Return of Meola foiled on last-minute goal
July 20, 2005
It's like deja vu all over again. And it's not good. Playing without the injured Amado Guevara and Youri Djorkaeff, but with the surprise returning Tony Meola, the MetroStars played impeccable defense for 90 minutes. It's just too bad there is such thing as stoppage time, for it was then that the Metro defense broke down, allowing Columbus to walk through them and score the lone goal of the game.
Meola was not the only change from the weekend; Mike Magee and Sergio Galvan Rey made returns to the starting lineup in place of Guevara and Djorkaeff. But the Metros were clearly missing their two most creative players, as their attacks into the Columbus end were far and between. The best chance of the first half came on a Michael Bradley bicycle kick off a corner. On the other end, Meola made a couple of big saves to keep the game scoreless.
In fact, the entire second half was one Columbus attack after another, but Metro defense held firm. Carlos Mendes and Jeff Parke were terrific, not letting the Crew get to Meola, and when they did, the Metro keeper proved to be a wall. His presence around the box is something that Zach Wells does not have yet, and the difference showed. But it was all for naught.
For in stoppage time, Columbus' Knox Cameron got through the Metro defenders, and sent a ball into the box, where Marcus Storey kicked it back to Jamal Sutton. With Meola off his line, the Crew striker easily put it into the net. And the Metros once again lost points late.
Lineup: Meola, Agoos, Parke, Mendes, Leitch, Bradley, Lisi, Magee, Gaven, Galvan Rey, Razov. Subs: Ibrahim.
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