September 11, 2013 MLS--Toronto FC vs Chicago Fire (by Rocket Robin)

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Result of the Wednesday September 11th, 2013 MLS game between Toronto FC and Chicago Fire played at BMO Field in Toronto at 7:30pm.

Toronto FC (all red, white names and numbers)

.....................12 Joseph Bendik
27 Richard Eckersley...13 Steven Caldwell (cpt)...4 Doneil Henry...5 Ashtone Morgan
23 Alvaro Rey...21 Jonathan Osorio...25 Jeremy Hall...15 Bobby Convey
...........32 Andrew Wiedeman...10 Robert Earnshaw

Subs:...24 Stefan Frei (gk)...3 Jonas Elmer (def)...6 Gale Agbossoumonde (def)...7 Bright Dike (fwd)...8 Kyle Bekker (mid)...
16 Darel Russell (def)...17 Justin Braun (fwd)
team official:...head coach Ryan Nelsen

Chicago Fire (all navy, white names and numbers)

.....................25 Sean Johnson
..........22 Austin Berry...4 Bakary Soumare...6 Jalil Anibaba...13 Gonzalo Segares
14 Patrick Nyarko...8 Dilly Duka...71 Alex...20 Jeff Larentowicz (cpt)
................17 Chris Rolfe...9 Mike Magee

Subs:...70 Paulo Tornaghi (gk)...3 Hunter Jumper (def)...11 Daniel Paladini (mid)...12 Logan Pause (mid)...15 Wells Thompson (def)
...24 Quincy Amarikwa (fwd)...33 Juan Luis Anangono (fwd) team official:...head coach Frank Klopas

Game officials:...referee Geoff Gamble...referee's assistants Brian Poeschel and Jason Cullum...fourth official Robert Sibaga
...(neon yellow shirts, black shorts and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 7:39pm...TFC defends south end on this warm and damp evening. The pregame rain had stopped and would not resume until the game was over.
50 sec...Fire Segares rolls cross from 22 yards on far left into box and TFC Henry slides and concedes cornerkick from 5 yards on left.
1 min...Fire Magee cornerkick from left is to 22 yards in middle and Fire Rolfe chips pass forward but defenders clear.
2 min...Fire Nyarko centers ball and Fire Duka at 20 yards taps it back and Fire Larentowicz blasts low shot up middle from 25 yards that deflects off sliding TFC Osorio at 15 yards and rolls wide left of net.
3 min...Fire Magee cornerkick from left is bouncer to edge of box and nearest defender clears.
6 min...Fire Alex taps over pass and Fire Nyarko low 30 yard shot up middle is smothered by goalie.
8 min...Fire Magee 22 yard low shot from right deflects off TFC Henry at 18 yards for cornerkick.
9 min...Fire Alex cornerkick from right has leaping TFC Caldwell at 6 yards head ball away and Fire Magee gets away mid-air shot from 16 yards from left just over bar.
10 min...TFC Rey rolls pass from 40 yards just a step too far for TFC Wiedeman at 22 yards up the middle.
14 min...TFC Rey cross from 30 yards on left has Fire Larentowicz head ball from 15 yards in middle out of box to right.
14 min...TFC Convey cross from 28 yards on right into box has defender head away.
17 min...Fire Duka pushes pass forward on left and TFC Eckersley slides to stop cross by charging Fire Segares from 12 yards on left and ball deflects for cornerkick.
17 min...Fire cornerkick from left is set of worked out passes and Fire player's chip from 28 yards on left is whistled down for TFC player's handball at 20 yard line.
18 min...Fire Magee blasts 22 yard freekick from left into players wall. Fire Magee turns to run back for rebound that deflected behind him and chips 28 yarder from left that bounces to goalie.
