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Guevara, 2006
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History of last-game playoff deciders
October 14, 2023
Metro's 2023 season finale against Nashville is not the first time the team needed a result in its last regular season match to make the playoffs. Let's revisit!
September 21, 2002: New England 3, MetroStars 0
Metro collapsed down the stretch, needing only a tie in its last three games, but dropping a home-and-home to a terrible DC team. In that penultimate game, both Clint Mathis and Tim Howard got ejected, meaning Howard would miss a start for the first time all year. Paul Grafer's long black pants were not enough, as the Revs scored a PK five minutes in, and Metro never recovered. Metro was officially eliminated the next day, when Chicago beat Columbus.
October 16, 2005: Chivas USA 0, MetroStars 2
In what will forever be of the most idiotic moves in club history, Alexi Lalas fired Bob Bradley with three games left. Mo Johnston took over, and had Metro needing a win against a terrible expansion Chivas USA team to advance. They did just that, as Tony Meola played as if he still had a ponytail, stopping shot after shot, Bob's son Michael scored the go-ahead goal, and Amado Guevara sealed it late.
October 14, 2006: New York 3, Kansas City 2
Kansas City entered the game with a two-point lead on Metro for the final playoff spot, so Metro had to win. Future friend Dave van den Bergh scored the opener, but Guevara was magnificent, scoring two from the spot and adding a dagger late. KC made it interesting by making it 3:2, but Metro moved on.
October 23, 2008: Chicago 5, New York 2
Metro needed a win to get in, and fell on its face. Juan Carlos Osorio tinkered as always, changing player positions at whim, and starting terrible Gabriel Cichero and Juan Pietravallo. In what was one of the worst choke jobs in team history, Chicago romped. Fortunately, Metro had life, and when DC failed to beat Columbus, they advanced... and then somehow made it to their first (and only!) MLS Cup as the lowest seed in the West(!).
October 20, 2011: New York 1, Philadelphia 0
A tie would have been enough; Metro could even advance with a loss. They didn't need it, as Dane Richards moved to forward for a suspended Titi Henry and scored an early header(!) to punch Metro's ticket.
November 3, 2021: Nashville 1, New York 1
Metro spend a decade without last-day qualification drama, but the run ended in 2021, when a tie was good enough to move on. Fabio scored just 35 seconds into the match, Nashville evened before halftime, and Metro held on for the point. They will likely need more than a point in Nashville next week...
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