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Result of the Sunday August 4th, 2007 MLS game between Toronto FC and Los Angeles Galaxy played at BMO Field at 7:30pm.
Toronto FC (red socks and shirts, white shorts, names and numbers)
..............................39 Kenny Stamatopoulos
3 Adam Braz...4 Marco Reda...14 Tyrone Marshall...11 Jim Brennan (cpt)
33 Carl Robinson...6 Maurice Edu...13 Chris Pozniak...12 Todd Dunivant
...................21 Collin Samuel...20 Andrea Lombardo
Subs:...22 David Monsalve (gk)...7 Andy Welsh (mid)...15 David Guzman (mid)...17 Joey Melo (mid)...26 Cristian Nunez (mid)...27 Gabe Gala (def)...29 Nana Attakora-Gyan
head coach Mo Johnston
Los Angeles Galaxy (all white, blue numbers and names, yellow trim)
..........................1 Joe Cannon
12 Troy Roberts...17 Abel Xavier...3 Ty Harden...4 Ante Jazic
7 Chris Klein...6 Kevin Harmse...8 Peter Vagenas...22 Kelly Gray
...................21 Alan Gordon...10 Landon Donavan (cpt)
Subs:...0 Steve Cronin (gk)...2 Mike Randolph (def)...9 Gavin Glinton (fwd)...14 Edson Buddle (fwd)...15 Quavas Kirk (def)...18 Kyle Martino (mid)...20 Carlos Pavon (fwd)
head coach Frank Yallop
Game officials:...referee Mauricio Navarro...referee's assistants Amato DeLuca and Hector Vergara...fourth official Steven DePiero...(blue shirts, black shorts and socks)
1st Half:...game starts 7:48pm...TFC defend north end on this hot but overcast evening.
1 min...TFC Dunivant cross from left has TFC Samuel head 10 yarder from right to goalie.
3 min...TFC Robinson cornerkick from left ahs charging TFC Marshall connect on header near 5 yards on left but can't quite turn ball and shot is wide right of goalkick.
5 min...TFC Lombardo chips goalie standing near edge of box and LA Harden charges back to kick ball off line.
6 min...TFC Robinson cornerkick from left has defender clear ball out of box to right.
7 min...TFC Lombardo puts 15 yard shot under goalie but he'd broken offside so play called back.
11 min...LA Gordon charg to through ball on left of box but defender slides to poke away.
12 min...LA Roberts charges to head away ball up middle in LA box.
15 min...LA Donavan injured near center circle.
16 min...TFC Dunivant cross from left end line has LA Roberts block with head.
17 min...LA YELLOW card...Roberts for knock on Dunivant.
17 min...TFC Robinson freekick from 30 yards has leaping TC Reda twist header from 10 yards just wide right of post.
19 min...TFC Dunivant long throw-in from left has LA Xavier head ball out of box.
21 min...LA Roberts leaps to head ball crossed into box from right preventing TFC Lombardo's cross from hitting TFC player.
23 min...LA YELLOW card...Gray for pull down on TFC Edu at LA 35 yards up middle.
24 min...TFC Brennan freekick blast off charging player wall and ball deflects high and wide left for cornerkick. The fans are chanting for Danny Dichio although he's not playing today. This in respect to the time of the game when he scored TFC's first ever goal.
25 min...TFC Robinson cornerkick from left is through box.
26 min...TFC Samuel dekes LA Xavier and his 7 yard shot from left is tipped wide by LA Roberts but goalkick given.
27 min...TFC Brennan blasts 20 yard partial clearance off defender for cornerkick.
27 min...TFC Robinson cornerkick from left through box and TFC player's cross back into box has defender clear.
28 min...TFC Lombardo gets forward ball knock and takes sliding 16 yard shot that's just wide left of post on roller.
30 min...TFC Robinson 35 yard freekick from right has defender pops header wide left.
30 min...TFC Robinson cornerkick from left is over players in box. LA goalie then catches 25 yard shot from right.
31 min...TFC YELLOW card...Robinson for hip check on LA Donavan at center line.
34 min...TFC Robinson cornerkick from right has TFC Brennan head ball across box from left and flying TFC Samuel get away header from 8 yards that's stopped by defender.
35 min...LA Jazic pushed over in right of TFC box but he only wins cornerkick.
35 min...LA player's cornerkick from left has defender clear. The player was nearly buried in streamers thrown by fans in the northwest corner .
38 min...TFC Dunivant pushes ball to TFC Pozniak whose 35 yard shot is well high and wide right of net.
43 min...TFC goalie catches cross from left 28 yards after LA possession for almost two minutes.
44 min...TFC Robinson 40 yard freekick from right has LA Xavier head away ball.
45 min...TFC Dunivant throw-in from left has LA Xavier head ball out of box.
