Nashville 0-2 California
August 30, 1997 — Ezell Park (Nashville, Tenn.)
Scoring Summary
CAL — Paul Holocher (75′)
CAL — Adrian Gonzalez (77′)
Metros get rare defeat at home
(Nashville Tennessean, 08.31.97)
By Chip Cirillo
Nashville was one man down and two goals short last night.
Playing with only 10 men for almost three-fourths of the game, the Metros lost to the California Jaguars 2-0 at the Columbia Soccer Complex spoiling Nashville’s regular-season finale.
Nashville defender-midfielder Samuel Ekeme was ejected with a red card for a late tackle midway through the first half, forcing the hosts to play the final 67 minutes and 19 seconds shorthanded.
“It was a poor decision on his part,” Metros coach Greg Petersen said. “You can’t play a team like California shorthanded.”
Despite the loss of Ekeme, the game remained scoreless at halftime. It was starting to look like neither team would ever score when California (17-10) struck twice within a three-minute span midway through the second half.
Midfielder Paul Holocher scored first when he took a pass from Mark Baena and sent it into the left corner of the net with 15:50 left.
“We had 11-on-10 for a long time,” Holocher said. “That wears a team down and gets them tired. We’re a patient team and we knew we’d get the goal eventually.”
Holocher had a hand in the second goal when he found Adrian Gonzalez wide-open in front of the Nashville net and Gonzalez sent it home for a 2-0 lead with 13:13 remaining.
“I guess it wasn’t meant to be,” Nashville midfielder Myles Stoddard said. “Maybe we’ll see them again in the playoffs.”
The Metros (17-11) might not want to. Nashville finished the season 0-2 against the Jaguars and 3-9 against the Pacific Division, regarded by many as the toughest in the A-League.
However, Nashville is 11-2 against fellow members of the Central Division which will provide the Metros’ first-round opponent Wednesday or Saturday.
Nashville remains second in the Central Division, and the Metros’ final standing will depend on the outcome of Minnesota’s game at Montreal tomorrow.
Ekeme will not [be] allowed to play in Nashville’s first playoff game, and he could miss the second as well.
Nashville forward John Smith, who leads the league in assists with 10, had two good scoring opportunities but sent one shot high and the other wide left.
The loss, Nashville’s first at Columbia Soccer Complex since May 31, ended a six-game home winning streak.
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