Mighty Metro mauls Maurice's men, 3:0
August 12, 2007
Sometimes, long layoffs hurt teams. Not this time. Metro, with 16 days behind them after their last league match, played terrifically, trashing Toronto 3:0 behind a goal from Juan Pablo Angel and a deuce from Jozy Altidore. The game was reminiscent of dominance shown by Metro earlier this season and hopefully is a sign of things to come for the stretch run.
After the 4-3-3 failed to produce a goal in the last league match, Metro reverted to a 4-4-2. John Wolyniec sat, and Dane Richards regained his place on the right of the midfield. Kevin Goldthwaite was finally benched, as Chris Leitch made his first 2007 start at left back. Jeff Parke recovered from his injury to take back his spot. Interestingly, Carlos Mendes was held out of the starting lineup.
But Metro didn't need Mendes tonight, as Parke and Co. kept Toronto at bay for the entire 90. Mo's boys couldn't muster a shot on goal, a stat we previously thought was reserved for this year's Metro team. On the other end, Metro attacked from the opening whistle, and were unlucky early when a curving Dave van den Bergh knuckler just nipped the post.
The game changed in the 22nd minute, when Claudio Reyna was taken out of the game, replaced by Clint Mathis. The substitution paid off three minutes later, as a Mathis cross was deflected by a Toronto player in the box, and Angel pounced on the ball, slamming it into the net and then saluting the Metro supporters behind the goal.
Metro doubled the lead in the 50th minute. Terrific work on Angel on the right side resulted in a pass in front of the net that bounced off a defender. It would have been an own goal, but Altidore crashed the party and stuck his foot in to claim his first Metro tally since May. He will get his second 13 minutes later, with a terrific effort that started from a long clear by Jon Conway. Angel headed the ball onto the path of Altidore, who flicked the ball over the helpless Marco Reda, and powered it into the net for an insurmountable lead and his first two-goal for Metro.
Toronto's Chris Pozniak got a straight red in the 66th minute after a horrible tackle on Dane Richards. Richards walked, but was soon replaced by Mike Magee, who made his 2007 debut. Down to ten, Toronto could do as much as they did with eleven, which was absolutely nothing.
But Mo Johnston still looks good in his suit.
Lineup: Conway, Leitch, Parke, Stammler, Freeman, Vide, Reyna, van den Bergh, Richards, Altidore, Angel. Subs: Mathis, Magee, Ubiparipovic.
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