September 21, 2013 MLS--Toronto FC vs Sporting Kansas City (by Rocket Robin)

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Result of the Saturday September 21st, 2013 MLS game between Toronto FC and Sporting Kansas City played at BMO Field in Toronto at 4:00pm.

Toronto FC (all red, white names and numbers)

.....................12 Joseph Bendik
28 Mark Bloom...13 Steven Caldwell (cpt)...4 Doneil Henry...5 Ashtone Morgan
15 Bobby Convey...25 Jeremy Hall...16 Darel Russell...23 Alvaro Rey
...........32 Andrew Wiedeman...7 Bright Dike

Subs:...24 Stefan Frei (gk)...6 Gale Agbossoumonde (def)...8 Kyle Bekker (mid)...9 Emery Welshman (fwd)...17 Justin Braun (fwd)
19 Reggie Lambe (mid)...27 Richard Eckersley (def)
team official:...head coach Ryan Nelsen

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

..................1 Jimmy Nielsen
7 Chance Myers...78 Aurelien Collin...3 Ike Opara...15 Seth Sinovic
.......8 Graham Zusi...13 Lawrence Olum...10 Benny Feilhaber
......37 Jacob Peterson...14 Dom Dwyer...17 C J Sapong

Subs:...18 Eric Kronberg (gk)...5 Matt Besler (def)...9 Teal Bunbury (fwd)...19 Peterson Joseph (mid)...22 Soony Saad (fwd)
...25 Christian Duke (mid)...31 Josh Gardner (mid)
team official:...head coach Peter Vermes

Game officials:...referee Allen Chapman...referee's assistants Daniel Belleau and Claudio Badea...fourth official Edvin Jurisevic
...(yellow shirts, black shorts and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 4:09pm...TFC defends south end on this warm but rainy day. Rain had fallen from the night before without a break and during the game it had two speeds--medium and hard.
1 min...SKC player rush down left and chip from 30 yards is well over net.
2 min...TFC goalie 80 yard freekick down middle bounces ahead of charging TFC Wiedeman wide right for SKC goalkick.
4 min...TFC Convey 40 yard freekick has defender pop up header on edge of box and defenders clear.
4 min...SKC Myers cross from 25 yards on right has SCK Dwyer leap and chest down at 20 yards in middle but ball bounces wide left of net.
8 min...TFC YELLOW card...Russell earns it on delayed call for sliding tackle on SKC Myers at TFC 35 yards.
9 min...SKC player's 40 yard freekick down middle is chip that's popped up on header by SKC player on left side of box but cleared by defender in middle.
10 min...SKC Peterson rolls ball from 22 yards on far right that TFC Caldwell clears at 6 yards.
10 min...TFC YELLOW card...Hall earns it for sliding tackle from behind on SKC Sinovic at TFC 40 yard line.
11 min...SKC Zusi 45 yard freekick from right has SKC Collin on left pop up header at 10 yards and goalie catch on left post.
12 min...TFC Rey rushes for pass down left wing and rolls cross to center at 20 yard line. TFC Wiedeman stops ball in middle and turns and shoots around defender at 20 yards and shot is wide right.
13 min...TFC Convey 33 yard freekick from left falls at 15 yards in middle of box and SKC defenders are able to kick ball away.
15 min...SKC Peterson sends in low cross from 25 yards on left and TFC Caldwell slides and pops up clearance attempt at 15 yards in middle. TFC Bloom blocks off defender on left end line and boots clearance well out of box for downfield throw-in.
16 min...SKC YELLOW card...Collin earns it for pulling on TFC Rey rushing over center line on left.
17 min...TFC Caldwell floats freekick from center line on left that SKC player heads away just inside box in crowd of players to start SKC rush upfield.
17 min...SKC C J Sapong GOAL...SKC Graham Zusi receives pass at near left sideline at TFC 40 yard line. Zusi sends long cross over to open SKC Dom Dwyer at 20 yards on right and he heads ball over TFC Ashtone Morgan to Sapong in middle with three defenders trailing him and he flies forward to head 7 yarder down middle and ball bounces into left side of net over flying goalie Joseph Bendik.
