Depleted Metro destroy Dynamo, 3:0
August 24, 2008
Three key players out. Three goals. Third straight home game. Third straight win. Who would have thunk it three weeks ago?
3:0 the final scoreboard read, but it could have been worse. Metro completely dominated the league champions on goals by Juan Pablo Angel, Dane Richards, and the resurrected Mike Magee. Third straight game with a goal for him, to keep up the theme.
Jeff Parke's injury and Gabriel Cichero's suspension meant changes to the backline, so Metro reverted to a 4-man line with newcomer Diego Jimenez partnering Andrew Boyens in the middle, with Chris Leitch starting on the right. Richards made the start at right midfield, as Luke Sassano sat. Also missing was Jorge Rojas, stuck back in Venezuela because of visa issues.
But tonight, Rojas was not needed. Metro pounced early, pressuring the Houston defense into bad giveaways. Just six minutes into the match, one such pressure by Magee led to van den Bergh sending in the perfect cross, and Angel flew into the penalty area, smashing the ball home with his cherubic head.
We'll glance over the non-call when Houston hack Eddie Robinson clearly pulled down Richards in the box, and move forward to the 26th minute, when the same Richards got a pass from Stammler up the right wing, and raced towards the net. Then he did the non-Richards thing: hesitated on purpose, waited for Pat Onstad to commit, and slotted the ball home to the side of the Houston keeper.
The third Metro goal game in the 60th minute, as a long pass from Jimenez found Magee at the top of the box. Metro's longest-tenured player took a few steps to the left, drawing out Onstad, and slammed it in for with a terrific finish.
The defense, even without its top two defenders, kept strong, limiting Houston chances. Jon Conway earned his second straight shutout in a game he only had to make four saves in.
Bring on DC!
Lineup: Conway, Goldthwaite, Jimenez, Boyens, Leitch, Pietravallo, Stammler, van den Bergh, Richards, Magee, Angel. Subs: Borman, Wolyniec, Ubiparipovic.
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