10-man Metro shaken up by Quakes, 4:0
May 8, 2010
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Johnson
Gjertsen
Wondolowski
Burling
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Poor Luke Sassano. Given his first chance to start an MLS match this season, the defender was red carded 13 minutes into the game, forcing Metro to play a man down for the rest of the match. They gave it their best effort, but it was clearly not enough, as San Jose scored late in the half, and then added three in the second for a 4:0 victory. Stupid Luke Sassano.
"Clever" Hans Backe made a tactical decision to play Sassano for a healthy Jeremy Hall at right back. He also gave Tony Tchani his first league start of the year for the injured Carl Robinson. The red card came on a needless, late studs-up tackle by Sassano on Bobby Convey midway up the right flank. The referee went straight for the red, and seeing the replay, it was hard to argue.
Metro did do well to keep the game scoreless for the next half hour. San Jose didn't show much, and Metro had their own chances, the best off a turnover in the Quakes side of the field, with Joel Lindpere one-timing a powerful shot from outside the box and just missing the the top left corner.
Just when you thought that the teams will enter halftime even, the Quakes broke through. With less than two minutes left in the first, Ryan Johnson beat Tim Ream, and one-timed a perfect Bobby Convey cross past a hopeless Bouna Coundoul.
The well-regarded Ream, who had a terrible giveway early in the first half, had -- by far -- his worst night as a pro. In the 54th minute, he was twisted by Joey Gjertsen, as the Quakes midfielder placed the ball at Coundoul, but the Metro goalkeeper somehow let it slip under his body. Then, in the 77th, Ream was beaten to a goalmouth cross by Chris Wondolowski, and the rout was on.
The exclamation point came with five minutes left in regulation, with San Jose behemoth Bobby Burling rising to head in a corner kick. And former Metro Cornell Glen almost made it five, hitting the woodwork on a one-on-one with Coundoul.
Well, it's still better than last year.
Lineup: Coundoul, Miller, Ream, Petke, Sassano, Stammler, Tchani, Lindpere, Richards, Ibrahim, Angel. Subs: Hall, Borman, Ubiparipovic.
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