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SLAM! Sports SLAM! Soccer World Cup COLUMNS THE WORLD
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Saturday, April 22, 2000MetroStars 3, United 2 (OT)MetroStars win in overtime while shorthandedWASHINGTON (Ticker) -- Mike Petke scored a dramatic overtime goal to lead the shorthanded MetroStars over D.C. United 3-2 at RFK Stadium. Petke knocked home a free kick by Lothar Matthdus four minutes into overtime as the MetroStars (2-4) broke a three-game losing streak, despite playing a man down. The MetroStars had not won at RFK Stadium since September 1997 but have beaten United (1-4) twice in as many tries this season. They also posted a 3-2 win on April 1 at Giants Stadium. The contest was a typical hard-fought MetroStars-United battle, with 42 total fouls committed and six yellows cards handed out. Adolfo Valencia earned a yellow card for a rough tackle in the 68th minute, then earned a second yellow card immediately for dissent. MetroStars goalkeeper Mike Ammann made several difficult saves to preserve a tie in the final 20 minutes with his team down a man. Ammann's best save came in the 87th minute, when he dove to stop A.J. Wood from point-blank range. United rookie Michael Burke hit the crossbar in the 74th minute and Wood followed by chipping the ball wide of any empty net inside of six yards. Petter Villegas got the Metros even in the 41st minute, finishing off a chance created by Colombian forwards. Alex Comas took a pass from midfield and chipped a pass to Valencia down the right side. "El Tren" then slid the ball across the top of the box to an onrushing Villegas, who easily slipped the equalizer past keeper Tom Presthus. Marco Etcheverry had given United the lead with a pair of goals in a span of three minutes. D.C.'s captain struck a swirling, 20-yard free kick from just outside the box that curled around a wall and changed directions as the MetroStars Orlando Perez attempted to head the shot away. But it got past a diving Ammann in the 22nd minute. Three minutes later, Wood broke into the box with an angle on goal and MetroStars defender Dahir Mohammed cut him down for a penalty. Etcheverry stepped in and buried the penalty kick for his first goal to make it 2-1 in the 25th minute. The MetroStars had gotten on the board first, when defender Orlando Perez capped a strong run down the left wing by swinging a cross into the box intended for Comas. United defender Jeff Agoos was positioned in front of Comas, but instead of clearing the ball, he tipped it past Presthus in the ninth minute. D.C. was playing with a makeshift roster due to injuries and National Team commitments. Top scorer Jaime Moreno is with the Bolivian National Team in World Cup qualifying, while forward Chris Albright and midfielder Ben Olsen are with the U.S. Under-23 team in Olympic qualifying. Defenders Carey Talley and Carlos Llamosa played despite not being 100 percent, while Eddie Pope is out several weeks with a leg injury. The MetroStars, who had featured a veteran defensive unit in their first five games, used a young, inexperienced backline. Rookies Mohammed and Perez joined Petke and newcomer Steve Jolley on defense. Matthdus started in midfield, while veterans Mark Semioli and Thomas Dooley remain sidelined by injuries. The MetroStars (2-4, 6 pts) host Los Angeles next Saturday while D.C. (1-4, 3 pts) visits San Jose.
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