Nashville 1-0 Orlando

July 25, 1997 — Ezell Park (Nashville, Tenn.)

Scoring Summary

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Shootout system works for Nashville

(Nashville Tennessean, 07.26.97)

By Harold Huggins

Opponents are treading in dangerous territory if they find themselves in a shootout against the Nashville Metros.

Thanks to a game-winning shootout goal by Mark Foster, the Metros muzzled the Orlando Sundogs 1-0 last night for their fifth straight win at Columbia Soccer Stadium before 1,268 fans. It was the Metros’ seventh shootout victory, by far the most of any team in the A-League this season.

I was just telling [Vince] Martinez I was in the same situation in a game at El Paso recently, there was no score, and I was the seventh shooter and got the game-winner there,” Foster said just after being mobbed by his teammates.

“It would be nice to get the three points [for a regulation win], but we’ll settle for the one point. It’s great to be in situations like this, because you’ll have tight games in the playoffs, and we know what we have to do to win.”

The Metros (13-7) got another sterling performance in goal by Randy Dedini, who matched Orlando goalie Marcos Machado with shutout soccer in regulation. He allowed a goal only to Steve Freeman as the last Sundogs shooter, just before Foster’s game-winner. Mourat Dahlal gave the Metros their first shootout goal.

“I give a lot of credit to our defense, because I have very few hard shots , and Mark got the big goal,” Dedini said. “For a first-year team [in the A-League], we’ve got a great group.”

The Metros won despite Andrew Galloway and Luis Berbari being red-carded and lost for the game. “It was poor decisions on their part, and it’s unacceptable,” coach Greg Petersen said.

“We must do a better job of passing,” he said. “Nonetheless, we had what it took to win.”

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