April 3, 2008 MLS DC United vs Toronto FC pregame news (from MLSnet.com)
04/03/2008 6:49PM
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MLSnet.com Staff
D.C. UNITED vs. TORONTO FC
RFK MEMORIAL STADIUM, Washington, D.C.
April 5, 2008 | 7:30 p.m. ET (RogersSN)
WEEK # 2 | GAME # 10
Fresh off their Mexican adventure in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, D.C. United return to RFK Stadium for their home opener to face Toronto FC - with both teams looking to gain their first points of the new MLS season. Both clubs lost by 2-0 scorelines on the road to open the campaign, United falling in Kansas City and Toronto going down in Columbus. In TFC's inaugural campaign, D.C. took all three meetings between the teams.
REFEREE: Mark Geiger. SAR (bench): Craig Lowry; JAR (opposite): Peter Balciunas; 4th: Andrew Chapin MLS Career: 32 games; FC/gm: 31.9; Y/gm: 4.1; R: 5; pens: 13
Games involving United: P5 W2 L2 T1; FC/gm: 34.6; Y/gm: 4.8; R: 0; pens: 6
Games involving Toronto FC: P2 W0 L1 T1; FC/gm: 29.0; Y/gm: 4.5; R: 0; pens: 2
INJURY REPORT: D.C. UNITED - OUT: MF Ben Olsen (ankle surgery); QUESTIONABLE: FW Jaime Moreno (hamstring strain) ... TORONTO FC - QUESTIONABLE: DF Julius James (shoulder)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (3 meetings): United 3 wins, 7 goals ... Toronto FC 0 wins, 2 goals ... Ties 0
IN WASHINGTON (1 meeting): United 1 win, 4 goals ... Toronto FC 0 wins, 1 goal ... Ties 0
This is the first of three meetings between the teams this season, with all coming in the first two months of the season. They next meet in United's lone visit to BMO Field on May 21, then meet three days later back again on East Capitol Street.
LAST YEAR (MLS):
5/19: TOR 1, DC 2 (Eskandarian 44 - own goal 52; Moreno 79)
8/25: TOR 0, DC 1 (Fred 8)
9/29: DC 4, TOR 1 (Burch 52; Fred 57; Moreno 66; Emilio 70 - Robinson 14)
D.C. United won all three meetings between the teams in Toronto FC's inaugural campaign. United claimed victories in the first two matches, both in Toronto, before winning the final encounter in the lone match at RFK Stadium.
Coaches record: Tom Soehn v TOR: P3 W3 L0 D0 ... John Carver vs. CLB: first game
D.C. UNITED
For the second season in a row, D.C. United lost their season opener to the Kansas City Wizards, this time going down to a 2-0 defeat in the first game at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. United is tied for sixth place in the Eastern Conference with Toronto FC, the only teams in the division to fail to come away with a point on First Kick 2008.
LAST MATCH
The Wizards were beginning a new era in front of a sellout crowd at their new home, featuring an all-South American strike force of Claudio Lopez, Ivan Trujillo and Carlos Marinelli, taking on the Supporters' Shield winners from the past two seasons in D.C. United.
After a tame opening 45 minutes, the Wizards broke through just after the restart. A Michael Harrington cross from the left was knocked back into the center first-time by Jack Jewsbury, and Trujillo came sliding in ahead of the United defender to redirect the ball past Zach Wells.
Then in the 61st minute, just seconds after United had a goal ruled out for offside, Lopez doubled the Wizards' advantage. A long ball from Ryan Pore in midfield found the Argentinean World Cup star running in behind the United defense. As Wells came off his line, Lopez flicked the ball high over the goalkeeper and into the net.
With some eyes ahead to their midweek CONCACAF Champions' Cup semifinal, Domenic Mediate was given the start in midfield and Franco Niell in attack alongside Luciano Emilio.
