May 26, 2012 MLS--Toronto FC vs Philadelphia Union (by Rocket Robin)

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Result of the Saturday May 26th, 2012 MLS game between Toronto FC and Philadelphia Union played at BMO Field in Toronto at 4:30pm.

Toronto FC (all red, white names and numbers, black shoulders and sleeves)

........................30 Milos Kocic
25 Jeremy Hall...12 Adrian Cann...4 Doneil Henry...5 Ashtone Morgan
.........6 Julian de Guzman...22 Torsten Frings (cpt)...7 Joao Plata
........19 Reggie Lambe...11 Luis Silva...9 Ryan Johnson

Subs:...40 Quillan Roberts (gk)...14 Danny Koevermans (fwd)...18 Nick Soolsma (fwd)...20 Ty Harden (def)...23 Terry Dunfield (mid) ...27 Richard Eckersley (def)...33 Junior Burgos (mid)
team officials:...head coach Aron Winter

Philadelphia Union (all navy, white names and numbers, one thick gold stripe on chest)

.......................1 Chris Konopka
28 Raymon Gaddis...25 Sheanon Williams...2 Carlos Valdes (cpt)...15 Gabriel Farfan
..........21 Michael Farfan...38 Kai Herdling...7 Brian Carroll
..........11 Freddy Adu...10 Danny Mwanga...23 Lionard Pajoy

Subs:...88 Brian Rowe (gk)...5 Greg Jordan (mid)...13 Michael Lahoud (def)...14 Amobi Okugo (mid)...17 Josue Martinez (fwd) 29 Antoine Hoppenot (fwd)...31 Cristian Hernandez (fwd)
team officials:...head coach Peter Nowak

Game officials:...referee Juan Guzman...referee's assistants Brian Poeschel and Steven Taylor...fourth official Daniel Fitzgerald... (gray shirts, black shorts and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 4:38pm...TFC defend south end on this hot, hazy late afternoon.
5 min...TFC Henry 45 yard shot down middle over crowd of players and wide right of net.
5 min...PU Gaddis cross from 35 yards on right drifts behind net.
7 min...TFC Lambe rush down right and 15 yard shot has goalie stop and TFC Lambe gets rebound on end line at 8 yards and crosses through the 6 yard box wide left for PU throw-in. TFC Plata was injured at center line with high kick to head that set off quick freekick.
9 min...TFC Lambe sends short pass from 30 yards on right to TFC Johnson who rolls 20 yard shot from left wide right of net.
10 min...PU YELLOW card...Gaddis earns it for pushing over TFC Plata at PU 15 yard wide left of box.
11 min...TFC Frings 22 yard freekick from left has ball punched out of box by goalie at 5 yards and TFC de Guzman blasts 30 yarder down middle well over net.
12 min...TFC Johnson sends low cross into box from 25 yards on left while on run down sliding defender PU Valdes at 8 yards concedes cornerkick.
12 min...TFC Plata cornerkick from left has defender punch ball up and behind net.
13 min...TFC Lambe cornerkick from right is through box. TFC Johnson stops and shoots 7 yarder on left wide right of net.
17 min...PU Gabriel Farfan cross from 20 yards near left end line has TFC Cann head ball out of box. PU Michael Farfan shoots 25 yarder wide right.
22 min...TFC Plata cornerkick from left is over players in box and bounces wide right for goalkick.
23 min...PU Adu cornerkick from right has PU Valdes head ball from 15 yards and goalie catches in crowd of players at 5 yards.
24 min...TFC Lambe cross from 25 yards on right has leaping defender at 12 yards beat TFC Johnson to head ball behind end line.
25 min...TFC Frings cornerkick from right has goalie catch in crowd of players drifting left in box.
26 min...TFC goalie punt bounces to PU goalie down middle.
27 min...TFC Frings 30 yard cross from right has TFC Johnson and TFC Plata not able to get to it and goalie runs forward to catch on bounce at 12 yards on left side of box.
28 min...PU YELLOW card...Pajoy earns it for injurying TFC Plata at PU 50 yards.
29 min...TFC YELLOW card...Morgan earns it for trip at center line on rushing PU Herdling.
30 min...PU Gabriel Farfan cross from 22 yards on left is blocked by slide by TFC Cann at 12 yards in box and ball is cleared.
31 min...PU Gaddis cross from 30 yards on right has ball deflect off TFC Morgan at 25 yards for cornerkick.
32 min...PU Adu cornerkick from right has TFC Hall in center at 12 yards head ball out of box.
33 min...PU Gaddis cross from 25 yards on right has TFC Hall at 8 yards head ball out of box.
35 min...TFC Morgan cross from 25 yards near left end line has PU defender head ball out of box from 8 yards and TFC Silva receives short pass and shoots from 22 yards on right that has goalie push ball wide left and defender clears from box.
36 min...PU sub...Lahoud replaces Gaddis.
37 min...TFC Morgan low cross from 25 yards near left cornerflag has defender clear from 5 yards.
38 min...TFC Frings 45 yard freekick from left is over players and wide right of net for goalkick.
39 min...TFC Frings 15 yard push of ball on left that's cleared by defender at 5 yards.
39 min...TFC Johnson slips with ball and passes to TFC Plata but intercepted.
42 min...TFC YELLOW card...de Guzman earns it for tackle on PU Lahoud at TFC 40 yard line.
43 min...PU Michael Farfan 45 yard freekick from right has TFC Silva head away on just inside box. TFC players then head away two crosses back into box.
44 min...TFC Frings 50 yard freekick from 50 yards has TFC Cann head ball wide right from 8 yards.
46 min...half ends 5:24pm.

