Adu Gets First Goal in 3-2 Loss
Freddy Adu scored the first goal of his Major League Soccer career Saturday, but the 14-year-old’s strike from four yards was not enough to prevent D.C. United from being beaten, 3-2, by the New York/New Jersey MetroStars in front of 31,419 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
D.C. United (1-1-1) dominated the first half with some flowing soccer and should have led by more than Ben Olsen’s 26th-minute goal off a Dema Kovalenko cross.
In the second half, the MetroStars (2-0-0) took charge.
Jamaican international Fabian Taylor tied the score in the 50th minute, firing home the rebound of his own shot that had been superbly saved by D.C. United goalkeeper Doug Warren.
Seven minutes later; forward John Wolyniec put the MetroStars ahead for good with a flying header off a pass from Amado Guevara. Taylor scored his second goal in the 63rd minute, taking an excellent pass from 17-year-old Eddie Gaven and slotting the ball past Warren.
Adu’s goal, 15 minutes from the end, came off a cross from the left by Joshua Gros that eluded three MetroStar defenders before reaching Adu, who side-footed the ball into the net.
“It’s a great feeling to get my first goal, but it’s a little unfortunate to do it on a losing day,” Adu said. “I didn’t get a chance to celebrate because we lost.”
Elsewhere in MLS on Saturday, Taylor Twellman gave the New England Revolution (0-2-0) the lead, but goals by Dwayne DeRosario, Arturo Alvarez and Brian Ching earned the defending champion San Jose Earthquakes (1-1-1) a 3-1 victory in front of 16,203 at Foxboro, Mass.
In Chicago, the Dallas Burn (1-0-1) pulled off a 2-0 upset of the Chicago Fire (0-1-2) in front of 12,828 at Soldier Field on goals by Eddie Johnson and Bobby Rhine.
At Kansas City, Mo., Davy Arnaud’s goal was enough to give the Wizards (1-0-1) a 1-0 victory over the Columbus Crew (0-2-0) in front of 9,682 at Arrowhead Stadium.
Honduran Murder
Robinson Tomas Melendez, 23, a goalkeeper for Platense in the Honduran league, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being convicted of killing teammate Jorge Alberto Espinoza in 2003 after the two had fought over a pen that both were using to sign contracts.
Ruckus in Madrid
Real Madrid moved back into first place in the Spanish league with a 2-1 victory over neighboring Atletico Madrid in a game that was marred beforehand by fighting between Real fans and police.
About 80 members of Real’s radical “Ultra Sur” supporters group tried to force their way into Atletico’s stadium then fought with security officers, pelted police with stones and debris and set fire to trash cans before being dispersed.
Santiago Solari and Ivan Helguera scored for Real, which leads second-place Valencia by one point with five games to play.
Quick Passes
Socheaux, without a trophy since winning the French championship in 1938, won the French League Cup, beating Nantes, 5-4 on penalty kicks after a 1-1 tie after extra time. Gregory Pujol scored for Nantes in the 14th minute, but a header by defender Sylvain Monsoreau tied it five minutes later.... Coach Falko Goetz was fired by TSV 1860 Munich after the struggling German Bundesliga team lost, 2-1, at home to Hamburg SV. Goetz is the eighth coach in the league to be fired this season.... Steve Stone’s goal gave Portsmouth a 1-0 victory, its first over Manchester United in 50 years, and Chelsea was held to a 0-0 tie by Everton, leaving unbeaten Arsenal one victory away from clinching the English Premier League title.... Stephen Keshi, former captain of Nigeria’s national team, was named coach of the neighboring West African nation of Togo.
-- Compiled by Grahame L. Jones
