Up Next, Los Angeles:
The MetroStars come back to Giants Stadium when they host the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday, June 19th at 4:00 p.m. ET (TV: ESPN2, Spanish Radio: WADO 1280 AM). The Red and Black last squared off with the Galaxy on August 16th, 2003 when the two squads played to a 1-1 tie at The Home Depot Center in Los Angeles.
After hitting the road for their next two games against the Galaxy and New England Revolution on June 23rd and 26th respectively, the MetroStars will return to Giants Stadium for a doubleheader on Wednesday, June 30th. After taking on Western Conference foes, the Colorado Rapids, the MetroStars will host an international friendly between Argentina and Peru.
Tickets are available for all MetroStars home games at the Continental Airlines Arena box office and at all Ticketmaster outlets. Tickets will also be available through Ticketmaster by phone for callers in New Jersey (201-507-8900), New York (212-307-7171), and for Spanish-speaking customers throughout New York and New Jersey (212-307-4757).
MetroStars on TV:
Thursday: Metro Soccer Report - MSG, 11:00 p.m. ET
Saturday: MetroStars vs. L.A. Galaxy ESPN2, 4:00 p.m. ET
Flores, Brenes Make Debuts: Newly acquired Costa Rican defender/midfielder Pablo Brenes and Brazilian midfielder Gilberto Flores both made their debuts for the Red and Black in the teams 3-1 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes last Saturday. With the departure of several players due to international duty, Gilberto was named to the starting eleven, playing 67 minutes before he was substituted. The former Ginasio Pinhalense de Esportes Atletico player was also a key factor in the MetroStars pre-season victory in the 2004 La Manga Cup and figures to play a large role for the team in the future.
Brenes came on for his first MLS appearance in the 85th minute as a substitute for midfielder Mark Lisi. Brenes, who was on the bench for the Red and Blacks last home game on June 5th against the Dallas Burn, was acquired as a Transitional International with a Discovery Pick on June 4th, coming from Costa Rican club, Perez Zeledon. He is the MetroStars' fifth Transitional International player, joining Flores (Brazil), Cornell Glen (Trinidad and Tobago), Fabian Taylor (Jamaica) and Joselito Vaca (Bolivia).
Parkeing it Home: MetroStars defender Jeff Parke scored his first career MLS goal for the Red and Black last Saturday in their 3-1 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes. Parkes diving header in the 59th minute, which cancelled out Earthquakes defender Jeff Agoos 27th minute strike, was not the first time the 22 year old has found the back of the net. The former Drexel University player also scored a pre-season game winning goal to help the MetroStars defeat Viking FK of Norway 1-0 in the final of the 2004 La Manga Cup.
Pope Back in Red and Black: MetroStars defender Eddie Pope will rejoin his team tomorrow after being let go by U.S. National Team coach Bruce Arena following a 3-0 victory over Grenada in the first leg of a World Cup Qualifier. Pope played the full game yesterday and earned his 61st cap with the team. He is expected to play this Saturday against the LA Galaxy.
MetroStars teammate Jonny Walker will stay with the National Team in preparation for the second leg match against Grenada on June 20th. The goalkeeper earned his first three caps for the senior team earlier this year, posting a 1-0-2 record. After opening with a 1-1 draw against Denmark on Jan. 18 at the Home Depot Center, Walker became the fourth U.S. goalkeeper in history to record a shutout in their first appearance against Mexico with the 1-0 blanking of "El Tri" on April 28 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas. He did not play in the game against Grenada.
Guevara Helps National Team: MetroStars midfielder Amado Guevara played the full 90 minutes in the Honduran National Teams 2-1 victory over Netherlands Antilles last Saturday in a World Cup Qualifier. Guevara, who has the record for the most Honduras National Team appearances with 82 caps, will stay with the national team in preparation for their second leg match against the Netherlands Antilles on June 19th. He is expected to be back for the MetroStars June 23rd game in Los Angeles against the Galaxy.
Reggae Boyz Rumble With Haiti: MetroStars defender Craig Ziadie played the full 90 minutes with the Jamaican National Team in the first leg of a World Cup qualifying match against Haiti last Saturday a game which ended in a 1-1 draw. Zaidie's MetroStars teammate, forward Fabian Taylor, was also in the squad, and both players will be with Jamaica for their second leg game against Haiti on June 20. Ziadie has earned 21 caps for the Reggae Boyz under manager Carl Brown since making his international debut on November 20, 2002, vs. Japan in a 1-1 tie in Tokyo. Taylor has earned 29 caps and nine goals with the Jamaican National Team since making his first appearance with the full squad in 1999.
Glen for T&T: MetroStars forward Cornell Glen was with the Trinidad and Tobago National Team during their 2-0 victory over the Dominican Republic in a first leg World Cup Qualifying Match on June 13th. The 22-year-old Glen has earned 13 caps, scoring one goal for the "Soca Warriors," since making his first appearance with the full team on November 15, 2002, in a 2-0 win over St. Kitts and Nevis in a 2003 Gold Cup Qualifier. Glen will be on the squad for the Soca Warriors in their second-leg match against the Dominican Republic on June 20th.
