May 13, 2009 MLS Toronto FC vs Montreal Impact (by Rocket Robin)

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Result of the Wednesday May 13th, 2009 Nutrilife Canadian Championship game between Toronto FC and Montreal Impact played at BMO Field in Toronto at 8:00pm.

Toronto FC (all red, white names and numbers)

.................................24 Stefan Frei
3 Nana Attakora-Gyan...15 Adrian Serioux...4 Marco Velez...11 Jim Brennan (cpt)
16 Marvell Wynne...2 Sam Cronin...33 Carl Robinson...20 Amado Guevara
.................8 Pablo Vitti...14 Dwayne DeRoario

Subs:...1 Greg Sutton (gk)...5 Kevin Harmse (mid)...7 Fuad Ibrahim (fwd)...10 Rohan Ricketts (mid)...13 Johann Smith (mid)...Chad Barrett (fwd)
32 Emmanuel Gomez (def)
team officials:...head coach Chris Cummins

Montreal Impact (all white, blue names and numbers)

.......................1 Matt Jordan
3 Adam Braz...26 Cedric Joqueviel...5 Nevio Pizzolitto (cpt)...25 Zan Zan Atte-Oudeyi
............8 Sandro Grande...7 David Testo...2 Kevin Sakuda
...........10 Roberto Brown...17 Joey Gjertsen...9 Rocco Placentino

Subs:...22 Srdjan Djekanovic (gk)...12 Eduardo Sebrango (fwd)...14 Tony Donatelli (mid)...21 Felix Brillant (mid)...23 Stephen deRoux (def)...24 Simon Gatti (def)...28 Peter Byers (fwd)
team officials:...head coach John Limniatis

Game officials:...referee Maricio Navarro...referee's assistants Joe Fletcher and Dan Briere...fourth official Carol Anne Chenard...(yellow shirts, black shorts and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 8:07pm...TFC defend south end on this mild but overcast night. There's been a pregam rain.
2 min...TFC Guevara 40 yard freekick from left has defender in box head ball away.
2 min...TFC Attakora-Gyan cross from 30 yards on right and TFC DeRosario at 20 yards in middle turns and kicks shot that's caught by goalie.
3 min...TFC DeRosario 35 yard blast from left is wide right of net.
5 min...TFC Vitti short pass from 30 yards up middle and TFC Cronin weak shot is low and wide right.
8 min...Imp Joqueviel crosses to center to prevent TFC Cronin getting to ball on right edge of box. TFC DeRosario is waiting on left side of box and his quick 20 yard blast from left is into outside webbing of net.
9 min...Imp Brown at 20 yards on run pops ball over to Imp Testo who blasts 18 yarder well over net.
10 min...TFC DeRosario cross from left wins cornerkick on deflection.
11 min...TFC Guevara cornerkick from left is short and crossed into box but cleared.
12 min...TFC Guevara 30 yard freekick from right curls directly to goalie on left post.
12 min...TFC Vitti wins freekick on left edge of Imp box.
13 min...TFC Guevara chips tapped freekick from left over players in box and ball is cleared. TFC Wynne cramps up in the center circle and leaves the field for treatment.
15 min...Imp Gjertson can't turn ball on heading attempt on left post on cross through TFC box.
15 min...TFC sub...Barrett replaces injured Wynne.
15 min...TFC Vitti 18 yard blast on tap over is caught by goalie.
16 min...TFC goalie beats Imp Testo to deflected ball in box.
18 min...TFC Vitti good dribbling but passes to defender on edge of box.
19 min...TFC Guevara high freekick from 35 yards on right has TFC player pop 10 yard header on left onto top of net.
20 min...TFC Cronin 25 yard blast from left hits right goalpost.
21 min...Imp YELLOW card...Testo earns it for tackle on TFC Guevara at TFC 45 yard line.
22 min...TFC Barrett rolls 25 yard ball up middle through players directly to goalie.
26 min...TFC DeRosario 30 yard blast from left just misses top right corner of net.
27 min...TFC Cronin cross from 25 yards on right has TFC Vitti pop up 15 yard ball that's caught by goalie.
28 min...Imp Placentino gets pass on left and drills 20 yard shot just under bar over goalie but play was called back on a delayed offside call.
29 min...TFC DeRosario stopped by sliding Imp Joqueviel along left end line and a goalkick is awarded.
31 min...Imp Gjertson curves cross in from 20 yards on right but ball is through players and wide right of net.
32 min...A light drizzle starts to fall.
32 min...TFC DeRosario recovers TFC Cronin's 8 yard blocked shot and blasts 15 yard shot from left well wide right.
34 min...TFC Chad Barrett GOAL...TFC Marco Velez at 35 yards in middle passes left to TFC Jim Brennan and he crosses from 30 yards back to center for Barrett who gets cross from 20 yards on left, tips up ball and turns and his blast down middle from 16 yards is into top right corner of net over leaping goalie Matt Jordan.
36 min...Imp Grande 45 yard freekick from left has ball cleared from box.
37 min...TFC Guevara 50 yard high cross from right is over head of charging TFC Barrett.
39 min...Imp Pizzolitto makes sliding tackle to poke ball away from TFC Guevara after he receives pass just inside Imp box.
40 min...TFC Vitti dives in Imp box but can't draw penalty kick.
40 min...TFC DeRosario overhead kick backwards along Imp right end line is unplayed.
42 min...TFC DeRoario run down left sideline and pass is off to TFC Guevara whose 30 yard shot from left is caught by diving goalie.
43 min...TFC Barrett jostled on run breakaway and shoots 20 yarder wide left wins freekick on edge of box.
45 min...Imp YELLOW card...Pizzolitto earns a card for jostling during a freekick.
45 min...TFC Brennan 18 yard freekick from right (takes a long time and pushing in line breaks out). The ball is tapped over by TFC Guevara and TFC DeRosario fakes kick. TFC Brennan low blast hits player and dribbles for goalie to smother.
47 min...half ends 8:54pm.