19 min...Fire Dilly Duka GOAL...Fire Rolfe assist.....Fire Patrick Nyarko at 65 yards rolls pass forward up middle for Fire Chris Rolfe at 50 yards. Rolfe rolls pass over to left for charging Duka at 55 yards and he runs up wing and chips 35 yarder over players and charging Fire Mike Magee slides to knock 8 yarder but misses the ball and ball bounces into right side of net as goalie Joseph Bendik expecting Magee would connect plays for redirection and ball bounces past him.
22 min...TFC Robert Earnshaw GOAL...TFC Bobby Convey low 28 yard cross from left is through Fire Bakary Soumare's legs and finds Earnshaw at 10 yards on right and he waits for Fire defender Gonzalo Segares to slide by him at 7 yards and takes 8 yard shot from right into short right side of net past falling goalie Sean Johnson at 3 yards.
24 min...TFC sub...Braun replaces Earnshaw who limps off field.
25 min...TFC Osorio rushes from middle into right side of box to take pass and sidefoot pass back for TFC Eckersley to take 15 yard shot from right that flies wide left of net.
26 min...Fire Anibaba's cross into box from 25 yards on right has TFC Caldwell at 8 yards in middle twist and head ball away.
27 min...TFC Convey 30 yard freekick from right is through charging players and bounces wide left of goal.
28 min...TFC YELLOW card...Convey earns it for trip of Fire Nyarko at TFC 50 yards.
29 min...Fire Larentowicz 50 yard freekick up middle is over players and bounces wide left for goalkick.
30 min...TFC Braun on run down left has Fire Berry clear 30 yarder off his stomach and ball bounces for Fire goalkick.
31 min...Fire Segares slips on left end line before he can get in cross so goalkick called.
32 min...Fire Soumare deflects clearance off TFC Braun at 30 yards that flies back to goalie.
33 min...TFC Braun leads rush down middle and blasts 35 yarder well high and wide right over net.
34 min...TFC Morgan sends low cross from 25 yards on left into box and Fire Berry in middle at 6 yards kicks ball over end line for cornerkick.
34 min...TFC Osorio cornerkick from left has goalie punch away at 6 yards in crowd of players that starts fast break after Fire player's header on edge of box. Fire Nyarko dekes by TFC Eckersley on run up left and rolls ball forward at 35 yards to Fire Rolfe who takes shot from 22 yards that TFC Morgan blocks and deflects wide left for cornerkick.
35 min...Fire Alex low cornerkick from left has Fire Rolfe shoot low 22 yarder from left just wide left of net.
36 min...Fire Magee chips 30 yard cross from right that bounces wide left for goalkick.
38 min...TFC Convey cross from 35 yards on left is into box and Fire Segares clears from 8 yards in middle.
39 min...TFC Morgan throw-in from left is tapped back to him and wins freekick call after tackle by Fire Alex.
39 min...TFC Osorio 25 yard freekick from near left end line has defender head away. TFC Eckersley 40 yard chip is caught by jumping goalie at 8 yards with offside flag up.
41 min...Fire Nyarko cross from 35 yards on right has TFC Eckersley head ball away from 10 yards in middle.
41 min...TFC Rey low 30 yard shot up middle has diving goalie at 6 yards block and push to right for throw-in.
43 min...TFC Braun cross from 20 yards near right end line is caught overhead by goalie.
44 min...TFC Weideman pass from 25 yards on left rolls back and towards middle for TFC Rey whose shot from 25 yards hits underside of bar near right post and ball stays out. TFC Osorio heads pass back to TFC player who chips in ball from 28 yards yards over to left and TFC Braun pops up header from 15 yards on left that defender heads away at 8 yards.
45 min...TFC YELLOW card...Braun earns it for pulling down fast breaking Fire Nyarko racing across center line.
45 min...TFC Henry is injured in head on head collision with Fire Nyarko at 20 yards on right.
46 min...half ends 8:25pm.

