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US: MLS Preview- MetroStars v Kansas City [Fri Sep 2nd, 2005]
MetroStars (8-7-9, 33 pts) v Kansas City Wizards (11-6-8, 41 pts)
When: 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, September 3, 2005
Where: Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
The Eastern Conference playoff picture becomes clearer by the week. If the MetroStars, who are 6 points off the pace, are to make a move, it must start here. Alas, they run up against a KC side that’s won 4 of 5.
The Metros haven’t lost at home in 9 games, but they continue to leak goals—more than 2 per game in their last four matches. The defense is easily disarrayed by diagonal runs, a fatal flaw that will be devastating against the very active KC forwards Josh Wolff and Davy Arnaud.
Luckily, the Metros offense, led by Amado Guevara, Sergio Galvan Rey, and Youri Djorkaeff, has found its stride, especially El Lobo Guevara, who notched a hat-trick in the Metros’ 3-3 draw with Chivas USA last time out.
The Wizards were streaking until they faced Columbus last week and went down 1-0 at home. Columbus! Huh? Before that, they had won 4 in a row, averaging 3 goals a game. But they will be without rookie sensation Scott Sealy, who is off on international duty with Trinidad & Tobago, so expect KC to play even more of a compact, counterattacking style.
Chris Klein should have a field day running up and down the flank against the weak Metros wingers, which will open up spaces in the middle for Kansas City’s potent front runner, Josh Wolff, and midfielder Sasha Victorine, who is enjoying the best offensive season of his career with 7 goals and 3 assists.
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