaster retail locations, via Ticketmaster phone at 800-745-3000 and on-line at TheCrew.com and Ticketmaster.com. Each strip includes both of the Crew's potential playoff games - the one guaranteed game in the first round and the Eastern Conference Championship, which it would host if it advances out of the first round. Prices range from $38-$74 for adults and $30-$54 for students. Crew Soccer Nation Black and Gold members previously received an exclusive presale offer to secure their season seats. Playoff pairings, dates and times have not yet been determined, but thanks to its 1-0 win at New England last Saturday (Oct. 10), the Crew secured the 2009 Eastern Conference regular-season title and will have home-field advantage through the first two rounds of play - meaning it will host Game 2 of the first round, the weekend of Nov. 5-8, and the Eastern Conference Championship, the weekend of Nov. 12-15, should it advance.
Crew head coach Robert Warzycha earned his 20th career coaching win in the Crew's match at New England last Saturday (Oct. 10). Warzycha and the Crew have accrued a 13-5-10 record in his first full season as the head man this year, which adds to his previous coaching record of 7-6-3 as the Crew's interim head coach in 2005, giving him a 20-11-13 record overall.
The Crew's victory over New England last Saturday (Oct. 10) marked the club's 65th during the tenure of current President & General Manager Mark McCullers, surpassing Jamey Rootes (1996-1999) and making him the winningest GM in club history. The Crew is now 65-54-50 in the McCullers era, which began in July 2004.
Crew defender Gino Padula scored his first career MLS goal, which proved to be the game-winner, in the Crew's 1-0 victory at New England last Saturday (Oct. 10) at Gillette Stadium. Padula's long-distance free kick into the Revolution penalty box in the 36th minute bounced inside the goal area, evaded the New England defense and goalkeeper Matt Reis and landed in the back of the net for the improbable score. Padula's first tally came in his 40th career MLS game, after being signing by the Crew on March 24, 2008 from Montpellier HSC of the French second division.
The Crew earned its eighth shutout of the 2009 season in its 1-0 victory at New England last Saturday (Oct. 10). Goalkeeper William Hesmer made four saves in the match on his way to earning his seventh shutout of the campaign. Hesmer now sits third among MLS goals-against-average leaders with a 0.94 GAA, and his 79.8 percent saves percentage is good for second among MLS goalkeepers.
Despite earning some late-season rest last Saturday at New England, reigning MLS MVP and 2009 MLS All-Star First XI selection Guillermo Barros Schelotto remains tied for third place on the MLS goal-scoring list. FC Dallas' Jeff Cunningham leads the list with 17 goals this season, followed by Colorado's Conor Casey who has 16 goals to his credit. Schellotto, who leads the Crew in goals this season, and Seattle's Fredy Montero each have 12 scores in 2009, and TFC's Dwayne De Rosario and L.A.'s Landon Donovan follow with 11 goals apiece, while Salt Lake's Robbie Findley, New York's Juan Pablo Angel, Josh Wolff of Kansas City and San Jose's Ryan Johnson round out the list with 10 goals this season.
Crew defender Frankie Hejduk, midfielder Robbie Rogers and the U.S. Men's National Team punched their ticket to the 2010 FIFA World Cup last Saturday (Oct. 10) thanks to a dramatic 3-2 victory at Honduras. Neither Hejduk nor Rogers appeared in the match that saw the U.S. secure its sixth consecutive entry into the FIFA World Cup. Meanwhile, Crew forward Alejandro Moreno and the Venezuelan National Team were also in action last Saturday (Oct. 10) as they hosted Paraguay in Puerto Ordaz. The Paraguayans got goals from Salvador Cabanas and Oscar Cardozo, in the 56th and 80th minutes, respectively, and Venezuela was only able to muster a late-strike from Jose Rondon in the 85th minute, as La Vinotinto ("The Burgundy") fell 2-1 at home. Moreno appeared as a second half substitute in the match, coming on for Giancarlo Maldonado in the 64th minute. The U.S. will now return home for its World Cup Qualifying finale against Costa Rica on Wednesday (Oct. 14) at 8 p.m. ET at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. That match will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and Galavision. Venezuela will wrap up its Qualifying schedule on the same night (Oct. 14), when it travels to Campo Grande, Brazil, to face the five-time world champs.
