3:1 New York Santos Lindpere Petke Richards Germano 03.20.10 · Preseason

Contrary to what the club's inglorious history would suggest as a likely outcome, the grand opening of Red Bull Arena went off without a hitch Saturday night as Metro defeated visitors Santos FC, scoring three goals in an exciting game that saw end-to-end action throughout. The win completed an undefeated preseason run for Metro, fueled by inspired performances from veteran signees and rookie draft picks alike.

Bouna Coundoul, who seems to have a hold on the starting goalkeeper spot, was given the nod between the sticks. Mike Petke and Tim Ream were called upon in the center of coach Hans Backe's four-man defense with Roy Miller on their left and Jeremy Hall on the right. Dane Richards and Sinisa Ubiparipovic manned the flanks ahead of them while Joel Lindpere and recent acquisition Carl Robinson formed Metro's central midfield pairing. Macoumba Kandji and Ghanian trialist Ibrahim Salou partnered together up top.

The fervent fans in attendance at Red Bull Arena wouldn't have to wait long to see the first-ever goal scored at the glittering new soccer cathedral, and fortunately for the largely pro-Metro crowd, the home side would be the first to draw blood. In the 11th minute, Salou earned a free kick on the edge of the box and Lindpere stepped up to take the kick. The Estonian's low shot was immediately rebounded by the Santos defense back in his direction, and Lindpere struck the ball on the half-volley, burying it in the left corner of net.

Both teams settled into the game after the early goal, trading possession and attacking opportunities over the next thirty minutes. The style of each side contributed to the fast play and numerous scoring chances; the Brazilian side exhibited their trademark attacking flair while Backe's 4-4-2 formation with its aggressively overlapping fullbacks (the kind of action we were promised last season from head coach Juan Carlos Osorio following the signings of fullbacks Alfredo Pacheco and Carlos Johnson) kept the paulistas honest with the threat of rapid counterattack down the flanks.

Eventually in the 42nd minute Kandji was pulled down by Santos' Bruno Aguilar just outside the penalty box. Robinson's resulting free kick was deflected behind the goal by the Santos defenders, and the Welshman strode to the corner flag and sent in an excellent far post ball that met the head of the onrushing Ream. The rookie defender's powerful header flashed across the goalmouth where it met the right foot of fan favorite Petke at close range, extending the Metro lead to two.

Two minutes later, one of the aforementioned counterattacks led to the game's next goal. With the game approaching halftime, Ubiparipovic beautifully intercepted an aggressive pass from the Santos midfield, and with acres of space ahead of him, sprinted up the left side. Kandji made himself available upfield, and after linking up with Ubiparipovic, passed the ball into open space where Richards caught up with the ball and fired a stunning blast (doubly so considering the Jamaican's reputation for having a weak shot) into the upper left corner of the net.

In the second half, the teams kept the tempo of the game intact despite both managers making wholesale changes from the break up until the end of the game. Coundoul made two excellent saves on back-to-back plays in the 52nd and 53rd minutes, showing the athletic ability that made him a star in Colorado. John Wolyniec entered the match in the 67th minute and by the 73rd had earned a yellow card for retaliation after taking an elbow to the head on the previous play that went unnoticed by the referee. The only goal scored in the second half was a garbage-time effort from close range by Santos' Germano, just before the final whistle blew.

We've been fooled in the fast by promising preseasons, only to be devastated when the regular season comes around. This time, however, it all feels very different -- Backe's exciting style of play and the prospect of playing 15 home games at the gorgeous new stadium in Harrison seems to have energized the players. Metro opens the season at home next Saturday against the Chicago Fire, in front of what will be an equally large and energetic sellout crowd, and we hope they are capable of producing a performance as spirited as the team put forward tonight.