MetroStars open with road win

MLSnet.com

Goals from Mike Magee and John Wolyniec on either side of halftime brought the MetroStars back from a one-goal deficit for a 3-1 victory against the Columbus Crew on Saturday as both teams opened their 2004 Major League Soccer seasons.

Wolyniec, the surprise hero for the MetroStars in several matches last year, scored the game winner in the 52nd minute, after Magee had brought the visitors level five minutes before the halftime break. Frankie Hejduk put the Crew ahead on 30 minutes before the MetroStars strike force hit back, then Amado Guevara finished off the scoring two minutes before the final whistle.

GAME COVERAGE
3	- 1
Box Score \| Game Quote Sheet Highlights 56K \| 350K Photos Sights & Sounds \| MLS Scoreboard

The MetroStars came out strong early on, creating space in the midfield and the attacking third. Magee and Wolyniec worked well off each other to create a handful of scoring chances that Crew 'keeper Jon Busch did well to save, and Joselito Vaca found plenty of room to work on the right.

In fact, thanks to Vaca's work, the MetroStars nearly went ahead ten minutes in. After Wolyniec freed him on the right, Vaca put an inch-perfect cross into the middle of the box, where Eddie Gaven was unmarked. Gaven put a hard shot on goal, but Busch was up to the task.

Despite the Metros' solid early play, it was the Crew who scored first thanks to Hejduk's 30th-minute follow-up of a David Testo shot. Jeff Cunningham gained possession after a Crew throw-in in the attacking third and laid the ball off to Testo, who turned and shot. Metros 'keeper Jonny Walker got a hand on the ball, but Hejduk beat him to the rebound and headed home.

Immediately after the goal, possession started to swing in the Crew's favor. Hejduk figured in several of Columbus' chances midway through the half, including one effort in which he took a through ball from Cunningham and forced Walker to save a high shot.

Just as it the Crew appeared to gain control of the match, Magee was rewarded for his first-half hard work as he headed home on a seemly innocuous cross from Mark Lisi. After receiving a ball on the left side of the midfield, Lisi lofted a ball into the box. Magee rose to meet the ball, and though he didn't get much power on the header, the ball floated over Busch's head and into the net.

With the stable of international strikers signed by the club in the weeks leading into the season opener, Bob Bradley will soon have considerable options in attack. But after Magee's strike, Wolyniec's goal gave each half of the strike partnership a marker in the season opener and a case to stay in the starting lineup.

On the deciding tally, second-year midfielder Eddie Gaven found himself with the ball 20 yards out. He sent a through ball into the box for Lisi, who played a flat pass to the six-yard line that Wolyniec met and sent into the goal.

The Crew tried to push forward after Wolyniec's goal, continually feeding the ball to striker Jeff Cunningham. However, neither Cunningham nor anyone else on the Crew could put a good chance on goal, and Guevara sealed the victory in the 88th minute.

Gaven fueled the play again, and after the ball popped free just to the right of the goal, the Honduras international hit home into the left side of the net to ensure victory.

Scoring Summary:
CLB -- Frankie Hejduk 1 (unassisted) 30
MET -- Mike Magee 1 (Mark Lisi 1) 40
MET -- John Wolyniec 1 (Mark Lisi 2, Eddie Gaven 1) 52
MET -- Amado Guevara 1 (unassisted) 88

MetroStars -- Jonny Walker, Chris Leitch, Tenywa Bonseu, Jeff Parke, Craig Ziadie, Joselito Vaca, Amado Guevara, Mark Lisi (Ricardo Clark 66), Eddie Gaven, Mike Magee (Fabian Taylor 64), John Wolyniec.

Substitutes Not Used: Michael Bradley, Joey DiGiamarino, Zach Wells.

TOTAL SHOTS: 12 (Mike Magee 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 9 (Mike Magee 4); FOULS: 13 (Amado Guevara 3); OFFSIDES: 6 (Fabian Taylor 2); CORNER KICKS: 2 (Amado Guevara 2); SAVES: 6 (Jonny Walker 6)

Columbus Crew -- Jon Busch, Steven Herdsman, Nelson Akwari (Duncan Oughton 64), Robin Fraser, Eric Denton (Jamal Sutton 85), Ross Paule, Simon Elliott, Kyle Martino, Frankie Hejduk, David Testo (Michael Ritch 74), Jeff Cunningham.

Substitutes Not Used: Devin Barclay, Matt Jordan, Manny Lagos, Erick Scott, Jake Traeger, Chris Wingert.

TOTAL SHOTS: 13 (Frankie Hejduk 5); SHOTS ON GOAL: 7 (Frankie Hejduk 3); FOULS: 15 (3 tied with 3); OFFSIDES: 1 (Jeff Cunningham 1); CORNER KICKS: 6 (Ross Paule 4); SAVES: 6 (Jon Busch 5)

Misconduct Summary:
CLB -- Frankie Hejduk (caution; Professional Foul) 13
CLB -- Kyle Martino (caution; Professional Foul) 56
MET -- Craig Ziadie (caution; Verbal Distraction) 57
CLB -- Jeff Cunningham (caution; Professional Foul) 59
CLB -- Simon Elliott (caution; Dissent) 83
MET -- Ricardo Clark (caution; Professional Foul) 86

Referee: Abiodun Okulaja
Referee's Assistants:-Robert Fereday; Kermit Quisenberry
4th Official: Ricardo Salazar
Attendance: 20,356
Time of Game: 1:51
Weather: Cloudy and 56 degrees