Metro wrestles Pumas to a scoreless draw
February 24, 2012 (Official Game Summary)
Despite several scoring chances on both ends of the field, the New York Red Bulls and Mexican side UNAM Pumas played to a 0-0 tie Thursday night at Chase Field in "Red Bull Reto del Sol". The draw pushed the Red Bulls 2012 preseason record to 1-1-3.
New York had the first scoring chance of the match when midfielder Dane Richards had time on the right wing and cut it back to Thierry Henry. Henry's ensuing blast was stopped by a diving Alejandro Palacios.
Red Bulls goalkeeper Ryan Meara helped keep the game tied in the 15th minute. A Pumas corner kick cleared by New York's Stephen Keel was controlled by Pumas' David Cabrera and the midfielder whipped an attempt on goal that Meara went down to parry. Teemu Tainio was there to clear the rebound away with Juan Carlos Cacho lurking.
In the 24th minute, Pumas had the best chance of the match to that point, as Martin Bravo slipped through Cacho on goal. Meara, however, was able to knock away the forward's 15-yard shot. Four minutes later, Cacho was this time the provider, finding an on-rushing Bravo, whose chip sailed over the crossbar.
With six minutes before the intermission, Kenny Cooper had an open look on net off a Jan Gunnar Solli feed, but could not get his first-time effort on frame. Soon after, Pumas forward Eduardo Herrara's flick on from a Javier Cortes out-swinger bounced just past the left post. Then, in the last play of the half, Richards outraced his marker in Pumas' penalty box and rolled one across the face of goal and inches from the side netting.
Both teams searched for the opening tally in the second half and Bravo nearly got it, earning possession in New York's half and pinging it off the top of the crossbar moments in. In the 54th minute, midfielder Joel Lindpere nearly made it 1-0 when he barely missed a Richards low feed in the six yard box after Solli put the speedy Jamaican into space.
The Red Bulls nearly stole the result in the 89th minute. Henry passed it in the penalty box to a wide open Dax McCarty, who centered it towards Cooper. However, the last Pumas defender got his foot to the ball and cleared it out of harm's way.
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