Joel Lindpere rescues a point in San Jose, 2:2
July 3, 2011
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Stephenson
Lenhart
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Lindpere 2
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In a game that seemed a microcosm of their season so far, an important player didn't play to due to an ailment, Metro scored an early goal, allowed one due to a goalkeeping error, lost the lead on a defensive breakdown, and then miraculously pulled one back late to pull out a tie. Yet another tie, this time a 2:2 result in San Jose, with both Metro goals coming from a determined Joel Lindpere.
"Clever" Hans Backe had surgery this week, so he stayed back in New Jersey. Titi Henry also didn't make it to gametime, sidelined by flu-like symptoms. In his place, Juan Agudelo made his league return from Gold Cup duty, lining up as the lone striker in a 4-4-1-1, with Mehdi Ballouchy behind him. Also returning was Tim Ream, coming in for Stephen Keel, and Dax McCarty made his Metro debut in central midfield.
In an all-so-familiar scenario, Metro scored early. Just seven minutes in, Roy Miller sent a cross into the box, and Lindpere fought off a defender to win the ball, took a touch, and calmly placed it to the right of Jon Busch.
Metro controlled the ball for what seemed the entire first half, often thwarted by Agudelo tripping over himself. (We wish we were kidding -- he fell down. A lot.) But what seemed like a simple play in the 37th minute became a familiar sight. Off a corner kick, Bouna Coundoul tried to catch the ball, instead of punching it. He failed, the ball bouncing back to Khari Stevenson, who hammered home the equalizer.
San Jose would get the lead in the 68th minute, when Steven Lenhart split Ream and Carlos Mendes to win a header and send it into the Metro net. And once again, all seemed lost.
But once again, Metro squeezed out a late point. After Busch denied Agudelo and Lindpere, a Mehdi Ballouchy pass was deflected towards the Estonian. Lindpere received the ball, and hit a shot that ricocheted off Bobby Burling and into the San Jose net.
San Jose tried to hack down Metro players throughout the match, Jason Hernandez elbowing Dane Richards at full speed, only to receive a yellow. Burling would be ejected in injury time, but it came too late for Metro to take advantage.
McCarty, who acquitted himself well, became the 250th player in team history.
Lineup: Coundoul, Miller, Ream, Mendes, Solli, Tainio, McCarty, Lindpere, Richards, Ballouchy, Agudelo. Subs: Keel.
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