19 min...TFC Morgan 65 yard freekick from left has defender head away on edge of SKC box. TFC player chips ball back into box from 30 yards up middle and SKC Nielsen rushes right to 7 yards to punch ball away from TFC Dike header attempt.
19 min...TFC Morgan bends in cross from 35 yards on left that bounces through right side of box. TFC Convey at 20 yards on right sends in cross that's wide left for goalkick.
20 min...SKC Feilhaber rolls pass through defenders up middle at 23 yards but ball rolls over end line on left.
20 min...TFC Bloom at 25 yards on right over players just outside box and charging TFC Rey slides but misses ball at 6 yards on left.
followed by ten minutes of no good chances.
25 min...SKC Zusi regains possession on right side of TFC box and crosses from 12 yards along right end line which leaping SKC player on left at 8 yards heads back to center of box but defenders clear.
29 min...TFC Rey injured with elbow/hand to face on right edge of SKC box by SKC Collin.
31 min...TFC Convey 20 yard cross on edge of box has TFC Caldwell pop header over SKC Collin from 5 yards well over net.
32 min...TFC Morgan rush on left to near end line and cross is over box. TFC Rey wins cornerkick when his 15 yard cross tips off defender.
32 min...TFC Rey cornerkick from right has TFC Henry miss midair spin kick at 11 yards and ball bounce out of box.
33 min...TFC Caldwell heads ball across edge of box and ball bounces off ground and arm of SKC Myers. TFC Henry cross from 10 yards on left wins cornerkick when it deflects off Myers.
34 min...TFC player's cornerkick from left is over players in box and TFC Russell leaps at 10 yards on right but can't redirect ball on header and ball bounces for goalkick.
35 min...TFC Russell passes ball forward and to left on his rush up middle from own side of center and TFC Wiedeman from 22 yards on left is over sliding SKC Collin and batted down and picked up by goalie.
37 min...TFC Darel Russell GOAL...SKC goalie Jimmy Nielsen receives long pass back from 40 yards on right and he rolls pass to SKC Aurelian Collin at 15 yards on left. Collin jabs at it with foot and only pushes ball to 20 yards where TFC Alvaro Rey intercepts. Rey runs towards center but pushes short pass to 20 yards even with left post. Russell takes low 20 yard shot that rolls into left corner of net.
38 min...SKC Collin gets back to poke ball away before TFC Dike can get to through ball pass.
39 min...TFC Wiedeman cross from 15 yards on right end line has SKC defenders clear from middle of box.
42 min...SKC Zusi 40 yard freekick down middle has defender head ball out of box from 15 yards.
43 min...TFC Dike cross from 18 yards near right end line deflects off SKC Opara for cornerkick.
43 min...TFC Convey cornerkick from right has TFC Dike head ball at 5 yards past two SKC players also leaping for ball and ball hits ground and SKC Peterson guarding right post ducks and heads ball over own net. SKC Opara injured on play.
44 min...TFC Convey cornerkick from right has SKC goalie in crowd of players fist ball from 6 yards has TFC Russell head ball at 12 yards as he's pushed over and TFC Hall skies 15 yard mid-air shot well over net.
45 min...SKC Olum blasts 40 yard shot down middle over players and net.
46 min...Referee calls foul at SKC 45 yard line when TFC Russell knocked down but TFC goalie wastes time retreiving ball in own end and referee blows whistle to end half before TFC players can set up freekick.
46 min...half ends 4:55pm.

