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Olave vs Houston, 2013
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History of blown two-goal leads
September 13, 2016
Four blown two-goal leads in two months. It's an anomaly, right? Absolutely. In their first 20 seasons, Metro had blown two-goal leads just 11 times. So, in attempt to exorcise these demons, let's go through them, one by one. Apologies to the weak-minded.
September 1, 1996: Kansas City 2, MetroStars 2 (SO 3:1)
Ian Hennessy scored his only Metro goal, A.J. Wood added another, but a Damian Silvera (RIP) own goal was coupled with a Wiz equalizer. Metro went on to lose in a shootout, so this counts as one of only two losses on this list.
June 21, 2000: MetroStars 2, DC United 2
MLS scrapped the shootout prior to 2000, so here is our first tie. Clint Mathis and Tab Ramos scored for Metro, before future Metros Chris Albright and fat bastard Jamie Moreno replied for the Scum.
August 16, 2000: Tampa Bay 4, MetroStars 3
And here is our other loss, and what a loss it was. Alex Comas and Adolfo Valencia opened the scoring... and then Mamadou Diallo stepped on Mike Ammann, breaking his ribs. Tampa went up 3:2, Comas tied it late, but Diallo completed his hat-trick in overtime. Well, at least the Mutiny was contracted soon after, so we won this one in long run?
July 4, 2005: Salt Lake 2, MetroStars 2
Ante Razov and Mike Magee scored for Metro, who looked to be cruising. But a Seth Trembly shot brought the expansion team within one, and then... only the most inexcusable of penalty calls, when Jason Kreis tripped over the endline with an unplayable ball sailing over his head. The incompetent Kevin Stott pointed to the spot, and Kreis tied it.
October 5, 2005: Chicago 2, MetroStars 2
With Bob Bradley fired, Metro needed to win two of its last three games to make the playoffs. They thought they had it in Chicago, with Eddie Gaven scoring both. But Razov got a red card against his former team, and current Metro assistant Chris Armas and a nobody named Jack Stewart scored very late to tie it for the Fire. Metro ended up winning the next two, so to playoffs they went. (Where they blew a two-goal aggregate lead to New England, but that came in a two-game series, so we're not including that on this list. THAT was the worst Metro game EVER. Also the last MetroStars game ever. Moving on.)
April 2, 2006: DC United 2, New York 2
The first game of the Red Bull era saw a pretty Youri Djorkaeff free kick and Edson Buddle scoring on his debut. The Scum evened it out.
May 6, 2007: Salt Lake 3, New York 3
Metro started 2007 behind very strong play in goal by Ronald Waterreus, who shut out his first four opponents. The streak would end in Utah: Chris Klein scored after Dane Richards and Mathis put Metro up two. Then, Waterreus got hurt, and was replaced by Jon Conway. Mathis put Metro up two again, but a dubious penalty kick in the 90th minute was followed by an injury time equalizer.
June 16, 2007: New York 3, Kansas City 3
The best game on this list! Juan Pablo Angel and Mathis put Metro up early, but the Wiz respond with three straight goals. Then, with time winding out, Metro got a call go their way: Abbey Okulaja called a penalty where others might have swallowed their whistle. Angel converted for the rare up-two-but-needed-a-comeback-to-tie.
March 3, 2013: Portland 3, New York 3
No blown leads for a whole five seasons, spanning the Juan Carlos Osorio (never had leads to blow) and "Clever" Hans Backe (say what you want, but he took great care of leads) eras. In Mike Petke's first match in charge, the 2013 opener, Fabian Espindola became the first Metro to score twice on his debut. His two goals sandwiched a Portland response, but Jamison Olave, also debuting, made it 3:1. Portland through everything but the kitchen sink at Metro, got within one, and then an Olave own goal tied it at threes. Metro was lucky to escape this one with a point.
November 3, 2013: Houston 2, New York 2
Ugh. Those playoffs. Tim Cahill and Eric Alexander put Metro, fresh off the Supporters Shield, up early; it should have been a cakewalk. But ex-Metro Ricardo Clark replied, Olave got red carded, and Omar Cummings tied it late. Then, in the return leg... Let's not talk about it.
September 13, 2014: Philadelphia 2, New York 2
Peguy Luyindula and Thierry Henry had Metro goals, but the Worms responded immediately and then tied it on a late penalty kick on an Ibrahim Sekagya foul.
July 27, 2016: Philadelphia 2, New York 2
And now we're in 2016. Sacha Kljestan scored twice, Metro dominated the first half, and then broke down: first from the penalty spot, followed by a quick equalizer.
August 7, 2016: Los Angeles 2, New York 2
In perhaps the worst refereeing performance in league history, Hilario Grajeda missed a clear red card and saw three Metros leave the field with injuries. Still, Gonzalo Veron and Sean Davis had Metro up late. Magee brought LA within one, Grajeda missed on obvious penalty when Veron was clobbered down, LA tied it, Grajeda missed another obvious call... Making this list is really demoralizing...
August 21, 2016: DC United 2, New York 2
In a game delayed by a rainstorm, Bradley Wright-Phillps and Felipe Martins had Metro on top, only to be denied but yet another penalty kick and a quick follow-up.
September 11, 2016: New York 2, DC United 2
And here we have it. Veron, Wright-Phillips for Metro, up two 89 minutes in, and then... Whatever. It happened. Demons exorcised?
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