Metro downpour washes away Toronto, 3:0
June 22, 2024
This global climate change is something, isn't it? After years where game delays due to weather were an anomaly, they now seem to happen time and again, especially at Red Bull Arena. And yet, Metro always seems to benefit, coming out on top of a game that is interrupted and pushed back. Such was the case tonight, when nearby lightning halted the match 10 minutes in. More than an hour later, the play resume and Metro schooled Toronto, 3:0.
With rumors that Frankie Amaya's sale being imminent, it was somewhat surprising to see him start. As usual, he was more than competent controlling the Metro midfield. We'll miss you, Frankie!
Metro opened the scoring on the half hour mark (err... well, not really once you add on the weather delay). Noah Eile played his now-patented low long ball forward, onto Elias Manoel. The Brazilian took it on the bounce, stepped up, and blasted a shot from outside the box. (As much as we dump on Elias, he does have a good shot from far out... in fact, he scored a bunch more of those the last couple of seasons that have been called back for various reasons.)
Two minutes after the break (errr... the halftime break, not the weather one), it was time for Denis Gjengaar to score his first Metro goal. Wiki Carmona jumped on a lazy pass on Metro's side of the field and took it all the way to the opposing box. There, he sent a terrific low ball that Gjengaar slid into on the far post.
In the 75th, Cameron Harper made it academic. This time, it was Dylan Nealis with the interception, and Harper himself making a run from half field into the box. There, he brilliantly curved a low shot around the baffled keeper, and that was that.
As the the scoreline made obvious, Metro didn't need all three tonight. Toronto's high-priced imports spent more time sneering at teammates than threatening the Metro net. Ryan Meara earned the shutout by making just two saves... neither of them dangerous enough to be memorable.
The one negative of the match was Daniel Edelman picking up a yellow card, meaning he will miss the next game. With Amaya's potential sale, all of the sudden Metro has a huge hole in defensive midfield...
But you have that covered, right, Red Bull brass?
Lineup: Meara, Tolkin, Nealis, Eile, Nealis, Edelman, Amaya, Carmona, Gjengaar, Manoel, Vanzeir. Subs: Harper, Duncan, Hall, Burke, Donkor.
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