August 18, 2012 MLS--Toronto FC vs Sporting Kansas City (by Rocket Robin)

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Result of the Saturday August 18th, 2012 MLS game between Toronto FC and Sporting Kansas City played at BMO Field in Toronto at 4:30pm.

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

....................30 Milos Kocic
4 Doneil Henry...27 Richard Eckersley...48 Darren O'Dea...5 Ashtone Morgan
32 Andrew Wiedeman...23 Terry Dunfield...22 Torsten Frings (cpt)...9 Ryan Johnson
.............29 Eric Hassli...11 Luis Silva

Subs:...41 Freddy Hall (gk)...2 Logan Emory (def)...8 Eric Avila (mid)...12 Adrian Cann (def)...18 Quincy Amarikwa (fwd) ...21 Aaron Maund (def)...31 Dicoy Williams (def)
team officials:...head coach Paul Mariner

Sporting Kansas City (all sky blue, dark blue names and numbers)

.....................1 Jimmy Nielson (cpt)
7 Chance Myers...78 Aurelien Collin...5 Matt Besler...16 Seth Sinovic
.........6 Paulo Nagamura...55 Julio Cesar...15 Roger Espinoza
.........8 Graham Zusi...9 Teal Bunbury...23 Kei Kamara

Subs:...18 Eric Kronberg (gk)...2 Michael Harrington (def)...13 Lawrence Olum (def)...17 C J Sapong (fwd)...20 Oriol Rosell (mid) ...22 Soony Saad (fwd)...88 Michael Thomas (mid)
team officials:...head coach Peter Vermes

Game officials:...referee Jorge Gonzalez...referee's assistants Anthony Vasoli and Matthew Nelson...fourth official Mattieu Bourdeau
...(all black uniforms)