Halftime entertainment: There is no fan contest but the Brams United U-14 girls are saluted by retailer Lowe's.

2nd Half:...starts 9:10pm...there is no rain.
46 min...TFC Cronin taps pass for TFC Vitti to rolls 18 yard shot on right side left post post.
48 min...TFC Guevara pass over on edge of box to right where TFC Barrett blasts 15 yard shot that goalie flies over to deflect up and for TFC DeRosario but although he displays good dribbling to the corner flag, he can't get away a shot.
49 min...TFC Barrett gets ball up right side but he pushes it over end line.
50 min...Imp Braz chests cross from right back to goalie.
50 min...Imp Braz gives up cornerkick popping up header in front of TFC DeRosario.
51 min...TFC Guevara cross from left after set up by TFC DeRosario has TFC Velez head ball down on right side from 3 yards but ball goes out for a goalkick after hitting right goal post.
54 min...Imp goalie charges out to catch bouncer in front of TFC Attakora-Gyan.
57 min...Imp Placentino misses scissor kick in TFC box from 15 yards.
59 min...TFC DeRosario rolls pass from left from 25 yards into box where goalie beats TFC Barrett to dive on ball.
60 min...TFC Brennan hurt on edge of Imp box but referee orders to play to continue.
61 min...TFC DeRosario called for handball on taking pass up the middle.
62 min...Imp sub...Sebrango replaces Sakuda.
63 min...Imp Testo 40 yard low cross from left is wide right for goal kick.
64 min...Imp Grande 45 yard freekick from left has goalie catch ball high on right post.
65 min...TFC DeRosario rolls cross from 22 yards from left that TFC Guevara messes up heeling it backwards.
65 min...Imp Gjertsen 30 yard blast down middle is caught by goalie.
67 min...Imp Grande 50 yard freekick from left has TFC Velez head over end line for cornerkick.
68 min...Imp Placentino cornerkick from right has TFC Serioux get fooot to ball for another cornerkick. He almost put the ball into his own net.
68 min...Imp Placentino cornerkick from right is low and cleared in box.
68 min...TFC YELLOW card...Velez earns card for something.
69 min...Imp Joqueviel slides to break up rush to edge of Imp box.
69 min...Imp RED card...David Testo for tackle at Imp 30 yard injurying TFC Cronin. Cronin waves off the stretcher.
71 min...TFC Guevara 30 yard freekick from left chipped up and bounces to goalie on left post.
71 min...Imp sub...Brillant replaces Gjertsen.
73 min...TFC sub...Harmse replaces DeRosario.
74 min...TFC Guevara 25 yard freekick from left is curled directly to goalie on right post.
74 min...Imp sub...Gatti replaces Brown.
76 min...Imp Sebrango chips ball over players on run across TFC box.
76 min...TFC Barrett rush down right and taps over pass to TFC Guevara who slides and shoots 10 yarder that goalie pushes ball wide left of post.
77 min...TFC Guevara cornerkick from left that nearest defender kicks for another cornerkick.
77 min...TFC Guevara cornerkick is short from left and no shot is gotten away once ball sent into box.
78 min...TFC Barrett charging on left shooots roller from 15 yard just wide right of post.
81 min...TFC Barrett beats offside trap and runs in to diving goalie who pokes away ball. Barrett recovers and turns back and passes to TFC Vitti who can't get away a clear shot on edge of the box and pushes it wide left of goal because of pressure from Imp Atte-Oudeyi.
82 min...TFC Robinson 30 yard shot through crowd of players is caught by goalie.
84 min...Imp Grande 22 yard freekick from right is just over heads of players on left post.
85 min...TFC Guevara pass over to TFC Harmse who can't get away shot and dribble over left end line.
87 min...TFC sub...Ibrahim replaces Guevara.
88 min...TFC goalie catches 50 yard high cross from left.
89 min...TFC Barrett on break has Imp Atte-Oudeyi tips ball away as he catches him for cornerkick on left.
90 min...TFC Ibrahim and TFC Vitti work out cornerkick from left but defender breaks up play.
93 min...TFC Brennan heads ball back to goalie from edge of box.
94 min...game ends 9:59pm.

