Metro settles for another tie, 1:1 at Colorado
July 13, 2024
Metro is not losing, which is good. Alas, they are also not winning. Tonight's 1:1 tie in Colorado was the team's third straight -- and its fifth in six games. (It's as if the tying ghosts of "Clever" Hans Backe's 2011 campaign have made their return.) But, hey, another road draw. Could be worse, we guess.
Sandro Schwarz elected to think with the formation for really the first time all season, starting three central defenders and using Kyle Duncan and Dylan Nealis on the outside. Metro had a good chance early on, when Dante Vanzeir laid it off to Cameron Harper, who took it into the box and had his close-range shot saved. The ball popped back to Nealis the Younger, who had a chance at an empty net, but failed to control it. Later in the half, a perfect long ball sprung Vanzeir on the right side, but the Belgian could not convert.
Metro broke through in first half injury time, as Harper found Vanzeir in the box. The low-scoring striker took it forward, then did what he does best: laid it off. Lewis Morgan slammed it home to break into goal-scoring double digits for the second time in his Metro career.
Even though Metro was the better team in the first half, that ended after the break. Be it the mile high air or Schwarz's desire to sit back with the lead, but it was Colorado who looked likelier to score after the break. In the 64th, moments after ex-Metro Omir Fernadnez hit the post, a cross was sadly slid by Sean Nealis into his own net, and the game was tied.
Schwarz then took out Nealis the Elder in the reversal of last week's tying strategy, but, once again, that failed to produce. In fact, it was Carlos Coronel, making a big save on a close-range header, who played the largest role in keeping the game tied. Once Cory Burke and Elias Manoel trotted out late, it became obvious that one point is all we could hope for, and one point we got.
Transfer window opens next week, Red Bull. You know that, right? At some point, we're gonna have to do better than all these ties...
Lineup: Coronel, Duncan, Eile, Nealis, Reyes, Nealis, Edelman, Donkor, Harper, Morgan, Vanzeir. Subs: Carmona, Gjengaar, Manoel, Burke.
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