Taylor’s Double Lifts MetroStars Over D.C. United, 3-2
Photo by Gerard Robbins / LaCancha

East Rutherford, NJ (Saturday, April 17, 2004) – The MetroStars defeated arch-rival D.C. United 3-2 today courtesy of two goals by newly acquired Jamaican forward Fabian Taylor at Giants Stadium in front of 31,419 fans. Fourteen-year-old Freddy Adu scored his first career MLS goal for D.C., but the Metros held off United to increase their record to 2-0-0 for six points and first place in the Eastern Conference.

Adu's 75th-minute goal, which made him the youngest player to score in an MLS game by almost two full years, brought United back to within one. But they couldn't overcome the Metro blitz earlier in the half that saw substitute Taylor's strikes sandwich a fine header from John Wolyniec.

The difference between the two halves of the game was like night and day, as D.C.'s defense and midfield dominated the first half, while the MetroStars' midfield and forwards took control of the game in the second half.

In the 26th minute, United immediately broke down the field after a clearance. Bobby Convey swung the ball to Jaime Moreno, who found Dema Kovalenko speeding down the right side of the penalty area. He drove a low cross through the box and Ben Olsen came in at the back post to finish into an empty net to put D.C. up 1-0.

Just five minutes after halftime, Taylor scored his first goal of the season and first as a Metro. Metro midfielder Mark Lisi played a cross into the box, and Taylor headed the ball with force toward the lower right corner. United 'keeper Doug Warren made an excellent save, but the Jamaican international got to the rebound and put it over Warren from a tight angle to tie the score. Lisi’s assist marks his fifth straight game with a helper going back to September 2003.

Seven minutes later, Wolyniec put the MetroStars ahead. Amado Guevara won the ball in a physical challenge with D.C. defender Bryan Namoff and put in a perfectly placed cross from the left, Wolyniec acrobatically dove to head home his second goal of the season.

The MetroStars good fortune -- and Taylor's impressive game -- continued in the 63rd minute when the striker got his second of the game. Eddie Gaven created space by turning Bryan Namoff to the inside and slipping through a little pass in the left side of the area where Taylor fired a shot that Warren got a hand on, but couldn't stop as it trickled into the goal.

Adu came into the match in the 54th minute as United boss Peter Nowak made a trio of attacking substitutions in an effort to regain the upper hand. The changes finally paid dividends when another substitute, Joshua Gros, drove a cross from the left that rolled past a number of players before Adu stabbed it home from six yards out ahead of defender Chris Leitch.

But United couldn't break down the Metro defense again, the home side winning for the second time in two matches on the season while United went down to defeat for the first time. It was also the first time in 19 league matches that United had lost when Olsen scored

Source: MetroStars.com

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