Final Score:.......Toronto FC.......1..........Montreal Impact..........0...........

Attendance was announced as 19872. The walk up crowd may have been scared off by the threat of rain. A light rain started at 32 minutes but it was over by the end of the first half. It wasn't stong enough to ruin my notes. This game was not broadcast on television because of RSO network commitments to the Blue Jays vs Yankees baseball game. I would have expected that GOL TV would have been able to broadcast this game on a few week's notice. Except for exhibition friendlies over the years, this is the first home or road TFC game not broadcast.

Impact had no cornerkicks in the first half so nothing was thrown at them. TFC outshot the Impact 10-1 in the first half. Impact played from the 69 minutes on with ten men as David Testo picked up his second Yellow (first at 21 minutes). That made the Impact comeback attempt even more difficult. Because TFC couldn't put the game away earlier, it left the game in doubt until the end even through they continued to dominate in possession and shots on goal. Impact's last chance was a 22 yard freekick at 84 minutes but the shot from Sandro Grande was over the heads of players waiting on the left post.

Marvell Wynne was given the start but as a midfielder rather than defender so it gave Nana Attakora-Gyan another start. Chad Barrett was left on the bench as a forward but he came on as an early 15 minute sub for the injured Wynne. Goalie Stefan Frei only had to make one save this game. Impact almost took the lead at 28 minutes but Rocco Placentino's goal was called back on an offside call.

TFC again only can score one goal at home for each game they've played at BMO Field this year except for the opener against Seattle Sounders when they coudn't score at all.

By the next day the world found out Impact head coach John Limniatis was fired and replaced by assistant coach Marc Dos Santos. Limniatis will continue with other duties with their organization. The Impact had a no wins, three losses, one tie in four USL league games this year. I have watched Dos Santos coach the CSL Trois-Rivieres Attak (the Impact farm team) over the years and he should be a good choice.

The Nutrilife Players of the Game were named as TFC's Pablo Vitti who once again couldn't score his first goal of the season and midfielder Sandro Grande from the Impact.

TFC could be the winner's of the Nutrilife Canadian Championship before they even play their next game. Vancouver and Montreal, both with 0-1-0 records, play two games before either of them meet TFC (2-0-0) again and two ties between them would eliminate the both of them.

Next up for TFC is a league home game on Saturday afternoon against Chicago Fire who are dueling with them for first place in the East.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

additional stats:
 		MON 		TOR 
Shots 		3 		16 
Saves 		7 		1 
Fouls 		10 		10 
Off-sides 	2 		5 
Corners 	2 		7

A pregame picture with me and the game officials. They invited me down from my 6th row seat.
The usherette who took the pictures must have hit some button that turned all the photos blue but I didn't know at the time.

TFC starters

Impact starters

Impact goalie Matt Jordan makes a save.

Impact's Sandro Grande lines up a freekick.

TFC players in Impact end.

Post game handshakes.

back to Toronto FC menu

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