March 11, 2009 DC United vs Toronto FC (from Toronto FC Media Relations)
03/11/2009 7:35PM
Barrett and De Ro score in win
TFC beat D.C. United 2-1 in South Carolina
Toronto FC Media Relations
Toronto FC recorded their second win at the Carolina Challenge Cup by beating D.C. United 2-1 at Blackbaud Stadium on Wednesday. Chad Barrett and Dwayne De Rosario scored first half goals for Toronto as the Reds moved onto six points in the tournament standings.
TFC dominated the first half and had a number of early chances to score, including a Dwayne De Rosario shot from an Amado Guevara free kick after Chad Barrett had been hauled down on the edge of the penalty area.
The Reds fans didn't have to wait long to see their side go in front. Toronto took the lead in the 21st minute when Barrett headed in from a pinpoint cross by De Rosario on the right wing. Barrett almost doubled the lead soon after with a thunderous volley that was saved by D.C. United goalkeeper Milos Kocic.
The Reds scored a second goal in the 35th minute when Amado Guevara was fouled in the penalty area by Dejan Jakovic. De Rosario scored from the spot for his second goal of the tournament. Toronto had to settle for a 2-0 lead at half time but if could have been more. Kocic kept out a strike by Barrett after good work by Vitti, and Vitti was again the supplier with a good feed for Ricketts who shot wide unchallenged from close range.
In stoppage time Reds goalkeeper Greg Sutton made a good stop on Luciano Emilio to ensure the two goal advantage was maintained, but United pulled a goal back shortly after the break when Thabiso Khumalo set up Chris Pontius to make it 2-1. The goal sparked D.C. info life and they had the better of the possession in the opening stages of the second half. Emilio almost tied the game from close range but he was again denied by Sutton.
The Reds introduced trialist Souleymane Mamam with 14 minutes remaining. The Togo international midfielder has been training with the team in Charleston this week. Fuad Ibrahim and Danny Dichio also came into the game. The substitutions seemed to slow the pace and Toronto were able to take control of the possession again. D.C. United almost made it 2-2 in stoppage time with Francis Doe finding space in the penalty area but he fired a shot against the bar.
Toronto FC close the tournament with a game against Real Salt Lake on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast live online on Toronto FC TV.
Scoring summary: TFC 2: Barrett 21, De Rosario (pen) 35 D.C. United 1: Pontius 48 TFC line up: Sutton, Wynne, Serioux, Harmse, Brennan, De Rosario, Guevara, Cronin, Ricketts (Mamam 76), Barrett (Dichio 78), Vitti (Ibrahim 72) D.C. United: Kocic, Mediate (Birch 46), Janicki, Jakovic, Wallace, Olsen (N'Silu 46), Simms (Jacobson 46), Gomez (Khumalo 46), Pontius, Moreno (McTavish 46), Emilio (Doe 62)
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