Up Next, Dallas:
On Sunday, August 15, the MetroStars will be hosting Eddie Johnson and the Dallas Burn at 6:00 p.m. (TV: MSG, Spanish Radio: WADO 1280 AM). The MetroStars lost their first game of the season against the Burn 2-0 on June 5 at Giants Stadium.
The MetroStars will then go on the road for their next game on August 21, when they take on the Colorado Rapids at 9:00 p.m. ET (TV: MSG, FSN-NY (Spanish), Spanish Radio: WADO 1280 AM). The "Red and Black" lost 3-2 in their first game against the Rapids this year at Giants Stadium on June 30.
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
Sunday: MetroStars vs. Dallas - MSG, FSN-NY (Spanish), 6:00 p.m. ET
Metros Seven Ahead: With their 3-0 win against the Los Angeles Galaxy last Sunday, the MetroStars have retained the top spot in the Eastern Conference with 32 points. They are now seven points ahead the Columbus Crew and 11 ahead of D.C. United. The Chicago Fire and New England Revolution are further adrift with 19 points, both with one game in hand over the "Red and Black." The Crew has two games in hand over the MetroStars while United has one. The MetroStars are now riding a five game unbeaten streak - their longest of the 2004 season. They are now 9-6-5 and are on a three game winning streak.
Amado DiMaggio Continues Streak: MetroStars midfielder Amado Guevara's 36th minute goal on a penalty kick in last Sunday's 3-0 win over the L.A. Galaxy gave him his tenth goal of the season as he has now converted six out of six from the penalty spot. Guevara also recorded an assist on forward John Wolyniec's 64th minute goal. The goal and assist extended Guevara's streak of recording a point in consecutive league games to nine as he now has garnered seven goals and six assists during that stretch (20 points). His 28 points puts him in first place on the MLS Budweiser Scoring list as he is five points ahead of San Jose Earthquakes forward Brian Ching. Guevara has scored from a dead ball situation in five straight games (four penalty kicks, one free kick) and is tied for first in goals scored (10) and assists (8). Guevara is also leading the league in points per game (1.56 ppg).
Earlier last week, Guevara's exploits were recognized by the Professional Soccer Reporters Association (PSRA) when he was almost unanimously awarded the MLS Player of the Month for July. Guevara, who earned four goals and two assists in the month of July, played an integral role in the team's recent four game unbeaten streak (3-0-1) heading into the All-Star break. Last Wednesday, Guevara was also awarded the goal of the week for his free kick from just outside the penalty area against the Kansas City Wizards on July 28, which gave the MetroStars a 2-1 victory over the Kansas City Wizards at Arrowhead Stadium.
Gaven Gives it to Galaxy: MetroStars midfielder Eddie Gaven scored his fifth goal of the season with his 61st minute strike in last Sunday's 3-0 win over the L.A. Galaxy. Gaven, who last scored on July 3 against D.C. United, now has 16 points this season, which puts him tied for eighth in the league. Gaven has been a constant threat to the Galaxy this year. Earlier this season on June 23, the 17-year-old (who was the Man-of-the-Match) scored two goals en route to a Metros 3-0 victory in California. In addition, Mike Magee notched his third assist of the season on Gaven's goal. Magee now has seven points this season.
Walking Cleanly: With his clean sheet last Sunday against the Galaxy, MetroStars goalkeeper Jonny Walker earned his fourth shutout of the season. Ever since the team's humbling 6-2 defeat to D.C. United on July 3, Walker has been on a roll, earning two clean sheets in the last five games. Walker has averaged a stingy 0.60 goals against average in the last five league games.
Jolting Johnny: MetroStars forward John Wolyniec scored his sixth goal of the season when he scored in the 64th minute of last Sunday's 3-0 win over the L.A. Galaxy. Wolyniec, who is second in the league in game winning goals with four, also earned his second assist of the season on Eddie Gaven's goal and now has 14 points in 20 games for the team (he is the only player to have appeared in every game).
Closing Like Nathan: The "Red and Black" are generally very solid in closing out games. When the MetroStars are ahead after the 75th minute, they are 8-1-0. In addition, when the Metros score the first goal, they are an impressive 6-1-2.
Cornell is Great: MetroStars forward Cornell Glen notched his second assist of the season on John Wolyniec's 64th minute goal. Glen is now on a two game streak with a point - he scored his fourth goal of the season and first since May 22 in the team's July 28 2-1 win over the Kansas City Wizards. The Trinidad and Tobago international, who has struggled with injuries recently, now has ten points on the season.
Playing Like Giants: The MetroStars have a record of 6-2-2 in Giants Stadium. They have won six times (April 17, 2004 3-2 vs. D.C. United; May 30, 2004 1-0 vs. Kansas City Wizards; June 19, 2004 2-1 vs. L.A. Galaxy; July 10, 2004 2-0 vs. San Jose Earthquakes; July 24, 2004 2-1 vs. Chicago Fire; August 8, 2004 3-0 vs. L.A. Galaxy), tied twice (April 25, 2004 1-1 vs. New England Revolution; May 15, 2004 1-1 vs. Chicago Fire) and lost twice (June 5, 2004 2-0 vs. Dallas Burn; June 30, 2004 3-2 vs. Colorado Rapids).
Bring Out the Brooms: The MetroStars swept their season series against Los Angeles, beating the Galaxy in each of this season's three games. The MetroStars are now running a six game unbeaten streak against their Western Conference rivals (four wins, two ties).
