3:1 Harrisburg New York Touray 2 Mkosana Lade 06.05.12 · Open Cup

Open Cup. Metro at minor-league Harrisburg. Second half of extra time. Metro is losing 2:1, but dominating, looking poised to break through. A ball floats into the box. A Harrisburg defender jumps in the air, and deflects it with his hand out of danger. A clear red card. A clear penalty kick. A clear chance for Metro to even it up.

Not tonight. For in one of the most idiotic, retarded, moronic, stupefying decisions in history of refereeing, somehow the handball was not called. Harrisburg tacked on another, winning 3:1 and ending Metro's Open Cup run. Well, at least "Clever" Hans Backe said that they are taking the Open Cup seriously this year.

Of course, we shouldn't blame the referee alone. S. Markus Holgersson was beaten on the first two Harrisburg goals, both scored by Sainey Touray (who was briefly a Metro in 2008, but never played a game). The vice captain did contribute by setting up Connor Lade's equalizer in the 59th minute with a long pass. The goal is what got Metro to extra time, where Touray broke the deadlock four minutes in.

Also to blame is Jhonny Arteaga, whose pathetic performance continued for the second straight match. While it didn't hurt the team last week, tonight the supposed forward was beyond gruesome, contributing nothing other than taking up a spot on the field. And while we see the cleverness in loaning out Corey Hertzog, the timing has to be questioned. With the team gassed and Arteaga trotting like a horse that is about to be reduced to glue, wouldn't having a striker on a bench not be a bad idea?

So, after avenging Open Cup losses to Charleston last week, Metro once again goes down in Pennsylvania's capital. Oh well. At least this time, they took it seriously.

Lineup: Meara, Pearce, Conde, Holgersson, Barklage, McCarty, Lade, Solli, Ballouchy, Arteaga, Cooper. Subs: Borrajo, Keel.