1st Half:...game starts 4:38pm...TFC defends north end on this warm afternoon with a bright sun in the west.
40 sec...SKC Nagamura low 20 yard shot from right is smothered by goalie on right post.
4 min...SKC Cesar receives throw-in from right and 30 yard shot is cleared on edge of box.
4 min...SKC Besler long throw-in from left has TFC Dunfield clear.
6 min...TFC YELLOW card...Frings earns it for pulling over SKC Zusi from behind after his long run up right cutting towards goal.
7 min...SKC Espinoza 22 yard freekick from right is blocked in player wall.
11 min...SKC YELLOW card...Collin earns it for pushing over TFC Silva running for loose ball down middle.
12 min...TFC Frings blasts 30 yard freekick from right well over net.
12 min...TFC Morgan gets back to break up SKC Nagamura run into TFC box.
13 min...SKC Sinovic long throw-in from left has TFC Frings head ball away. Sinovic eventually gets ball back and cross from 35 yards on left has goalie punch ball away on right side of box. SKC Nagamura gets to partial clearance and blasts 35 yarder down middle that rises just over net.
14 min...SKC Myers on right heads ball back to goalie who has to fly to catch it on TFC Henry long throw-in from right.
15 min...SKC Besler long throw-in from right is headed around but cleared from TFC box.
15 min...SKC Besler long throw-in from right is whistled down in box.
16 min...TFC Hassli bounces 30 yard shot from left to goalie.
17 min...TFC Hassli skies cross from 30 yards on right over box past TFC Silva.
18 min...SKC Sinovic 45 yard blast up middle through players and goalie flies over to catch on right post.
19 min...TFC Johnson cross from left has ball cleared on right side of box.
20 min...TFC Eckersley 60 yard freekick from right has TFC Dunfield eventually hook overhead chip from 20 yards to bounce to goalie.
21 min...SKC Zusi 50 yard shot from right has goalie grab when charging forwards can't get to it.
24 min...SKC Sinovic run up left and low cross from 20 yards into box and TFC O'Dea at 8 yards boots it out of bounds for throw-in on left.
25 min...TFC Silva flips over last defender SKC Collin at SKC 40 yard breaking up play.
27 min...SKC Myers cross from 30 yards on right has SKC Kamara leap and nod down 15 yard header weakly to goalie wide left of goal.
28 min...TFC Frings freekick from 30 yards has header from 12 yards on left is headed away by SKC player in 6 yard box.
29 min...SKC Kamara (after great SKC pressure in TFC end including SKC Bunbury falling at 10 yards and SKC Zusi blasting 15 yard shot that TFC Eckersley blocks off chest at 8 yards) takes low 25 yard shot through middle has goalie dive for save.
31 min...TFC Frings 55 yard pass up middle is intercepted by goalie ahead of TFC Silva to grab on bounce.
32 min...TFC Frings 45 yard freekick from middle is over to TFC Johnson on left on header but he slips and crosses behind net.
33 min...SKC Bunbury on break after receivng pass from 60 yards on right from SKC Suzi rushes up middle from 35 yards and rolls 22 yard shot that sliding goalie gets hand to at 10 yards to stop and retreating TFC Eckersley clears from box.
34 min...SKC Zusi 40 yard freekick from left is caught by goalie.
34 min...TFC Henry is injured when he makes sliding tackle at TFC 40 yards and walks to dressing room.
35 min...TFC sub...Emory replaces injured Henry.
35 min...SKC players don't get shot away on edge of TFC box when crossed in from right.
38 min...SKC Espinoza 45 yard cross from left is caught by goalie backing into right side of net.
40 min...TFC Frings cornerkick from right has ball headed away. TFC Frings recross has ball headed behind net on pop up by SKC Kamara at 8 yards for a cornerkick on left.
41 min...TFC Frings cornerkick from left has SKC Espinoza head ball away on left post.
42 min...TFC Frings cornerkick from left has ball hit top of left post and deflect out into box. TFC Dunfield header from 15 yards in crowd of players is off top of bar but no cornerkick is given when it looked like the goalie palmed ball.
43 min...TFC Frings 40 yard freekick from left has ball bounce out right over end line unplayed.
44 min...TFC Frings 55 yard freekick has SKC Zusi head ball away on left edge of box.
44 min...TFC Eckersley 50 yard chip from right has defender head ball away just inside box.
45 min...SKC goalie kicks from 80 yards to left where ball is headed forward to SKC Bunbury who gets 15 yard roller that goalie saves at 10 yards on left.
47 min...half ends 5:25pm.

Halftime entertainment:...They hold a Carlsberg Crossbar Challenge between three contestants to try to hit the crossbar on three shots from the Penalty spot. All the contestants missed but #3 looked worst as a woman with no shoes couldn't lift the ball off the ground. When they give the contestants a fourth shot #2 hit the bar and won the prize pack.

