Angel scores on return, but Metro responds
May 23, 2012
Juan Pablo Angel might not be the same player he was five or even two years ago. Obviously, he is getting up there in age, and as time goes, RBNY's decision to let him go becomes less and less controversial. That being said, the man can still bring it. Tonight, the Cherubic Assassin scored for his new team, tallying a spectacular goal to open the scoring against his old one. Kenny Cooper replied for Metro as it ended 1:1, snapping the five-game winning streak.
Titi Henry returned from his injury, so "Clever" Hans Backe reverted to his usual 4-4-2 against the Goats. Rafa Marquez decided that he is healthy enough, starting in defensive midfield and pushing Dax McCarty further up.
Angel had the Goats' best chance of the first half, hitting the post on a long shot. On the other end, Metro had a number of quality opportunities, the best coming when Roy Miller made the run up the left flank and down the endline. The left back walked in on Dan Kennedy, but elected to shoot from an acute angle, missing wide.
Angel's goal came right after the break. Off a Goats' corner kick, Miller was beaten to a header, with the ball floating to Angel. Metro's all-time leading scorer took it out of the air and spectacularly one-timed it over Ryan Meara. We usually -- never! -- admire opposing goals, but here we had to. There was no usual Angel celebration, no jump and slash. "Out of respect, absolutely," he said after the game.
Metro responded in the 56th minute. Dane Richards, who was a handful all night, received the ball on the right flank from Brandon Barklage. The Jamaican kept it on the ground, centering to Cooper. Kennedy was out of position in an attempt to stop the cross, and Frankencooper evened the match.
Metro had other chances in the period. Prior to the goal, Richards found Henry with a cross, but the header went straight at Kennedy. Late in the game, a Henry corner found the head of McCarty, but the ball was cleared off the line.
So Metro goes into the league break not on a winning streak, but at least on a six-game unbeaten run. The streak was bound to end at some point... And of all the people who could have ended it, we'll take Juan Pablo Angel.
Lineup: Meara, Miller, Holgersson, Pearce, Barklage, Marquez, McCarty, Lindpere, Richards, Cooper, Henry.
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