Two Rzatkowski rockets rescue Metro vs KC, 3:2
July 14, 2018
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Wright-Phillips
Rzatkowski 2
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Russell
Espinoza
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A week ago, one of the biggest criticisms of Chris Armas' debut was the use of substitutes, or lack there of. Tonight, in his second game, the subs were up early... leaving us scratching our heads. Taking out Alejandro Romero Gamarra on the hour mark for... Marc Rzatkowski?
Well, score one for Armas, as Rzatkowski proved him right, sending two long-range blasts into the net to turn a 2:1 deficit into a 3:2 win over Kansas City.
Armas elected to go with the same starting lineup as last week, once again holding out Michael Murillo for Connor Lade. The game started very crisply, and Metro got on the board just four minutes in when a Romero Gamarra pass found Bradley Wright-Phillips at the edge of the box. The Englishman took it in and easily chipped the goalkeeper. The referee immediately called it back for offside... only to use VAR and bring it back.
And then, the crispness dissipated. Metro paid four minutes later, after a bad turnover by Sean Davis. A sequence of passes ended with Johnny Russell knocking it in from close range. Soon after, a back pass by Tim Parker was intercepted, with Luis Robles doing everything imaginable to stop the breakaway, diving into the empty air not once but twice. Somehow, it worked.
Six minutes into the second half, Metro defenders failed to close down Roger Espinoza, and the visitor sent a shot from outside the box that sailed over the head of Robles and into the net. At that point, Metro had looked as inept as we've seen all year. And then, Rzatkowski stepped on the field.
The equalizer came in the 72nd, after Daniel Royer took it up the right flank and fed Adams. The youngster sent a low ball towards the middle of the field, where Rzatkowski ran onto it and one-timed from outside the box and into the net. Five minutes later, Davis fed the German, who took a touch, turned around, and curled it into the upper left corner -- once again, from outside the box.
Metro had no problems holding on, giving Armas his first win as head coach. And while we're not happy how most of the game went... at least he got the subs right!
Lineup: Robles, Lawrence, Long, Parker, Lade, Adams, Davis, Muyl, Royer, Romero Gamarra, Wright-Phillips. Subs: Etienne, Rzatkowski, Murillo.
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