3:1 Chicago MetroStars Hayes Marsch Kovalenko Walsh 06.30.01 · League

Billy Walsh, on the verge of being traded to Chicago earlier in the day, nullified himself, scoring for both Metros and the Fire. The Fire added two more, winning 3:1, dropping the Metros to 0-5-2 in their last seven MLS games.

David Hayes started the scoring in the 3rd minute. A Fire counter-attack and a deflection in the Metro penalty area gave him an easy opportunity. A few minutes later, Metro had an excellent chance to tie the match. Unfortunately, Martin Klinger, starting his first MLS game, could not pull the trigger fast enough, with the ball going wide of the goal.

Then, it was time for Billy Walsh heroics, Part I. Billy deflected a Jesse Marsch shot, which Tim Howard would have easily saved, with his leg. Although the goal was credited to Marsch, it was clearly an own goal by Walsh. Then, in the 38th minute, a Chicago cross deflected off Klinger and gave an easy goal to Dema Kovalenko for a 3:0 halftime lead.

With the three-goal lead, Chicago kept the pressure up in the second half. The Metros had a goal taken away as the referee did not see that Adolfo Valencia's header had completely crossed the line. In the 84th minute, Billy Walsh knocked in his first of the year (for the Metros, that is), off a Daniel Hernandez free kick. He almost had a second a few minutes later, but it was ruled to be offside.

Sergi Daniv, who was almost traded for Walsh, had two assists for the Fire, matching his total for both 2000 and 1999 seasons.

Lineup: Howard, Perez, Petke, Jolley, Hernandez, Chung, Walsh, Alvarez, Ramos, Klinger, Valencia. Subs: Klinger.