Metro vs Chicago, 2005

Earlier this year, Metro ended a long-standing curse. After not winning in New England in an astonishing 12 years, a short-handed Metro team pulled out a now-miraculous victory. So one streak is vanquished. There is still one left.

Metro has not won in Chicago since 2005. In fact, they have won only three times at the Fire altogether, be it at Soldier Field, Cardinal Stadium, or Toyota Park (the latter's opening in 2006 coincided with the streak of horror). Metro has played at that stadium 12 times; it tied four and lost eight. Its overall record in Chicago is three wins, seven ties, and 16 losses. It's been that bad.

But let's think back to the good, the three times Metro actually won in Chicago. The teams' first encounter back in 1998 was rather memorable -- it marked the debut of Mike Petke. With Metro losing its first three matches, Alfonso Mondelo decided to insert the rookie defender at left back. The move paid off wonders, as Metro, who allowed eight goals in those three games, shutout the Fire 1:0. The lone goal came from the head of ginger clown Alexi Lalas, as he headed in a Kerry Zavagnin free kick. (The sequence represented the best contributions of Zavagnin AND Lalas to Metro's cause. Hey Alexi, how is the demotion to sideline reporter working out?) The goalie beat on the header? Jorge Campos, who made his Fire debut, and finished out his game at forward.

Metro had to wait until 2002 for its second win. On a scorching summer day on the colorful plastic of Cardinal Stadium in Naperville, Tim Howard played one of his best games in a Metro uniform. The goalie made nine saves, some of the superhuman variety. The lone goal of the match came 81st minute. Mamadouchebag Diallo carried the ball down the flank, froze Fire defender Jim Curtin, and set up Rodrigo Faria for the finish.

The final win came in 2005, and it came in emphatic fashion. Metro trashed the Fire 3:0. Early in the game, Amado Guevara intercepted the ball that was being sent to (here's that name again) Curtin. El Lobo ended up scoring immediately; Youri Djorkaeff had a chance to tap in what would have been his first Metro goal, but let Guevara have it. Djorkaeff did end up with an excellent game, setting up Eddie Gaven to double the lead. Gaven would then score again, this time set up by Guevara. The Fire rarely threatened. It looked so easy...

But from that point on, it became very, very hard.