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Columbus Crew SC announced their full preseason plans. Preparations for the 2015 season kick off on Thursday with the team assembling in Columbus before two separate trips to Florida and a brief stopover in Austin Texas.
The team is currently scheduled to play six games during the preseason buildup. There are no announced games during the first Florida swing, a two week stay in Lakewood Ranch. The team will then play two matches during their brief jaunt to Texas in mid-February. They then close out the preseason with four matches in the IMG Suncoast Pro Classic. Crew SC will play TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the U-23 Costa Rican National Team, and the Philadelphia Union according to IMG.
Date | Location |
Jan. 22 – Jan. 23 | Team in Columbus for entrance physicals and testing |
Jan. 24 – Feb. 6 | Camp in Lakewood Ranch, Florida |
Feb. 7 – Feb. 11 | Team in Columbus |
Feb. 12 | Team travels to Austin, Texas |
Feb. 13 – Feb. 15 | ATX Pro Challenge (Austin, Texas) |
2/13/15 5:45 PM |
Crew SC vs. FC Dallas |
2/15/15 TBD |
Final/Consolation Games |
Feb. 16 | Team travels to Bradenton, Florida |
Feb. 18 – Feb. 28 | IMG Suncoast Pro Classic (Bradenton, Florida) |
2/18/15 12 PM |
Crew SC vs. TP Mazembe (Congo) |
2/21/15 5 PM |
Crew SC vs. U23 C. Rica Nat'l Team |
2/25/15 5 PM |
Philadelphia Union vs. Crew SC |
2/28/15 TBD |
Final/Consolation Games |
Mar. 1 | Crew SC returns to Columbus |
The team is in camp over three weeks before the first scheduled game. Preseason plans often change, but it may signal that Head Coach Gregg Berhalter is able to build strength and conditioning rather than stressing rolling out his tactical plans now that he has a been running the team for a full year.
Columbus opens the 2015 season on the road against the Houston Dynamo on March 7th.