Metros Fall to New England in Game One of Semifinals

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Goals by both forwards, Pat Noonan and Dario Fabbro, gave the New England Revolution a 2-0 road victory over the MetroStars at Giants Stadium on Saturday night in Game One of their two-game Eastern Conference Semifinal series. It marked the third straight game dating back to the regular season (all against the MetroStars) that Noonan and Fabbro have scored at least a goal in the same game. Noonan, the MLS Player of the Month for October, has now scored five goals in that span and a total of eight against the MetroStars in 2003.

The Revolution now take a two-goal lead into Game Two of the aggregate goal series which will be staged at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 9 at 4:00 p.m. ET. The MetroStars will need to win on the road in Foxboro by a difference of two goals to at least force a 30-minute golden goal extra-time period or otherwise face the prospect of postseason elimination. The winner of this conference semifinal series faces the winner of the Chicago Fire vs. D.C. United series.

New England won its sixth consecutive match in the process, including the final five matches of the 2003 regular season. It was also its third consecutive victory over the MetroStars following 2-1 and 5-2 wins in a home-and-home series which concluded the regular season for both teams on Oct. 18 and Oct. 25.

The game was off to a controlled start and the first real scoring opportunity came in the 17th minute with the visiting Revolution converting on their first shot of the game. Right back Jay Heaps advanced down the right attacking flank and combined on a give-and-go with playmaker Jose Cancela. Heaps continued his run unopposed until finally driving a shot into the box which was redirected in mid-air by Fabbro past goalkeeper Jonny Walker. For Fabbro, who scored his only two regular season goals against the MetroStars, it was his second career postseason goal after scoring one for Kansas City last year.

Buoyed by the early lead, the Revolution played a pragmatic and efficient game on both sides of the ball. While maintaining its compact shape on defense, New England continued to prove strong down the flanks during the first half as their wing backs advanced often (left back Marshall Leonard and right back Jay Heaps).

On the other end of the field the MetroStars' maneuver was rarely quick enough to surprise the Revolution defenders and get behind the opposing back line. The home team's opportunities were relegated to a long-distance shot by Chris Leitch (23rd minute) and two plays created by passes from midfielder Mark Lisi (32nd minute and 35th minute) which never really threatened goalkeeper Adin Brown.

The Revolution only registered two shots in the first half and the second one nearly put the team up 2-0 heading into the locker room. In the 43rd minute on a New England corner kick from the right side, the ball was headed by the MetroStars' Lisi and bounced off Shalrie Joseph's shoulder toward goal. Walker was forced to make a bounding save to his right to parry the ball away.

Head Coach Bob Bradley looked to provide a jolt to his team by bringing on 17-year-old rookie midfielder Eddie Gaven to open the second half. Gaven thus became the youngest player in MLS history to appear in an MLS match, breaking the mark set by the Chicago Fire's DaMarcus Beasley on Sept. 15, 2000 (18 years, 114 days). The move succeeded as the MetroStars had several looks at goal to start the second period. In the 49th minute the Revolution's Noonan cleared a close-range Eddie Pope shot off the goal line and up against the underside of the crossbar. Then in the 51st minute it was Gaven himself who curled a right-footed shot from the left side of the box which goalkeeper Adin Brown punched away.

Despite the MetroStars' pressure, Noonan nearly got the visitors a second goal in the 56th minute when he lobbed a ball from 30 yards out over the head of goalkeeper Jonny Walker, who had advanced off his line on the play. However, Noonan's effort caromed off the crossbar with Walker backtracking.

Noonan, who roamed dangerously in the MetroStars half of the field, finally found the back of the net in the 65th minute. Cancela found Fabbro with a pass inside the box and the Argentine promptly sent a heel pass back toward the top of the MeroStars box. The ball rolled between MetroStars midfielder Ricardo Clark and defender Eddie Pope but a miscommunication between the two allowed the ball to reach Noonan. He ran onto the ball and turned on it, curling the ball low inside the right post for a 2-0 Revolution lead. It was Noonan's first career postseason goal and his eighth in 2003 against the MetroStars in just five matches.

The second goal by the visitors deflated the MetroStars, who would still proved dangerous on two other occasions. Rookie forward Mike Magee, who entered the match for forward Andrzej Juskowiak in the 60th minute, sent a shot against the crossbar from eight yards out after Clint Mathis found him unmarked on the left side with a pass across the box.

Revolution Head Coach Steve Nicol brought in midfielder Leo Cullen for a forward (Fabbro) in the 76th minute as the visitors remained organized in defending the two-goal advantage. The lone danger created by the MetroStars before the end of the match was a free kick by Mathis from 20 yards out which was deflected wide of the right post by goalkeeper Adin Brown in full stretch. Brown, who entered the match with an all-time postseason record goals-against-average of 0.67, further lowered the mark by collecting his fifth career postseason shutout in eight games.

Steve Ralston wore the captain's armband for New England as regular left back Joey Franchino sat out the match due to injury (strained left quadriceps). The Revolution, who continue to play without the team's leading scorer Taylor Twellman, lost left midfielder Brian Kamler in the 49th minute due to a left hamstring injury. MetroStars left flank player Joey DiGiamarino also came out of the match out due to injury after a hard collision with New England's Cancela in the 68th minute.

Man of the Match: Pat Noonan (New England Revolution)

Source: MetroStars.com

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