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Lindpere vs Chicago, 2010
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Sixteen seasons, sixteen openers
March 6, 2012
Four years ago we looked at the previous twelve season openers in Metro history... Let's fill in what has happened since.
April 5, 2008: New York 2, Columbus 0
The game barely starts as Sinisa Ubiparipovic steals the ball and feeds Dave van den Bergh. The Walking Dutchman curves a shot in just 46 seconds into the season. Then, off a van den Bergh corner kick, Kevin Goldthwaite notches his first Metro goal. Juan Pablo Angel has a penalty kick saved, but it wasn't needed. New players: 3 (Luke Sassano, Oscar Echeverry, Danleigh Borman).
March 19, 2009: Seattle 3, New York 0
Do we have to talk about this? The season from hell starts with a game from hell, as the expansion Sounders pound Metro in their first game ever. After making it to MLS Cup, Juan Carlos Osorio reverts to his old self, starting "Hard Man" Juan Pietravallo, who has an atrocious game. Fredy Montero nets two and Brad Evans... You know, let's not talk about this. New players: 1 (Jeremy Hall).
March 27, 2010: New York 1, Chicago 0
Now here is a magical opener. The first regular season game at Red Bull Arena, and a newly-minted hero in Joel Lindpere. The Estonian, who also scored the first goal in the first game in Arena's history, a win over Santos, blasts a rocket that proves to be the lone tally of the match. New players: 4 (Lindpere, Tim Ream, Roy Miller, Tony Tchani).
March 19, 2011: New York 1, Seattle 0
Another missed penalty kick, this time by Titi Henry, but yet again, Metro does not need it. For midway through the second half, 18-year-old Juan Agudelo takes a long ball from Teemu Tainio, fights off a Seattle defender, and runs in for the goal, his first on the professional level. New players: 2 (Tainio, Jan Gunnar Solli).
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