Heated Battle Between MetroStars and Kansas City
Ends in Scoreless Draw
Photo by Dante Gutierrez

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – The Kansas City Wizards were unable to find the back of the net for the third consecutive match, reaching a scoreless draw with the MetroStars at Giants Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. Despite edging out the home side in offensive pressure, the Wizards were unable to beat MetroStars goalkeeper Jonny Walker as the two teams battled through a hard-fought match in the oppressive heat.

The match was the MetroStars’ seventh overtime game in their last eight outings.

Kansas City’s Jimmy Conrad was taken to Meadowlands Hospital near the end of the first overtime period, as the rugged defender succumbed to the heat on the field. Preliminary reports suggest that Conrad suffered from heat stroke during the match, and was taken to the nearby hospital for treatment.

MetroStars goalkeeper Jonny Walker was tested early in the match when a poor touch by teammate Mark Lisi sent the ball back into the penalty area in the first minute of play, falling right to Kansas City’s Chris Klein. Klein flicked the ball backwards with his right foot, redirecting the ball on net with his back to goal. Walker made a difficult save, falling back to push the ball over the crossbar.

Walker came up big again in the 60th minute, when Kansas City caught the MetroStars on the transition. Forward Davy Arnaud maneuvered into prime position on the far side of the box, calling for the ball as Preki sent a pass in from midfield. Splitting through the defense, Arnaud took a one-touch shot from close range, only to be denied by a Walker kick save.

Second half substitute Joey DiGiamarino, replacing a cramping Edgar Bartolomeu, made a spectacular saving tackle inside the penalty area in the 70th minute of play, lunging in to take the ball off of the foot of Klein before the Kansas City midfielder could connect with a wide-open Preki on the far side of the net.

Another second half substitute, forward John Wolyniec, was the most dangerous player for the Metros. Wolyniec spearheaded the MetroStars attack, fed by midfielder Amado Guevara. In the 57th minute, Wolyniec rushed into the penalty area, marked stride-for-stride by Wizards defender Nick Garcia. Wolyniec was able to find enough space to take a shot on net, but Garcia bought Meola enough time to step off of his line and block the shot into touch.

Guevara fed Wolyniec again in the 69th minute of play with a perfectly-timed pass into space, playing the ball right behind Garcia. Wolyniec charged his marker off the ball, leaving a clean shot on goal. Meola slid out to challenge the shot, deflecting the attempt out for a corner.

Walker notched the first clean sheet of his MLS career in the match, the first game at home for the MetroStars since July 2. Their stay at home is a brief one, however, as the MetroStars (8-5-6, 30 points) must contend with a cross-country flight before facing their next opponent. The Metros take on the Los Angeles Galaxy at The Home Depot Center on Saturday, August 16.

Kansas City (7-5-7, 28 points) has now been shut out in three consecutive matches, despite being the most productive offensive team in the league to this point (32 goals scored). Forward Igor Simutenkov was forced to leave the match early after aggravating a pre-existing hamstring injury, and Dario Fabbro was ejected following a hard tackle on Richie Williams in overtime, complicating the Wizards’ quest to find the back of the net. Kansas City next faces the Dallas Burn at Dragon Stadium on Saturday August 16.

Source: MetroStars.com

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