The MetroStars face a second successive I-95 rival in as many weeks when the New England Revolution come to Giants Stadium this weekend, after they took an impressive 3-2 victory against D.C. United in their home opener. The victory propelled the MetroStars to the top of the Eastern Conference with six points from their two matches thus far – all in the conference. The visiting Revolution are at the foot of the East table with no points from their first two matches following a loss to San Jose Earthquakes in their home opener in Foxborough last weekend.
REFEREE: Kevin Stott. SAR (bench): Chris Strickland;
JAR (opposite): Emiliano Monje; 4th: Tony Crush
MLS Career: 99 games; FC/gm: 26.3; Y/gm: 3.3; R: 26; pens: 18
Games involving MetroStars: P22 W7 L14 T1; FC/gm: 27.1; Y/gm: 3.7;
R: 10; pens: 5
Games involving Revolution: P12 W9 L3 T0; FC/gm: 29.4; Y/gm: 4.2;
R: 4; pens: 2
INJURY REPORT: METROSTARS – NONE REPORTED. … NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION – OUT: DF Carlos Llamosa (L knee sprain); PROBABLE: MD Shalrie Joseph (broken nose); DF Rusty Pierce (R quadriceps contusion)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: none
YELLOW PERIL: none
ALL-TIME (31 meetings): MetroStars 14 wins (2 shootout), 60 goals
… Revolution 15 wins (3 shootout), 56 goals … 2 draws
• The I-95 rivals reprise their bitter rivalry from a year
ago, which saw the Revolution claim almost all the spoils, certainly
in league and MLS Cup play.
• This is the first of four meetings this year, the first
of two at Giants Stadium. They’ll play their first at Gillette
Stadium on May 22, then again on June 26, before playing for the
final time at the Meadowlands on Sept. 11.
• A year ago, New England didn’t lose in the league
series, winning three of the four matches (one draw). The MetroStars
posted a stunning comeback to pull back to a 3-3 draw in Foxborough
on July 12 (Twellman 9, J-M Moore 36, Noonan 50 – Wolyniec
66, own goal 73, Clark 76), then the Rev won 2-1 on Sept. 13 in
New Jersey (Jolley 81 – Noonan 11, 72).
• The Revolution then won both matches in the season-ending
home-and-home pair just before they played again in the Eastern
Conference semifinals, winning 2-1 at Giants Stadium on Oct. 18
(Juskowiak 75 – Fabbro 15, Noonan 37) then 5-2 in New England
on Oct. 25 (Noonan 41, 51, 68; Fabbro 45; Ralston 65 – Lisi
58 pen, LeBlanc 69).
• Then in the MLS Cup Playoffs, the Rev eased to a 2-0 victory
at Giants Stadium on Nov. 1 in the first leg (Fabbro 17, Noonan
65), before advancing after a 1-1 draw at Gillette Stadium (Noonan
21 – Guevara 46+ pen)
• The only success the MetroStars saw against New England
came in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup, when Metro claimed
a 2-1 golden goal victory at Piscataway, N.J. (Mathis 29, Guevara
111 – Heaps 47+).
• The MetroStars haven’t won in the last five league
meetings in the series. But their last win, a 4-3 triumph on July
20, 2002, was the last of four in a row against the Rev.
• In 1999, New England had the same kind of success as they
did a year ago, winning all four meetings in the series (two by
shootout). The next year, the MetroStars won three of the four meetings,
all three wins coming before a Rev victory in the final encounter.
• Mark Lisi leads current MetroStars with 2 goals, 7 assists
v New England (all but 3 assists while a Metro). Of current MetroStars,
only Eddie Pope, John Wolyniec and Ricardo Clark have goals against
the Rev (Pope’s while with D.C. United).
• Pat Noonan had a remarkable run against the MetroStars last
year, seven of his 11 league goals in his rookie season coming against
Metro (then adding two more in the playoffs). He jumped to second
on the club’s all-time scoring list against Metro, behind
Joe-Max Moore (7 goals, 5 assists). Steve Ralston leads current
Rev players with 5 goals, 12 points v MetroStars – 2 goals,
4 assists with New England.
• Coaches record: Bob Bradley v NE: P16 W5 L7 T4 … Steve
Nicol v MET: P8 W5 L2 T1
The MetroStars became the only team to stay unbeaten and untied
on the new campaign when a second-half blitz gave them a come-from-behind
3-2 victory against D.C. United at Giants Stadium on Saturday. The
MetroStars leaped over United into the top spot in the Eastern Conference
and the MLS overall table on six points from two games.
• Freddy Adu made history when the 14-year-old hit the back
of the net in just his third professional game, but the MetroStars
grabbed the headlines with three goals in 13 minutes after the break
including a Fabian Taylor double
• Ben Olsen gave United the lead after 26 minutes when he
converted a low cross from Dema Kovalenko from the right flank.