Halftime entertainment:...there is a Timbits mini game between players of the North Toronto Soccer Club. The game only last two and a half minutes. Rachel the TFC intern spoke with the band members of 'Walk Off The Earth' about recording their new album and their cover of the Goyte song 'Somebody That I Used To Know' which had the five of them playing the same guitar at the same time. The field was watered at halftime by the sprinkler system.

2nd Half:...starts 5:39pm. The weather has stayed the same.
46 min...PU Herdling blasts roller up middle from 35 yards is just wide left of net.
47 min...TFC Frings chips 45 yard freekick that TFC Johnson pops up header and TFC Henry called for offside.
48 min...TFC Frings nose is injured at center line in crash into PU Gabriel Farfan.
49 min...PU Michael Farfan long 40 yard blast up middle hits bar and stays in play but hand ball is called when ball bounces back to 22 yards.
50 min...TFC goalie clears ball off PU Mwanga and ball deflects back from 20 yards wide right for goalkick.
50 min...PU goalie grabs through ball at 12 yards on left ahead of TFC Johnson.
52 min...TFC Hall long throw-in from right is headed away by defender in box.
52 min...PU Adu cross from 35 yards on left is high and wide right for throw-in.
53 min...TFC sub...Eckersley replaces Lambe.
54 min...TFC de Guzman is touched back a pass from TFC Johnson and his 22 yard shot is over the net.
55 min...PU Herdling 40 yard freekick from left bounces to goalie.
56 min...TFC Frings is checked off pass on right on edge of box.
58 min...PU Lahoud and PU Herdling work up play on right side but sliding TFC Henry in box gives up cornerkick.
58 min...PU Adu cornerkick from right has TFC Henry partially clear on header and PU Gabriel Farfan chip 20 yarder down middle that goalie catches.
59 min...PU Herdling 28 yard freekick from left has PU player deflect wide right with foot at 3 yards on short side for goalkick.
61 min...TFC Morgan 35 yard cross on left deflects off PU Lahoud at 28 yards for cornerkick.
61 min...TFC sub...Koevermans replaces Plata.
62 min...TFC Frings cornerkick from left has goalie fumble ball and TFC de Guzman 16 yard shot deflected over net by goalie getting hands to it.
62 min...TFC Frings cornerkick from left has TFC Henry head 8 yarder that diving goalie catches on right post.
64 min...PU sub...Hoppenot replaces Herdling.
64 min...TFC Silva taps 15 yard shot as he falls around defender and goalie stops.
65 min...TFC Eckersley low cross from 25 yards wins cornerkick when PU Valdes deflects ball.
65 min...TFC Frings cornerkick has defender head ball out of box.
66 min...TFC Frings low cross from 25 yards on right has sliding defender knock ball wide right at 5 yards for another cornerkick.
66 min...TFC Frings cornerkick from right rolled out and has TFC Eckersley at 22 yards on right blast shot off PU Gabriel Farfan and deflect for cornerkick.
67 min...TFC Frings cornerkick from right has TFC Silva head ball over net from 12 yards on leap.
68 min...PU goalie falls on ball into box at 15 yards while PU Williams blocks TFC player.
69 min...PU Hoppenot 30 yard cross from right is behind net.
69 min...TFC sub...Soolsma replaces Silva.
72 min...TFC Frings pushes ball forward on right and TFC Johnson at 12 yards on right takes half shot/cross that deflects off defender from at 8 yards and roll for goalie to save.
73 min...PU Michael Farfan can't get away shot on right when PU Gabriel Farfan crosses over box from left.
74 min...PU Pajoy on right crosses over to left and PU player blasts low 12 yard shot that deflects off defender and goalie makes stop on slide at 3 yards and TFC Eckersley clears ball from box.
75 min...PU Adu cornerkick from left has TFC Henry pop up header. PU Valdes chips rebound from 18 yards on left across box and TFC Hall makes clearance with a header at 8 yards.
76 min...PU Pajoy 25 yard freekick down middle hits TFC de Guzman's head in player wall. PU Pajoy rebound is blasted high and wide right of net.
77 min...TFC Eckersley cross from 25 yards on right has defender shoulder ball down and clear from box.
78 min...PU Michael Farfan and PU Hoppenot crash at TFC 40 yards. Michael Farfan is treated off field for head injury.
80 min...TFC Hall long throw-in from 30 yards on left has ball bounce by sliding PU Carroll and charging TFC Frings on right has low 8 yard shot stopped by sprawling goalie.
82 min...PU sub...Martinez replaces Mwanga (the fourth official is now using the old style signs).
82 min...PU player's cornerkick from right is over players in box and TFC Cann twists header away from 10 yards. PU Carroll 28 yard shot is wide left of net.
84 min...TFC Frings 40 yard freekick from left is cleared by defenders.
84 min...TFC de Guzman cross from 30 yards on right has goalie leap and grab ball at 5 yards on left.
85 min...PU Gabriel Farfan crosses 12 yarder from left into outside webbing of net.
87 min...TFC Danny Koevermanns GOAL...PU Michael Lahoud whiffs on clearance attempt on edge of box on left and TFC Nick Soolsma bumps into him on left and both players go down. Soolsma gets up first and runs to left end line cuts roller around Lahoud from 7 yards and has Koevermans touch ball from 3 yards that sprawling goalie Chris Konopka saves but ball deflects up and Koevermans shoots 3 yarder into right side of open net.
88 min...PU player 30 yard freekick from right has goalie leap at 8 yards on left to punch ball out of box.
89 min...PU Michael Farfan 20 yard shot from left is over net.
90 min...TFC Johnson is pushed over in PU box and can't get away shot from 10 yards when TFC Soolsman rolled him a cross from 20 yards on right.
91 min...TFC goalie leaps over PU forward at 10 yards to catch cross from 25 yards on right.
91 min...TFC goalie leaps to catch cross from 30 yards on right sideline.
92 min...PU Michael Farfan 40 yard shot down middle is just over bar.
94 min...game ends 6:28pm.