Halftime Entertainment:...There was a game where three contestants kicked a ball from the end line as far as they could upfield--two chances each. The winner gets to come here next week and kick a ball through a hole in a signboard to win a one million dollar home (which some television ads have been promotiing for months. Only the winner's kick past the center line. There was also a mini game of children in the center circle with a more reasonable number of kids on each team (6) for the confined space. I wonder if the rain kept some parents to keep their kids from participating?

2nd Half:...half starts 5:11pm.
45 min...SKC Sapong 18 yard shot from right edge of box deflects off TFC Bloom for cornerkick.
46 min...SKC Zusi cornerkick from left has defender head away at 8 yards. SKC Olum receives ball at 22 yards in middle and blasts low shot that deflects back to him from 12 yards and he then blasts rebound from 22 yards well wide left of net.
49 min...SKC goalie to edge of box in middle to grab bouncing ball to stop TFC Dike getting to it racing in with SKC Opara.
51 min...SKC player's 40 yard freekick down middle has TFC goalie grab bouncing ball just wide right of net.
52 min...SKC C J Sapong GOAL...SKC Chance Myers receives short throw-in from SKC Graham Zusi at 35 yards on right and he crosses from near sideline. Sapong charges into box from 20 yards on left cuts in front of TFC Mark Bloom and heads in 8 yarder down middle into left corner of net.
55 min...TFC Dike races forward on right to get to ball before retreating SKC Collin but his 25 yard shot is blocked by him. TFC Rey gets to rebound at 30 yards on right and runs up right trying to get around Collin but pushes ball over end line.
61 min...SKC Sapong injured in collision with TFC Caldwell jumping for header at center line.
63 min...SKC sub...Joseph replaces Feilhaber.
64 min...TFC sub...Lambe replaces Wiedeman.
64 min...SKC player's long throw-in from right has TFC Russell head ball down and then boot away.
64 min...SKC Olum long cross from 40 yards on right has leaping SKC Dwyer head 13 yarder down middle that's caught by goalie.
67 min...SKC Sapong chips 25 yarder from left that TFC Caldwell pops up header at 12 yards on left and goalie charges forward to punch ball away from 8 yards on right a step ahead of charging SKC players.
69 min...SKC Zusi 40 yard freekick down middle has TFC Caldwell head away at 15 yards.
70 min...SKC Sapong dribbles in on left with TFC Bloom covering him and gets low cross from 15 yards near end line which has TFC defender partially clear. SKC Zusi shoots low from 25 yards that diving goalie stops on left post.
71 min...SKC Zusi chips 45 yard freekick down middle that defender heads away from 12 yards in box.
72 min...TFC Convey 45 yard freekick down middle has retreating SKC Sapong head ball away at 10 yards.
72 min...TFC Hall long throw-in from left has defender on left side of box head away and TFC Convey in middle on edge of box has SKC Joseph clear ball and injure him with leg to stomach.
73 min...TFC sub...Braun replaces hall.
73 min...SKC Zusi cross from 45 yards on right has TFC Bloom pop up header on left side of box then clear when TFC player heads back to him.
74 min...SKC Sinovic fakes 28 yard freekick from left and SKC Zusi takes it bending cross to right side of box where SKC Dwyer heads 6 yarder that goalie catches near right post.
75 min...TFC Morgan sends low cross from 30 yards on left that SKC Collin clears from box.
76 min...TFC Donvey cornerkick from right has ball headed away by defender on edge of 6 yard box.
76 min...TFC Russell cross from 30 yards on left is over to TFC Henry all alone at 7 yards on right but he can't get to ball and ball bounces for goalkick.
78 min...TFC goalie charges out right side of box to clear ball out of bounds prevening SKC player from getting to through ball.
78 min...SKC player's low 30 yard freekick from right is into player wall. SKC Zusi kicks 30 yard rebound set up down middle but can't get away shot and TFC start fast break.
79 min...TFC Dike cross from 18 yards near right end line has sliding SKC Collin deflect ball for cornerkick.
80 min...SKC sub...Gardner replaces Peterson.
81 min...TFC Convey cornerkick from right has flying TFC Henry head ball down at 6 yards from left and SKC defender at 3 yards on left kick high and out of box.
81 min...SKC Joseph chips 40 yarder from left over players and ball bounces to goalie.
82 min...TFC sub...Bekker replaces Rey.
83 min...TFC Convey is injured by SKC Joseph sliding tackle from behind at 25 yards on right in SKC end but play continues.
84 min...SKC sub...Bunbury replaces Dwyer.
85 min...TFC RED card...Steven Caldwell earns a direct ejection for studs up challenge on SKC Josh Gardner at TFC 40 yards. Gardner needs treatment for injury.
90 min...SKC YELLOW card...Peterson earns it for sliding tackle on TFC Russell at TFC 40 yard line.
90 min...TFC goalie's 70 yard freekick from right bounces wide left of net.
91 min...TFC Convey 55 yard freekick is chipped and SKC player pops up header at 16 yards behind him and SKC Collen with back to play pushes over TFC Braun at 5 yards on right post and ball bounces for goalkick.
92 min...TFC Lambe cross from 25 yards on right has SKC defender leap and head ball away on left side of box at 8 yards.
92 min...TFC RED card...Assistant coach Fran O'Leary is ejected from game for yelling at referee.
93 min...TFC RED card...Head coach Ryan Nelsen is ejected from game before play resumes for yelling at referee.
94 min...TFC player's 55 yard freekick from left has TFC player pop header from 30 yards up middle wide right of net.

Final Score:.....Toronto FC......1..........Sporting Kansas City...........2........

Attendance was announced as 12627. This has to be the lowest crowd size in the team's MLS Regular season for all seven years of their existance. (There were lower CONCACAF Championship games). I've noticed attendance has been declining in the last few games as the team kept tieing and losing but today's game was most likely because of the rainy weather which we'd been promised all week. There'd been rain before the game and during the game but it stopped soon after the game. It was not as bad as the last 10 minutes of the second Columbus game when TFC scored two goals in the last 10 minutes to win that game. Hero's of that game Jonathan Osario (suspended) and Andrew Wiedeman (who was subbed out at 65 minutes) were not there at the end for another comeback.

