Metro recovers with a 1:0 win over Colorado
July 8, 2007
What a difference 90 minutes make. Metro started the day fifth in the East, and ended it in first, topping the Colorado Rapids 1:0 for a much-needed victory. John Wolyniec scored the lone New York goal and Metro held on for dear life during the excruciatingly long second-half injury time.
Thursday's disaster in Houston resulted in change on the wings, as Dave van den Bergh sat for the first time all year with Clint Mathis starting in an unfamiliar left midfield spot, and Dane Richards returned from a one-game sabbatical for the ineffective Markus Schopp.
Wolyniec messed up an early breakaway, but the Fordham Flash did no wrong in the 18th minute. He first kept the ball at play on a corner kick, and after Ugo Ihemelu gave it away after a Metro shot, Woly sent a low blast it into the net for a rare outside-the-box goal.
Carlos Mendes pulled up injured early in the second, and Joe Vide came into the midfield for rare first-team time as Seth Stammler went to the backline. And the backline didn't suffer, as the horrors of Houston were erased. Jeff Parke had a vital clearance in the penalty area, Colorado hit the crossbar in regulation and hit the post at the very end of extended injury time, but at the end, Metro had their shutout, doing just enough to earn the victory.
Sadly, the offense was still not up to par. Yes, they had some chances, but other than Wolyniec's goal, could not come close to finishing. Nevertheless, three points is three points, and after the previous result, we are definitely not complaining.
Lineup: Waterreus, Goldthwaite, Mendes, Parke, Freeman, Stammler, Reyna, Mathis, Richards, Wolyniec, Angel. Subs: Vide, van den Bergh, Schopp.
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