Metro vs DC Scum, 2004

Do we really want to revisit this? Haven't we suffered enough already? Apparently not?

We talked before about the inaugural playoff series; it was a sequence of three games that changed MLS. We truly believe that that Metro team was good enough to do damage; and for a moment, just a fleeting moment, they had the upper hand. You know the story: Metro down 2:1 at home, Giovanni Savarese comes in and immediately scores. The game goes into the dreaded shootout, the teams are tied after ten frames -- even Tony Meola gets to shoot, because Metro's captain, Peter Vermes, can barely walk. But in the 11th frame we are, and there is no choice but for Vermes to go, and after he asks the referee, "If I shoot, we win?", he does just that, and Metro does just that, winning the first ever playoff game in league history.

So now, they have to go to DC, and win one of two games, surely not an impossible feat, as they've swept the Scum at RFK that year. But the next game, a largely forgotten affair, goes 1: to the Scum, and we enter the decisive finale. You know the story as well: Antony "El Pitufo" De Avila scores late to tie it at 1:1, but then Rob Johnson becomes the goat to slaughter all goats by taking down Marco Etcheverry in the box with mere seconds left on the countdown clock. The penalty is converted, Metro losses, DC goes on... why are we doing this again?

Fast forward to 2004. MLS playoffs are now a home-and-away affair, and once again we think that Metro can do damage. They have Amado Guevara, after all, the league MVP, and feature the most potent offense in the league, including Sergio Galvan Rey. Gave one starts out even, and then, midway through the second half, the Scum's Earnie Stewart received the ball on the right side in a clear, clear, CLEAR offside position. But there is no call; DC goes up, the blind Kevin Stott misses a clear penalty, and then DC scores again, meaning Metro has to score two in DC just to even it out...

And that doesn't seem like an impossibility, for they play well, but Bob Bradley uses his substitutes early, and then Cornell Glen gets hurt, and (why does history keep repeating itself) can barely walk, and DC scores two meaningless goals late...

Move up two more years. This time, we don't expect anything of Metro, as they make the playoffs on the last day of the season, and face table-topping DC. There are no refereeing controversies this time around, but Metro once again fails to score at home, losing 1:0.

To DC we go, and boy, does Metro play well. Guevara is amazing, and when he serves a precise free kick to Jozy Altidore with just 20 minutes to go and the youngster heads it home... It looks like maybe, just maybe Metro will pull one out. But late in the game (stop repeating itself, history), Christian Gomez beats Jon Conway to the short side... Why? Why?

Here's why: we must remember our history, because one day, a triumph will come, and it will be made even better because of all of this suffering. Will this triumph come this year?

Here's hoping.