Clintless Metros lose to Columbus
March 27, 2002
Playing without Clint Mathis, the MetroStars suffered their first loss of the season, losing to the Crew 1:0 on an early Jeff Cunningham goal. This marks the third straight time that the Metros dropped a home game to Columbus by that very same score.
Tab Ramos started for Mathis, who spent the day scoring US's two goals against Germany. But Ramos was largely ineffective as the Metros played a horrible first half, rarely venturing onto Columbus' half. The Crew's forward had it easy outpacing Sam Forko and Brian Kamler on the wings, and made the Metros pay in the 6th minute as Cunningham beat Tim Howard.
The goal stood for the rest of the game; even as the Metros started to control the game in the second half after the ejection of Chad McCarty. But the absence of Mathis clearly showed, and the Metros could not penetrate the Columbus net.
Brad Davis made his first appearance in a Metro uniform, coming on late in the second half.
The crowd was announced at over 45,000, but probably 90% of those were Ecuadorians waiting for the friendly with Bulgaria to be played afterwards. Pathetic.
Lineup: Howard, Forko, Jolley, Petke, Kamler, Hernandez, Paule, Villegas, Ramos, Serna, Faria. Subs: Griffiths, Davis.
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