2nd Half:...starts 5:41pm...the weather is unchanged.
46 min...TFC Morgan cross from 35 yards on right has SKC Collin leap to head 10 yarder and concede cornerkick on left.
46 min...TFC Frings cornerkick from left has defender head ball away.
47 min...SKC Sinovic gets past two TFC players while all of them are knocked down and cross from 18 yards has goalie make stop but big rebound is cleared.
48 min...TFC YELLOW card...Hassli earns it for knocking down SKC Collin when he lost ball on right side of SKC box.
50 min...SKC Kamara cross from 22 yards near left end line has SKC Zusi save on right end line but ball rolls across from 6 yards for goalie to pick up.
51 min...SKC Besler cross from 30 yards on left has TFC player clear ball from edge of box wide left for throw-in.
52 min...SKC player long throw-in from left has TFC goalie rush to right punch ball away before SKC Collin can head ball from 5 yards near left end line.
53 min...TFC Frings 50 yard freekick from right is headed away and eventual cross from TFC Johnson at 22 yards on left has TFC Hassli head ball wide right from 5 yards.
54 min...TFC O'Dea heads ball at 12 yards over box on SKC player's cross from 30 yards on right.
54 min...SCK Sinovic long throw-in from left has TFC Dunfield kick ball away. TFC O'Dea heads ball clear on left side of box when ball crossed into box again from 30 yards on left.
56 min...TFC Frings 45 yard freekick down middle has defenders clear ball on edge of box. TFC Johnson chips ball from 22 yards on left and SKC goalie jumps to catch on right side of goal.
59 min...SKC YELLOW card...Myers earns it for holding on TFC Hassli at SKC 45 yards.
60 min...TFC Frings 50 yard freekick from left is cleared by SKC Collin header on edge of box.
62 min...SKC player's 45 yard freekick from right has TFC Frings heads ball away at 25 yards.
62 min...TFC O'Dea slides to stop SKC Espinoza 30 yard low cross from left and tips ball over own net at 20 yards.
63 min...SKC Zusi cornerkick from left is short to SKC Sinovic who blasts 25 yarder from left wide left of net.
64 min...SKC Zusi cornerkick from right is low and blocked. Zusi gets to rebound and crosses higher and ball is headed away from box.
65 min...SKC Cesar rush to cross sent over to left but can't turn header from 5 yards on cross from 25 yards on right from SKC Zusi.
67 min...SKC Zusi 30 yard freekick from left has TFC Frings kick out of box.
70 min...TFC Frings 50 yard freekick from left has TFC Johnson backwards header from 12 yards land on top of net.
73 min...SKC Kamara eludes TFC Morgan on left sideline and crosses 25 yarder that charging TFC Emory heads out of box at 15 yards.
73 min...SKC Besler 45 yard cross from left bounces wide right of goal for goalkick.
73 min...SKC Besler cross from 45 yards on left bounces well wide right for goalkick. TFC O'Dea is injured off ball at TFC 50 yards.
77 min...SKC Nagamura cross from 25 yards near left end line has TFC Eckersley head through box and out right side.
78 min...SKC Besler throw-in from right has goalie catch in crowd of players.
79 min...TFC Wiedeman cuts in shot from 15 yards on right that SKC defender flies forward to head away from box. TFC Morgan low cross from 22 yards on right is also cleared.
82 min...SKC Kei Kamara GOAL...SKC Graham Zusi 28 yard freekick from left has him tap ball over to Kamara and he blasts low shot that has slight deflection off knee of TFC Andrew Wiedeman as rightmost player in five man wall at 15 yards and through hands of diving goalie Milos Kocic and into left of side of net.
84 min...TFC players can't get away shot near edge of box.
84 min...SKC Bunbury low 15 yard shot has goalie push ball wide left on short side on sliding play.
85 min...SKC sub...Sapong replaces Kamara.
85 min...SKC Zusi cornerkick from left has TFC Dunfield head ball out of box. SKC Myers receives pass on right and blasts 25 yard shot that's wide left of goal.
85 min...TFC sub...Amarikwa replaces Wiedeman.
87 min...SKC sub...Olum replaces Cesar.
87 min...TFC players get to edge of SKC box but play whistled down.
88 min...SCK Myers is injured in collision with TFC Dunfield at SKC 50 yards.
89 min...Referee looks like he gave a RED card to TFC Amarikwa for complaining about call but nobody left field. He then cancelled the card by purring his hand across the card.
91 min...TFC Hassli rolls ball across face of goal from left but it had already rolled over end line.
93 min...TFC Morgan cross from 20 yards on right has TFC Johnson head 12 yarder down middle in crowd of players that bounces for goalie to catch on right side of goal.
93 min...SKC Bunbury can't draw call when TFC Frings catches him at 25 yards.
94 min...game ends 6:30pm.

Final Score:.....Toronto FC......0..........Sporting Kansas City...........1........

Attendance was announced as 18151 with the Canadian National Exhibition going on in the background and the crowd was slow filing in to today's game. Before the game six Canadian Olympic athletes were honoured including bronze medal women's soccer team players Robin Gale and Diana Matheson who are from the Greater Toronto area.

