Battery shock Metros 1-0 in Open Cup
Binksta
am kinda relieved I did not see it.
MetroStars Media Relations
Mike Magee had a handful of chances to score Tuesday night in
Charleston. (Rich Schultz/MLS/WireImage.com)
DANIEL ISLAND, SC (Tuesday, July 20, 2004) - The MetroStars fell to the
Charleston Battery tonight 1-0 in the fourth round of the 2004 Lamar
Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Battery received the only goal of the game from
Steve Klein just minutes into the second half.
The lone goal of the game came in the 48th minute by Steve Klein, and
it proved to be enough to put the Charleston Battery through to the
quarterfinals of the Open Cup. The play started when the home side
earned a free kick in the MetroStars half of the field. Rick Titus took
the kick, which was deflected by the Metros wall. Klein was then able
to collect the loose ball, and slide it into the goal.
The Charleston Battery had the first true chance of the game in the
12th minute when Gabe Valencia broke free of the MetroStars' defense
and ripped a shot that beat goalkeeper Zach Wells, but hit the frame
and bounced into the six-yard box, where Metros defender Chris Leitch
calmly collected the ball, and cleared it out of danger.
In the 20th minute the MetroStars had a shot of their own hit the post.
Cornell Glen ripped a ball from the top of the 18-yard box that was
deflected. The ball bounced towards Charleston 'keeper Dusty Hudock,
but before he was able to grab it, Mike Magee ran onto it and hit a
shot with the inside of his right foot that just caught the frame and
deflected away, leaving the two teams knotted at 0-0.
Wells kept the scoreboard at zeros in the 26th and 29th minutes with
two spectacular saves. First he made a fully-extended diving save on a
Valencia shot from 30 yards out, then Valencia broke through the
defense and blasted a low shot that Wells made another diving save on.
The pair of saves left the two sides tied at the break.
After giving up the goal, the MetroStars had a great chance to knot the
contest in the 71st minute. Mike Magee took the ball down the left
flank on a counterattack, and played a low ball across the six-yard
box. A sliding Fabian Taylor met the ball, and hit it towards goal, but
it ricocheted off the post and was cleared by the Battery.
In the 73rd minute things looked promising for the Metros as Eddie
Gaven earned a penalty kick for the "Red and Black". Valencia took the
17-year old star down inside the box from behind to warrant the call.
Magee stepped to the spot, and fired a shot that hit the bottom side of
the crossbar, bounced downward and was cleared away from danger,
leaving the score 1-0 in favor of the Battery.
Bob Bradley made a move to change the flow of the game just minutes
after the missed PK when he substituted forward Sergio Galvan Rey into
the game for rookie defender Seth Stammler in the 76th minute. With the
change, the Metros proceeded to furiously attack the Charleston side,
but despite their attempts, they were unsuccessful in scoring the
equalizer, and fell to the Battery, 1-0.
The MetroStars return to MLS action this Saturday, July 24th when they
host the Chicago Fire at 7:30 p.m. ET (TV: FSN-NY, Spanish Radio: WADO
1280 AM). MetroStars Head Coach Bob Bradley will be looking to capture
his 100th career MLS victory against his former club, in the Metros
last home game before the All-Star break.
MetroStars at Charleston Battery
July 20, 2004 - Blackbaud Stadium
Scoring Summary:
CB - Steve Klein (unassisted) 48'
Discipline Summary:
CB - Henrick Jensen (Caution) 9'
CB - Justin Evans (Caution) 51'
CB - Mark Watson (Caution) 51'
MetroStars - Zach Wells, Chris Leitch, Eddie Pope, Jeff Parke, Seth
Stammler (Sergio Galvan Rey 77'), Kenny Arena (Tenywa Bonseu 57'),
Joselito Vaca, Mike Magee, Eddie Gaven, John Wolyniec, Cornell Glen
(Fabian Taylor 62').
Charleston Battery - Dusty Hudock, Nigel Henry, Mark Watson (Kelvin
Jones 74'), Rick Titus, Henrik Jensen, Steve Klein, Justin Evans, Gabe
Valencia (Jason Kutney 82'), Ted Chronopoulus (Chris Goos 24')(Greg
Simmonds 89'), Paul Conway, Jesus Martinez-Morales.
Attendance: 2,200
soccer4ever
like last year. The MetroStars were knocked out from this year's
edition in a much quicker fashion, falling to second division's
Charleston Battery 1:0. This is the second time in four years that the
Battery took out the Metros in the Open Cup.
With Amado Guevara, Jonny Walker, and Craig Ziadie shelfed with
injuries and Ricardo Clark rested, Zach Wells and Seth Stammler got
rare starts, with Mike Magee and Joselito Vaca coming back to the
midfield. But the Battery had most of the play in the first half,
hitting the post in the 12th minute.
Hitting the post became a theme as Magee got one in the 20th.
Charleston took the lead on a Steve Klein goal two minutes after the
break, and then the back-breaker came. First Fabian Taylor hit the post
in the 71st, and two minutes later, Mike Magee hit the crossbar on a
penalty kick to round up Metro kisses of the woodwork.
Yes, Los Angeles and New England also lost to A-League teams today, and
yes, we played without Guevara and Walker, and yes, it was a road game
after just coming back from a tough trip, and yes, in this sport, any
team can beat another on any given day, but... We should have done
better. For no matter how horrible the Open Cup final last year was,
the run to it was pretty sweet.
http://www.metrofanatic.com/mf/story.jsp?ID=1956