Up Next, New England:
Saturday marks the Metros' return to the Meadowlands as they take on Eastern Conference rival New England Revolution at 6 p.m. ET (TV: MSG, HDNet, Spanish Radio: WADO 1280 AM). The "Red and Black" have a 0-1-2 record against the Revolution this season.
Following this weekend, the Metros hit the road for a two-game trip. First the "Red and Black" will duel with the Crew in Columbus on Saturday, Sept. 18 and then they will square off against the Burn in Dallas on Saturday, September 25.
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. New England Revolution - MSG, 6 p.m. ET
Metros Fall to Second:
With their 1-0 loss to Kansas City last Saturday, coupled with the Crew's 3-1 win over the Galaxy this weekend, the MetroStars have fallen to second place in the Eastern Conference. The Crew has a total of 34 points, and the Metros have 33 points. Chicago (29) has moved up to third place in the conference, D.C. (27) currently stands in fourth place, and New England (24) sits in last place.
No Place Like Home:
The MetroStars eagerly await their home game this weekend, as their play at home has been very strong all season with a record of 6-3-3 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 three times (April 25, 2004 1-1 vs. New England Revolution; May 15, 2004 1-1 vs. Chicago Fire; August 29, 2004 1-1 vs. Columbus Crew) and lost three times (June 5, 2004 2-0 vs. Dallas Burn; June 30, 2004 3-2 vs. Colorado Rapids; August 15, 2004 1-0 vs. Dallas Burn).
Guevara Captaining Honduras:
MetroStars midfielder Amado Guevara will be away from the MetroStars until Thursday, as he will captain the Honduran National Team in their World Cup Qualifying match against Guatemala on September 8. Guevara scored Honduras' loan goal in the 88 minute of their 1-1 tie in Canada on Saturday. Guevara has now amassed 85 caps for Honduras.
Once Guevara returns to the MetroStars he will be unable to play in the club's game on September 11 against the Revolution, as a result of the red card he was issued on August 29. Guevara will again be eligible to play for the MetroStars in their game on September 18 at Columbus.
Hello, Goodbye:
As quickly as the Metros got defender Craig Ziadie back from injury, they lost him to international duty as he was called to the Jamaican National Team for their World Cup Qualifiers on September 4 against Panama and then against El Salvador on September 8. The "Reggae Boyz" fell to Panama on Saturday, 2-1. Ziadie has earned 23 caps for the "Reggae Boyz" since making his international debut on November 20, 2002, vs. Japan in a 1-1 tie in Tokyo.
Gaven, Pope, Walker with Nats:
MetroStars midfielder Eddie Gaven, defender Eddie Pope and goalkeeper Jonny Walker were all called to the U.S. national team for their games against El Salvador last Saturday, and against Panama this Wednesday. Despite being called to the team, none of the MetroStars were on the U.S.'s 18-man roster for their 2-0 win over El Salvador, as Eddie Gaven and Jonny Walker were released to the Metros for the "Red and Black's" game against Kansas City, and Eddie Pope was sidelined due to injury.
Glen Gone:
MetroStars forward Cornell Glen has been called up to the Trinidad and Tobago National Team for their World Cup qualifier against Mexico on September 8. The "Soca Warriors" defeated St. Kitts and Nevis 2-1 on Saturday.
The 22-year-old Glen has earned 15 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 rejoin the Metros for their September 11 clash with the Revolution at Giants Stadium.
"Red and Black" Ironmen:
MetroStars forward John Wolyniec is the only player to have appeared in each of the Metros' 24 games this season. Additionally, MetroStars Chris Leitch (23 games) is the only player who has played every minute of every game he has appeared in.
Firing Away:
The MetroStars are not afraid of shooting the ball. The team leads the league for most shots overall with 378. The Dallas Burn ranks second in the league with 343. In addition, the MetroStars also lead the league in shots on goal with 158 strikes - eight more than D.C. United. Last season, the MetroStars had 399 shots and 191 shots on goal.
Taking Their Chances:
The high-powered MetroStars offense has been productive this year, scoring 37 goals - tied for most in the league with the L.A. Galaxy and the San Jose Earthquakes. In the 2003 season, the MetroStars' offense scored 40 goals.
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 12 games. With an average of 1.58 goals per away game, the MetroStars are ahead of the L.A. Galaxy (1.42 average). The Metros are also tied for second in the league in first-half goals with 16.
White Out:
The MetroStars' white kits have become a bad omen this season, as the team is 1-6-2 when donning them. Conversely, they are 8-3-4 when wearing their red and black-striped jerseys. The team usually wears their all-white uniforms for away games. In comparison, last season the MetroStars were 6-6-5 in their red and black uniforms and 5-4-4 in their white kits.
MetroStars Host Ref Night:
Immediately following the 6 p.m. September 11 match versus the New England Revolution at Giants Stadium, the MetroStars will be hosting Referee Night. Some of the best MLS referees will be available to teach how to work on and perfect refereeing skills. Their services will include in-game and post-game analysis sessions, a Q&A session with the game's officials and a special guest speaker at a post-game event at the Stadium Club. In addition each participant will receive a discounted ticket price of $18 for the day's events, a free OFFICIAL SPORTS Foundation Flip coin for each Referee and the ability to purchase tickets to future MetroStars games at a discount with no minimum. To order tickets for this event, please contact Rich Searls of the MetroStars at (201) 583-7035 or email rsearls@metrostars.com.
Time and TV Changes:
The MetroStars' September 11, 2004 game time against the New England Revolution will be pushed back from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and will be shown on MSG rather than ESPN2.
Future MetroStars Games to Feature on HDNet:
Two of the MetroStars' remaining games this year will be shown on HDNet. The matches that will feature this service are the MetroStars' September 11 game against New England and October 9 against Columbus.
