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).
MetroStars on TV:
Wednesday: MetroStars at Kansas City - FSN-NY, 8:30 p.m. ET
Thursday: Metro Soccer Report - MSG, 11 p.m. ET
Saturday: MLS All-Star Game - ABC, 2 p.m. ET
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 Saturday'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 tonight.
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.
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.
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 league 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.
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 on 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.
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).
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.
Metros to host Copa Budweiser:
The MetroStars are hosting the Budweiser-sponsored 2004 Copa Budweiser Tournament, where sixteen of the best amateur teams from New York will be battling it out for $5,000 worth of prize money this August and September. The Copa Budweiser is an invitational 6 V. 6 tournament consisting of a qualifying tournament taking place at the Metropolitan Oval in Maspeth, Queens on Saturday, August 7. The top four finalists from New York will advance to face the top four qualifying teams from New Jersey and compete for the Copa Budweiser Metro Championship at Giants Stadium on September 11 after the MetroStars' 6 p.m. game against the New England Revolution.
The Copa Budweiser event will also feature a Budweiser Shootout to find New York's most highly skilled players. Using the MLS Shootout format, Budweiser wants to identify New York's best striker and goalkeeper in a one-on-one individual challenge with $750 in prize money up for grabs. The New York Budweiser Shootout Champion will then advance to face the New Jersey Budweiser Shootout Champion at Giants Stadium during halftime of the MetroStars' match in September.
The event in Maspeth will feature appearances by the MetroMobile and the Bud Light Hummer, complete with interactive games and give-a-ways. There will also be a soccer festival, complete with DJ's, food, as well as live radio call-in's to Latino Mix and WADO 1280 AM and MetroStars player appearances. In addition, the final will take place on Hispanic Heritage Day - an event which will feature a pre-game concert and festival starting at 3 p.m.
Metros celebrate Guatemala, the Caribbean:
The MetroStars are hosting Caribbean heritage day and Guatemalan heritage day at Giants Stadium on Sunday, August 8. These events will celebrate Caribbean and Guatemalan culture and include a series of activities throughout the day. The Caribbean day is being promoted in conjunction with CCB International while the Guatemalan day is promoted in conjunction with the Guatemalan Conuslate.
The featured event is the MetroStars game versus the Los Angeles Galaxy with kickoff set for 6 p.m. Prior to the MetroStars game, FREE Caribbean and Guatemalan festivals will take place outside of Giants Stadium. Both festivals will include entertainment from some of the area's top local talent, including Caribbean performers Casym, Cloud IX and DJ "D-Life". The festivals will also feature authentic Caribbean and Guatemalan food provided by some of the area's top restaurants. The Caribbean festival will begin at 1 p.m. and end at 6 p.m. while the Guatemalan event will take place between 2:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. - just before the MetroStars' kick-off. The festivals will include a series of fun, interactive activities for the whole family.