Halftime Entertainment:...Something different with contestants from the Armed Forces in a 3 on 3 contest called "Lyrical Shootout" which was something between Karoke and shooting a mini ball into a mini net inside the center circle. The teams had to guess the next lyric after hearing 20 seconds of a song. If they were right another teammate would kick a ball into an empty net. Also the rock group "Monster Truck" from Hamilton Ontario was introduced and fans were reminded their music is played when Toronto FC march out onto the field before the national anthems.

2nd Half:...half starts 8:43pm.
46 min...TFC Braun rush on left and rolls 28 yard pass into box that Fire Berry runs back to clear.
48 min...Fire Berry rolls 40 yard shot up middle between players and wide left of net.
49 min...TFC Osorio taps pass over to TFC Convey on left and 30 yard cross from left bends behind net.
49 min...Fire Larentowicz checks TFC Wiedeman off ball from behind who was leading 3 on 2 rush. TFC Rey crosses from 30 yards on right that defender at 8 yards slides to block and when ball pops up Fire Soumare bicycle kicks clearance from box.
50 min...Fire Rolfe rolls pass up middle and Fire Alex 22 yard shot from middle is over net.
52 min...TFC Eckersley 55 yard freekick from right has TFC Braun pop up header across box from left and Fire Soumare hooks high clearance to left.
52 min...TFC Osorio eludes defenders for low 30 yard kick up middle wide left.
54 min...Fire Duka rolls 22 yard shot from left that goalie smothers at 10 yards.
54 min...Fire sub...Amarikwa replaces Nyarko.
55 min...Fire Magee cross from 30 yards is too far for Fire Duka in box.
56 min...TFC Braun rush on 2 on 1 and holds up then rolls 25 yarder that deflects off Fire Larentowicz wide left for cornerkick. TFC Osorio is injured at Fire 40 yard line.
58 min...TFC Rey cornerkick from left is into box and TFC player shanks kick and Fire Rolfe clears from 15 yards.
59 min...TFC Convey cross from 35 yards on right has Fire Anibaba head out left side of box.
61 min...TFC Eckersley 55 yard freekick from left is over charging players and bounces to goalie.
64 min...TFC Weideman receives pass from TFC Osorio up middle and 22 yard shot deflects of sliding defender for cornerkick.
65 min...TFC Convey cornerkick from right has TFC Caldwell twist 7 yard header wide left.
66 min...TFC Rey blasts 28 yard roller from right through defenders legs and wide left of net.
67 min...TFC Morgan cross from near left cornerflag drifts behind net.
67 min...Fire sub...Paladini replaces Duka.
68 min...Fire Rolfe checks TFC Convey off ball on right edge of box.
70 min...TFC YELLOW card...Hall earns it for tackle at Fire 45 yards on Fire Paladini.
71 min...Fire Paladini chips 50 yard freekick down middle and Fire Berry twists header at 12 yards wide left.
72 min...Fire Amarikwa charge on right to near right cornerflag and he sends short cross to Fire Alex on right who has his 18 yard shot popped up and cleared by TFC Caldwell header at 15 yards in middle.
72 min...TFC Wiedeman blasts 25 yarder from left wide left of net as he cuts towards middle.
74 min...Fire Paladini cornerkick from right has TFC Rey head ball away as nearest defender on right.
74 min...TFC sub...Dike replaces Wiedeman.
75 min...TFC Dike wins freekick on tackle near left edge of box by Fire Berry.
75 min...TFC Osorio 23 yard freekick from left deflects up off player wall and goalie charges left to catch.
77 min...Fire sub...Anangono replaces Alex.
77 min...TFC Rey eludes Fire Segares on run on right and crosses from 20 yards on right that TFC Braun jumps to high kick from 10 yards and defender wide right of net makes clearance.
78 min...TFC Osorio cross from 30 yards has TFC Braun heads 12 yarder from right directly to goalie who makes easy catch.
78 min...TFC Rey cross from 30 yards on right has Fire Berry head ball away at 15 yards in middle of box.
79 min...Fire rolls pass forward from 40 yards up middle that charging Fire Amarikwa gets to through ball and shot from 15 yards has sliding goalie at 12 yards tip ball wide right of net for cornerkick.
79 min...Fire Paladini cornerkick from right has Fire Magee head ball wide left from 10 yards.
82 min...TFC Morgan cross from 30 yards on left has defender head away from 15 yards in middle of box.
83 min...Fire Anangono 20 yard shot from right is blocked by TFC Henry.
86 min...TFC Convey 25 yard freekick from far right has goalie punch ball away at 8 yards out left side of box.
87 min...TFC Braun rush on left on 2 on 1 and takes 20 yard shot that deflects off retreating defender Fire Soumare with TFC Dike in open on right.
87 min...TFC player's short cornerkick from left is frittered away without a shot into box.
88 min...Fire Anibaba cross from 45 yards on right has Fire Amarikwa head ball just wide left from 10 yards.
89 min...TFC sub...Elmer replace Rey.
90 min...Fire Rolfe eludes sliding TFC Caldwell on run down middle and 30 yard shot is wide left.
90 min...TFC YELLOW card...Henry earns it for sliding tackle on Fire Magee at TFC 28 yards.
91 min...Fire Paladini 28 yard freekick down middle is well over net.
92 min...Fire Amarikwa cross from left has TFC Henry head away at 15 yards in middle of box.
93 min...Fire Rolfe chips ball from 30 yards on left into box and TFC defender pops it up on header and TFC goalie charges forward to catch high ball at 8 yards.
94 min...game ends 9:32pm.

Final Score:.....Toronto FC......1..........Chicago Fire...........1........

Attendance was announced as 15217. That was more than 3000 less than their last game which was held on a Friday night while the Canadian National Exhibition was on. Neither Chicago nor New England are glamour teams and both games had actual rain or the threat of rain to scare off the walk up fans, maybe at last the turmoil of the changes to the team management and player roster have finally turned off the fans. The former mayor of Toronto earlier in the day sent back his season tickets and wrote his complaints about the team which were immediately picked up by different media.

It rained before the game and started again soon after the game ended but it did not rain during the game. Both goals were scored with three minutes in the first half.

Man of the Match (who is always a TFC player) was announced as Alvaro Rey. He was my choice too and showed for the first time his rushing and passing skills. Before the game the Esquire (a watch company) Player of the Month Award was given to TFC back up goalie Quillan Roberts for his work at TFC summer camps.

