This is what I get out of tonight's match... We had the better of the match, though given our collective impotency within 30 yards of the Chicago goal, I'm not sure that's worth much. Clint Mathis and Richie Williams: If you don't play another match for the Metrostars, and go off into your respective sunsets, I won't care not a bit. You've both done your part in the past, but it's over. It's over. Eddie Gaven: He's 16 years old. He pretty much showed it tonight. Then again..wow...he's only 16 years old. The future is bright. Repeat: Clint, it's over. Your passing sucks. Your aggression is gone. You had one crappy shot. You don't take on anyone. Go to Europe. Go to another MLS side. I really don't care anymore. You were my favorite Metro, and I'll always have some affinity for you, but you're all finished up here. I thought I heard the GS crowd booing you off the field, and after talking to someone who was at the match, I heard correctly. Steve Jolley, Eddie Pope. You are both true giants. I hope you are both with us till the end of your careers. Happy birthday, feliz cumpleanos, sto lat, Steve. F*#*#*# you, Ante Razov. Not for anything in this game, I just like to squeeze that in whenever I can. ESC: thank you all, guys n' gals, for bringing it when us around the country and around the world getting plastered couldn't, but more importantly when the Metro Front Office (yeah, you guys reading this thread, you know who you are) couldn't be bothered to promote this 'Mickey Mouse tournament', as some Jersey Guy called it. We lost tonight, but lets keep this momentum going.
I'm not a Metro, but you are sooooooooooooooooo right! That was exactly what i was thinking. As a born and raised NY'er, i was probably the only DCU fan in the country rooting for the Metros to win. Midway through the 2nd half, I said to myself, Clint and Richie are TOTALLY finished!! The best thing for them is to go. Clint was too busy cursing out his own teammates in the 2nd half to make a decent play, and Richie, well, Richie is just Richie at this point. As i've said for the last 3 weeks, the Metros are better when those 2 guys are sitting on the sidelines with a cup of hot cocoa.
I love Clint, always disliked Richie. I hope Clint goes to Europe and rediscovers the fire...he does not have it here anymore. I hope Clint proves me wrong, but Richie Williams is a waste of a roster spot.
As should be obvious to all Clint Mathis is the most overrated player in the US and/or MLS. He is total garbage right now and is a "Dog" as well. I can not stand watching him and JuskSlow stand around and not move forward or even better being offsides because they did not come back onsides 5 minutes after the play. I would rather see Magee and Woly hustle like crazy after loose balls and pressuring the defenders than lazy Clint watching. He also right now can not shoot the ball and his passing is pitiful and let Chicago counter attack time and time again off his errant back passes. I just hope Gaven does not learn from Clint and JuskSlow how National team playerse.
With all due respect, I don't think at all that we had the better of the match tonight; Chicago was more aggressive on both sides of the ball and took advantage of the one good chance they had. Metro had zero good chances. I think we had one shot on goal. Every time we played the ball up into the offensive third, the Metro player who received service had his back to the Chicago goal, and two defenders on him. That Metro player with the ball then had no trailing support, no wing support, nothing. Three reasons why we lost tonight, roughly in order of importance: 1. Andrej Juskowiak. Simply awful. Lose him tomorrow, Bob. And why did it take until 66' to get him out? In six or seven games, whatever he's played, the only decent play he has made is getting Warren thrown out of the USOC semi. 2. Clint Mathis. The only reason why Clint is not #1 is because the Stinking Pole was just that much worse. 3. Jolley left his assignment on Ralph for two seconds in order to cover Whitfield, got caught in no man's land, and let the pass get around him to Ralph for the shot & goal. It was the first and only serious missed defensive assignment all night. Ugh. Oh well, it's not like these things come only once every eight years or anything.
I can't bring myself to piss and moan about this result. Sure, winning would have been great. The Metro played Chicago for all 90 and probably as tough as we have played them in long while. Ante Razov is a *#*#*#*#*#, always was and always will be. BUT mostly, I had a great time tonight. Saw some Metro fans I haven't seen in a while -- live moves on and everyone can't be there all the time, including myself, but tonight most were. Win or lose, ESC and Section 101 are the best.