Man of the Match (who is always a TFC player) was announced as defender Darren O'Dea. The defence prevented SKC from scoring any more but goalie Milos Kocic had a few point blank saves to make especially on SKC Teal Bunbury when he was the last man back.

Jimmy Nielson earned the shutout for Sporting. Biggest surprise was that he was allowed to wear a burgundy coloured kit which was only minimally different from the uniforms of Toronto FC.

Sporting is the first place team in the East. Kansas City had only beaten TFC once in Toronto and that was in Toronto's first ever home game in 2007 when they won 1-0. The other five games resulted in two TFC wins and three ties. Sporting came into today's game with a goals for/against record of 30-22 in 24 games so we should have expected a low scoring game. TFC's goal for/against was 27-42 until today.

TFC rarely looked threatening. Sporting players were able to head away most crosses and set plays. Eric Hassli and Luis Silva played as the two forwards with Ryan Johnson back from international duty playing out on the wing and not in as many plays as usual. Milos Kocic made about three great saves before the SKC goal or it might have been a 4-0 game. He made two great ones on Teal Bunbury while Bunbury was in alone. TFC had their new defender Darren O'Dea playing his first game since signing. They had to make an early defensive sub when Doneil Henry was injured at 34 minutes and was replaced by Logan Emory.

The fans booed Teal Bunbury relentlessly. His father Alex was a national team for Canada and was recently announced as on Canada's All Time Starting 11 but Teal chose to play internationally for the United States when it came time to commit.

TFC next games are on the road for MLS battles. Next home game is CONCACAF Champions League match against Santos Laguna on Wednesday August 28th is in the Concacaf Championship League with their first game in the group stage against CD Aguila of El Salvador here at BMO Field at 8:00pm on Wednesday August 1st.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

stats from MLSsoccer.com

Match Stats

Major Events
Scoring Summary
Goals and Assists
 
KC  83'  Kei Kamara  (Graham Zusi)
 
Misconduct Summary
Disciplinary

TOR  7'  Torsten Frings  Foul  Yellow
KC  12'  Aurélien Collin  Foul  Yellow
TOR 49'  Eric Hassli  Foul  Yellow
KC  60'  Chance Myers  Foul  Yellow

Lineups
Toronto – Milos Kocic; 
Doneil Henry (Logan Emory 36’), Richard Eckersley, Darren O’Dea, Ashtone Morgan; 
Andrew Wiedeman (Quincy Amarikwa 86’), Terry Dunfield, Torsten Frings, Ryan Johnson, 
Luis Silva, Eric Hassli 
... Substitutes not used: Freddy Hall, Dicoy Williams, Adrian Cann, Aaron Maund, Eric Avila
 
Sporting KC – Jimmy Nielsen; 
Chance Myers, Matt Besler, Aurelien Collin, Seth Sinovic; 
Graham Zusi, Paulo Nagamura, Roger Espinoza, Julio Cesar (Lawrence Olum 88’), 
Kei Kamara (C.J. Sapong 86’); Teal Bunbury 
... Substitutes not used: Eric Kronberg, Michael Harrington, Oriol Rosell, Soony Saad, Michael Thomas

Match Info
Referee: Jorge Gonzalez
Attendance: 18151

Match Stats
Toronto FC                Sporting Kansas City
 6   Attempts on Goal       17
 2   Shots on Target         8
 4   Shots off Target        4
 0   Blocked Shots           5
 4   Corner Kicks            3
17   Fouls                  17
15   Open Play Crosses      19
 2   Offsides                4
 2   First Yellow Cards      2
 0   Second Yellow Cards     0
 0   Red Cards               0
50   Duels Won              62
45%  Duels Won %            55%
289  Total Pass            362
67%  Passing Accuracy %     74%
44.2% Possession            55.8%

TFC starters