October 23, 2009 10 BEAUTIFUL GAMES The best of Red Bulls/Metros over 14 years
David Beckham helped draw a Red Bulls record crowd of 66,237 to Giants Stadium in 2007. Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images
By Michael Lewis
BigAppleSoccer.com Editor
For a franchise that has experienced more than its share of disappointment and misery during its 14-year- history, the New York/New Jersey franchise of MLS certainly has had its moments in the sun or under the lights at Giants Stadium.
On Saturday, the final soccer game at Giants Stadium will be played when the Red Bulls host Toronto FC at 7:30 p.m. (MSG2).
Here are one writer’s top 10 moments of the top soccer games and moments by the Red Bulls and MetroStars since 1996:
1. Absolutely the best (2007)
The greatest game in franchise history? That's easy: David Beckham's first appearance with the Los Angeles Galaxy at the stadium on Aug. 18, 2007. The game lived up to its hype and then some. A franchise-record 66,237 showed up to watch quite an entertaining display of soccer in what turned into a 5-4 triumph for the home team. But the game had a little bit of everything to keep spectators in their seats and on the edge of their seats as well. Beckham set up three goals, including a pair within a two-minute span early in the match. But Juan Pablo Angel had other things on his mind. His second goal of the match, a spectacular strike from a tough angle on the right side, broke a 4-4 deadlock in the 88th minute. “If you’re at this level and you don’t enjoy playing in front of that many people, then what are you playing the sport for,” Red Bulls midfielder Clint Mathis said. “You have to get pumped up for a game like this. But you hope that every game is like this one.” Added Beckham: "I haven't been involved in a game like that since I was 9- or 10-years-old, where there were so many goals and the change of play changes in 90 minutes.” It doesn't get any better than this.
2. The curse of Nicola Caricola (1996)
Many soccer fans and observers blame the game and Mr. Nicola Caricola for all the problems the franchise has endured through the years. In their home franchise opener in front of a healthy crowd of 46,826 on April 20, 1996, the MetroStars and New England Revolution battled to a scoreless tie for 89 minutes and 49 seconds. Then Caricola, a journeyman defender from Italy, put the ball past goalkeeper Tony Meola with 11 seconds left in the game. The league had a running clock and no stoppage time in those days. So time ran out on the MetroStars, who did not get an opportunity to equalize, let alone kick off. What a way to start to franchise.
3. Clint's Golazo (2001)
Clint Mathis' feats in a MetroStars uniform have been well documented. He is the only player to score five goals in a game (2000), against the Dallas Burn in 2000. The next season, he used the Burn as his personal punching bag, scoring the MLS version of Michael Owen's marvelous goal for England in the 1998 World Cup. He meandered some 50 yards through the Dallas defense in the 60th minute to score in one of the most memorable goals in league history on April 28, 2001. The MetroStars won, 3-2, in front of 17,543 fans. Four days later, Mathis amazed the crowd again with another astounding performance: a hat-trick, scoring off of both feet and his head. "Those goals don't happen too often," Mathis said. "You just got to cherish the moment." Indeed. Several weeks later, Mathis was sidelined for the season with an ACL tear.
4. A goal for the ages (2003)
Somehow, it wasn't voted MLS goal of the decade, but John Wolyniec's score against the Columbus Crew on Sept. 20, 2003 was a golden goal in more ways that one. Midfielder Amado Guevara lofted a 53-yard pass in the air to the onrushing Wolyniec, who one-timed a volley into the far right post past goalkeeper Jon Busch to lift the Metros to a 1-0 triumph over the Columbus Crew in the eighth minute of sudden-death extratime before 16,507 spectators. "I think it was my only touch of the game," Wolyniec said. "I don't remember touching the ball that much. It was coming down to the end. It was like the 98th or 99th minute. It was one of those things where you're playing direct soccer. Amado put it in front of the goal. As soon as he hit it, I took off. I happened to take the correct line to the ball. I tried to watch it as best I could and get a good foot on it and I put it into the upper 90." Everything had to be right on the goal, from the service to Wolyniec catching up to the ball and his shot. "It's definitely something that was kind of like the stars aligned," he said. "It's one of those things. Yeah, any time you're going to hit a ball on the run, it's going to be tough. You don't have any time to brace yourself. I just kind of took it right out of the air. I think that kind of helped. I didn't have a chance to think about it. It was all relying on instinct and a little desperation because the game was coming to the end. Obviously, it was a great ball. It was in a perfect spot. Any shorter, it gets cleared by the defender. Any longer it goes out of bounds or Jon Busch comes for it. It's definitely one of those things I was happy to be a part of it."
5. This goal's a keeper (2008)
Red Bulls goalkeeper Danny Cepero admitted he didn't even see one of the most historic goals in MLS history. It's funny because he was the one who scored it. With Red Bulls clinging to a 2-1 lead in the 83rd minute, Cepero launched a free kick from the 24-yard American football marker on the Giants Stadium field on Oct. 18, 2008. The ball bounced once at the top of the penalty area and over the head of over an outstretched goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum and into the net as the Baldwin, L.I. native became the first keeper in league history to score a goal -- and from 81 yards. "I just put it in the general area with no intention of scoring," Cepero said. "I just hit it up somewhere where my teammates could do something with it. I didn't even know it went in. I had to ask Kevin [Goldthwaite]. Did that just go in? 'Yeah.' Do I get credit for that. 'Absolutely.' " Not too shabby for someone playing his very first MLS match under ridiculous pressure. Cepero was thrust into goal and into the spotlight after regular keeper Jon Conway and Jeff Parke were slapped with a league-record 10-game suspension Thursday for using performance-enhancing drugs. "That's crazy to say the least," Cepero said. "It's incredible. It's one of those random stats that I guess I can always look up and say, 'Hey, there I am.' " It's easy to forget how important the win was, the Red Bulls' last regular-season victory. It helped the club eventually clinch a playoff berth.