Final Score:.....Toronto FC......1..........Philadelphia Union...........0........

Attendance was announced as 18227. The weather was perfect to watch this game--maybe not so nice to play in because it was hot and hazy.

This was the first victory of the MLS season for Toronto FC after nine straight losses. They have done quite well in other competitions this year in the CONCACAF Club Championships making it to the semi-finals and winning the AMWAY Canadian Championship for the fourth year in a row including earlier this week in a series against Vancouver Whitecaps.

Man of the Match (which is always a TFC player) was announced as defender Doneil Henry.

The Union were the team to beat as they had the second worst record in the league with 2 wins, 6 losses, 2 ties coming into today's game. Their visit to Toronto last year they beat TFC 6-2 for the worst loss in TFC history.

TFC should have put this game away a lot earlier and it wouldn't have had to be such a nailbiter at the end. It seemed loke sometimes TFC took one too many passes as if they were afraid to take shots.

Milos Kocic earned the shutout for TFC and was great yet again when he need to punch out crosses but he had less to do then in the Vancouver game.

Toronto FC's two wins put them on an upswing and probably save Aron Winter his job as head coach. The loss may cost Union head coach Peter Nowak his job because their record is a lot worse than last year and there's been rumblings about that possiblility for the last few weeks.

They now have two weeks off (as does most of the league) while there's an international break. Julian de Guzman and Ashtone Morgan have been named to the Canadian team for their qualifiers that began the third round of CONCACAF qualifying for the 2014 World Cup. Ryan Johnson will be away too playing for the Jamaican national team.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

stats from MLSsoccer.com Major Events Scoring Summary Goals and Assists 88' Toronto - Danny Koevermans

Misconduct Summary 11' Philadelphia - Raymon Gaddis (caution) 29' Philadelphia - Lionard Pajoy (caution) 30' Toronto - Ashtone Morgan (caution) 43' Toronto - Julian de Guzman (caution)

Lineups

Toronto - Milos Kocic; Jeremy Hall, Adrian Cann, Doneil Henry, Ashtone Morgan; Julian de Guzman, Torsten Frings, Luis Silva (Nick Soolsma 70'), Reggie Lambe (Richard Eckersley 54'), Ryan Johnson, Joao Plata (Danny Koevermans 63') ... Substitutes not used: Quillan Roberts; Ty Harden, Terry Dunfield, Efrain Burgos Jr.

Philadelphia - Chris Konopka; Sheanon Williams, Ray Gaddis (Michael Lahoud 37'), Carlos Valdes, Gabriel Farfan; Michael Farfan, Brian Carroll, Kai Herdling (Antoine Hoppenot 65'), Freddy Adu; Lionard Pajoy, Danny Mwanga (Josue Martinez 83') ... Substitutes not used: Brian Rowe; Cristhian Hernandez, Greg Jordan, Amobi Okugo Attendance: 18227

Match Stats Toronto FC Philadelphia Union 18 Attempts on Goal 11 7 Shots on Target 2 8 Shots off Target 6 3 Blocked Shots 3 9 Corner Kicks 5 13 Fouls 12 21 Open Play Crosses 21 4 Offsides 1 2 Yellow Cards 2 0 Red Cards 0 54 Duels Won 35 60% Duels Won % 39% 237 Total Pass 354 65% Passing Accuracy % 75% 41.6% Possession 58.4%

TFC starters