Henry vs Montreal, 2012

The news that Metro will open the 2017 season against an expansion team made us think about the last time it happened: 2009. That one didn't end too well, did it? Fortunately, many other first-time encounters did. Let's recap!

1998: Chicago 0, MetroStars 1; MetroStars 3, Chicago 2
The first game will forever be remembered as Mike Petke's first Metro appearance, as they recovered from an 0-3 start to earn their first win of the season. The goal came off the head of red-headed clown, Alexi Lalas. Metro won the return leg 3:2, a game that Jesse Marsch started for Chicago. The expansion team went on to win MLS Cup under Bob Bradley... but at least Metro swept them.

1998: MetroStars 4, Miami 2; Miami 1, MetroStars 2; MetroStars 3, Miami 1; Miami 3, MetroStars 1
Metro won the first three against the Fusion, before dropping the final game. Eduardo Hurtado had the honors of scoring the first ever goal in the short-lived rivalry, and Miles Joseph had the memorable late winner on the road.

2005: MetroStars 0, Salt Lake 0; Salt Lake 2, MetroStars 2
The season started in a surreal fashion, as gale winds and rain turned the opener into the only possible outcome: a scoreless draw. The return leg saw Ante Razov and Mike Magee score, only for Salt Lake to earn the tie after an incredibly inept late penalty call. (Still the worst we've ever seen, and that says a lot. Thanks, Kevin Stott!)

2005: MetroStars 3, Chivas USA 3; Chivas USA 0, MetroStars 2
Only an Amado Guevara hat-trick, the first two on penalties and the last coming off a last-minute Youri Djorkaeff free kick, saved Metro from an embarrassing defeat against one of the worst teams in MS history. The other game was the season's last, with Metro needing a win and only a win to get to the playoffs. They got it after a Michael Bradley goal put them ahead, and some vintage backstopping from Tony Meola preserved the shutout.

2007: Toronto 1, New York 2; New York 3, Toronto 0; Toronto 2, New York 1
Juan Pablo Angel rose above Toronto's seagulls with two quick goals, the first off a direct free kick, to lead the Metro comeback. Metro dominated the second game, with a goal from Angel and two from Jozy Altidore. They needed a win to clinch the playoff berth in the third game, but failed to do so... at the end, that result proved irrelevant.

2008: New York 2, San Jose 0; San Jose 1, New York 1
That's right, the return of San Jose is the expansion team, and Metro had to wait late to win, as Magee scored his first goal in two years from the penalty stop. Metro played awful in the return leg, tying 1:1, with the lone Metro score coming from an own goal.

2009: Seattle 3, New York 0; New York 1, Seattle 1
Speaking of awful, it doesn't get worse than this, with the defending Western Conference(!) Champions being laughed off the field by Seattle. Juan Carlos Osorio, who we thought might have learned some lessons in the preceding playoffs, started Juan Pietravallo for the penultimate time in league play. The tie at home, with a goal by Angel, was preceded by five losses, and followed by six more (not counting exits from the Open Cup and Champions League). 2009 sucked.

2010: New York 2, Philadelphia 1; New York 2, Philadelphia 1; Philadelphia 2, New York 1
In a strange circumstance, the two teams met twice over three days in April, first in league and then in the Open Cup, with the same result: a 2:1 win for Metro. Salou "The Refrigerator" Ibrahim had the honors of the first goal in a game the featured the debut of the elusive Brian Nielsen. In the Open Cup, Metro backups, led by a brace by Conor Chinn, dispatched Philly starters. Hans Backe tried a 4-5-1 late on the road late in the season... it didn't work.

2011: Vancouver 1, New York 1; New York 1, Vancouver 1
Two 1:1 scorelines: away, Luke Rodgers equaled the Whitecaps opener. At home, against a terrible road team, Juan Agudelo scored late to rescue a point.

2011: Portland 3, New York 3; New York 2, Portland 0
A frantic match saw Metro go up through Austin da Luz and then allow three straight. Titi Henry pulled one back, then got red carded late... allowing enough injury time for Dwayne De Rosario to earn a penalty kick and equalize from the spot. Dane Richards was fantastic in the return leg, getting the winner from an acute angle.

2012: New York 5, Montreal 2; Montreal 1, New York 2; Montreal 3, New York 1
Metro went down early in the first game, but it turned into a vintage Henry performance. His hat-trick was one thing... well, three things, and the second goal, after a turnaround spin, was rather spectacular. The back-heel pass to Mehdi Ballouchy in front of the net, in traffic, was something else. In the second game, teams exchanged penalty kicks before Richards won it with what would turn out to be his last Metro goal. A bad two-minute two-goal stretch doomed Metro in the third game.

2015: New York 2, NY City 1; NY City 1, New York 3; New York 2, NY City 0
Oh, the poseurs from across the river! Bradley Wright-Phillips' brace saw Metro win the opener, in a game where the final score told little about the disparity in quality. Metro went down early in the second game, but BWP again, followed by the only Metro goals ever scored by Chris Duvall and Matt Miazga, turned it into a laugher. Game three was a complete utter dominance. BWP scored again, of course.

2015: Orlando 0, New York 2; New York 2, Orlando 5
Sacha Kljestan's blast put Metro ahead for good on the road. At home, a defensive collapse marred one of the few bad spots of the Supporters Shield-winning season.