In addition, according to Elias Sports Bureau, since July 2000, the MetroStars are 8-1-2 against teams which have sole possession of the league's best record. Already this year, the MetroStars have dominated this year's Western Conference powerhouses, the Galaxy and Kansas City Wizards, going 5-0-0.
Not One Hit Wonders: MetroStars forward John Wolyniec is the only player to have appeared in each of the Metros' 20 games this season. Additionally, MetroStars Chris Leitch (19 games) is the only player who has played every minute of every game he has appeared in.
No Detention For You: The MetroStars have been on good behavior throughout the season. They are the only team that has not earned a red card this season. In addition, the Metros are tied with the Kansas City Wizards for the least amount of caution points in the league with 123.
Loving the Red and Black: The MetroStars are now 8-2-3 when wearing their red and black-striped jerseys, compared to 1-4-2 when wearing their white kits. The team usually wears their all-white uniforms for away games. In comparison, the MetroStars were 6-6-5 in their red and black uniforms last year while 5-4-4 in their white kits during the 2003 season.
Firing Away: The MetroStars are not afraid of shooting the ball. The team leads the league for most shots overall with 318. Their nearest opponent is the Dallas Burn with 270. In addition, the MetroStars are leading the league in shots on goal with 132 strikes - 13 more than D.C. United.
Taking Their Chances: The high-powered MetroStars offense has been productive this year, scoring 36 goals - most in the league ahead of the L.A. Galaxy's 35.
The MetroStars are also not afraid of going for goal when they are playing away from Giants Stadium. The MetroStars lead the league in scoring away from home, earning 19 tallies in ten games. With an average of 1.90 goals per away game, the MetroStars are ahead of the L.A. Galaxy (1.45 average). The Metros are also leading the league in first-half goals with 15.
Fighting For The Result: The MetroStars are clutch in close game situations. They have the league-best winning record in one-goal games this year (5-2-0) and have proven to fight back from a goal down. The Metros are 3-5-3 when going down after conceding the first goal - a record which is the best in the league.
Taking Caution: MetroStars midfielder Amado Guevara will be forced to be careful with his aggressive play against the Galaxy. The Honduran, who has 21 disciplinary points, is one yellow card (worth three or more points) away from earning a one game suspension.
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' August 29, 2004 game against the Columbus Crew will no longer be televised.
Future MetroStars Games to Feature on HDNet: Three of the MetroStars' remaining games this year will be shown on HDNet. The matches that will feature this service are the MetroStars' August 21 game at Colorado, September 11 game against New England and October 9 against Columbus.
Metros U-19's Fall in Quarterfinals: The MetroStars' U-19 team made it all the way to the quarterfinals in the North American Super Y-League Champions in Frankfort, IL last weekend. After earning 2-2 draws against Maryland team, Chesapeake Athletic and California team, Ruckus Soccer, the U-19's went into the elimination round hoping for good results. They got just that in a rematch against Chesapeake when the Metros put five past the Maryland team en route to a 5-1 victory.
In the quarterfinals, the U-19's faced the Toronto Lynx Juniors. Although the Metros received goals from Ryan Cordeiro and Andi Saliasi, the "Red and Black" were unable to go further in the tournament, falling to a 4-2 loss. Cordeiro was the Metros' leading scorer, slotting in four goals in four games. In addition, Saliasi and Erik Zekiroski each added two goals apiece.
Four NY Teams Advance in Copa Budweiser: Rochelle United, NY Ecuador, Dragons and New York Champions, Orion Costa Rica, are all advancing to face the top four qualifying teams from New Jersey and compete for the Budweiser-sponsored Copa Budweiser Metro Championship and $5,000 in prize money at Giants Stadium on September 11 after the MetroStars' 6:00 p.m. game against the New England Revolution. The Copa Budweiser is an invitational 6 V. 6 tournament consisting of a qualifying tournament which took place at the Metropolitan Oval in Maspeth, Queens last Saturday.
The event in Maspeth featured appearances by MetroStars Amado Guevara, Sergio Galvan Rey and Joselito Vaca, the MetroMobile and the Bud Light Hummer, complete with interactive games and give-a-ways. There was also a soccer festival, complete with DJ's, food, as well as live radio call-in's to Latino Mix and WADO 1280 AM. In addition, the final will take place on Hispanic Heritage Day - an event which will feature a pre-game concert and festival starting at 3:00 p.m.
Metros and Just For Kicks to Team-Up: The MetroStars are teaming up with Just For Kicks, a soccer camp for individuals with developmental disabilities, on Monday, August 16, to conduct a training session from 2:30-4:00 p.m.
Taking place on the Giants Stadium field, participants will get the opportunity to work on their soccer skills with the guidance of MetroStars players. In addition, all players and their family members will receive tickets to the MetroStars game on Sunday, August 15 at 6:00 p.m. when the "Red and Black" host the Dallas Burn. Participants will also receive a soccer ball and t-shirt. The cost of the event is $30.00.
Just For Kicks camps serve children (3 to 18 years of age) with developmental disabilities. The goal of Just For Kicks is to assist children in learning the skills, knowledge and proper attitudes in the sport so that they could successfully participate in community soccer programs. Kids coming out from Just For Kicks may participate in community recreational programs, the Special Olympics, TOPSoccer or even a competitive team.
