5:2 New England MetroStars Noonan 3 Fabbro Ralston Lisi LeBlanc 10.25.03 · League

Bob Bradley rested almost every important Metro player, and the reserves got an expected result, losing to the New England first team 2:5. The result means that the Metros will host game 1 of the playoffs next Saturday before coming back to New England on Sunday, November 9th.

The Metros team was Paul Grafer in goal; Edgar Bartolomeu, Joe Addo, Juan Forchetti and Craig Ziadie on defense; Tim Regan, Jacob LeBlanc, Mark Lisi and Eddie Gaven in midfield; and John Wolyniec and Mike Nugent on attack. It was a lineup for the ages, to say the least.

They actually held the fort for 40 minutes, but then Steve Ralston stripped Bartolomeu and passed to Pat Noonan who put it past helpless Grafer. Dario Fabbro made it 2:0 just before halftime as the ball deflected off Joe Addo.

A head ball by Forchetti bounced off Noonan into the Metro net in 51th, and the result was academic. Lisi hit a PK, Revs countered with goals by Ralston and Noonan, and LeBlanc finished the scoring in the 69th.

Will Bradley's strategy work for next week? One hopes so.

Lineup: Grafer, Bartolomeu, Forchetti, Addo, Ziadie, LeBlanc, Regan, Gaven, Lisi, Wolyniec, Nugent. Subs: DiGiamarino, Leitch, Arena.