6. Riding a bicycle kick to a comeback win (1996)
A funny thing happened to the MetroStars' supposedly third consecutive home loss and shutout on May 4, 1996. They didn't get their. Trailing the Tampa Bay Mutiny 3-0 late in the game and a crowd of 38,621 quiet as a mouse, coach Eddie Firmani brought on Giovanni Savarese. Within a span of three minutes, thanks to Savarese's added energy, the stadium's atmosphere was transformed. The MetroStars scored three goals during that time. Evan Wise put in an own goal as the lead was cut to 3-1. Then the former Long Island University star struck twice within two minutes, including a spectaular bicycle kick goal that equalized the match in the 75th minute. The stadium was rocking. The MetroStars prevailed in the shootout and they had their first victory, 4-3 (although it was worth only one point). If you are Red Bulls/MetroStars fan, you probably know the rest. Savarese wound up scoring the team's first eight goals. He held the club record for MLS goals (41) until Juan Pablo Angel surpassed him earlier this season.
7. Revenge is coming (2000)
Only days after Tampa Bay Mutiny striker Mamadou Diallo rammed into and put MetroStars goalkeeper Mike Ammann into the hospital, defender Mike Petke decided to protest the league's decision not to sanction the Senegal international. So, he decided to wear a shirt underneath his team jersey to get his point across in the next home game against the Colorado Rapids. As it turned out, Petke scored and he whipped off his shirt. It said on the front" "Crime of the Century" and "Revenge is Coming" on the back. The MetoStars won the game, 5-3. Petke, who was earning $30,000 at the time, was fined $250 by the league. He said he would do it again. "They could have fined $1,000," he said. "Financially, it would have been worth it." Petke's jersey was auctioned off at his Kick the Violence Foundation, for which a fund-raising dinner was held in January, 2001. Incidentally, Petke and Diallo became teammates in 2002 when the striker was traded from New England to the MetroStars.
8. World class (2005)
With their season and playoff hopes slipping away on Sept. 17, 2005, the MetroStars turned to their World Cup champion for some inspiration and some magic. Frenchman Youri Djorkaeff came through in the most spectacular way. He made the ball disappear behind New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis in the 86th minute to break a 4-4 deadlock to climax a dramatic comeback in a wild 5-4 triumph. The victory moved the Metros (10-7-10, 40 points) within three points of the fourth-place Kansas City Wizards (11-7-10, 43 points), who played the L.A. Galaxy to a 2-2 tie, for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. The conference-leading Revs fell to 15-6-6. "You need some victory like this to believe in something," said Djorkaeff, who finished with two goals and one assist. "Everybody takes part in this victory. It's not one or two players, it’s all the group. The kids understand after a game like this, they can do it every game. To me, tonight is this important. . . . It's a nice victory."
9. Welcome to Mr. Altidore (2006)
At that point in the season, beggars certainly could not be choosers. So when a 16-year-old rookie forward who had all of nine minutes of pro soccer experience entering the game saves the Red Bulls' playoff hopes, no one on the team will complain. Second-half substitute Jozy Altidore connected on a blazing 28-yard shot in the 83rd minute to lift the Red Bulls to a 1-0 MLS victory over the Columbus Crew at Giants Stadium Saturday night. The fifth-place Bulls (7-9-11, 32 points) desperately needed the win to move within a point of the fourth-place and idle Kansas City Wizards (9-13-6, 33) in the Eastern Conference playoff race on Sept. 16, 2006. A loss and even a tie would have been devastating against the worst team in the league -- Columbus (6-14-8, 26) -- and because there are only five games remaining in the regular season. "I don't know how to explain it, man," Altidore said of his first pro goal. "You sit on the bench and you pray for that one chance to get in. But you never think you'll score the game-winning goal in a game like this, the importance of it."
10. Barcelona rules (2006)
Whatever magic he was missing during the World Cup, Brazilian maestro Ronaldinho rediscovered in Barcelona’s 4-1 exhibition victory over the Red Bulls on Aug. 12, 2006. Ronaldinho, who was a bust for disappointing Brazil in Germany while failing to live up to his reputation as the world‘s best player, received a standing ovation from the Giants Stadium crowd of 79,002 when Javier Saviola replaced him in the 76th minute. It was the second largest soccer crowd in stadium history, falling short by three of the crowd at Manchester United’s 4-1 win over Juventus on July 31, 2003. "It was a great surprise," Ronaldinho said through a translator. "Everyone said that the U.S. never liked soccer. Everyone treated me well. We were always playing in front of a full crowd." The loss spoiled former U.S. national coach Bruce Arena’s debut as Red Bulls coach, although his record doesn’t officially start until Wednesday, when his club hosts D.C. United. But Arena knew what he was in for. “I think they were the best club team in the world last year and they just got better,” he said. “It was obviously a game that we were well aware that we were overmatched.”
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