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Guevara in 2004
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Ten Best: Individual seasons
November 17, 2005
Since sometimes we like to look at the good side of Metro history, we pose the question, who had the best individual season as a Metro? It's interesting that the list below contains nine different players and nine different seasons; if anything, it shows the lack of continuity that has haunted this franchise from its inception...
10) Roberto Donadoni, 1997 In a disappointing 1997 season on a team of World Cup veterans, it was Donadoni who stood out from the rest. Three goals and eleven assists don't sound like much, but he often showed class that made him such a winner at AC Milan.
9) Tony Meola, 1996 If you look at some of the names who played on that backline, it's amazing that Meola had nine shutouts, still a Metro record. But even that doesn't say enough of his performance in 1996, as Tony set a precedent for all Metro -- and MLS -- keepers to follow.
8) Giovanni Savarese, 1998 Partnering with Eduardo Hurtado, Savarese tied his own team record with 14 league goals, added a none-goal-poacher-like seven assists (16 and eight in all competitions). Of course, the idiotic Bora Milutinovic benched Gio for the playoffs, and that was that.
7) Tim Howard, 2002 Howard's last season with Metro was spent behind a leaky backline and an ever-changing team. Often left standing as the last line of defense but never surrendering to the opponents' onslaught, Tim solidified his reputation as the best goalkeeper in the league.
6) Amado Guevara, 2004 If he only kept it up for the final third of the season, for Guevara's first two thirds were spectacular. Ending the year with ten goals and ten assists, the first Metro to lead the league in scoring and named MLS MVP, he was the engine that ran the team... Until he ran out of steam late.
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