1:6 LA Select MetroStars Dixon Comas 2 Ramos Faria 3 03.31.01 · Preseason

The MetroStars defeated a Latin American Select team tonight, 6-1, in a charity game organized by Long Island's El Salvadoran community to help raise funds for the recent earthquake victims in their native El Salvador.

The charity match featured a host of substitutions by both sides and saw MLS and El Salvador legends Raul Diaz Arce (DC United) and Mauricio Cienfuegos (LA Galaxy) go up against the MetroStars before a crowd estimated at 5,000 fans in the Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale, Long Island.

Rodrigo Faria led the offensive efforts with a hat trick, while Alex Comas scored twice and Tab Ramos scored the other in a game totally dominated by the visiting MetroStars.

The Latin American select squad scored their lone goal in the 56th minute on a goal by defender Alex Dixon beating goalkeeper Paul Grafer with a blast into the upper right corner of the goal.

Comas scored five minutes into the game when he fired a long shot from 30 yards that was mishandled by the goalkeeper and rolled into the goal. Ramos followed up with the second goal in the 40th minute on a long through ball from Mark Chung on the left flank, that he easily beat the goalkeeper one-on-one for the score.

Comas notched his second goal two minutes from the first half whistle when he stole a ball away from a defender outside the box and fired a shot into the right corner for the 3-0 lead.

Faria, who replaced Clint Mathis at halftime, scored his hat trick in the second half to put the game away in favor of the MetroStars.

Faria notched his first in the 52nd minute when he took an Adolfo Valencia through pass near the penalty arc, and fired shot into the left corner for a 4-0 lead. He immediately reacted to Latin Americans' 56th minute goal by scoring his second a minute later on a counter attack when he rifled a shot from 17 yards for a 5-1 lead.

He scored his third for his first hat trick with the MetroStars when chipped a goal from 14 yards over the goalkeeper's head for a 6-1 lead at the Mitchel Athletic Complex.