It was the debut of new TFC striker Bright Dike (which is either pronounced "Bee Right Dee Kay" by the stadium announcer and "Bright Dee Kay" by the TFC GOL TV announcers) who was received by TFC in a trade with Portland Timbers. Timbers received Maximiliano Urruti who the previous management team had pursued since the beginning of the season to sign and had only played two games (37 minutes) for TFC as a sub before the trade. Dike ws recovering from an ACL injury and had not played an MLS game these season. TFC also gets a #1 draft pick in 2015 and allocation money.

Robert Earnshaw scored his 7th goal of the sesason after a long scoring drought. He did not do his customary flip which I thought was because he had become more humble or the field was dangerously wet but turned out he injured his hamstring on the goal and was subbed within two minutes. After he was subbed by Justin Braun, the Fire had little to worry about because the defenders were able to catch the slow Braun and Andrew Wiedeman to block or check away the ball before they could get away shots. TFC players also missed passing on some 2 on 1 plays to open men.

TFC had the next best chance of scoring that didn't quite go in when TFC Alvaro Rey took a 25 yard shot off the underside of the bar at 44 minutes.

Doneil Henry's Yellow card ensures that he will be suspended in TFC's next game this Saturday on the road against New York Red Bulls. TFC earned all four of the Yellow cards given out tonight from referee Geoff Gamble.

Both TFC and Fire flew to Toronto after playing West coast games on Saturday night. TFC lost to Portland 4-0 and Chicago lost to Seattle 2-1 so they should both have been equally tired. Fire had more problems on the wet field with a few players slipping.

Fire's Mike Magee goal total is held at 15 and he was the most dangerous Fire player. His slide to try and connect on the first goal was more important that he DIDN'T connect because it caused goalie Bendik to play for a shot by Magee and instead the ball just bounced into the net.

TFC should now be officially out of the playoffs after falling below a 1% chance of success a few games ago on www.sportsclubstats.com . At least the TFC publicists have stopped stringing fans along which is different than other years.

Quincy Amarikwa came in as a sub at 54 minutes. He played for TFC for 11 games at the end of the 2012 season.

TFC players got back to cover the times when Ashtone Morgan or Richard Eckersley made long runs into Fire territory and abandoned their defensive positions. TFC had the same backline as the Revs home game.

Tonight was announced as the 2nd Annual Canadian Armed Forces Night with 400 troops and their families. A moment of silence was held for the victims of 9-11 exactly twelve years ago. National Anthems singer Scotty Newlands was dressed in his army uniform instead of his usual TFC jersey. There'd been a real push for fans to donate their tickets for this night but with the thousands of empty seats (other than SSH who could always show up at the last minute) it looked like the team could have done a lot more.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

stats from MLSsoccer.com
 
Major Events

Scoring Summary 

Goals and Assists
CHI   20'   Dilly Duka        (Chris Rolfe) 
TOR   23'   Robert Earnshaw   (Bobby Convey) 

Disciplinary
TOR 29'       Bobby Convey     Foul   YELLOW
TOR 45' + 1   Justin Braun     Foul   YELLOW
TOR 71'       Jeremy Hall      Foul   YELLOW
TOR 90' + 1   Doneil Henry     Foul   YELLOW

Match Info
Referee: Geoff Gamble
Attendance: 15217

Match Stats
Toronto FC                   Chicago Fire
 15   Attempts on Goal          18 
  3   Shots on Target            4 
  8   Shots off Target           9 
  4   Blocked Shots              5 
  3   Corner Kicks               7 
  9   Fouls                     12 
 22   Open Play Crosses         14 
  3   Offsides                   1 
  4   First Yellow Cards         0 
  0   Second Yellow Cards        0 
  0   Red Cards                  0 
 55   Duels Won                 58 
 48%  Duels Won %               51% 
316   Total Pass               324 
 73%  Passing Accuracy %        70% 
 50%  Possession                50% 

TORONTO FC RECORD: 4-13-11   23 POINTS

CHICAGO FIRE RECORD: 10-11-6   36 POINTS

Lineups

Toronto FC – Joe Bendik; 
Richard Eckersley, Steven Caldwell ©, Doneil Henry, Ashtone Morgan; 
Alvaro Rey (Jonas Elmer 90’), Jonathan Osorio, Jeremy Hall, Bobby Convey; 
Andrew Wiedeman (Bright Dike 75’), Robert Earnshaw (Justin Braun 25’)

Substitutes not used: Stefan Frei, Gale Agbossoumonde, Darel Russell, Kyle Bekker

Chicago Fire – Sean Johnson; 
Austin Berry, Bakary Soumare, Jalil Anibaba, Gonzalo Segares; 
Patrick Nyarko (Quincy Amarikwa 56’), Alex (Juan Luis Anangono 78’), Dilly Duka (Dan Paladini 68’), Jeff Larentowicz; 
Chris Rolfe, Mike Magree

Subsitutes Not Used: Paolo Tornaghi, Logan Pause, Well Thompson, Hunter Jumper

TFC starters