The Columbus Crew travels to Chester, Pa. this Saturday, April 14, to face the Philadelphia Union at PPL Park. The Black & Gold will look to bounce back from the 4-1 setback suffered at the hands of the New York Red Bulls last Saturday (April 7) at Crew Stadium.
Saturday’s match will kick off at 3:30 p.m. and be televised live nationally on the NBC Sports Network, with Arlo White calling the game from the booth and former Crew midfielder Kyle Martino from field level. It will be the Crew’s first-ever appearance on NBCSN, which is in its inaugural season as a league national broadcast partner. The game can also be heard in English on News/Talk 610 WTVN and on-line at TheCrew.com with Neil Sika on the call, and in Spanish on La Mega 103.1, with Carlos Cordova behind the microphone.
It will be the first of three meetings between the Eastern Conference rivals, with Philadelphia (0-3-1, 1 pt.) looking for its first win of the season. The Union went through a roster overhaul in the offseason, losing key players such as goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon, who elected to go back to his native Colombia, Justin Mapp, lost to Montreal in the expansion draft, and leading scorer Sebastien Le Toux who was traded to the Vancouver Whitecaps. Philadelphia still has plenty of talent, with captain Danny Califf, former Crew midfielder Brian Carroll and attacker Freddy Adu.
After opening the season with three straight losses to Portland (3-1 on March 12), Colorado (2-1 on March 18) and Chicago (1-0 on March 24), the Union drew the Vancouver Whitecaps 0-0 in their last match on March 31. Philadelphia will be well rested having enjoyed a bye week this past weekend.
The Black & Gold (2-2-0, 6 pts.) enters the match tied for third place in the Eastern Conference and looks to extend its positive record over Philadelphia (3-1-0). Last year the teams split results with the Crew winning the home contest 2-1 on Aug. 20, behind goals by Emilio Renteria and Andres Mendoza, but dropping a 1-0 decision to the Union at PPL Park with Le Toux scoring the lone goal.
Next, the Crew returns home to continue its run against Eastern Conference rivals as it hosts the Houston Dynamo on Saturday, April 21, at 7:30 p.m. at Crew Stadium.
COLUMBUS CREW vs. Philadelphia Union
Saturday, April 14 – 3:30 p.m. (ET) – PPL Park, Chester, Pa.
National Television: NBC Sports Network
Regional Television: N/A
Crew Radio: News/Talk 610 WTVN (English); La Mega 103.1 (Spanish)
Crew Webcast: TheCrew.com (English)
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MLS RESERVE LEAGUE CONTINUES SATURDAY AT PPL PARK
The Crew continues its defense of the MLS Reserve League Eastern Division title when it faces the Union at PPL Park on Saturday, April 14. The match will kick off immediately after the regular-season contest (approximately 6:45 p.m.) and is closed to the public. The Black & Gold Reserves look to continue their positive streak, after the 2-1 win over the New York Red Bulls last Saturday (April 7), in which Nemanja Vukovic assisted on both goals, which were scored by Aaron Schoenfeld and Justin Meram. Last season, the Crew won both Reserve matches against the Union, a 1-0 victory on Aug. 21 at Crew Stadium and a 2-1 win in Philadelphia on Sept. 18.
OLMAN VARGAS CALLED INTO COSTA RICA NATIONAL TEAM FOR INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY
Crew forward Olman Vargas has been summoned by the Costa Rica National Team for its friendly against Honduras on Wednesday, April 11. Should Vargas feature in the match, it would be his first cap for Costa Rica. He is expected back in Columbus on Thursday, in time to be ready for Saturday's match against the Philadelphia Union.
