Metros pay back Tampa, 2:0
July 1, 2000 (Official Game Summary)
Tim Howard made a pair of saves to earn his second straight shutout as the MetroStars took sole possession of first place in the Eastern Division with a 2-0 victory over Tampa Bay Saturday night. Midfielders Mark Chung and Petter Villegas supplied the offense for the Metros (9-7-2) and Mike Petke shut down Mutiny star Mamadou Diallo. With the victory, the MetroStars moved three points ahead of New England atop the Eastern Division. Chung netted the game-winner, his second goal of the season, as the MetroStars took a 1-0 lead in the 38th minute. Daniel Hernandez took a pass from Roy Myers near the top of the arc and played a pass to his left for an onrushing Chung. The veteran midfielder blasted a shot past Mutiny goalkeeper Scott Garlick to the upper right-hand corner of the goal. Villegas added an insurance goal in the 86th minute. Clint Mathis won a free ball in the Tampa Bay defensive end. With the Mutiny pushed forward looking for the equalizer, Mathis found an open Villegas down the right side. Villegas blasted a low shot to the near post by Garlick for his third goal of the season. Tampa Bay (10-9) had a golden chance to take the lead just 14 minutes into the game, but midfielder Eric Quill struck the left post with a low, hard shot from 12 yards out. The MetroStars almost broke through in the 21st minute as midfielder Billy Walsh headed a Chung free kick off the crossbar. The Metros defense did an excellent job of containing Mutiny star Diallo, who leads MLS with 16 goals. Petke was matched up with Diallo for most of the night, holding the Senegalese striker without a shot on goal. The remainder of the MetroStars defense gets credit for shutting down the passing lanes of creative Tampa Bay midfielders Carlos Valderrama and Steve Ralston. The MetroStars were without the services of veteran defender Lothar Matthaus, who is suffering from a lower back strain. The Metros were also missing two other starters, defender Thomas Dooley (left hamstring) and goalkeeper Mike Ammann (back strain). Howard made his second straight start in the MetroStars goal in place of Ammann. The 21-year-old also shutout San Jose in Wednesday's 0-0 draw at Giants Stadium. Howard made many flashy saves on Saturday, including a big stop of Tampa Bay's Josh Keller from point-blank range in the games' final moments.
Lineup: Howard, Jolley, Petke, Walsh, Hernandez, Villegas, Chung, Myers, Ramos, Valencia, Mathis. Subs: Corrales, Shak, Semioli.
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