The announcement of a summer friendly with Crystal Palace prompted a few moments of nostalgia for Columbus Crew head coach Gregg Berhalter.
The former defender spent some time with the Eagles in the early 2000s and was part of the team that staved off relegation from the then-First Division (Championship) in the 2000/01 season.
On Tuesday, Berhalter recalled that memory after it was made official that Palace would visit Ohio in late July as part of their pre-season plans for the 2014/15 Premier League season.
"Specifically, my first year, I remember having to fight off relegation and having tremendous fan support in our away games," said Berhalter.
"I think we scored in the last two minutes of the last game of the season against Stockport to stay up.
"All the fans stormed the field, and that was a special moment. Although it wasn't great times for the club, to end the season like that was amazing and the fans really enjoyed that."
Berhalter, who was the very first Palace player to make it to a World Cup when he represented the US at the 2002 tournament in Japan and South Korea, was proud that he played for a club with such a wonderful past.
"It's tradition. They've been around English football for a long time," added Berhalter.
"It's a traditional club in London. When you start naming some of those teams in London, it's a pretty special group, and Crystal Palace is part of that. Selhurst Park is a great place for football; a lot of memorable games took place there. It's a team that keeps going, and that's a pretty special quality."