Crew Stadium will host the 2009 Columbus Public Schools Boys City Soccer Championship this Thursday (Oct. 15) at 6 p.m. Thursday night's match-up will feature the West High School Cowboys against the Bearcats of Brookhaven High School. Gates will open at 5:30 p.m., with tickets priced at $4 if purchased in advance from the participating schools and $6 if purchased at the gate.
Crew forward Steven Lenhart and midfielder Brian Carroll will each visit a local school this week - on behalf of the Crew and the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) - to highlight the importance of recycling and to reward the classes that were selected as winners of SWACO's recycling poster contest. Lenhart will be visiting Cedarwood Elementary (775 Bartfield Dr. 43207) on Wednesday (Oct. 14) at 2 p.m., while Carroll will stop by Dana Elementary (300 Dana Ave. 43223) on Thursday (Oct. 15), also at 2 p.m. Each player will speak at a school assembly about the benefits of recycling and conserving national resources, then visit with the winning class for autographs and photos. SWACO's mission is to provide consumers recycling opportunities around Franklin County (Ohio) at 212 recycling drop off-locations. SWACO also offers leadership and advice for businesses wishing to begin recycling and waste reduction programs. Visit www.swaco.org for more information.
Crew forward Steven Lenhart will visit Avondale Elementary School Thursday (Oct. 15) at 2 p.m. for a school assembly and class pizza party in recognition of their accomplishment as one of the winners of the GOALS for KIDS reading contest. GOALS for KIDS, a program of the Crew Soccer Foundation (CSF), is designed to teach children important lessons through the sport of soccer, including the importance of reading. As a reward for winning the contest, a classroom at Avondale will receive a pizza party with Lenhart, courtesy of the Crew and its partner, CollegeAdvantage. CollegeAdvantage, Ohio's 529 college savings plan, is sponsored and administered by the Ohio Tuition Trust Authority. The 529 plans are tax-free college savings programs that offer a variety of benefits that make it simple and affordable to start saving for your child's future. Visit www.collegeadvantage.com for more information.
For the fourth straight year, the Crew is auctioning off the signed, foam core-mounted posters used at Autograph Alley via an on-line auction at TheCrew.com. The auctions are now live and close on Friday afternoon, Oct. 30. All proceeds benefit the club's charitable arm, the Crew Soccer Foundation. Please call 614-447-CREW or visit www.TheCrew.com for more information.
The Columbus Crew will hold its 2009 Team Awards Ceremony, presented by adidas, on Monday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. at Lifestyles Community Pavilion. This year's festivities will once again feature a "Casino Night" for attendees immediately following the Awards Ceremony. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., with the Awards Ceremony beginning at 7 p.m. and a variety of casino games to follow. The following awards will be presented during the ceremony: Glidden Man of the Year, OhioHealth Comeback Player of the Year, Goal of the Year, Crew Most Valuable Player, Budweiser Golden Boot, MLS WORKS/U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, CSF Crew Chiefs Hardest Working Man, Defender of the Year, Coaches Award, Crew Fan of the Year and the Fans' Choice Award, which fans will be able to vote on at TheCrew.com in the near future. Gold Level Crew Soccer Nation members will be admitted free of charge. The general public can purchase tickets for $15 in advance or $20 at the door. All proceeds will benefit the Crew Soccer Foundation, the charitable arm of the Columbus Crew. Visit www.TheCrew.com for more information and to purchase tickets.
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 Crew President & General Manager Mark McCullers, former Crew forward and current television color analyst Dante Washington 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.