I almost got chocked up seeing the ESC in full force and full voice. Awesome job guys. Screw Clint For what it is worth, I thought the first half was some of the best soccer I had seen the Metro play in weeks. Unfortunately, we had to play 2 halves. Andy Williams owns us. I know it wasn't his goal. but the game opened up for the Fire when he came in. I know it is usually just belly aching about the ref, but geez! What the hell? I coulda sworn that fouls and handballs in the box were bad. And two dropped balls? Couldn't figure out when Chicago played the ball out for a player down? Twice? Oi. Having said that, SCREW CLINT. He will be sitting alone one day, blaming the MLS for not selling him in 2002, wishing on what could have been. Too bad it was his heart that betrayed him in the end, not the league.
Just got home from the Swamp and I'm soooooooo disappointed. C'mon, not even a goal in a Cup Final held on your home pitch. Ugh... All that we've endured since day one, I hoped, would be wiped away with at last a trophy, earned before our eyes. Instead, a pathetic display. That was kickball out there. What is with the long passes down field? Hardly any build-up until the Fire basically went into a shell. That final freekick over the bar told the story of the franchise. Most important match in the history of the franchise? They had no fight, no verve, no sense of urgency. Hats off to the Fire and their supporters. They deserved that celebration in the corner, and the Open Cup title. Hate to say it, but the Metros simply don't resemble a side that can go anywhere in the playoffs. It would take a series of miracles for anything to come of this season. Bummed...
Michael K, I am in deep need of consolation. Best thing about tonight: you guys in 101 were terrific.
The number of miles our fans traveled to see the game were more than the number of miles the 47 Metroscum fans traveled to see the game.
I don't know what's worse, that pathetic on-field display or the fact that only 5100 fans turned up for the biggest match in team history.
I thought attendance would be better but not a lot better. It's a weeknight. I had to take a day off just to be certain I would get to the match. Half the audience outside of Section 101 was probably the parents of those kids that played at halftime and I'm surprised they were out. High school soccer players are in the middle of their seasons, most in NJ have games tomorrow. A good part of the natural audience isn't making this no matter what. Oh, were there baseball games tonight? The USSF has to get serious about this tournament and make a weekend slot for it. Until the USSF takes it seriously, the only one that will are the players and the diehard fans.
I thought the Fire was the better team and deserved the win. Congratulations to them. Clint looks like he is 36 years old rather than 26 years old. He is through as a Metro. Maybe he will rebound somewheres else, I hope so. Certainly Arena would have to be nuts to give him any more call-ups.
*#*#*#*# the Sooners. *#*#*#*# Norman, Oklahoma. I mean, even Kansas has more going for it as some place to be from. And you should go *#*#*#*# off to some other sports forum that's interested in your little College game -- this just isn't the place. Apologies to Randy Newman but . . ."Good ol' boys went to ol' OU, went in dumb came out dumb too."
Pathetic. When will this team decide to win? It's horrible. 5K is pretty nice if you ask me. What's the prupose of going to these games knowing they will lose. Let's see...there's a Yankees/Red Sox game and a Metros/Fire game...not a hard decision. I'm a Metro fan first, but with their recent form, the low attendence figures are without any doubts reasonable. Mathis had a great night if you ask me. Reminded me of the Mathis of old. He was after every ball. His only problem was on offense, no one passed him the ball. I remember the one time there was semi-counterattack situation, instead of placing the ball in front of Clint, or to his left, Guveara plays the ball in a way that the ball was behind him. Immediate turnover. Clark and Gaven were terrific. The defense was great. Jusko provided some quality plays. Guevara didn't do much if you ask me...
1) Clint can shove his medal up his ass. I couldn't believe he was barking at Guevara for having the nerve to give him a nice thru ball in the 2nd half. 2) Metros had two free kicks within 35 yards of the goal in the closing minutes. It's pathetic that there's not a single player on the team that can reach the goal. You would have to go back to Daniel Hernandez to name the last Metro that is actually a threat on free-kicks. 3) When Richie Williams has the ball in the box and Guevara is lingering around midfield, something is wrong. 4) Everyone is proud of their ethnic background, but Nick giving Just-Slow-wiak the #10 jersey is a disgrace. 5) Not upset at the loss....what I'm upset at is that this was a disgraceful match to watch for both teams. Not exactly the kind of game you want to tell someone they should be coming to instead of the Champions World exhibitions.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Post-game, Post-mortem. (R) Please, if it weren't for those Kansas folk, Oklahoma University would have a hard time showing an average SAT score for its student population above 920.