NY RED BULLS LATEST NEWS - Page 3 - TalkSoccer

Frank Cunha · 17-09-2003, 01:41 AM

hope he can help, can this guy be another John Spencer

Ricochet · 30-09-2003, 04:45 PM

http://www.nj.com/metrostars/ledger/...8701134320.xml

Soccer notebook: Ramos beginning new arena in life

Tuesday, September 30, 2003

BY FRANK GIASE
Star-Ledger Staff

As his career with the MetroStars was winding down, Tab Ramos talked more and more about life after soccer and how much he hoped to give back to the game, especially in the youth ranks.

Just one year later, he's making good on his promise.

On Oct. 12, Ramos will open the Tab Ramos Sports Center, a 41,000-square-foot facility in Monmouth County that will feature an indoor soccer field, an ice hockey rink, indoor batting cages, roller hockey, flag football and a state-of-the-art sports bar.

"When you're an athlete, you have a lot of time to think, and I've been thinking about something like this for a long time," Ramos said. "I don't miss playing. I was ready to move on."

The grand opening -- at 17 Blair Road in Aberdeen -- will include appearances by the Metros' Clint Mathis and former Devil Ken Daneyko, star players from the two sports the facility will cater to the most.

"We wanted to treat people to the best we have to offer them for each sport," Ramos said.

The project is something Ramos has been planning for quite some time, although when another buyer was interested in the vacant facility, Ramos had to act quickly.

"We pushed up trying to get investors to get the deal done and, fortunately, we were able to do that," he said. "It's really been surprising that things happened so fast."

Ramos continues to be involved with youth soccer through his sports academy, and he said he has been talking to Newark officials about putting together some programs for inner-city kids.

"For me, I feel like a rookie with what I'm doing," Ramos said. "It's really exciting for me to get up in the morning and make the phone calls and talk to the people I have to for all these projects. It's been a blast.

"I just want to continue to be an ambassador to soccer and bring soccer to as many people as I can."

MATHIS' MISERIES

You look at the stats -- a team-leading nine goals and 19 points -- and you think Mathis may have rediscovered his form.

But then you look at all the times during games when he is not a factor, on or off the ball, and the constant chirping at officials, and you wonder if he will ever return to the lethal form of 2000, when he collected 16 goals and 14 assists in 29 games.

"The thing that I talk to Clint about as much as anything is not letting little things distract you," MetroStars coach Bob Bradley said. "Games don't always come easy and you have to be somebody to keep your head in it and keep trying to make the plays that can make a difference."

Bradley said after Thursday's dreadful 2-0 home loss to D.C. United that "we haven't had a consistent level of performance from some of our key guys."

And while Bradley refused to name names, clearly Mathis was one of them. When his star striker's name was brought up, Bradley gingerly provided some insight.

"He's competitive," Bradley said. "When things don't go his way, can he turn that into a positive or does he get frustrated? That's what you keep trying to help him through.

"His greatest gift over the years has still been making a play and scoring a goal. At times, he's done that, but the other side to it is that in a team with some young guys, you try to ask more of him. You try to ask him to make a difference for the whole team, to help some of the young guys through spots in a game when we're not playing that well, to not let maybe some calls get him off track."

Mathis had just one of the team's 13 shots that game -- a penalty kick he grounded off the base of the left post in the 36th minute. When asked if the crucial miss stayed in his head and affected his play the rest of the game, he replied:

"It didn't have anything to do with it. I was playing like (garbage) before that even happened."

Mathis won't have a chance to turn his game around for at least two weeks. In Sunday's rematch at RFK Stadium, which ended in a 1-1 tie, Mathis received two yellow cards and is suspended for Sunday's game with the Earthquakes in San Jose. And having received a red card in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal victory over the Revolution Aug. 27, he has to sit out tomorrow night's semifinal against D.C. United.

Midfielder Richie Williams also is suspended for the Open Cup match, which will be played at Rutgers' Yurcak Field at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday's tie, however, clinched the Atlantic Cup for the MetroStars. The Cup is awarded to the winner of the season series between the two rivals.

PETKE ENJOYS HOMECOMING

D.C. United defender Mike Petke has regained his All-Star form, perhaps motivated by his trade from the MetroStars in the off-season.

Last Thursday, Petke nearly scored two goals, including a header off the crossbar that teammate Ben Olsen headed in for the first goal in a 2-0 victory over the MetroStars.