But Taylor, who came on as a halftime substitute, took just five
minutes to pull his club level. He rose up unmarked to meet a Mark
Lisi cross, which United 'keeper Doug Warren made a terrific save
on, but found the back of the net on the second chance.
• John Wolyniec then gave the Metros the lead seven minutes
later with an acrobatic diving header in the six-yard box, before
Taylor hit for his second, slipping a shot underneath Warren from
inside the area.
• Adu pulled United back within one when he became the youngest
player ever to score in an MLS game when he got in front of a Metros
defender to stab home a rolling cross from close range (75), but
that was as close as United got.
• MetroStars coach Bob Bradley made just one change to the
team that defeated Columbus 3-1 away in the season opener two weeks
before, captain Eddie Pope returning from a thigh injury to claim
his place in central defense ahead of Jeff Parke.
• Here’s the team Bradley ran out (4-4-2): Jonny Walker
– Craig Ziadie, Eddie Pope (Jeff Parke 66), Tenywa Bonseu,
Chris Leitch – Joselito Vaca, Amado Guevara, Mark Lisi (Ricardo
Clark 73), Eddie Gaven – John Wolyniec, Mike Magee (Fabian
Taylor 46)
• Taylor’s insertion at the half changed the game, after
the MetroStars had been dominated in the opening 45 minutes. "He
made a huge difference for us today," Bradley said. "The
first goal really turned things around. ... When a player can go
out and score a great goal early in the half, it puts an big exclamation
point on anything I said at halftime."
• His performance earned him the honor as the MLS Sierra Mist
Player of the Week, as selected in balloting of members of the Professional
Soccer Reporters Association (PSRA).
• He was the first player to score in his Giants Stadium debut
since Wolyniec did it on Aug. 18, 1999.
• Eddie Pope and Jonny Walker were named to the U.S. national
team for their April 28 friendly against Mexico at the Cotton Bowl
in Dallas.
• Amado Guevara was called into the Honduras national team
by coach Bora Milutinovic for their April 28 friendly against Ecuador
in Miami.
• Craig Ziadie was called in the Jamaica national team for
their April 28 friendly against Venezuela in Kingston.
The New England Revolution lost for the second time in as many
outings on Saturday, losing a lead to a rampant San Jose Earthquakes
in a 3-1 loss in their home opener. The Rev have allowed three goals
in each of their two losses on the season, falling to Los Angeles
Galaxy at The Home Depot Center in the season opener.
• Taylor Twellman tapped home a pass from Joe-Max Moore when
both got behind the Quakes' back four to give the home side the
lead just after the break (49) on a goal that had just the slightest
hint of offside.
• But a wonderful bicycle kick from Dwayne DeRosario pulled
San Jose level four minutes later, the ‘Quakes first goal
from run-of-play this season. Arturo Alvarez then slotted home a
Landon Donovan cross just two minutes after that to give the Quakes
the lead.
• San Jose goalkeeper Pat Onstad kept the Revs at bay with
a number of quality saves, then Donovan set up Brian Ching, who
lashed home a first-time drive from outside the area to kill off
the match with 15 minutes left.
• "We made some mistakes in L.A., and we pointed them
out and were clear about them," Rev boss Steve Nicol said.
"Obviously, it didn't register. I can't fault the effort but
you have to use your brain as well as your heart. We need to be
stronger mentally when it's needed. When you get punched, you have
to stand up and punch back or get out of the road. And (after taking
the lead), we got out of the road for five minutes."
• While Nicol had some injury concerns coming into the contest,
he made just one change to the team that played in the season opener,
Clint Dempsey coming into central midfield for Shalrie Joseph who
was sidelined with a broken nose.
• Here’s Nicol’s team on the night (4-1-3-2):
Adin Brown – Jay Heaps, Daouda Kante (Andy Dorman 89), Rusty
Pierce (Marshall Leonard 86), Joe Franchino – Clint Dempsey
– Steve Ralston, Jose Cancela, Pat Noonan –Joe-Max Moore
(Brian Kamler 70), Taylor Twellman.
• “I hope we haven't gotten to the point of where we
think that we are better than we are,'' Ralston said. “People
have been saying we are the clear-cut favorite in the East. But
for us to be successful, we have to get back to where we outwork
teams. I don't mean just one guy, but everybody.''
• After a second successive match allowing three goals, Nicol
said there is real concerns in what the team will do in the back
four to replace Carlos Llamosa. Trinidad & Tobago international
Avery John has been on trial with the team, and Nicol said they
will look at other players this week.
• "We clearly need to make a move, we need to strengthen
the team," Nicol said. "That's the easy part. The hard
part is finding someone we can afford and who is better than what
we have."
• Sharlie Joseph, who missed the Earthquakes match after suffering
a broken nose, said he will be available this weekend but will have
to wear a protective mask.
• Pat Noonan and Taylor Twellman were named to the U.S. national
team for their April 28 friendly against Mexico at the Cotton Bowl
in Dallas.