Here's Soehn's team (4-3-1-2): Zach Wells - Bryan Namoff, Gonzalo Martinez, Gonzalo Peralta, Marc Burch (Fred 57) - Devon McTavish, Clyde Simms, Domenic Mediate (Dan Stratford 82) - Marcelo Gallardo - Luciano Emilio, Franco Niell (Santino Quaranta 57). Substitutes Not Used: Jose Carvallo, Quavas Kirk, Jaime Moreno, Pat Carroll
"Unfortunately we (had) to go that route because we have a big game Tuesday," Soehn said. "That's the nature of the business; you have to try to manage some guys."
TEAM NEWS
On Tuesday night in Pachuca, Mexico, substitute Luis Montes scored two second-half goals to give the home side a 2-0 victory in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions' Cup semifinal. Early in the second half, Montes gathered the ball well out on the left flank and hit a knuckling shot that beat United 'keeper Zach Wells inside the near post. He then scored the vital second goal, heading home a free kick from close range after first winning the foul at the left corner of United's penalty area.
Here's Soehn's team: Zach Wells, Bryan Namoff, Gonzalo Peralta, Gonzalo Martνnez, Marc Burch, Devon McTavish (Domenic Mediate 82), Clyde Simms, Marcelo Gallardo (Rod Dyachenko 79), Fred, Franco Niell (Santino Quaranta 46), Luciano Emilio.
It was the first time in their last four tournaments, facing Mexican opposition, that United began a tie with the first leg on the road. In the Champions' Cup semifinals in 2005, United and Pumas UNAM played to a 1-1 first-leg draw in Washington, before Pumas won 5-0 in the second. In 2007 at the same stage, United and Chivas played to a 1-1 draw at RFK before Chivas won 2-1 on their home turf. Then later last season, in the Copa Sudamericana, United claimed a 2-1 victory at home before Chivas won 1-0 in Guadalajara to advance in the round-of-16.
United have now allowed two goals in each of their last two games as they work to get on the same defensively. "We're all learning to play with each other and it's going to take a little bit of time," said Wells. "We're just got to stay organized defensively, make sure that teams are earning their goals and that we're capitalizing on our chances at the other end."
Added Marc Burch about the Wizards attack: "They had a couple of good minutes where they had a little bit of possession and chipped two balls in. I don't think there are any problems; nothing we can't solve. I think we looked good as a unit. They didn't have anything in the first half, and they had two chances in the second half."
In addition, United are still trying to find their way offensively. The Black-and-Red struggled in the opening 45 minutes in Kansas City before improving in the second half; they went more than 75 minutes without a shot on goal in Pachuca.
"We tried to get wide more, getting more balls to the outside," Quaranta said after the K.C. game. "I thought in the first half we were trying to put too many balls down the middle. We weren't keeping the ball enough."
TORONTO FC
Toronto FC opened their second season with a loss, falling 2-0 to the Columbus Crew at Crew Stadium in the first game of the 2008 Major League Soccer season. Toronto FC are tied for sixth place in the Eastern Conference with D.C. United, one of two teams winless in the division on First Kick.
LAST MATCH
The Crew and Toronto FC were meeting in the first game of the MLS season for the Trillium Cup, which will be presented to the winner of the season series between the clubs.
The honor of scoring the first goal of the new season fell to Columbus midfielder Adam Moffat in the 26th minute. Brian Carroll lofted a ball over the TFC backline, and Moffat ran onto it, taking a touch before letting fly from well outside the area. His bounding shot beat Toronto 'keeper Brian Edwards low inside his right-hand post.
Just before the break, Danny O'Rourke was adjudged to have knocked over Jeff Cunningham in the Crew penalty area. But Crew 'keeper Will Hesmer got down to his left to stop Collin Samuel's penalty area, and Moffat was quickest to the rebound as it sat in the goal area, lumping it away to safety.
The Crew finished off the match in the 76th minute. Eddie Gaven's perfect through ball from midfield found Alejandro Moreno in behind the TFC line, and the Venezuelan strolled in before calmly slotting his shot past Edwards to the 'keeper's left.
TFC head coach John Carver ran out a team that looked much as expected from preseason contests - with the exception of rookie Brian Edwards starting in goal. Puerto Rican international Marco Velez was given the start in central defense with Julius James out injured.
