MetroStars Drop 2-0 Result to D.C. United

Amado Guevara Suspended for Sunday’s Showdown with D.C.; Metros Hold on to 2nd Place

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ (Thursday, September 25, 2003) – Goals by Ben Olsen and Ronald Cerritos gave D.C. United (10-9-6, 36pts) a 2-0 road victory against the MetroStars (10-8-7, 37pts) on Thursday night at Giants Stadium. United's win, their third in four matches, moved them to within one point of the MetroStars for second place in the Eastern Conference. With five games remaining in the regular season, the first-place Chicago Fire maintain their six-point lead over the MetroStars.

The game was the first of three matches in seven days between the MetroStars and United. On Sunday, Sept. 28 the clubs meet in the second of a regular season home-and-home series at RFK Stadium, which will be followed by a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinal showdown on October 1 at Yurcak Field, kicking off at 7:30 p.m.

D.C. United captured the early lead in the 12th minute on a play, which started on a free kick from the right flank taken by midfielder Earnie Stewart. The U.S. National Team veteran delivered a cross into the box and United defender Mike Petke headed the ball off the crossbar. Olsen pounced on the rebound near the left post and used his head to beat the MetroStars’ Ricardo Clark to the ball for his fourth goal of the season from three yards out. D.C. entered the match with a 13-0-0 record when Olsen scored a goal in his five seasons with the club.

The best opportunity of the half for the MetroStars came on a penalty kick awarded in the 36th minute after United midfielder Dema Kovalenko clipped MetroStars playmaker Amado Guevara in the box. However, Clint Mathis, who had scored on his only other penalty kick of the season, sent a rolling shot, which caromed off the base of the left post. Mathis is now 2 for 4 on penalty kicks in his MLS career having last missed from the spot in a road match against New England on Sept. 9, 2000.

United continually proved threatening on set pieces and in the 38th minute a corner kick from the left side by Stewart took a deflection off a MetroStars player and swerved just wide of the right post. Earlier Petke nearly missed on another header in the box in the 23rd minute on a Stewart corner kick.

MetroStars Head Coach Bob Bradley brought on two forwards with fresh legs in the second half. John Wolyniec, winner of the Pepsi Goal of the Week award for last weekend’s golden goal game-winner against Columbus, replaced rookie Mike Magee while former Polish international Andrzej Juskowiak entered the match in the 57th minute. Wolyniec tested United goalkeeper Nick Rimando with a 62nd minute left-footed shot from outside the box, which Rimando parried. Guevara chased down the rebound in the box but the Honduran international deflected the ball wide of the goal.

United attacked on a counter and found a breakaway, which resulted in a second goal by the visitors in the 67th minute. Stewart stripped the ball away from Addo near the midfield circle and sprinted unopposed into the MetroStars penalty area. On the two-on-one breakaway, Stewart promptly sent a square ball to forward Ronald Cerritos who tapped the ball into an open net for his first career goal for D.C. United.

Rimando finished 50 minutes short of breaking the MLS all-time mark for consecutive minutes played when he was forced to leave the field with a left knee injury in the 78th minute after making a lunging throw from his own penalty box. His exit from the match ended his streak at 6,016 minutes (dating back to July 4, 2001) just behind the record of 6,066 minutes set by Peter Vermes.

Rookie Doug Warren made his MLS debut in place of Rimando and was immediately forced into a kick save in the 83rd minute, stearing a close range shot from his own penalty area. He was called into action in the closing stages of the match as he came off his line to block an Eddie Pope shot in the box in the 90th minute. Two minutes later he again charged to intercept a service destined for Wolyniec at the top of the box. Warren’s counterpart, the MetroStars’ Jonny Walker, kept his team in the game with point-blank saves in the 84th and 94th minutes on efforts by Stewart and Olsen respectively.

D.C. United, which played without suspended midfielder Eliseo Quintanilla, missed regular captain Ryan Nelsen who was a late scratch with flu-like symptoms. Stewart wore the captain’s armband for the three-time MLS Cup champions. United’s Convey also made his first start since a transfer to Tottenham Hotspur of the English Premier League was nixed when his work permit was not approved.

MetroStars midfielder Amado Guevara received a 47th minute yellow card, which triggered an immediate one-game suspension due to caution points accumulation. He will miss Sunday’s match at RFK Stadium.

The MetroStars and D.C. United meet again on Sunday, September 28 at RFK Stadium (4:00 p.m. ET) in the fourth and final regular season contest between the two Eastern Conference rivals. The MetroStars won the first two matches of the season on May 10 (1-0) and July 5 (3-2). The team that wins the series will capture the Atlantic Cup, awarded by the fans to the team that wins the season series between the MetroStars and D.C. United.

Source: MetroStars.com

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