46 min...LA player's 35 yard blast tipped up by defender for cornerkick.
46 min...half ends at 8:34pm with no time for cornerkick.
So far TFC has an advantage of 8-0 on the shot clock.
The halftime show had a contest with the winner being awarded an all expense trip to Los Angeles for TFC's road game in a few months. The winner was actually the slowest contestant to dribble a ball and kick it into the net and she had last choice of which turned-down disk to stand on.
2nd Half:...starts 8:50pm.
halftime LA sub:...Martino replaces Roberts.
46 min...TFC Edu pops header over net from 8 yards after throw-in and cross from the right.
47 min...LA Jazic rush on left and cross, TFC Brennan steers ball for freekick.
48 min...LA Donavan cornerkick from right has leaping LA Xavier head ball over net from 6 yards.
49 min...LA YELLOW card...Harmse for tripping TFC Pozniak injurying him at LA 28 yards.
51 min...TFC Robinson 28 yard freekick up middle has ball blocked in wall. TFC Robinson then passes left to TFC Brennan sho blasts 25 yarder from left that flying goalie pushes wide left.
51 min...TFC cornerkick from left is whistled down in box.
53 min...TFC Pozniak flicks ball twice on rush down left and low cross has LA Xavier concedes cornerkick.
55 min...TFC Samuel injured at TFC 40 yards.
56 min...LA Vagenas cross from left has charging goalie catch knee-high ball.
57 min...TFC Lombardo beats LA Jazic sliding tackle and on rush on right LA Xavier kicks away ball from box for throw-in.
59 min...TFC Brennan rush on left and cross has LA Xavier kneel and block cross in box.
60 min...TFC Samuel covered by LA Klein gets away 20 yard shot from right that's easily saved by goalie on right post.
63 min...LA sub...Pavon replaces Gordon.
66 min...TFC goalie charges out to beat LA Pavon to through ball.
67 min...LA Harmse 35 yard shot bounces to goalie then Harmse pulls up lame.
69 min...TFC Edu knocked over twice on edge of LA box but he has play called against him.
70 min...LA sub...Kirk replaces Harmse.
71 min...TFC Lombardo rush on left and gets away cross despite having jersey tugged but defender clears.
71 min...TFC Braz injured after check on LA Donavan to stop him near edge of TFC box.
72 min...LA YELLOW card...Jazic for knock over on TFC Samuel at LA 30 yards on right.
73 min...TFC Robinson 30 yard freekick from right is headed away by defender from box.
76 min...LA Donovan and TFC goalie crash together when TFC goalie slides out for foot save and Donovan lands on him.
78 min...TFC Edu rush up middle and tripped on edge of LA box.
79 min...TFC Brennan 20 yard freekick up middle is tipped wide right for cornerkick.
79 min...TFC Robinson cornerkick from right has deflection for another cornerkick from right.
80 min...TFC Robinson cornerkick from right has defender head deflection off line.
80 min...TFC sub...Welsh replaces TFC Samuel.
80 min...TFC Robinson 35 yard shot into LA box wide left for goalie to stop.
81 min...TFC YELLOW card...Edu for interference near center circle.
82 min...LA Martino pops header from 5 yards on left but he has no angle to score.
83 min...TFC Braz heads ball back to goalie to ease pressure.
84 min...TFC Welsh cornerkick from right has defender head ball out left side of box for throw-in.
84 min...LA goalie catches TFC throw-in from from left sideline.
86 min...TFC Welsh low cross from 10 yards on end line has defender clear.
88 min...TFC Robinson quick freekick pass from right 35 yards has charging TFC Welsh cross into right webbing of net.
89 min...TFC Edu rush in box gets ball back and ball knocked over end line for goalkick.
90 min...TFC Brennan 45 yard freekick down middle has LA defender head ball for throw-in on right.
90 min...TFC Marshall cross from right has defender chest ball down and clear.
91 min...TFC Welsh rush through middle and goalie makes point blank 8 yard sliding save to knock ball away.
92 min...game ends 9:37pm.
Final Score:..........Toronto FC........0..............Los Angeles Galaxy........0.............
Attendance was announced as 20522 which was another BMO Field record. This game was sold out months ago because people were expecting to see international signing David Beckham make his MLS regular season debut after his signing from Real Madrid in Spain. Beckham watched the game from the bench in street clothes after pulling out of the lineup two days sooner when his ankle injury was deemed not heeled enough to play. His prescence still made most of the headlines in the papers and websites the next day.
Officials had 'temporarily' installed seats in the north endzone to boost attendance by 500 fans. With every game a sellout, I don't see why they won't be making that arrangement permanent. The team didn't need Beckham to fill the stadium. Fans in the end zones brought more streamers than ever to throw at opposing players taking cornerkicks. Landon Donavan was the favourite target of their wrath with Beckham not playing.