"I had 150 friends and family in the stands," said Petke, arguably the most popular player in MetroStars history. "Some of the old fans who I've grown to appreciate and love over the years were cursing me out there. It was great."

Petke was asked if he saw any comparison of the MetroStars' current struggles to last year's team, which lost its final three games and failed to make the playoffs.

"No," Petke said. "The biggest difference this year is that they have a coach who is a phenomenal coach in Bob Bradley, and he knows how to get it done. I didn't have that in five years here, not once, and I have no problem saying that."

Frank Cunha · 30-09-2003, 10:46 PM

Metrostars should hired Tab Ramos to be a spoken for the Metrostars, he also should be assistant to the Metrostars

Ricochet · 01-10-2003, 03:46 PM

I agree, he's a very respected man and could help in many ways. MLS and the stars need people like Tab Ramos to help to sell the team and league to the country.

Frank Cunha · 01-10-2003, 04:15 PM

Metrostars, marketing team got a lot to desire, no english radio station, very little money use of promoting the games, radio newspapers, etc.

Frank Cunha · 03-10-2003, 02:00 AM

Open Cup final/Metrostars vs Chicago at Giants Stadium
Final schedule for Giants Oct 15, tv Fox Sports World

MetroStars advance to first U.S. Open Cup final
Posted: Thursday October 2, 2003 3:00AM; Updated: Thursday October 2, 2003 3:00AM

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) -- Amado Guevara scored two goals, and John Wolyniec snapped a 2-2 tie off a scramble with two minutes remaining to give the MetroStars a 3-2 victory Wednesday night over DC United in the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup.

The victory propelled the MetroStars to the finals of the competition for the first time.

The MetroStars will face the Chicago Fire on Oct. 15 in East Rutherford.

"The team is here because everyone played hard," Guevara said. "The whole team is hungry and we want to win, that's why we are in the final. First of all this is a team, we all have to be leaders. I just try to be as productive as I can to help the team."

The victory came with a wild flurry in the closing minutes. Playing with a one-man advantage, the MetroStars fired four shots in succession at reserve goalkeeper Jorge Geddes, making his professional debut after Doug Warren was ejected.

Geddes stopped the first shot, a blast from midfielder Ricardo Clark. The next two attempts were knocked aside by defender Mike Petke. The fourth came after Wolyniec got a rebound a blasted the ball by Geddes from 20 yards out.

United took the early lead when Earnie Stewart's corner in front was headed by a streaking Galin Ivanov, who raced from the back line past MetroStars goalkeeper Jonny Walker in the 18th minute.

But Guevara, a standout in the tournament with four goals in four games, began to take over just 1:30 after Ivanov scored.

Defender Edgar Bartolomeu, getting a rare start, made a fine cross from the left flank in front to Guevara, who leaped high above the United defensive line to push the ball with his torso past keeper Warren for the game-tying goal in the 20th minute.

In the 43rd minute, United defender Brandon Prideaux pulled down rookie Eddie Gaven just outside the penalty box, setting up a direct free kick opportunity.

Guevara took the free kick and blasted it over the United defensive wall and into the high right corner of the goal, giving the MetroStars a 2-1 lead.

The MetroStars received a huge break in the 58th minute, when Warren received a red card for tackling Andrzej Juskowiak outside the penalty area as Juskowiak was going in on an uncontested breakaway. No penalty kick was awarded, but Warren was ejected.

United tied the game at 2-2 in the 76th minute. Hristo Stoichkov, who entered the match in the 60th minute, fired a low shot that Walker got his fingers on but couldn't control. Ronald Cerritos then knocked in the rebound past the prone Walker.

"In soccer all around the world, it's about winning championships," MetroStars head coach Bob Bradley said. "It's the only way you can prove yourself as a team. Obviously, I wasn't involved in what happened here before but the hope is from every year now you can have a team that can compete for one. This is a small step, we've got a ways to go, but this is an important one."

The MetroStars played the game without standout forward Clint Mathis, serving a one-game tournament suspension for receiving a red card in the quarterfinal victory against New England Aug. 27.

Open to amateur and professional teams that are affiliated with U.S. Soccer, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is the oldest soccer tournament in the United States. Dating to 1914, the Open Cup was an amateur tournament until MLS started in 1996.

Frank Cunha · 06-10-2003, 10:32 PM

http://www.msgnetwork.com/metrostars.jsp

Frank Cunha · 06-10-2003, 11:44 PM

don't see anything about the game in the local media, it might go against the Yankees game

Frank Cunha · 13-10-2003, 04:53 AM

Who has been the most valuable?

