Caribbean footballers star in MLS

Trailing 1-0 entering Saturday night’s second leg match, the Revs slipped further behind when Youri Djorkaeff scored for the Metros in the 59th minute, but the Revs roared back to win the match 3-1, claiming a 3-2 series victory on aggregate.

Elsewhere on Saturday night, Jamaica-born US-international Jeff Cunningham scored to help the Colorado Rapids eliminate FC Dallas and advance to the Western Conference final against the Los Angeles Galaxy, who had Jamaica international Tyrone Marshall in their line up as they ousted San Jose.

On a counter-attacking play at New England’s Gillette Stadium, 1998 French World Cup winning midfielder Djorkaeff snatched a chance and curled a shot — from 18 yards out — inside the far post to send the Metros’ travelling support into a frenzy with what appeared to be a relatively safe 2-0 advantage in the series overall.

But Jose Cancela (68th) and Pat Noonan (73rd) struck goals to level the aggregate score at 2-2 and the rookie Smith grabbed the sensational winner seven minutes from the end.

Substitute Smith, who had replaced the injured Marshall Leonard in the 23rd minute, sped down the left side past his defender and cut inside.

As Metros goalkeeper Tony Meola slid out to stop him, Smith fired an accurate shot inside the far post.

"I just tried to set myself up to shoot or cross. I saw the far post open so I decided to shoot," Smith said about fourth MLS goal.

Smith, bought by the Revs as seeing him in a pre-season warm-up game against Bermuda earlier this year, praised his side’s resilience. "That just shows the spirit that we got. We never give up. Hopefully that will get us to Dallas Grenada’s Shalrie Joseph was also in the Revs’ line up while Trinidad and Tobago’s Avery John, the third Caribbean player on the Revs’ roster, spent the match on the bench.

New England will face the winner of yesterday’s other conference semi-final game between DC United and the Chicago Fire, which is locked at 0-0. The Revolution will host the Eastern Conference Championship match on November 6 at Gillette Stadium.

At Pizza Hut Park, home team FC Dallas were sent packing after a penalty shoot-out defeat to Colorado. Cunningham struck the net twice in Colorado’s success, first in regular time, and then in the penalty kick-off.

In the deciding shoot-out, Cunningham, Pablo Mastroeni, Jovan Kirovski, Cooke and Jean Philippe Peguero converted their spot kicks and Joe Cannon’s save of Robert Mina’s effort gave Colorado a 4-3 win in the shoot-out.

And at Spartan Stadium in San Jose, Ned Grabavoy’s goal midway through the second half, clinched a 1-1 draw between the Los Angeles Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday night at Spartan Stadium, sending the visiting Galaxy into the Western Conference Championship with a 4-2 victory on aggregate. Brian Ching had given San Jose a 42nd minute lead.

Los Angeles, 3-1 winners of the opening game at home on October 23, outscored San Jose 4-2 in the series.