SAN JOSE, Calif. - A soccer game may be 90 minutes, but the outcome often depends on a few key plays. And sometimes it can hinge on winning one individual battle. That was the case in Saturday's match between the MetroStars and the San Jose Earthquakes.
With the score tied 1-1 at the start of the second half, goalkeeper Tony Meola pulled off an excellent save against the Quakes' Alejandro Moreno. The MetroStars went straight down the field and looked poised to take the lead when Sergio Galvan Rey's cross fell in the box for Abbe Ibrahim. But with the goal at his mercy, Ibrahim's effort was saved in equally spectacular fashion by Quakes' goalkeeper Pat Onstad.
The visitors were made to pay just a minute later, when the Quakes countered ruthlessly off a MetroStars corner kick. San Jose's Kelly Gray played a ball forward where the 5-foot-7 Mark Chung outdueled 5-foot-11 Carlos Mendes for possession of the ball.
Chung proceeded to spring Dwayne De Rosario on a breakaway that he converted for the winning goal. According to MetroStars head coach Bob Bradley, it was this ability to win 50-50 balls that tipped the balance in the Quakes' favor.
"Games [at Spartan] are always hard," Bradley said. "San Jose does a good job at home in terms of competing and fighting for every ball. Especially on the second goal, they were able to keep the ball alive at midfield, make a play, and that was the difference in the game. They did a good job and we didn't handle a play like that well."
With the injury bug that has ravaged the Metros' attack, Bradley was forced to juggle his lineup, and there were times when his reconfigured midfield created some good opportunities. But defensively the quartet of Mark Lisi, Mike Magee, Sergio Galvan Rey and Eddie Gaven struggled, allowing De Rosario plenty of room to maneuver.
"We had stretches where [the midfield] did OK," added Bradley. "Again, games here are so much about fighting for loose balls and coming away with plays. I think there were more stretches where they had the edge on us."
For Gaven, the game was the latest in a series of frustrating matches.
"We definitely didn't play our best soccer tonight, but at the end of the day, we still had a chance to get a point out of the game, just like we did last game," said Gaven. "It's very frustrating. We've been that close in four or five games this season. If we're going to be a championship team we're definitely going to have to work on that."
Fortunately for the MetroStars, redemption could come as quickly as Wednesday, when they take on FC Dallas.
"We'll look at this game for a day or two and then shift our focus to the next game," added Gaven. "We haven't played our best soccer over this latest stretch, so I think everyone is going to be psyched to come out at home and hopefully try to turn things around."
For the MetroStars, that will begin with winning the individual battles.
Jeff Carlisle is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
