MetroStars at Kansas City Wizards
Date: Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Location: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, M.O.
Local TV: FSN-NY
Play-by-play: J.P. Dellacamera
Analyst: Shep Messing
Sideline: Steve Cangialosi
Local Spanish Radio: WADO 1280 AM
Play-by-play: Ernesto Motta
Analyst: Robert Sierra
Referee: Michael Kennedy
Referee's Asst: Steve Taylor (SAR), Ken Kaplan (JAR)
Fourth Official: Bronson Broockerd
Injury Report:
Michael Bradley - OUT - Stress fracture of right talarnavicular
Ricardo Clark - OUT - Left quadriceps contusion
Gilberto - OUT - Ruptured torn posterior tibial tendon in left ankle
Mark Lisi - DOUBTFUL - Right ankle sprain
Craig Zaidie - OUT - Sprained left LCL
Probable Starters
GK #1 Jonny Walker
D #3 Chris Leitch
D #12 Jeff Parke
D #23 Eddie Pope
D #30 Tenywa Bonseu
M #7 Mike Magee
M #24 Eddie Gaven
M #10 Joselito Vaca
M #20 Amado Guevara
F #15 John Wolyniec
F #13 Cornell Glen
METRO NOTES:
Up next, Kansas City:
On Wednesday, the MetroStars will be traveling west to take on the Kansas City Wizards at 8:30 p.m. (TV: FSN-NY, Spanish Radio: WADO 1280 AM). In the first game between these two teams this season, a John Wolyniec goal was enough to secure a 1-0 win for the Metros on May 30.
The game against the Wizards will be the last match for the Metros prior to the Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game on Saturday. MetroStars Eddie Gaven, Amado Guevara and Eddie Pope were all selected to appear as starters for the Eastern Conference squad and will travel to RFK Stadium this weekend for the 2 p.m. encounter (TV: ABC). The MetroStars' next home game is on August 8, when the "Red and Black" host the L.A. Galaxy (TV: MSG, Spanish Radio: WADO 1280 AM).
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).
Bradley earns 100 wins:
With last Saturday's 2-1 win against Chicago, MetroStars head coach Bob Bradley reached 100 career wins. Bradley's all-time league record of 100 career regular season victories is 21 more than the closest active coach, Sigi Schmid as of the end of tonight's game. Schmid needs four more to surpass Thomas Rongen (DC, NE, TB) for second place in career regular season victories.
It was ironic that Bradley earned his 100th win against the Fire, as 82 of his victories came when he was at the helm of the Windy City team. Bradley has earned 18 wins with the MetroStars since being named Head Coach on October 22, 2002, but has failed to defeat this former team in eight tries until last Saturday. Against this week's opponent, the Kansas City Wizards, Bradley is 13-4-1.
Opening up the league:
With their 2-1 win against the Chicago Fire on Saturday, coupled by stumbles by other division rivals, the MetroStars have retained the top spot in the Eastern Conference with 26 points. They are now five points ahead of D.C. United and the Columbus Crew. With their loss last weekend, the Fire, are further adrift with 19 points with no games in hand over the "Red and Black." The Crew has two games in hand over the MetroStars. The MetroStars are now riding a three game unbeaten streak. They are 7-6-5 on the season and are the only team in the Eastern Conference to have a winning record.
Woly in the clutch:
MetroStars forward John Wolyniec's 57th minute goal last Saturday was his fifth tally of the season, and fourth game-winning goal he has scored this year. The Staten Island, N.Y., native is tied with Dallas Burn forward Eddie Johnson for the lead in game winning goals and has appeared in each of the MetroStars' 18 games. Four of Wolyniec's five goals have been scored at Giants Stadium.
Guevara The Beast:
MetroStars midfielder Amado Guevara has been on fire for the "Red and Black", slotting in his eighth goal of the season last Saturday. His strike from the penalty spot was also his fifth conversion of the year and third straight in league action. Guevara, who also has seven assists this season, has earned at least a point in seven consecutive league games, garnering five goals and five assists during that stretch (15 points), making it the longest streak of its kind this season. Guevara's 23 points puts him tied for first place on the MLS Budweiser Scoring list with San Jose Earthquakes forward Brian Ching. Both players are one point ahead of L.A. Galaxy striker Carlos Ruiz. Guevara now has eight points in seven games against the Fire.
In hitting his penalty kick, Guevara also has set an individual record for being the only player who has scored from the spot in three consecutive games. Many teams have successfully hit penalty kicks in three successive games but Guevara is the first individual to do so. No player or team has scored a penalty kick in four games straight.
Closed and shut:
The "Red and Black" are generally very solid in closing out games. When the MetroStars are ahead after the 75th minute, they are 6-1-0.
Eddie the quick:
MetroStars' midfielder Eddie Gaven notched his 14th point of the season with his sixth assist of the year in Saturday's 2-1 win over the Chicago Fire - helping to set up John Wolyniec's game winning goal. Gaven has been on a torrid stretch of late - in his last six games, Gaven has earned 10 points (four goals, two assists) as the starlet, who also recently made his first appearance for the senior U.S. national team on July 11, 2004 against Poland, is a starter in Saturday's MLS All-Star Game.
Gaven's Metros teammate, Mike Magee, also notched an assist on Wolyniec's goal. It was Magee's second assist of the year and sixth point this season.
Giant Vibrations:
The MetroStars have a record of 5-2-2 in Giants Stadium. They have won five 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), 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).
Red and black clovers:
The MetroStars are 7-2-3 when wearing their red and black-striped jerseys, compared to 0-4-2 wearing their white kits. The team usually wears their all-white uniforms when traveling 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.
Blanketing the Fire:
The MetroStars broke their ten game winless streak against the Chicago Fire with their 2-1 win over their Eastern Conference rivals. The Fire now have not been able to win in their last eight league games.
Using those guns:
The MetroStars are not afraid of shooting the ball. The team leads the league for most shots overall with 291. Their nearest opponent is the Chicago Fire with 252. In addition, the MetroStars are leading the league in shots on goal with 119 strikes - four more than D.C. United.
Vanquishing the Wizards:
The Kansas City Wizards are riding a season and league-high nine game unbeaten streak going into Wednesday's game against the MetroStars. The Metros and the Wizards are two of the three teams in the league which currently hold a record over .500 (Los Angeles is the other), but the "Red and Black" holds an undefeated record against the Galaxy and Kansas City (3-0-0). Earlier this year on May 30, a John Wolyniec goal was enough to give the Metros a 1-0 victory over Kansas City.
The Metros will be forced to keep an eye on Wizard Davy Arnaud, who has earned a point in four consecutive matches. Arnaud has 21 points this season off eight goals and five assists. In addition, the MetroStars closely guard Wizards forward Josh Wolff, a player who has earned nine points over 11 games against the "Red and Black."
On the other side of the coin, the MetroStars are currently riding a three game unbeaten streak in the league and also have a three game unbeaten streak against Kansas City. Metros midfielder Joselito Vaca has faced the Wizards 10 times, earning seven points against the team from Kansas City. The Metros are 4-3-1 against Western Conference opponents while the Wizards are 2-3-4 against their Eastern counterparts.
Kicking it in the net:
The high-powered MetroStars offense has been productive this year, scoring 31 goals - second most in the league behind 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 17 tallies in nine games. With an average of 1.89 goals per away game, the MetroStars are ahead of the L.A. Galaxy (1.60 average).
Taking caution:
MetroStars midfielder Amado Guevara will be forced to be careful with his aggressive play against the Wizards. The Honduran, who has 21 displinary 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 p.m. to 6 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.