Six regulars were missing from Toronto's starting lineup. [goalkeeper Greg Sutton (concussion), defenders Marvell Wynne (hamstring) and Andrew Boyens (concussion), midfielder Ronnie O'Brien (knee) and forwards Jeff Cunningham (abductor) and Danny Dichio (back, hip flexor)]. This left TFC starting the most Canadians ever with defenders Adam Braz and Marco Reda, joining regular midfielders Jim Brennan and Chris Pozniak and forward Andrea Lombardo. Newly signed goalie Kenny Stamatopoulos was the other Canadian and earned the shutout without having very much to do. The Galaxy started Canadian Ante Jazic and Kevin Harmse.
Aside from Beckham, the Galaxy were missing defenders Chris Albright (hamstring) and Kyle Veris (hip) and midfielder Cobi Jones (hip). Canadian international defender Ante Jazic and midfielder Kevin Harmse started for the visitors.
The story of this game was the dominance of Toronto FC. They had the domination of ball possession and shots on net but their goal drought continued. This was their fourth regular season game in a row without scoring. The team is devasted by injuries. I asked at the Fan Services gate and was reassured that the next day's Reserves game (Monday was the Simcoe Day holiday in Ontario) was cancelled. Both myself and the desk official realized Toronto FC had enough trouble finding enough players for tonight's game! Anyway this was a much more impressive effort than the home game stinker the Sunday before against Chicago Fire when they lost 3-0.
I had read about today's promotion being about TFC caps but only to the first 8000 fans. I was their early enough to see there might be only 4000 fans at that time and some were already wearing these baseball style caps. I went back to the gate I came through but there weren't any there. At another gate a policeman was pushing away a big box that fans then pried open and dug into the caps themselves. The security crew were more concerned with frisking every fan coming into the game. They patted down the fan in front of me who wasn't carrying anything. They searched my bag what holds my binocular case and notebook but didn't bother with the frisking (so they missed the big iron bar in my sock--OK kidding). Anyway I wasn't impressed and hope these guys don't work at the airport.
The Man of The Match (which is always a TFC player) was announced as Tyrone Marshall.
Los Angeles Galaxy (3-5-5) vs. Toronto FC (5-9-5) August 05, 2007 -- BMO Field Scoring Summary: Los Angeles Galaxy -- Joe Cannon, Troy Roberts (Kyle Martino 47), Ty Harden, Abel Xavier, Ante Jazic, Chris Klein, Landon Donovan, Kelly Gray, Peter Vagenas, Kevin Harmse (Quavas Kirk 70), Alan Gordon (Carlos Pavon 64), Substitutes Not Used: Edson Buddle, Steve Cronin, Gavin Glinton, Mike Randolph Toronto FC -- Kenny Stamatopoulos, Marco Reda, Adam Braz, Jim Brennan, Tyrone Marshall, Chris Pozniak, Maurice Edu, Carl Robinson, Todd Dunivant, Collin Samuel (Andy Welsh 81), Andrea Lombardo. Substitutes Not Used: Nana Attakora-Gyan, Gabe Gala, David Guzman, Joey Melo, David Monsalve, Cristian Nunez Toronto FC Los Angeles Galaxy total shots: 14 (Collin Samuel 4) 2 (Kevin Harmse 1, Abel Xavier 1) shots on goal: 5 (Collin Samuel 2) 1 (Kevin Harmse 1) fouls: 15 (Maurice Edu 4) 19 (Alan Gordon 4) offsides: 4 (Andrea Lombardo 3) 4 (Alan Gordon 2) corner kicks: 11 (Carl Robinson 10) 2 (Landon Donovan 2) saves: 1 (Kenny Stamatopoulos 1) 5 (Joe Cannon 5) Misconduct Summary: LA -- Kelly Gray (caution; Pushing, Holding) 24 TOR -- Carl Robinson (caution; Reckless Foul) 32 LA -- Kevin Harmse (caution; Reckless Foul) 50 LA -- Ante Jazic (caution; Tackle from Behind) 72 TOR -- Maurice Edu (caution; Dissent) 82 referee: Mauricio Navarro Referee's Assistants: Amato DeLuca; Hector Vergara 4th official: Steven DePiero time of game: 1:50 attendance: 20,522 weather: Cloudy -and- 75 degrees All statistics contained in this boxscore are unofficial
Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
hometown band The Barenaked Ladies sang a song they'd written for the team.
Barenaked Ladies singing the national anthems. (well better two pictures of them
than a blurry one of David Beckham in street clothes).
Streamers from the south end even through the game hadn't even started.
Galaxy starters
Toronto FC starters
confetti and smoke machine floods the south goal as the game starts.
Toronto FC players decide who will take this freekick in the second half.
late game action
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