Amado Guevara

32%
Steve Jolley

5%
Clint Mathis

9%
Eddie Pope

20%
John Wolyniec

30%
Other

4%

Frank Cunha · 10-11-2003, 01:54 AM

our season is over

Frank Cunha · 10-11-2003, 02:48 PM

MetroStars get eliminated as questions begin for '04

Monday, November 10, 2003

BY COLIN STEPHENSON
Star-Ledger Staff

FOXBORO, Mass. -- A two-goal deficit proved way too big to overcome for the MetroStars in their first-round playoff series against the New England Revolution. They ran hard for the entire 90 minutes yesterday and they pulled out all the stops, finishing the game with eight attacking players among the 11 on the field.

But all they were able to muster in the second leg of their home-and-home, total-goals series against the Revolution was a 1-1 tie before 14,823 chilled fans at Gillette Stadium. And that wasn't nearly enough to keep their season alive -- not after New England, last year's surprise finalist in the Major League Soccer championship game, won the first game of the series, 2-0, last week at Giants Stadium.

From Our Advertiser

The Revolution took the series by an aggregate score of 3-1 and advanced to the MLS Cup semifinals against the Chicago Fire.

"We're disappointed we didn't take this thing further," MetroStars coach Bob Bradley said. "At the end, we showed some signs of improvement this year, but at the end of the day I still feel we have a ways to go."

Bradley, who gutted the roster this season after taking over from the fired Octavio Zambrano, will no doubt make several more changes for next season. Only six players remain from the 2002 roster, and that number figures to shrink considerably -- maybe even to zero -- by 2004.

The biggest name on that list is Clint Mathis, whose contract with MLS is up. Mathis, who had a chance to play for Germany's Bayern Munich last year before MLS turned down Bayern's reported $1 million transfer offer, is thought to want to play in Europe. His agent, Craig Sharon, has been in England the past week.

Mathis, who struggled through a disappointing, nine-goal season in which he failed to score a goal in his final eight league games, seemed calmer afterward than he had been of late. He talked about how the season was a success for the Metros, who missed the playoffs last year, and how the future of the team looks bright.

Asked whether he expects to be a part of that future, he demurred.

"I have no idea how to answer that question," he said.

Asked if he wants to come back, he said, "Definitely.

"I enjoyed being here with all these guys. They're my best friends," he said. "Bob's a great coach, and I enjoyed my time here, regardless if I'm here or not here. I definitely want to say that I enjoyed my time, and I can't think of anything that I would change."

Mathis, coming off two consecutive less-than-stellar seasons, might not have so many options overseas. But he won't cost any team a transfer fee, and he could end up going to play for a First Division or bottom-end Premier League team in England, or perhaps in Germany. The transfer window for European teams opens Jan. 1.

If he doesn't get an offer he likes, there is a chance Mathis could re-sign with MLS, but there is no guarantee Bradley would want him to come back. Bradley could trade him. Asked if he wants Mathis back, Bradley said he did.

"Can he come back here? Sure," Bradley said. "If he gives the same kind of effort that he gave this year, that's what you ask as a starting point. On that end, it's been a good effort on both points. It hasn't gotten us what we wanted. At the end of the day, we're done two weeks early."

Part of the reason they are done early is New England rookie forward Pat Noonan, who scored in the 21st minute to give the Revs a 1-0 lead. Noonan scored an astonishing nine goals in six games against the Metros this season -- including one in each of the two playoff games.

The Metros equalized in stoppage time of the first half on a penalty kick by Amado Guevara, but that was all the scoring they would get.

In other MLS action:

Fire 2, United 0:

In Chicago, Damani Ralph and Ante Razov scored goals as Chicago defeated D.C. to advance to the MLS Eastern Conference championship with a 4-0 aggregate victory.

Chicago will play the New England Revolution on Friday in a single-game semifinal match.

Frank Cunha · 11-11-2003, 01:29 PM

http://www.nj.com/metrostars/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1068532219137570.xml

BethlehemFC · 11-11-2003, 03:42 PM

None of that would surprise me.

Frank Cunha · 11-11-2003, 11:54 PM

I hope the MLS sign's Mathis and he stays for another couple seasons in the Metrostars, he hustle all season, he just didn't hava a striker to go to it.

Frank Cunha · 11-11-2003, 11:56 PM

I hope the MLS sign's Mathis and he stays for another couple seasons in the Metrostars, he hustle all season, he just didn't have a striker to go to it.
He also got the blame fo