Well-oiled Metro machine overworks Crew, 3:1
April 3, 2004
|
 |
|
Hejduk
|
Magee
Wolyniec
Guevara
|
|
|
|
|
The season could not have started better. Behind goals by Mike Magee, John Wolyniec, and Amado Guevara, and inspired play of Mark Lisi, the MetroStars won their season opener, beating the Crew, 3:1. After giving up an early goal, they knocked three in a row past the helpless Jon Busch and looked like world-beaters on a windy Ohio night. Of course, it's not the first time we thought they looked good early in the season, and look where it got us.
With Eddie Pope hurt, the last pick of the draft, Jeff Parke, started in the middle of the back with Tenywa Bonseu, and played a wonderful game. He was flanked with Chris Leitch on the left and Craig Ziadie on the right, in front of Jonny Walker. The midfield was Lisi, Guevara, Eddie Gaven, and Joselito Vaca (Ricardo Clark was nursing and injury and would come on late), with Magee and Wolyniec up front.
Metro dominated the play early, with Vaca doing some nice work on the right flank. But Columbus scored against the run of play in the 30th minute, Frankie Hejduk getting behind the Metro defense, diving and heading one in after Walker saved the initial shot.
Metros recovered in the 40th, with Lisi sending in a perfect pass to Magee's head at the edge of the box. Magee redirected the ball which curved in the top right corner over the lost Busch.
Wolyniec gave Metros the lead in the 52nd minute after a terrific play. He was knocked down in the box, and while he was getting up, a precise pass by Gaven found Lisi, who in turn found Woly, who had no trouble converting. On the sidelines, Bob Bradley made a smirk which can be interpreted as a smile. Later, Crew hack Kyle Martino attempted to destroy Wolyniec's midsection and Jeff Cunningham tried to choke Leitch, but both stayed in the game. It was all smooth sailing from there, and Guevara added one two minutes from time after a scramble in the box to set the final margin.
Fabian Taylor was a second-half sub to make his Metro debut alongside Vaca, Parke, and Bonseu. So far, so good...
Lineup: Walker, Leitch, Parke, Bonseu, Ziadie, Lisi, Gaven, Vaca, Guevara, Magee, Wolyniec. Subs: Taylor, Clark.
|
