Weekly update: Game 2 awaits
Black & Gold enter pivotal match trailing in two-game, total-goals series
Thursday's playoff match, which kicks off at 8 p.m. ET, will be televised live nationally on ESPN2 with JP Dellacamera and John Harkes on the call and Allen Hopkins providing sideline coverage. The match can also be heard in English on News/Talk 610 WTVN and on-line at TheCrew.com and MLSNet.com, with Dwight Burgess and John Bluem calling all the action and Neil Sika reporting from the sidelines.
In the series-opening match between the Columbus and Salt Lake last Saturday (Nov. 1) at Rio Tinto Stadium, the home side got a last minute goal from Robbie Findley to defeat the Black & Gold, 1-0. After a closely contested match which saw both sides able to limit the other's offensive chances, it appeared that Columbus and Salt Lake were destined to play to a scoreless draw. However, in the 88th minute, RSL's Will Johnson took a quick throw-in to second half substitute Yura Movsisyan, who promptly sent in a low cross in the direction of Findley at the near post. Findley was just able to sneak in front of the Crew's Eric Brunner and slid onto Movsisyan's service, pushing it under goalkeeper William Hesmer and into the net for the last minute game-winner. Reigning MLS Defender of the Year Chad Marshall played well in his return to the Crew's starting lineup in last Saturday's match after missing the Crew's previous six matches due to a left knee sprain.
The Crew now enters the second leg of the semifinal series this Thursday (Nov. 5) with a one-goal deficit. The series' winner will be determined by whichever club has scored the most total goals (aggregate) after the conclusion of both matches, thus the Crew must secure at least a one-goal lead at the conclusion of regulation in Thursday's match in order to remain alive. Should the two sides find themselves even on aggregate goals after 90 minutes have been played on Thursday, the teams will play a full overtime period consisting of two, 15-minute halves. If the two teams are still even following the overtime period, the winner will then be determined by a penalty kick shootout.
COLUMBUS CREW vs. Real Salt Lake
Thursday, Nov. 5 - 8 p.m. (ET) - Crew Stadium
National Television: ESPN2; Regional Television: N/A
Crew Radio: News/Talk 610 WTVN (English)
Crew Webcasts: TheCrew.com and MLSNet.com (English)
2009 MLS CUP PLAYOFFS TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE
Both two-game Crew playoff ticket packages and individual-game tickets are still available 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 package includes the Crew's two potential playoff games - Game 2 of the conference semifinals this Thursday, Nov. 5, which is guaranteed, and the Eastern Conference Championship, which it would host on Nov. 14, should it advance.
MARSHALL, WARZYCHA AMONG FINALISTS FOR 2009 MLS AWARDS
Crew defender Chad Marshall and head coach Robert Warzycha were each recently announced as finalists for 2009 MLS Awards. Marshall is once again a finalist for the MLS Defender of the Year award, which he won in a landslide in 2008. Should Marshall win, he would become only the second player (Carlos Bocanegra - 2002, 2003) to win the award in consecutive seasons. Meanwhile, head coach Robert Warzycha, who led the Crew to a second consecutive MLS Supporters' Shield with a 13-7-10 regular season record (49 pts.), looks to take home the MLS Coach of the Year award in just his first full season as the top man for the Black & Gold.
BRUNNER, GAREY, RENTERIA EACH MAKE MLS CUP PLAYOFF DEBUTS
Defender Eric Brunner and forwards Jason Garey and Emilio Renteria each made their MLS Cup Playoff debuts in the Crew's match at Real Salt Lake last Saturday (Nov. 1). Brunner and Renteria were both in head coach Robert Warzycha's starting line-up for the match, with Brunner playing the full 90 minutes and Renteria going 77 minutes before being subbed out for Garey. Brunner and Renteria are both in their first full seasons with the Crew after singing in March and August, respectively, while Garey is in his fourth season with the Black & Gold after being drafted by the Crew in the first round (No. 3 overall) of the 2006 MLS SuperDraft.
HESMER, CREW SET NEW CLUB MARKS FOR GOALS-AGAINST-AVERAGE, GOALS ALLOWED
Crew goalkeeper William Hesmer set a new club record for goals-against-average (GAA) this season with a 0.95 GAA, surpassing Jon Busch's mark of 1.07, set in 2004. Hesmer missed eight games early in the season due to injury but returned to the starting lineup in June and proceeded to allow just 18 goals in 19 games. Meanwhile, the club also set a new mark for itself in goals allowed during the 2009 season, as it gave up just 31 goals, eclipsing the previous low mark of 32 set in 2004.
"A MASSIVE SEASON," BY STEVE SIRK, ON SALE NOW AND CHARITY AUCTION OF SIGNED COPIES UNDERWAY
Steve Sirk's new book chronicling the Crew's 2008 Championship season, through both his Notebook columns and new material, is currently rolling off the presses and the first copies are now in stock and available at Crew Stadium's Crew Gear store, which is open 9-5 Monday-Friday and on game days. Sirk is generously donating a portion of the proceeds of all books sold there to the club's charitable arm, the Crew Soccer Foundation. The CSF is also currently auctioning off copies of the tome individually signed by Sirk himself and members of the 2008 championship squad. Visit the MLSNet.com auction site here for more details and to bid. The 480-page book, priced at $20, features all 19 of Sirk's 2008 Notebooks, including the epic MLS Cup recap from California; Recaps of those Notebook-less away games; The blog entries before and after MLS Cup; Several new essays sprinkled throughout; A foreword by Dante Washington; Footnote commentary; Over 140 pro and amateur black & white photos; Notebook snippets from yesteryear; Documentation of the joyous aftermath, from the Statehouse to the White House; and a special section featuring Crew alumni. A must-read for diehard Crew fans, "A Massive Season" is the ultimate championship season scrapbook!
WATCH 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 forward Jason Garey, former Crew forward 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.
