Metro comes down to Earth in Columbus, 2:0
August 10, 2013
The last two weeks saw Metro post spectacular goal-filled victories over two of the league's best teams. Some fans and pundits were penciling New York in for the end-of-the-season accolades. Oh, how quickly things change! Playing a Columbus team mired in a terrible slump, Metro let in two second-half goals to lose, 2:0. Thierry Henry missed the match due to an inflammation of his Achilles tendon.
Mike Petke was forced to sit out as well, as the head coach was given a red in the dying minutes of last week's victory. The lineup he handed out to assistant Robin Fraser kept the team in tact, with the exception of Peguy Luyindula starting in Henry's spot.
To call Metro's offense inept would be an understatement. Yes, Henry and Tim Cahill was out, but the players remaining should be capable of creating some chances. Instead, we saw pointless wandering from Luyindula, ineffective runs from Espindola, and nothing from the rest of the team. Jonny Steele did send out a cracker that was parried by the Crew keeper and off the crossbar, but that was really Metro's only solid chance of the day.
Luis Robles made two big saves in the first half, first stopping Metro reject Dominic Oduro from close range, then pushing away a free kick that look destined for the bottom left corner. The shutout was broken in the 62nd. Off another Columbus free kick, bodies collided in the box, and acting captain S. Markus Holgersson was judged for a foul. Federico Higuain roofed the penalty over Robles. The same player would add a second in the 76th, chipping the cheating Metro goalkeeper on a play that started with a turnover at midfield.
The only interesting part of the end of the match was the substitution of Marius Obekop. The youngster ran around the field for 20 minutes, trying to take on the entire Columbus defense by himself. Hell, at least he tried to create something. Can't say the same for the rest of the team...
Lineup: Robles, Miller, Olave, Holgersson, Barklage, Sekagya, McCarty, Steele, Alexander, Espindola, Luyindula. Subs: Obekop, Akpan, Bover.
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