Here's Carver's team (4-4-2): Brian Edwards - Marvell Wynne, Marco Velez, Tyrone Marshall, Jim Brennan - Tyler Hemming (Kevin Harmse 65),Carl Robinson, Maurice Edu, Todd Dunivant (Danny Dichio 65) - Collin Samuel, Jeff Cunningham. Substitutes Not Used: Andrew Boyens, Andrea Lombardo, Pat Phelan, Jarrod Smith, Greg Sutton
"It was disappointing. You always want to get off to a good start. I talked in my pre-match notes about wanting to come away with something. We've got a couple games coming up and we've got no points to start with, but I won't let it get me down," Carver said.
TEAM NEWS
Toronto and Columbus ended the match with 13 attempts at goal each, but the Crew put seven on target to three for the Reds. "I think there are a lot of positives," said Carver. "I think we created about 13 chances. The only important thing was that we didn't make the goalkeeper work hard enough."
Despite giving up the opening goal, TFC had a golden opportunity to pull level just before the half with the penalty kick. Even after it was saved, Carver was pleased with how his team responded after the break, still a goal down.
"The second half we came out on the front foot," said Carver. "We took the game to them -- I think we camped in their half -- and created some really good chances. We just didn't put the ball in the back of the net and ended up getting caught with a sucker punch on the counter attack."
Added Jim Brennan: "We looked organized, we moved the ball around a lot," said Brennan. "It opened up some opportunities for us. I thought we created chances. That's a positive that we're going to take out of it and take it to the next game."
"It won't get me down. I said to the players in the dressing room, 'don't be disappointed, go back to work on Monday,'" Carver said. "We are really close to one or two things happening to improve this squad. I don't have to stand here like a rocket scientist and tell you what we need because I think it's obvious. We need creative players that can put the ball in the back of the net."
After the break, the Reds nearly got their first goal of the new year when a Brennan shot off a corner kick was parried by Crew 'keeper Hesmer - then cleared off the line by Robbie Rogers.
"We work very hard to get those opportunities. It just seems we did the difficult part, but putting it in the back of the net is some just something that's been right out of our reach," said Marvell Wynne. " ... It was good play, especially in the second half. We created opportunities. We had decent possession. We went out for it. Good play, good movement. I think that will all combine to be a solid soccer team that scores goals and win games."
Brian Edwards, the club's second-round pick in the 2008 SuperDraft, was given the start in his professional debut. "It was the hardest decision I had to make about the team [starting Edwards ahead of Greg Sutton]," Carver said. "I thought he did quite well." Said Edwards: "I think I did all right, I definitely learned a lot from it," he said. "It's everything you dream of, your first pro start in a game like this. I'll definitely take a lot from it and move onto next week."
As well, Carver kept striker Danny Dichio on the bench for the opener, bringing on the big striker with 25 minutes to go. "Danny's got a big part to play for this club," he said. "I went with (Cunningham and Samuel) because I thought their pace might cause one or two problems, and at times it did."
Unfortunately, the nearly 2,400 TFC faithful that came down from Canada for the first match were sent back home on their 8-hour journey without a victory to celebrate. "Absolutely incredible. I'd heard all the rumors about the fans. I'd seen it on TV myself," Carver said. "That didn't surprise me. I'm just disappointed we couldn't give them something better to go home with."
On Wednesday, TFC announced the signing of French midfielder Laurent Robert, who was last with Derby County of the English Premier League. The 32-year-old played with Montpellier and Paris Saint-Germain in his homeland before moving to Newcastle United in a £9.5 million deal in 2001, where he played four seasons. He appeared a total of nine times for France, scoring once in France's 4-0 win over Turkey on Nov. 15, 2000.
"The team is going to evolve over the next month or so because we're looking to bring players in and improve," said Carver to The (Toronto) Sun. "We're trying to bring the standard up: as you saw there were two big names not involved (against Columbus). But, who's to say they won't be in the next game. I'm going to think about it, reassess it."
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