Other Soccer News...




Williams, Diallo, Howard Lift MetroStars in Thrilling
Seven-Goal Encounter

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ (July 20, 2002) – The MetroStars continued their dominance over the New England Revolution Saturday, winning a seven-goal thriller at Giants Stadium.

The MetroStars (8-8-2) have won eight of the last ten meetings against the last-place Revolution (6-11-1) and have not lost in regulation to the Revs at Giants Stadium since September 2, 1998, a span of eight games, including six consecutive victories.

The Revolution had more controlled early possession, generating a 17th minute chance when MetroStars keeper Tim Howard made a sprawling toe save on New England midfielder Steve Ralston. The MetroStars’ Rodrigo Faria went close in the 23rd minute, but had his shot blocked by Shaker Asad in the six-yard box.

Two minutes later, former Revolution midfielder Andy Williams’ wonder strike gave the MetroStars a 1-0 lead. Williams received the ball thirty-five yards from goal and dribbled into the right side of the box, shielding defenders at every turn, before blasting an unstoppable right-footed drive into the top left corner. It was Williams’ second consecutive MLS game with a goal and a sure candidate for goal of the year.

The MetroStars doubled their lead on 34 minutes, Project-40 midfielder Brad Davis providing a wonderful through ball for another former Revolution player, striker Mamadou Diallo. The Senegalese striker chased the looping ball into the box, but former MetroStars captain Daniel Hernandez ran him off the ball for a penalty kick. Diallo sent Sommer the wrong way from the spot, his third penalty kick goal in his short tenure with the Metros.

Diallo was a thorn in New England’s side all afternoon, switching sides constantly, and earned a corner kick in the 41st minute with a run down the left wing. Williams’ corner was cleared by New England, but right to Davis, who lashed an unstoppable right-footed shot from twenty yards into the top left corner.

The 3-0 lead seemed insurmountable, but Taylor Twellman threw his team a lifeline with a 43rd minute goal, sliding a feed from Alex Pineda Chacon under Howard from ten yards out. Pineda Chacon, in the starting lineup for only the seventh time in eighteen games this year, had a golden chance to pull another goal back just before the break, flicking wide when isolated against Howard.

Williams wasted little time getting things started after the interval, the Jamaican international playing a picturesque long ball from one sideline to the other. Diallo got on the end of it and caught Sommer off guard with a blast from the right corner of the box, beating the keeper just inside the left post. The 4-1 lead lasted only thirteen minutes, as New England produced two goals out of absolutely nothing within the space of four minutes to make it a 4-3 game.

First it was Ralston, the MLS assist leader, blasting a twenty-yard left-footed shot into the top left corner to beat Howard. Four minutes later it was Hernandez taking aim from all of thirty-five yards with a right-footed one bouncer that skipped inside Howard’s right-hand post.

All the momentum was with New England as the Revs surged forward and it took a high-caliber save from MLS’ top keeper to preserve the lead, Howard stoning Twellman on a half volley at the top of the box.

The MetroStars however produced the next great opportunity on a counter-attack, Diallo playing a delightful ball through for Faria. The Brazilian was alone with Sommer, but the opportunity was wasted as Faria danced around the shot at the top of the box, finally putting it wide after allowing the New England defenders to recover.

New England came right back in the 72nd minute, Pineda Chacon playing a picturesque diagonal ball from the right side into the box and connecting with Twellman, whose left-footed effort was denied only by the woodwork, caroming off the left post and through the goalmouth before being cleared.

It was Twellman again coming close to the equalizer on 75 minutes, curving a right-footed shot from sixteen yards that Howard parried only with a full-length dive to his left.

The Revolution fired their final shots with a left-footed effort from Hernandez over the bar and a stoppage time corner kick, but couldn’t beat Howard and went down to a second consecutive defeat and their third defeat of the year in three tries against the MetroStars.

The MetroStars won their first league home game since June 15 against Los Angeles and got back to the .500 mark. They have not lost to New England in six games, dating back to the 2000 season, and will return to action Wednesday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City (8:00 p.m. ET; TV: FSN, WADO 1280AM).

GAME SUMMARY

MetroStars 4 New England 3

Saturday, July 20, 2002, Giants Stadium; East Rutherford, NJ

1 2 F

MetroStars 3 1 4

Revolution 1 2 3

Scoring Summary:

MET—Andy Williams (Ross Paule, Ted Chronopoulos) 25’; MET—Mamadou Diallo (PK) 34’;

MET—Brad Davis (unassisted) 41’; NE—Taylor Twellman (Alex Pineda Chacon, Steve Ralston) 43’;

MET—Mamadou Diallo (Andy Williams, Ted Chronopoulos) 46’; NE—Steve Ralston (Taylor Twellman) 59’; NE—Daniel Hernandez (unassisted) 63’

NEW ENGLAND—Juergen Sommer; Jay Heaps, Leo Cullen, Daniel Hernandez, Joe Franchino; Steve Ralston, Shaker Asad (Ian Fuller 59), Jim Rooney (c), Wolde Harris; Taylor Twellman, Alex Pineda Chacon. TOTAL SHOTS: 26 (Twellman 8); SHOTS ON GOAL: 11 (Twellman 5); FOULS: 13 (Franchino 4); OFFSIDE: 0; CORNER KICKS: 4; SAVES: Sommer 5; CAUTIONS: Asad 49’, Hernandez 61’, Franchino 85; EJECTIONS: none.

METROSTARS—Tim Howard (c); Craig Ziadie, Steve Jolley, Mike Petke, Ted Chronopoulos; Mark Lisi (Joe Addo 68), Ross Paule, Andy Williams, Brad Davis (Jeff Moore 62); Mamadou Diallo (Byron Alvarez 81), Rodrigo Faria. TOTAL SHOTS: 16 (Diallo 6); SHOTS ON GOAL: 11 (Diallo 5); FOULS: 11 (Ziadie, Paule 2); OFFSIDE: 4; CORNER KICKS: 13; SAVES: Howard 8; CAUTIONS: Petke 12’, Faria 67’; EJECTIONS: none.

Referee: Terry Vaughn; Assistant Referees: Robert Fereday, Richard Eddy

4th Official: Gerry Corrie; Attendance: 13,837; Weather: Partly cloudy, 84 degrees.

www.MetroStars.com