On the heels of the thrilling 3-3 draw at Crew Stadium last Saturday night (May 28) and 6-1 defeat of New York in a MLS Reserve Division match on Monday (May 30), the Crew travels to New York for the second time this week to face Eastern-Conference rival New York Red Bulls in a league match on Saturday, June 4, at 7:30 p.m.
The match will be televised live regionally on ONN with Dwight Burgess and Duncan Oughton calling all the action. The game can be heard in English on News/Talk 610 WTVN and on-line at TheCrew.com, with Neil Sika behind the microphone, and in Spanish on La Mega 103.1, with Carlos Cordova on the call.
This is the second encounter of the season between the two teams, as they played to a scoreless draw on March 26 at Crew Stadium. The Black & Gold is undefeated at Red Bull Arena having won the lone previous contest in Harrison, N.J., 3-1 last May, behind goals by Eddie Gaven, Andy Iro and Emilio Renteria. The Crew (3-3-5) will look to build on last Saturday’s performance in which Andres Mendoza scored twice and Emmanuel Ekpo added a goal and an assist, as well as the momentum gained with the reserve league match last Monday in which the Crew convincingly handled the Red Bulls.
New York (4-2-6) sits in second place in the Eastern Conference and is coming off a 1-1 draw at Vancouver. They are led offensively by French superstar Thierry Henry, who has tallied six goals so far this season, and by Norwegian midfielder Jan Gunnar Solli who has recorded four assists. The Red Bulls will be without several players who have been called into their respective national teams. Five Red Bulls, Rafa Marquez (Mexico), Tim Ream and Juan Agudelo (USA), Dane Richards (Jamaica) and Dwayne De Rosario (Canada) – along with the Crew’s Robbie Rogers (USA) – will be representing their countries in the CONCACAF Gold Cup which begins Sunday, June 5. New York Goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul will also be unavailable as he has been called to represent Senegal in an African Nations Cup qualifier against Cameroon.
The Black & Gold returns home for back-to-back matches against Real Salt Lake on Wednesday, June 8, and the Chicago Fire on Sunday, June 12.
COLUMBUS CREW at New York Red Bulls
Saturday, June 4 – 7:30 p.m. (ET) – Crew Stadium
National Television: N/A; Regional Television: ONN
Crew Radio: News/Talk 610 WTVN (English); La Mega 103.1 (Spanish)
Crew Webcast: TheCrew.com (English)
CREW PUB TOUR CONTINUES THIS SATURDAY AT MELLOW MUSHROOM IN DUBLIN
The Crew’s Pub Tour presented by Budweiser, the Crew’s away game viewing experience, continues this Saturday (June 4) at the Mellow Mushroom in Dublin (6505 Dublin Center Dr., 43017). Fans are encouraged to join the Crewzers, and Crew staff as they cheer on the Black & Gold to victory. There will be giveaways and drink specials all evening long, while fans will be able to watch the match on big-screen televisions. LEARN MORE
BOB EVANS BUCK A BRAT NIGHT RETURNS NEXT WEDNESDAY
The ever popular Bob Evans Buck-a-Brat night is back. Next Wednesday, June 8, as the Crew takes on Real Salt Lake, fans will be able to purchase juicy full-size Bob Evans Bratwursts for just $1 throughout the game.
CREW CELEBRITY BARTENDER NIGHT AT JED’S FIREBALLS AND BREW IN HILLIARD JUNE 9
Join Budweiser, 97.1 The Fan and the Crew on Thursday, June 9, from 7-9 p.m. at Jed’s Fireballs and Brew (3799 Park Mill Run Dr., Hilliard). Columbus Crew stars William Hesmer, Julius James and Chad Marshall will take part as celebrity bartenders for the evening, serving your favorite Budweiser products. Scott Torgerson, co-host of “Common Man and The Torg,” and Crew TV analyst Duncan Oughton will emcee the event. All tips raised for the evening will benefit the Crew Soccer Foundation.
CREW MIDFIELDER ROBBIE ROGERS PREPARING FOR GOLD CUP WITH U.S. NATIONAL TEAM
Crew midfielder Robbie Rogers has been named to the 23-man U.S. National Team roster for the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Rogers joined his teammates in Cary, N.C., following the Chivas USA match to prepare for the tournament, and will be on hand for the final tune-up match against Spain on June 4 before beginning the Gold Cup against Canada in Detroit on June 7.
FORWARD ANDRES MENDOZA NAMED TO MLSSOCCER.COM BEST XI FOR WEEK 11
Crew forward Andres Mendoza was named one of MLSSoccer.com’s Best XI this week for his performance against Chivas USA last Saturday (May 28). Mendoza scored two goals in the 3-3 draw and now has three tallies for the season.
CREW SOCCER ACADEMY’S CHRIS DAVIS SCORES TWO GOALS IN MLS RESERVE MATCH
Gahanna Lincoln and Crew Soccer Academy standout Chris Davis traveled with the Crew to Montclair, N.J., for the MLS Reserve Division match against New York on Monday (May 30). Davis came on as a substitute in the 68th minute, replacing recently signed Home Grown Player Aaron Horton, and proceeded to score two goals in the 6-1 match. The two tallies bring Davis’ total to three as he had previously tallied the game-winner in the 2-1 Toronto FC match at BMO field on April 23.
CREW SOCCER ACADEMY AND CREW JUNIORS TRYOUTS ARE IN FULL SWING
The Crew Soccer Academy and the Worthington, Phoenix and New Albany Crew Juniors began holding tryouts for all their teams from U7 to U19 next week. Tryouts began June 1 and are open to boys and girls who are born between August of 1992 and July of 2005. All players must register online at www.thecrewyouth.com <http://www.thecrewyouth.com> , where information can be found on schedule and location for all tryouts.
WIL TRAPP RETURNS FROM U18 NATIONAL TEAM DUTY
Crew Soccer Academy star Wil Trapp returned from Portugal this week where he participated in an international tournament with the United States U-18 team. Trapp saw action in all three games as the U.S. went 0-1-2, playing the Netherlands to a 1-1 draw, falling to Portugal 1-0 and tying Finland 0-0. Next the U.S. U-18s will defend its title in the prestigious Northern Ireland Milk Cup starting July 25. The Milk Cup is an annual youth tournament that takes place in the North Coast of Ireland and hosts club and national teams from all over the world.
MIDFIELDER BERNARDO ANOR ON CREWXTRA THIS WEDNESDAY
CrewXtra, the weekly show on ONN Wednesdays at 8, 8:30, 11 and 11:30 p.m., this week will feature Crew midfielder Bernardo Anor, alongside Crew radio man Neil Sika, Tom Reed of the Columbus Dispatch, and host Beau Bishop, as they discuss last Saturday’s match against Chivas USA, the reserve match in New York where Anor scored a goal and an assist, the upcoming New York trip.
