August 24, 2021

August 27 marks the first rivalry match played at Lower.com Field;
March to the Match set to take place prior to the home contest

COLUMBUS — Columbus Crew today announced additional details regarding its matchday programming for the “Hell is Real” derby at Lower.com Field on Friday evening. The Crew’s match at Lower.com Field is scheduled to take place on Friday, August 27 with the Club hosting FC Cincinnati in a nationally televised contest [6:30 p.m. ET / ESPN, ESPN Deportes / 97.1 The Fan & 971thefan.com (English); ColumbusCrew.com (Spanish)]. Supporters are encouraged to arrive early to Friday’s match.

Ahead of the contest, a March to the Match is set to take place, with supporters encouraged to meet up at the Battelle Plaza (103 W. Nationwide Blvd., Columbus, OH 43215) – the main rally point – beginning at 5:20 p.m. ET and departing for the stadium at 5:45 p.m. ET. Media members interested in covering this event may join the march at any of the rally points and do not need a match credential to do so. Notably, athletes from the 2022 Special Olympics Team Ohio will be signing autographs for supporters at the Battelle Plaza, the main meeting point for March to the Match.

MARCH TO THE MATCH MAP: For a map of the rally points for March to the Match, please see the attached image.

Pre-match events are set to include the ceremonial goal kick, which will be taken by 2022 Special Olympics Team Ohio athlete Josiah Tanga. The Hometown Hero for the match is set to be Brandon Fullmer, Command Master Chief of the United States Navy. The U.S. National Anthem will be performed by “American Idol” star and Ohio native DeShawn Goncalves in collaboration with supporters in attendance. The 20-year-old Columbus City Schools graduate was a contestant on the ABC singing competition television show this past spring, finishing ninth in the competition. Additionally, the Club’s selection for Hard Hat Hero for the match is set to be Special Olympics Unified Coach, Ryan Phillips. Supporters can also purchase a special “Hell is Real” burger on Friday from The Pub at Lower.com Field.

A limited number of tickets for Friday’s Hell is Real match are available at columbuscrew.com/tickets.

ABOUT COLUMBUS CREW
Columbus Crew is the first club in Major League Soccer. The Crew is operated by The Edwards Family and Haslam Sports Group. The Black & Gold are the 2020 MLS Cup Champions. The Club won its first MLS Cup championship in 2008 and also won the 2002 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup as well as MLS Supporters’ Shield titles in 2004, 2008 and 2009. The 2021 campaign is the Columbus Crew’s 26^th season in MLS as well as the Club’s final season at Historic Crew Stadium — the first soccer-specific stadium in the United States – and the Crew’s inaugural season at Lower.com Field.

Website: ColumbusCrew.com | Twitter: @ColumbusCrew | Instagram: @ColumbusCrew | Hashtag: #Crew96 | Facebook.com/columbuscrew | App: ColumbusCrew.com/app | Stadium: Lower.com Field | Training Facility: OhioHealth Performance Center 

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