Crucial loss to Fire drops Metro to 4th
October 6, 2012
Who knows. Maybe one day we will look back at this week and laugh. Oh, they dumped Erik Soler! Oh, they told Hans Backe he's done! Oh, they lost to the Fire at home 2:0, dropping them to the wild card spot! HA HA HA! Oh, how silly we were thinking how terrible it all is! It all turned out for the best! HA HA HA HA HA!
Somehow we don't think that day is coming. In a vacuum, today's loss to Chicago wasn't exactly terrible: we saw two evenly-matched teams. One converted its chances; the other didn't. You brush it off, pick yourself up, and continue. But we're not in a vacuum. Although it does feel awfully empty here.
This had a chance to be a statement game -- and it was, for the Fire. The two teams came in even on points, with even a draw leaving Metro the edge because of the tie-breaker. But Metro lost, 2:0 on two second-half goals on Sherjill MacDonald breakaways. Chicago is now three points adrift, and what's worse, DC has passed Metro in the standings as well. With two games left, New York is down to a wild card spot -- the same place where we ended up a year ago.
And this was with pretty much the first team lineup. The only change from last week's trashing of Toronto was the insertion of Jan Gunnar Solli for the injured Lloyd Sam. Yet the ballyhooed offensive weapons couldn't do anything -- Metro's best chance came on a long curving blast from Dax McCarty. Kenny Cooper shot just wide from close range from a Tim Cahill feed, Titi Henry had a couple of opportunities... No, there wasn't much. But Chicago didn't have much either. And yet, they converted when it counted.
Oh well. There are still games left. Who knows, maybe they will turn it around. Who knows...
Lineup: Robles, Conde, Holgersson, Pearce, Barklage, McCarty, Lindpere, Solli, Cahill, Cooper, Henry. Subs: Lade, Le Toux, Marquez.
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