3:2 New England New York Dempsey 2 Twellman Buddle Magee 07.01.06 · League

The hole is getting deeper. The Red Donkeys played their third straight terrible match, losing to New England 3:2, with the result not matching the disparity of the two sides. Playing without the absent Youri Djorkaeff and the suspended Jean-Philippe Peguero, the Donkeys were overmatched on every area of the field.

With the two absences mentioned above, the Red Donkeys reverted to a 4-4-2 with Marvell Wynne coming in as the right back and Mike Magee taking Peguero's space up front. The change in formation was of little help, however, as the Revs controlled play for the opening kickoff, with Metro failing to hold any possession. Five minutes in, a Jeff Parke clearance ricocheted off Clint Dempsey and into the Donkey net to open the scoring.

It could have been much worse, but in the 24th minute on a rare counter-attack, Edson Buddle took the ball up the left side and then down the endline and beat Matt Reis off the far post from what looked like an impossible angle.

Unfortunately for Metro, the goal did little to turn the tide. Just before halftime, an unmarked Taylor Twellman was allowed to roam inside the box and headed in the go-ahead goal.

In the 66th minute, the Donkeys tied the game again as Magee scored his first of the year, slotting it home after a perfect pass from Stammler. But the tie only lasted six minutes, as Dempsey walked through the terrible Metro defense, froze Tony Meola, and banged home the game-winner.

Jordan Cila made his Metro debut as a second-half sub. A late red card on Avery John for a hand in Amado Guevara's face gave the Donkeys some late life, and the Honduran sent in a perfect lob that Buddle headed wide. Oh well. How much worse can it get at this point?

Lineup: Meola, Jolley, Mendes, Parke, Wynne, O'Rourke, Henderson, Stammler, Guevara, Magee, Buddle. Subs: Cila.