[Frank Cunha]

Metros: They miss plenty in draw with Burn



Sunday, October 12, 2003


BY COLIN STEPHENSON
Star-Ledger Staff

It wasn't pretty, but at least it was historic.

The MetroStars and Dallas Burn played to an ugly 0-0 tie last night, but the 13,567 at Giants Stadium can at least say they saw something that was a first for Major League Soccer: The teams combined to miss three penalty kicks.


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"I don't know what to say about that," MetroStars coach Bob Bradley said. "I'm so mad."

Bradley wasn't mad at the penalty misses. What he couldn't believe was that the MetroStars couldn't beat the worst team in the league.

"I mean, come on," Bradley said. "I can't believe we let points get away on a night like that."

The MetroStars missed two penalties -- one by Amado Guevara in the second minute and one by Clint Mathis in the 86th -- and Dallas missed one, by Edward Johnson in the 88th.

"This is the first time I've ever been in a match where three penalties have been saved," MetroStars goalkeeper Jonny Walker said. "You really can't say much. We came out, gave it our best effort tonight. Both goalkeepers just kept them out of the net."

The MetroStars did dominate possession and outshot the Burn 17-5. In shots on goal, the Metros had an 11-2 advantage, with Walker making just one save, on the penalty. Sixteen-year-old rookie Eddie Gaven made the other save, blocking a header by Mandi Urbas at the goal line off a corner in the 90th minute.

With the tie, the MetroStars (11-8-9, 42 points) remain in second place in the East Division of MLS, three points ahead of the New England Revolution, which beat D.C. United, 1-0, earlier in the day. The Metros face New England in their final two regular-season games, in a home-and-home situation on the next two Saturdays.

With the playoff format pitting the No. 2 and No. 3 teams against each other in the first round, there is a chance the Metros and Revolution could play the next four games against each other, if the current seedings hold up.

Part of the problem with last night's game may have been a lack of any real incentive for the MetroStars. Aside from the goal of simply winning and playing well going into Wednesday's Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final against Chicago, there is not that much for the MetroStars to gain by finishing second, instead of third, in MLS's new playoff format.

Instead of a best-of-three series, as the playoffs had been, this year teams will play a home-and-home, total-goals series in the first round. In the second round, the higher-remaining seed in each division will host the lower seed. Since Chicago has already sewn up the No. 1 seed in the East, the MetroStars, whether they are No. 2 or No. 3, would have to play the second-round game in Chicago -- assuming they and Chicago both win. If Chicago loses to the No. 4 seed, then whichever team wins the battle between No. 2 and No. 3 would be home for that second-round game.

The only advantage in the first round comes with the fact that the higher seed would be home for the second game in the home-and-home. That means it would enter the game knowing if it needs to win -- and if so, by how many goals -- to advance. If the teams are tied in total goals after the second game, they would play a 30-minute, sudden-death overtime and then go to penalty kicks if no goals are scored.

"We'd rather be at home for the overtime," MetroStars general manager Nick Sakiewicz said when asked about home-field advantage for the first round.

But that's a minor advantage, and clearly not worth expending every effort. Last night Bradley rested rookie Ricardo Clark, who played for the U.S. Under-20 team Wednesday against Japan, and defender Eddie Pope came off at halftime with a strain of the cartilage in his rib cage. Pope said he was in pain, but if the game were in the playoffs, he might have at least started the second half.

Mathis, asked how much the loss to Dallas (5-18-5) hurt, replied: "It doesn't hurt at all. It might hurt from the standpoint that we didn't play well, but as long as we turn it around and do what we need to do Wednesday (in the Open Cup final, against Chicago), this game doesn't matter."



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