After the disappointing loss to the Impact, the Riders took the field against their local rivals, the New York/New Jersey MetroStars at EAB Park in Central Islip.
Long Island has always played the Metros in close games, but they had lost the last three meetings. There was a lot riding on this game for the MetroStars, who have been ordained as the favorites to win the MLS Cup, and were enjoying a successful season that the MLS wanted them to have.
So, it was a shock to the Metros when they entered half-time down 2-0 to the Rough Riders. It was no surprise to the fans that were there watching the game as Long Island controlled the tempo and created a number of opportunities.
The Riders took the lead 1-0 in the 33rd minute, as Laurence Piturro found an open Jesse Van Saun at the top of the box. Van Saun trapped the ball and dribbled it into the box, then around Mike Ammann to score. Van Saun ran to the sideline and ripped off his jersey in celebration, as he was wrapped up in the emotion of the atmosphere. The only thing wrong with the game was the two man referee system. The team that was assigned to work the game, did exactly that, they
worked it!
They immediately issued Van Saun a yellow card for his two second celebration in an exhibition game! What were they doing? It was an emotionally charged match between two local rivals in front of a passionate crowd. It is not like it was the championship game in the World Cup! The game only mattered to the players and the fans, not the stats or standings!
Gerry Lucey scored the second goal for Long Island off a penalty kick. The Riders received the kick when Cordt Weinstein was fouled from behind in the box by Mike Petke.
That was when a great game between to talented teams took a back seat to the ridiculous two man referee system.
The Metros did not score until after halftime, when both teams emptied there benches.
After the players settled in, the MetroStars scored in the 56th minute of play. Julian Gomez one-timed a pass from Ramiro Corrales to beat Rich Mattson from about six yards from the goal.
Just six minutes later, off a free kick outside the box, Daniel Hernandez ripped a shot through the Rider's wall and passed a diving Mattson, to tie the game at 2.
Weinstein continued to wok hard and was rewarded with the Rider's second penalty kick of the night. Unfortunately, Ammann saved this one, and denied Weinstein and the Riders the third goal of the evening.
The momentum continued to shift to the Metros as they took the lead for good with 18 minutes left. Again before the Rider's defense could react, Corrales whipped a cross into the middle of the box to a wide open Roy Myers. Myers not only hit a one-timer into the upper right hand corner, but he did it using his left foot.
Long Island suffered another blow in the 87th minute, when Van Saun was ejected from the game after receiving his second yellow. Van Saun was given the yellow card for breaking up a scoring chance for the MetroStars.
Gomez then capped the scoring for the evening in extra time as Hernandez hit a streaking Gomez down the sideline. Gomez then went one-on-one with Mattson. As Matton came out to challenge, Gomez stuck a bending shot to score his second goal of the game, and secure a 4-2 win for the MetroStars.
Once again, the fans and Riders leave with a loss and the Referees leave with a check for another horrible game.
