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Savarese, 1996
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From Savarese to Mbuta: Metro debut scorers
September 29, 2008
At this point, 14 Metros have scored on their debut. From that point on, it's difficult to find a common theme to unite the 14: their Metro careers have been as diverse as possible. So from some of the all-time greats to the depths of the most obscure, here are the debut scorers.
April 13, 1996: Los Angeles 2, MetroStars 1; Giovanni Savarese
With the Metros down 2:0 in their inaugural game, Savarese got the first goal in club history in the 77th minute, heading in a Miles Joseph pass (shot?) from close range. So on that day, Gio became the leading scorer in Metro history... a title he held until 2007, and still holds, if only league goals are counted. Metro goals: 44
June 30, 1996: Columbus 0, MetroStars 4; Chris Unger
Unger scored in the 90th minute in what still stands as the largest road victory in team history. The former Metro Front Office staffer never scored again. You can read his story in Obscure Metro Files. Metro goals: 1
August 14, 1996: MetroStars 4, New England 0; Antony De Avila
"Pitufo" comes on as a sub in the 62nd minute, promptly assists on a Rob Johnson goal, and then scores one on his own in the 81st to set the final margin in the rout. For those who need a reminder of the diminutive striker that still stands among Metro's best, check out The legend of Pitufo and Ping-pong soccer. Metro goals: 17
March 29, 1997: Tampa Bay 2, MetroStars 1; Mike Sorber
Sorber missed the opener of the 1997 season, but started the second match, and evened the score in Tampa in the 33rd minute. Metro would lose on a last-minute goal. It was the first of Sorber's four league goals in 1997; he would never score one again in his two other seasons with Metro. His other two tallies came in the Open Cup and the playoffs. Metro goals: 6
March 28, 1998: Los Angeles 3, MetroStars 2; Jim Rooney
In the 1998 opener, Metro went down three minutes into the match, but the former construction worker and Rough-Rider Rooney tied the game in the 38th minute. Metro would take the lead through Savarese before losing on two late goals. Rooney would go on to have a terrific 1998, was cut by the bumbling idiot Bora Milutinovic in 1999, and move on to a stellar MLS career with Miami and New England. Metro goals: 9
August 18, 1999: MetroStars 2, Columbus 4; John Wolyniec
In a midst of the worst losing streak in club history, Wolyniec was called up from the Rough-Riders and scored the last goal in this laugher. The goal came in the 77th minute, five minutes after Woly entered the game. Of course, the idiot Bora cut Wolyniec during the previous preseason, so Metro lost his rights, and he started a vagabond career before returning to Metro in 2003, and then again in 2006. Still going strong, if not scoring, Wolyniec is sixth on the team's all-time scoring list. Metro goals: 26+
March 26, 2000: Miami 3, MetroStars 1; Alex Comas
The Fusion spoiled Lothar Matthaus' Metro debut, and led early in the match, before Comas evened the scoring in the 27th minute after a nice run up the left flank. Metro lost on two second-half goals. The moustached Comas had a much-maligned 2000 season in which he somehow ended up scoring 13 league goals, but a terrible start to 2001 saw him get his release in June. Metro goals: 16
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