METROSTARS FALL TO D.C. UNITED, 2-1

Team fails to clinch playoff spot; may need win in season finale next Saturday--without Mathis, Howard

WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 14, 2002) - D.C. United forward Ali Curtis, who came on as a substitute late in the second half, scored the go-ahead goal in the 87th minute to lift United to a 2-1 victory over the MetroStars, who failed for the second straight game to clinch a spot in the 2002 MLS Cup playoffs.

The MetroStars, who played with only 10 players for most of the game for most of the game following the ejection of Clint Mathis in the 30th minute, remain solidly in the playoff hunt despite the loss. The Metros (35 points 11-14-2) still lead United (32 points, 9-13-5) and Chicago (34 points, 10-13-4), but are tied with both Kansas City (35 points, 9-10-8) and surging New England (35 points, 11-14-2), which beat Dallas, 2-1, on the road tonight.

The MetroStars may be forced to win at New England next week, however, to gain the playoffs-and do it without both Mathis and goalkeeper Tim Howard, who was red-carded in the 93rd minute for bringing down Roy Lassiter on a breakaway goal opportunity.

Rodrigo Faria had put the MetroStars on top in the 6th minute by taking advantage of a freak play, intercepting a slow-rolling pass out of the back by former Metro Petter Villegas near the top of the penalty area and sliding it past United goalkeeper Nick Rimando into the far left corner.

Villegas and D.C. nearly tied the game five minutes later, but his curling free kick from 20 yards out, looking destined for the upper right corner, was tipped away by Howard on what might have been his most spectacular save of the year.

D.C. did manage to knot the game just before halftime, however. Villegas, controlling the ball from about 35 yards out near the left side of the field, threaded a perfect through pass into the penalty area for Bobby Convey, who turned and pinpointed a low shot into the far right corner past a diving Howard.

At that point, the MetroStars had already been playing with only ten men for more than 15 minutes, after referee Kevin Stott showed a straight red card to Mathis in the 30th minute for a foul on Jose Alegria after the two had gotten tangled up near midfield.

In the second half, both teams played fairly cautiously, though United, which outshot the MetroStars 16-5 (9-2 in shots on goal), had the better opportunities.

The best may have come early in the 87th minute, when Curtis, in a goalmouth scramble, poked a shot past a diving Howard but Nelson Akwari was able to slide and clear the ball off the line and out of danger.

Less than a minute later, however, Curtis put the game away. Just barely avoiding an offsides trap, Curtis streaked on to a through ball by Marco Etcheverry from 25 yards out, came in alone and tucked it past a charging Howard to give D.C. the edge.

Compounding matters for the MetroStars, Howard was red-carded by Stott just six minutes later for taking down Lassiter on a breakaway opportunity. Paul Grafer, seeing his first MLS regular season action in two years, came on and promptly stopped a 20-yard free kick blast from Etcheverry, just seconds before the final whistle.

* * * * * * * * *

NOTES: By winning tonight, D.C. United not only remained alive in the 2002 MLS Cup playoff hunt, but the team also captured the inaugural Atlantic Cup, awarded to the winner of the season series between these two teams. United captured the series, 2-1-1, winning the trophy and the right to name it as well. United fans had voted for the trophy to be named the Atlantic Cup, while MetroStars fans had selected the Liberty Cup.

The MetroStars could still advance to the MLS Cup playoffs even if they don’t win next Saturday, but the scenarios are vast and complicated. If D.C. loses or draws at home against Dallas on Thursday night, United would be eliminated, and if Kansas City (35 points) falls at Colorado on Friday night, the Metros could be involved in a head-to-head tie with the Wizards that they would win based on the season series, which the MetroStars won, 1-0-1.

Also, a D.C. loss or tie, plus a loss by Chicago (34 points) in its season finale next week at home against Columbus, would also put the MetroStars through. Various other scenarios, too long and complicated to explain rationally, could also help the MetroStars advance…

Mathis’ ejection was just the third of his five-year career, and his first since becoming a MetroStar in May of 2000. His last red card came in 1999 as a member of the Los Angeles Galaxy. This was the first red card of Howard’s five-year career.

The MetroStars will return to New Jersey by bus on Sunday morning, practice briefly on Sunday afternoon and then have Monday off. The team will return to their regular practice schedule (10 a.m.) at Kean University-East Campus from Tuesday through Thursday, before practicing at a time to be determined on Friday morning prior to their departure to New England to close out the regular season against the Revolution on Saturday…

The MetroStars hope to be able to announce a site for their potential first round MLS Cup playoff game or games sometime early this week. The team had been looking at Yurczak Field at Rutgers University as a potential site, but on Friday the school informed the team that both Yurczak and the Rutgers football stadium, which will be vacant for three weeks beginning tomorrow, would not be made available. Riverfront Stadium in Newark, home of the minor league baseball Newark Bears, remains a possible venue…

Mike Petke has donated $5,000 from his “Petke’s Kick The Violence Foundation” to the Glen K. Pettit Foundation. Pettit, an NYPD photographer, died in the attacks on the World Trade Center last September 11. Petke presented the check this past Thursday to Neil Pettit, Glen’s brother and also a member of the NYPD, who grew up with and played high school soccer with Petke on Long Island….

GAME SUMMARY

MetroStars , D.C. United

RFK Stadium, Washington, DC

Saturday, September 14, 2002

Scoring Summary 1st 2nd Final

METROSTARS 1 0 1

D.C. United 1 1 2

MET - 6th minute, Rodrigo Faria (12), unassisted.

D.C. - 46th+ minute, Bobby Convey (4). Assist: Petter Villegas (4), Marco Etcheverry (6).

D.C. - 87th minute, Ali Curtis (4). Assist: Etcheverry (7), Convey (3).

Lineups

METROSTARS - G Tim Howard (Paul Grafer ’93), D Craig Ziadie, D Steve Jolley, D Mike Petke, D Nelson Akwari, M Ross Paule, M Tab Ramos (Andy Williams ’67), M Clint Mathis, M Brad Davis, F Rodrigo Faria (Ted Chronopoulos ’60), F Mamadou Diallo (Mark Lisi ’74).

TOTAL SHOTS: 5 (Davis 2); FOULS: 15 (Four with two each); OFFSIDE: 5; CORNER KICKS: 2; SAVES: Howard 5, Grafer 1; CAUTIONS: Ziadie (’18), Ramos (’35), Diallo (’51). EJECTIONS: Mathis (’30), Howard (’93).

D.C. United - G Nick Rimando, D Bryan Namoff, D Eddie Pope, D Brandon Prideaux, M Ben Olsen, M Marco Etcheverry, M Jose Alegria, M Bobby Convey, M Petter Villegas (Justin Mapp ’74), F Henry Zambrano (Ali Curtis ’71), F Eliseo Quintanilla (Roy Lassiter ’83).

TOTAL SHOTS: 16 (Zambrano, Quintanilla 3)); FOULS: 11 (Prideaux, Alegria 3); OFFSIDE: 8; CORNER KICKS: 7; SAVES: Rimando 1; CAUTIONS: Etchevery (’28), Prideaux (’59), Alegria (’63). EJECTIONS: None.

REFEREE: Kevin Stott

REFEREE’S ASSISTANTS: Robert Fereday (bench side), Thomas Supple (far side)

4th OFFICIAL: Erich Simmons

WEATHER: Hot, humid; period of heavy rain

Attendance: 17,677

MetroStars.com Player of the Match: Tim Howard

Source: www.MetroStars.com

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