Metro snatches a tie from caprine jaws of defeat
September 27, 2009
Deep into second half stoppage time, Chivas USA's Sacha Kljestan stepped up to the penalty spot to take a shot that would surely give the Goats the victory over Metro. No. Wide left. And there you have it -- in a season of heartbreak, bad luck, and absolute horror Metro finally stole a point, and in what fashion. First, Juan Pablo Angel's record-breaking 46th goal to tie the match late, and then the stupefying miss. Hell, we take it.
Angel came back from his two-week absence to replace the injured John Wolyniec up top. Albert Celades also returned to the starting lineup, as Luke Sassano sat. Danleigh Borman pushed up to the left midfield to replace the supposedly injured (and terrible, not supposedly) Jorge Rojas, as Jeremy Hall started at left back.
A no-hum first half saw a terrific chance by Metro from a Borman free kick from near the corner flag that went through the penalty area, bounced, but had no takers.
The Goats broke through in the 64th minute. Kljestan lofted a well-placed shot from outside the Metro penalty area and over Bouna Coundoul, who was set a tad outside the goalline. 1:0, Metro down. We saw this before... Oh so many times.
But six minutes from time, Metro responded. Second-half sub Sinisa Ubiparipovic sent a perfect cross from the left flank onto the head of Angel, and the Cherubic Assassin perfectly headed it into the net. Just a perfect play (in such an imperfect season). The goal broke a tie with Clint Mathis, so Angel now sits alone on the all-time Metro scoring charts.
And then, it was stoppage time, and an Andrew Boyens handball inches from the Metro goal. It all looked lost, but Kljestan pushed the shot left, and Metro had their point.
Yes, an irrelevant point. But in a season like this, we'll take it.
Lineup: Coundoul, Hall, Petke, Boyens, Johnson, Stammler, Celades, Borman, Richards, Kandji, Angel. Subs: Ubiparipovic, Sassano.
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