Hours before kickoff on a steamy Saturday afternoon in Columbus, the family of homegrown defender Alex Crognale gathered in the parking lot of MAPFRE Stadium.
This wasn’t like prior tailgates for the Crognale family. It was particularly special as Alex’s grandfather, Henri, was the honoree for this event.
Henri, a veteran of World War II, celebrated his 97th birthday this past week. As an avid supporter of Crew SC, Henri particularly enjoys rooting for Wil Trapp, Zack Steffen and of course his grandson Alex on match days.
Alex’s mother, Karen, and father, Corey, organized the tailgate and welcomed numerous members of the Crognale, Steffen and Trapp families to the party.