The MetroStars finally wore down the San Jose Earthquakes, getting second-half goals from John Wolyniec and Amado Guevara to post a 2-0 victory at Giants Stadium on Saturday.
Wolyniec's goal in the 63rd minute put the MetroStars on top, though they did not seal the result until Amado Guevara hit a penalty deep in stoppage time.
The Metros snapped a three-game losing streak while taking temporary possession of first place in the Eastern Conference. The defending MLS Cup champion Earthquakes meanwhile dropped their third consecutive match and remain at the bottom of the Western Conference.
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A very tight first half created little excitement from either side. Earthquakes goalkeeper Pat Onstad was called upon to lunge to his left to punch away Guevara's 16-yard shot in the 26th minute, and the Earthquakes nearly scored in the 40th minute when Jamil Walker nearly turned home an Arturo Alvarez pass, only to see the ball trickle off the post and out before the Metros were able to clear.
Just before the break, Guevara started to put his stamp on the match, first just curling a shot over the goal from the left. Then the Honduran whipped in a cross for Wolyniec who had a clear header at the far post, but he also put that effort over the bar.
Just after the hour, the MetroStars won a corner kick which failed to create a scoring chance. Guevara was able to take possession outside the penalty area before being pushed off the ball, but was still just able to touch the ball over to Craig Ziadie. Ziadie then played a perfect through-ball to Wolyniec who was left alone in front of the Earthquakes goal and had little difficulty beating Onstad for his fourth goal of the season.
Now trailing, the Earthquakes tried to push the tempo and create offense for the first time all afternoon. They seemed to have pulled level three minutes after the Metro goal, but Dwayne De Rosario's apparent goal was disallowed for offside.
The Earthquakes hit the woodwork again in the 77th minute, when Jeff Agoos lofted a free kick into the area and Craig Waibel flicked it toward the far post. The ball dipped and appeared to be heading over the line, only for the ball to again bounce off the inside of the post, and MetroStars goalkeeper Jonny Walker was again able to clear his lines.
Three minutes later Walker came up with a key clearance when he ran through traffic and leaped up to punch the ball clear from trouble as two Earthquakes converged in search of the equalizer.
The MetroStars ended the suspense on the counterattack when substitute Pablo Brenes was given enough time and space out of the back to push the ball all the way to the San Jose 18-yard box and lay it off beautifully for Mike Magee. Magee shook off Jeff Agoos - who otherwise played a splendid match at the back for the Earthquakes - and might have scored if he wasn't knocked over by Wes Hart.
Magee was subbed out with leg cramps and Guevara stepped up to the penalty spot and scored his sixth goal of the season with a perfectly-struck shot that rendered Onstad helpless even as he correctly and valiantly dove to his left.
The MetroStars (6-6-4, 22 points) next play on Saturday night at Soldier Field against Eastern Conference rival Chicago Fire. The Earthquakes (4-6-5, 17 points) have now taken only two points from their last five contests and are headed home to host the Colorado Rapids next Saturday at Spartan Stadium.
MLSnet.com Man of the Match: Amado Guevara (MetroStars)
San Jose Earthquakes (4-6-5) vs. MetroStars (6-6-4)
July 10, 2004 -- Giants Stadium
Scoring Summary:
MET -- John Wolyniec 4 (Craig Ziadie 1, Amado Guevara 7) 63
MET -- Amado Guevara 6 (penalty kick) 93+
San Jose Earthquakes -- Pat Onstad, Craig Waibel, Ryan Cochrane (Arturo Alvarez 32), Todd Dunivant, Jeff Agoos, Richard Mulrooney, Ramiro Corrales (Tighe Dombrowski 74), Wes Hart, Ronnie Ekelund, Dwayne De Rosario, Jamil Walker (Chris Brown 58).
Substitutes Not Used: Jon Conway.
TOTAL SHOTS: 9 (3 tied with 2); SHOTS ON GOAL: 3 (Craig Waibel 2); FOULS: 16 (Jamil Walker 6); OFFSIDES: 4 (Dwayne De Rosario 3); CORNER KICKS: 2 (Jeff Agoos 1, Richard Mulrooney 1); SAVES: 4 (Pat Onstad 4)
MetroStars -- Jonny Walker, Craig Ziadie, Kenny Arena, Jeff Parke, Chris Leitch, Joselito Vaca, Ricardo Clark, Mike Magee (Cornell Glen 89), John Wolyniec, Amado Guevara, Sergio Galvan Rey (Pablo Brenes 76).
Substitutes Not Used: Tenywa Bonseu, Seth Stammler, Zach Wells.
TOTAL SHOTS: 14 (John Wolyniec 5); SHOTS ON GOAL: 6 (Amado Guevara 2); FOULS: 14 (Kenny Arena 3, Joselito Vaca 3); OFFSIDES: 2 (John Wolyniec 2); CORNER KICKS: 8 (Mike Magee 4); SAVES: 3 (Jonny Walker 3)
Misconduct Summary:
none
Referee: Kevin Terry
Referee's Assistants: -Thomas Supple; Kenneth Kaplan
4th Official: Ken Heller
Attendance: 13,174
Time of Game: 1:54
Weather: Partly Cloudy-and-83-degrees
All Statistics contained in this boxscore are unofficial
