Crew Heads West For Two-Game Road Swing

The Columbus Crew prepares itself for a busy MLS Week 3 schedule, as it hits the road to face a pair of Western Conference foes. The Crew first travels to Salt Lake City to take on Real Salt Lake on Thursday, then continues on to Los Angeles to play its second match in four days Sunday against Chivas USA.

Thursday's match, which kicks off at 9 p.m. ET, will be televised live nationally on ESPN2, with Glenn Davis and Kyle Martino calling all the action. Sunday’s match kicks off at 8 p.m. ET and will televised live regionally on ONN-TV, with Dwight Burgess and Dante Washington providing the call. Both can also be heard in English on News/Talk 610 WTVN with Neil Sika behind the microphone and on-line at TheCrew.com and MLSNet.com, as well as in Spanish on La Que Buena 1550-AM.

Real Salt Lake enters Thursday’s match after falling to Seattle Sounders FC, 2-0, last Saturday (March 28) at Qwest Field. Nate Jaqua and Fredy Montero each tallied for Seattle in the match, sending RSL away with a season opening loss. Thursday’s match is RSL’s home opener at Rio Tinto Stadium this season, as well as the Crew’s first visit to the new venue. RSL owns a record of 2-1-1 at Rio Tinto, since the stadium opened with much fanfare last Oct. 9 against New York.

Chivas USA heads into Sunday’s match after downing FC Dallas, 2-0, last Saturday on the road at Pizza Hut Park. Chivas USA got second-half goals from newly-acquired forwards Eduardo Lillingston and Bojan Stepanovic to improve its record to 2-0-0 on the season, It now sits tied atop the Western Conference with Seattle Sounders FC.

The Black & Gold enters its pair of matches this week after drawing with Toronto FC, 1-1, Saturday at First Kick 2009 at Crew Stadium in the first leg of the 2009 Trillium Cup. The Crew took the lead in the 30th minute, when the arm of Toronto midfielder Kevin Harmse made contact with a cross from Guillermo Barros Schelotto inside the box. Referee Michael Kennedy immediately pointed the spot and reigning MLS MVP Schelotto drilled the ensuing penalty kick into the back of the net for his second goal in as many games.

Late in the proceedings, Toronto was the beneficiary of a fluke play that tied the game. Toronto midfielder Dwayne De Rosario sent a long free kick from the left flank into the box. Gino Padula headed the ball backwards toward goal on a high arc and Crew goalkeeper William Hesmer was helpless to corral the ball as it hit the crossbar, deflected off his back and trickled into the net for the equalizer.

After draws in consecutive weeks, the Crew now sits tied for second in the Eastern Conference standings and Schelotto finds himself tied for second on the MLS goal leaders list after tallying in each of the Crew’s matches to date.

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