MLS game

Diallo hat-trick leads Mutiny past Metros.

The MetroStars took the lead in the 22nd minute of play when forward Comas netted his seventh goal of the year, assisted by outside defender Ramiro Corrales. Comas broke free of the Mutiny defense and took a clean shot on goalkeeper Scott Garlick. Garlick managed to get a hand on the shot, but the deflected ball managed to trickle over the goal line.

Near the close of the second half, reigning MLS Player of the Week Adolfo Valencia recorded his 14th goal of the year to put the Metros up 2-0. Comas and Valencia executed a well-timed give-and-go to set up the shot, and Valencia placed the ball just inside the far post in the 44th minute.

Just one minute later, league-leading scorer Mamadou Diallo notched his 20th of the 2000 campaign to narrow the gap to a single goal. Defender Steve Trittschuh headed Steve Ralston's corner kick towards the back post, where Diallo nodded the ball into the back of the net to make the score 2-1 at the halftime break.

The MetroStars took a heavy hit in the first half, when Diallo collided with starting `keeper Mike Ammann inside the penalty area. Fearing the possibility of a fractured jaw or ribs, Ammann was taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation.

Diallo added another in the 62nd minute to knot the game at 2-2. Midfielder Eric Quill's pass sprang Diallo on a breakaway run. MetroStars `keeper Tim Howard rushed off of his line to cut down Diallo's shooting angle, but "Big Mama" sent a shot curling just inside the far post.

In the 70th minute, Ralston and the Mutiny capitalized on a MetroStars defensive miscue to take a one-goal lead. Veteran Metros defender Thomas Dooley lost his footing in the back, allowing midfielder Josh Keller to win the ball. He played the ball forward to Ralston, who unleashed a blast from point-blank range for his fourth goal of the year.

Comas put away his second goal of the night in the 86th minute, receiving a pass from Valencia inside the box. From six yards out, Comas slid the ball inside the right post to send the game to overtime.

Diallo completed the hat trick in the 97th minute, capping a spectacular night with a golden goal tap-in. Ralston took the ball wide from midfielder Manny Lagos, crossing to Diallo in front of an empty net. The Senegalese striker made no mistake, registering the third three-goal performance in Mutiny history.

With the goal, Diallo moves to within five goals of Roy Lassiter's all-time single-season scoring record of 27 goals set in 1996. The golden goal also marks the Mutiny's first overtime win this season.

The MetroStars (14-10-2, 44 points) return to action on Sunday, August 20th, to face the MetroStars Rapids at Giants Stadium (3:00 p.m. ET). With the danger of serious injury to Ammann, and with Howard slated to join the U.S. Olympic squad, the state of the Metros goalkeeping suddenly becomes a major issue.

Tampa Bay Mutiny 4, MetroStars 3 (OT)

Referee: Andrew Banes. Referee's assistants: Craig Lowry, Jaime Guerra. Attendance: 5,131 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Fla. Weather: Hot, 85 degrees, humid.