Ten Worst: Metro Argentines
August 21, 2015
With one goal in just 14 minutes, is Gonzalo Veron already the best Argentine in team history? Probably not, but we'll exclude him from these rankings. (But MetroFanatic! Only nine Argentines have played for Metro prior to Veron! Very true: the key word here is "played"...)
10) Diego Sonora, 1998
Probably the team's most consistent player during the 1998 season, Sonora played right back as well as right midfield, and finished the year with three goals and seven assists. In what was likely a salary cap move, he was traded to DC after the year for two draft picks.
9) Fabian Espindola, 2013
The only player in team history to score twice on his debut, Espindola's lone season with Metro ended with 11 goals in all competitions. But he was benched during the shield-winning stretched. After the season, his salary skyrocketed and he was taken by the Scum in the re-entry draft.
8) Sergio Galvan Rey, 2004-05
Alright, the first two on this list were solely needed to pad it to ten, but here, the horror begins. Actually, SGR's second year was pretty good, as he scored eight in all competitions. His first? One of the worst seasons in Metro history, as the high-priced "King of Goals" delivered just two (one of those from the penalty spot). Metro couldn't get rid of him because of his guaranteed contract (hold that thought), and, while, yes, 2005 was better, he still ranks as one of the worst signings in team history.
7) Jose Galvan, 2003
Nick Sakiewicz: "This loan marks the first step in what is going to be a broad relationship with the Boca Juniors club and the MetroStars for many years to come. We are very honored that we are part of a relationship with Boca Juniors that is going to produce many opportunities like this."
6) Juan Forchetti, 2003
Galvan played in 10 games, started two, and scored one Open Cup goal against the Mid-Michigan Bucks, and was invisible the rest of time. Forchetti played in 11 games, started nine, and was pedestrian at best. There was no relationship with Boca Juniors beyond that.
5) Cristian da Silva, 1996-98
Did you know that da Silva was the first "discovery" player in team history? Did you know that he wore another player's jersey on his debut? Did you know that somehow he got trotted alongside Metro and Cosmos "greats" during the first game of the Red Bull era? Did you know that he was in charge of Metro scouting until recently? Did you know that despite being consistently awful, he somehow lasted into Metro's third season.
4) Walter Garcia, 2009
When he was signed, Jeff Agoos said that the team "will use the remainder of the season to evaluate him". Garcia, who was an Argentine youth international, wasn't good enough for one of the worst teams in league history, appearing only in the season's last game as a sub. So much for the evaluation.
3) Carlos Ledesma, 1999
Now we're digging into the obscurity pile. Ledesma, a long-time Rough-Rider, got his one shot in the big leagues at the tender age of 34, playing 18 minutes against Tampa Bay while on loan from his A-League club.
2) Juan Pietravallo, 2008-09
Oh, "Hard Man"... But here's the thing: he actually had one decent game, helping to shut down DC in a 0:0 draw at RFK. From then on, Pietravallo became a walking disaster, a red card waiting to happen. Even when his appearances were reduced to off the bench, his arrival meant impending doom. Unfortunately, the impotent brain trust of Agoos and Juan Carlos Osorio gave "Hard Man" a two-year guaranteed contract (remember those guaranteed contracts!), meaning Metro was stuck with him -- and his salary -- for 2009.
1) Daniel Garipe, 2005
And now, we get to the player who never got to play. Garipe was so terrible he never saw the field, although he did earn a red card in a reserve game. "We feel 'The Ripper' can provide some bite and stability in our midfield," Alexi Lalas said at the time of the signing. "He's a no-nonsense player who's shown he has no problem getting down and dirty for the cause." Dirty for the cause indeed.
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