Within Striking Distance: Even with the Metros 3-1 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes last Saturday, the Red and Black stayed in third place in the Eastern Conference, tied with D.C. United with two games in hand. They are also on pace with their Eastern Conference rivals, the Chicago Fire (16 points) and the Columbus Crew (15 points) with 13 points, as the Metros also have a game in hand over the Fire.
Holding the Fort: Even though the MetroStars fell at home for the first time in 2004 last Saturday, their form is still strong at Giants Stadium with a record of 2-1-2 at home. They have won twice (April 17, 2004 3-2 vs. D.C. United; May 30, 2004 1-0 vs. Kansas City Wizards), tied twice (April 25, 2004 1-1 vs. New England Revolution; May 15, 2004 1-1 vs. Chicago Fire) and lost once (June 5, 2004 1-0 vs. Dallas Burn).
MetroStars Relay for Life with ACS: The MetroStars announced that they have formed a partnership with the American Cancer Society (ACS) to help promote their first-ever Relay for Life event at Giants Stadium.
Relay for Life is the ACS's signature fundraising activity, offering the community a chance to participate in the fight against cancer. The Relay for Life is an overnight event, taking place at Giants Stadium this Friday into this Saturday. The Relay includes teams of people walking or running around a Relay course throughout the night. The Relay course will be set up inside the Giants Stadium bubble, along with various other fun activities.
The MetroStars partnership with ACS will bring a unique element to the Giants Stadium Relay for Life. This years event will include an overnight soccer tournament. The 7v7 tournament will take place on the Giants Stadium field and run from 12:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. The tournament is open to adult teams with players 18 and older.
To register a team or for more information, call the MetroStars at 1.888.4METROTIX or log onto MetroStars.com.
Alvarado Named U-16 POW: MetroStars U-16 team member E.J. Alvarado was named Super Y-League boys player of the week for the week ending June 6th. Alvarado scored a goal in the 2-1 extra-time win over Tri-State Soccer.
Chivas Regal Cup at Giants Stadium: The MetroStars will host the Chivas Regal Cup at Giants Stadium immediately following the conclusion of their match against the Los Angeles Galaxy on this Saturday. This marks the second consecutive year that the Chivas Regal Cup, the Championship match of Champions League Soccer (CLS) has been played in conjunction with a MetroStars match at Giants Stadium.
Champions League Soccer (CLS) is one of only 2 USSF Regional Leagues directly affiliated with the U.S. Soccer Federation. The league is composed of teams from the tri-state area, and gives future top-level players the opportunity to play side-by-side with former MLS and MetroStars players like Billy Walsh and Nansha Kalonji, and former New England Revolution players Jesse Van Saun and Kevin Anderson.
Chivas Regal is imported and marked by Pernod Ricard in the USA. Pernod Ricard produces Wild Turkey Bourbon and Extra Seagrams Dry Gin and imports and markets Chivas Regal Scotch Whiskey, The Glenlivet Single Malt Scotch Whiskey, Jameson and Bushmills Irish Whiskeys, Martell Cognac, Jacob's Creek and Wyndham Estate Wines.
Player Appearances: On Wednesday, Tim Regan will be talking about his experiences with the MetroStars at the Montville Soccer Club Dinner at Wayne Manor in Wayne, NJ from 6:30 to 10:00 p.m. All members of the Montville soccer community will be on hand at this annual banquet, including all players, parents, and coaches. Also, Jeff Parke will be throwing out the first pitch and signing autographs at Soccer Night at First Energy Park, home of the Lakewood BlueClaws in Lakewood, NJ this Wednesday.
Ricardo Clark will be appearing at the MetroSoccer Camp in the Bronx from 2:30 to 4 p.m. on Thursday to share some soccer tips with the participants. Metro the Mascot and the MLS Dribble, Pass and Score program will also be in attendance.
Regan will also be signing autographs at the Chevy Hudson Valley Classic, an annual tournament whose aim is to raise money for a soccer complex for the Cortlandt Soccer Club, from Noon to 1:30 p.m. in Montrose, NY. In addition, Mark Lisi will be signing autographs and running a clinic at the 8th Annual Maroons Soccer Tournament from 11 to 2 p.m. and will be joined by Metro the Mascot as well as over 100 Youth Soccer teams from the New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania area.
Time and TV Changes: The MetroStars September 11, 2004 game time against the New England Revolution will be pushed back from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and will be shown on MSG rather than ESPN2. Additionally, the MetroStars July 24th game against Chicago will now be shown on FSNY rather than MSG and the August 29, 2004 game against the Columbus Crew will no longer be televised.
Honduran Invasion: The MetroStars are hosting the Honduran under-17 National Team from June 12-20. They will play friendlies against St. Benedicts Prep, the Long Island Rough Riders and the MetroStars U-19 and U-16 teams, with a final game against the Red and Black U-19s as part of a doubleheader with the MetroStars game against the LA Galaxy on June 19th at Giants Stadium.
