Ten Best: Metro forwards
September 12, 2006
Selecting top ten forwards in Metro history is easy from the top, but gets much more difficult once one gets into the higher digits. In fact, one of the biggest downfalls in club history has been the inability of finding a striker consistent enough to produce for long periods of time. Well, one of many downfalls, that is.
10) Jean-Philippe Peguero, 2006
He came, he conquered, he slumped, he left. Few Metro forwards could match the production rate of the Haitian striker, and his time with the team in 2006 could be seen as a microcosm of the promising-disappointing-gone Metro forward prototype of the first 11 years.
9) Alex Comas, 2000-01
The third head of the in the 2000 Valencia-Mathis-Comas triumvirate, the moustached Comas scored 14 goals in his first year with the team, but slumped badly, scoring just two in 12 games in 2001, which led to his release.
8) Mike Magee, 2003-
It's hard to believe it, but the 22-year-old Magee is already seventh in games played in Metro history. His 18 goals rank 8th so far, and makes one wonder how much larger that number would have been if he spent more time as a striker and not as a jack-of-all-trades the past few seasons. He's added 13 assists.
7) Rodrigo Faria, 2001-02
The enigmatic Brazilian tied the MLS freshman record with eight goals and added two in the playoffs en route to Rookie of the Year honors. He rolled up his sleeves to lead the team with 14 in 2002. After the year, Rodrigo was sent to Chicago as compensation for Bob Bradley.
6) John Wolyniec, 1999, 2003-05, 2006-
Now on his fourth stint here, the journeyman forward always seem to score with Metro (23 goals and 11 assists as of this writing), but never with the myriad of other teams he's been on. The incredible overtime winner over Columbus in 2003 will forever stand as one of the best goals in Metro history.
5) Antony De Avila, 1996-97
We've sung the praises of the diminutive Colombian many times on this website. The king of "Ping Pong soccer", El Pitufo scored eight goals in 11 games after joining the team late in 1996, and had a nine goal, nine assist season next year before being sold to Ecuador's Barcelona.
4) Adolfo Valencia, 2000-01
In 2000, Adolfo set team records of 16 goals in league play and 21 overall, records no one since came close to matching. Unfortunately, his 2001 was forgettable, as a long scoring drought saw his career Metro numbers end with 29 goals and 18 assists.
3) Youri Djorkaeff, 2005-
Ages and injuries have caught up with Youri this year, but we'll never forget what he did in 2005, when 11 goals and eight assists don't tell the whole story. The World Cup-winning Frenchman was the catalyst in Metro's terrific stretch run, and game after game Metro had him to thank for the received points.
2) Giovanni Savarese, 1996-98
If Gio could do one thing on the soccer field, it was putting goals in the net. 14 in 1996, 14 again in 1997, and 16 in 1998 for a total of 44. He's been gone for eight years, and the records is still his. Makes us wonder how high that number would be if idiotic Bora Milutinovic didn't trade him in 1999.
1) Clint Mathis, 2000-03
But the top spot goes to Mathis, who put in a spectacular calendar year after arriving early in 2000. Putting the team on his back, he plowed his way towards the best record in Metro history, and then started 2001 in rare form, before an ACL injury sidelined him. Never the same after his return, he still scored 39 goals (five of them in one game against Dallas in 2000), second-best in Metro history, and added 24 assists (best among Metro forwards).
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