U.S. Soccer Team's Carlos Bocanegra Recovering Well From Hernia Surgery
by Colin Stephenson (Profile/Interview | Star Ledger - May 24)
It was no big deal, Carlos Bocanegra insisted. Just a minor sports hernia surgery. That’s all. Fifteen, 20 minutes tops is all the procedure took. He walked out of the specialist’s office in Munich under his own power, was running three or four days later, and two weeks after he went under the knife he was practicing fully with the U.S. national team in Princeton. more details | go to article

World Cup Referees Have Shown Little Hesitation To Reach Into Their Front Pocket
by Colin Stephenson (Analysis | Star Ledger - June 19)
Despite complaints that its referees have been too quick on the draw when it comes to handing out yellow and red cards in this World Cup, FIFA, the world soccer organizing body, said it is pleased with the way its referees have performed. more details | go to article

Metros Seek Lalas' Magic
by Colin Stephenson (Profile/Interview | Star Ledger - June 14)
Alexi Lalas, the red-haired, goateed soccer icon who became America's most recognizable soccer player after his rapid ascent from Rutgers to the U.S. national team, is returning to New Jersey as the new president and general manager of the MetroStars, a team he played for in 1998. more details | go to article

Metros: Wells Saves The Day
by Colin Stephenson (Article | Star Ledger - June 13)
Zach Wells was handling the crush of postgame media around his locker as easily as he handled all the shots that D.C. United had fired at him. Then fellow MetroStar Youri Djorkaeff, dressing nearby, threw his two cents into the conversation. more details | go to article

Guevara Plays The Hero
by Colin Stephenson (Article | Star Ledger - June 1)
Probably close to half of the 50,807 who had watched yesterday's England-Colombia friendly at Giants Stadium got up and left immediately after it was over. That still left a much larger than usual crowd to watch the MetroStars kick off their Major League Soccer game against the Chicago Fire. more details | go to article

England's Coach Thinks The World Of USA's Chances
by Colin Stephenson (Article | Star Ledger - May 13)
The United States soccer team will win the World Cup someday, in the opinion of England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson. "I'm sure, sooner or later, the United States will win a World Cup," Eriksson said in a conference call yesterday with American reporters. "I'm sure of it." Also: Eriksson was asked his reaction to the news yesterday that American Malcolm Glazer, the owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, had gained a controlling interest in Manchester United. more details | go to article

Galvan Rey's Goals Earn Metros A Tie
by Colin Stephenson (Article | Star Ledger - April 17)
Up until last night, Sergio Galvan Rey had been considered perhaps the biggest bust in the MetroStars' checkered, 10-year history. But the 30-year-old Argentine forward stunned the Giants Stadium crowd and the Kansas City Wizards, scoring two goals to help the Metros rally for a 2-2 draw in a game that saw the Major League Soccer debut of MetroStars midfielder Youri Djorkaeff. more details | go to article

MetroStars Add Djorkaeff To Roster
by Colin Stephenson (Profile/Interview | Star Ledger - February 19)
In a move that had been expected for several weeks, the MetroStars yesterday announced the signing of French midfielder Youri Djorkaeff, a member of the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship winners and most recently a member of Blackburn Rovers of the English Premier League. more details | go to article

MetroStars (11-12-7) vs. D.C. United (11-10-9)
by Colin Stephenson (Preview | Star Ledger - October 23)
This is the opener of a home-and-home, total-goals, first-round playoff series and the first playoff meeting between the two I-95 rivals since Major League Soccer's inaugural season in 1996. The teams played last weekend in the regular-season finale at RFK Stadium in Washington and United won, 3-2, to leapfrog over the Metros and earn the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and home-field advantage. more details | go to article

Wolyniec Leads Metros Into Playoffs Against United
by Colin Stephenson (Profile/Interview | Star Ledger - October 22)
John Wolyniec has never had it easy on the soccer field. Not at the professional level, at least. The career of the 27-year-old MetroStars forward is a classic, feel-good tale of perseverance. He was drafted by the Metros in 1999, got cut before the season, bounced around between Major League Soccer and the minor leagues for the next few years before coming back to the Metros last year. more details | go to article

MetroStars Recap
by Colin Stephenson (Analysis | Star Ledger - October 11)
Looking back: Playing without four starters who were with their respective national teams, including their two best players in Amado Guevara and Eddie Pope, they managed to score a 1-1 draw against a watered-down Columbus Crew lineup. Sergio Galvan Rey scored the equalizing goal on a penalty in the 71st minute after Jeff Cunningham had scored in the 26th minute for Columbus. more details | go to article

MetroStars (11-11-6) vs. Crew (12-5-11)
by Colin Stephenson (Preview | Star Ledger - October 9)
This is the final of four meetings between the teams this season. The teams have split the previous three, each winning once, with one tie. Edson Buddle scored all four goals for Columbus in their 4-2 victory over the Metros three weeks ago in Columbus. more details | go to article

MetroStars Set Sights On A Higher Goal
by Colin Stephenson (Analysis | Star Ledger - September 27)
Bob Bradley will certainly accept congratulations on his MetroStars team clinching a playoff spot with Saturday night's 2-0 road victory over the Dallas Burn, but he has bigger ambitions than celebrating the team's second straight playoff berth and fourth in five years. more details | go to article

MetroStars (10-10-6) vs. Dallas Burn (10-11-5)
by Colin Stephenson (Preview | Star Ledger - September 25)
MetroStars report: Their loss last week to Columbus in a first-place showdown extended a slump in which they have won just once in their past six games (1-4-1) and delayed their possble clinching of a playoff spot. However, they can still do that this week, by simply tying Dallas. more details | go to article

MetroStars Recap
by Colin Stephenson (Analysis | Star Ledger - September 20)
Looking back: Facing the hottest team in Major League Soccer, the Metros got off to a great start, scoring the game's first goal just six minutes in. Ultimately, however, they were unable to contain Columbus forward Edson Buddle, who scored a career-high four goals to fuel the Crew's 4-2 home victory. more details | go to article