CREW TO FACE OHIO STATE IN 11TH ANNUAL CONNOR SENN MEMORIAL MATCH ON MAY 1
The Crew and Ohio State Buckeyes will once again meet on the field Tuesday, May 1, in the 11th annual Connor Senn Memorial Match, which raises awareness for sudden cardiac arrests in athletes. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium on the campus of Ohio State. Tickets for the event are $5 for adults and $3 for children and can be purchased online at OhioStateBuckeyes.com. Proceeds will benefit the Dorothy M. Davis Heart & Lung Research Institute. In addition to the exhibition match, the event features a silent auction that consists of a wide array of Ohio State and Columbus Crew memorabilia, including autographed items, as well donations from a variety of Columbus businesses and organizations. Senn collapsed during Ohio State’s match at Akron Sept. 26, 2001, and died that night from a congenital heart defect. A native of Granville, Ohio, Connor was a freshman walk-on defender who had earned a starting position for the 2001 season. A plaque honoring Connor hangs outside the Buckeyes’ locker room door and Connor’s chair hangs in the locker room, which all the players on the 2001 team signed with personal messages to Connor, who was known for his tremendous work ethic, positive attitude and selfless play. The following week, on May 8, Crew President & General Manager Mark McCullers and defender Danny O’Rourke, a childhood friend of Connor’s, will speak at The Connor Senn Memorial Symposium on Sudden Cardiac Arrest, a new program devoted to the topic of sudden cardiac death, educating the medical community and the general public on the scope of the problem, sharing the latest advancements in diagnostic imaging and testing and promoting proper training in the interpretation of young adult electrocardiograms. The symposium will take place from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Ohio Union (1739 N. High St.) and there is no fee for members of the community to attend.
CSA STANDOUT WIL TRAPP AT U.S UNDER-20 NATIONAL TEAM CAMP
University of Akron midfielder and Crew Soccer Academy product Wil Trapp is currently at the U.S. Under-20 National Team camp to being held in Portland, Ore., through April 16. The team is training for a week and will play an intrasquad scrimmage on Thursday, April 12, and against the University of Washington at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 15. Crew technical director Brian Bliss is with the squad, as well, serving as an assistant coach on Tab Ramos’ staff.
APPEARANCE BY SWANSON, 14, HIGHLIGHTS CSA PRODUCTS SHINING IN RESERVE LEAGUE MATCHES
Several Crew Soccer Academy players have been called in to play in the Crew’s recent MLS Reserve League matches. Three games into the Reserve League campaign, defender Alex Crognale, midfielders Omar Mohamed, Rhodes Moore and Ben Swanson, and forward Brett Elder have all seen action to date. Moore, who will be attending Xavier in the fall, leads the CSA products in minutes played, having appeared in all three matches with a total of 79 minutes. At just 14 years of age, Swanson became the youngest player to ever appear in a reserve match for the Crew, coming off the bench in the 89th minute of Saturday’s (April 7) win over New York. Per MLS Reserve League rules, each club may use up to five academy players per Reserve League game. Academy players must appear in each club’s Homegrown Protected list that is submitted to the League Office.
CREW SOCCER ACADEMY RETURNS TO ACTION AT HOME THIS WEEKEND
The CSA U-15/16s and U-17/18s return to U.S. Soccer Development Academy action this weekend as they host Vardar FC Freiburg (Mich.) on Saturday, April 14, at the Crew Training Facility at Obetz, with the 17/18s kicking off at 2 p.m. followed by the 15/16s at 4:30 p.m. Then on Sunday, April 15, CSA will host the CSA Wolves (Mich.) at Obetz, with the 17/18s match at 10 a.m. and the 15/16s match at 12:30 p.m.
OHIO ARMY NATIONAL GUARD SENIOR BOWL III IS THIS SATURDAY AT CREW STADIUM
The Ohio Army National Guard Senior Bowl III will take place at Crew Stadium this Saturday, April 14, at 1 p.m. The Ohio Army National Guard Senior Bowl was created to showcase some of the best college football players in Ohio and remains the only college all-star game in the Buckeye State. The North Team holds a 2-0 advantage over the South, winning last year’s contest at Crew Stadium, 19-16. Event promoter GameDay Management has announced that Franklin County Children Services will serve as the event charity. Foster children, under the care of FCCS and other local agencies, will have the opportunity to attend the Senior Bowl free of charge, and Senior Bowl participants and coaches will provide a free football clinic, under the direction of FCCS, prior to the game. Tickets to the Ohio Army National Guard Senior Bowl III are on sale at the Crew Stadium Box Office and online at TicketMaster.com. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 day of the game. For more information about the Ohio Army National Guard Senior Bowl III, visit www.OhioCollegeFootball.com.
TICKETS FOR AUG. 5 JASON ALDEAN SHOW AT CREW STADIUM ON SALE NOW
Tickets to the Aug. 5, Jason Aldean concert at Crew Stadium 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.