Man of the Match (who is always a TFC player) was announced as Darel Russell. He scored Toronto's lone goal. I wouldn't disagree as he did send in some other passes that the team couldn't capitalize on.

Sporting had both their goals scored on headers by C J Sapong.

TFC played tonight without midfielder Jonathan Osorio who is under a two game suspension for kicking a ball into the head of a fallen player in last week's game against New York. This suspension wasn't announced until the day before. Forwards Robert Earnshaw is still injured as is the write off designated player Danny Koevermans.

TFC had enough chances to get a result with their defence and goalie strong enough except on the goals but their forwards couldn't put the ball away. Today proves that the designated players promised by team management earlier this week will be forwards.

TFC high price defender Richard Eckersley was listed as a sub but did not come into the game. His replacement was Mark Bloom who played competently but was more a stay-at-home defender. That was OK as it left both Ashton Morgan and Doneil Henry able to make runs forward. It was Bloom's second start in a row instead of Eckersley

Both teams had players who at times had traction issues with slipping on the wet ground.

TFC lost player Steven Caldwell sent off with a straight Red card at 86 minutes soon followed by assistant coach Fran O'Leary then head coach Ryan Nelsen for yelling at the referee. This is one position where TFC is deep because there are at least four other assistant coaches who could be on the bench in next week's game against DC United.

My 'play by play' was outright faked rather than supplemented because there was only two five minute sports where the rain slowed down enough for me to write pen to notebook.

I didn't mind the team losing but I didn't like the rain which stopped twenty minutes after the game and the sun came out. Worse was the transit system. The Bathurst streetcar which has been replaced by a bus while the road is being repaired suddenly short turned just above Queen dumping a full load of people out in the rain. Rather than wait for the next bus which I'd expect would also be packed, I walked the rest of the way--about 3 miles. On the way home I got on a bus (also replacing a streetcar line that's been being repaired for the last two seasons) to get to Union Station but that ran into bumper to bumper traffic because the Gardiner Expresswqy is closed this weekend which forced cars onto this street. I got off and walked about 4 miles to the subway line.

Longer term my camera was damaged for a day but eventually dried out enough to get back to taking normal pictures. A few days later, the binoculars I use had taken on a lot of rain and one side has still not cleared enough for me to see through.

Sporting pull into a tie for first place in the East at least until New York Red Bulls play tomorrow. Sporting had played a CONCACAF Champions League on Tuesday when they tied Real Esteli 1-1 in Kansas City.

The result reverses TFC's home opener at the Rogers Centre which was 2-1 victory in March although a TFC goal was set up by Sporting's Aurelien Collin's blunder in both games.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

stats from MLSsoccer.com
 
Major Events


Goals and Assists
KC    18'   C.J. Sapong       (Dominic Dwyer, Graham Zusi) 
TOR   38'   Darel Russell     (Álvaro Rey) 
KC    53'   C.J. Sapong       (Chance Myers) 

Disciplinary
TOR    9'     Darel Russell     Foul   YELLOW
TOR   11'     Jeremy Hall       Foul   YELLOW
KC    17'     Aurélien Collin   Foul   YELLOW
TOR   86'     Steven Caldwell   Foul   RED
KC    90' + 1 Peterson Joseph   Foul   YELLOW

Match Info
Referee: Allen Chapman
Attendance: 12627

Match Stats
Toronto FC                 Sporting Kansas City
  9    Attempts on Goal           11 
  2    Shots on Target             5 
  5    Shots off Target            4 
  2    Blocked Shots               2 
  7    Corner Kicks                2 
 12    Fouls                      14 
 13    Open Play Crosses          15 
  1    Offsides                    0 
  2    First Yellow Cards          2 
  0    Second Yellow Cards         0 
  1    Red Cards                   0 
 56    Duels Won                  57 
 49%   Duels Won %                50% 
301    Total Pass                292 
 65%   Passing Accuracy %         70% 
 50.7% Possession                 49.3% 

TORONTO FC RECORD: 4-15-11   23 POINTS

SPORTING KANSAS CITY RECORD: 14-9-6   48 POINTS

Lineups

Toronto FC – Joe Bendik; 
Mark Bloom, Steven Caldwell ©, Doneil Henry, Ashtone Morgan; 
Alvaro Rey (Kyle Bekker 83’), Darel Russell, Jeremy Hall (Justin Braun 74’), Bobby Convey; 
Bright Dike, Andrew Wiedeman (Reggie Lambe 65’)

Substitutes not used: Stefan Frei, Gale Agbossoumonde, Richard Eckersley, Emery Welshman

Sporting KC – Jimmy Nielsen; 
Chance Myers, Aurelien Collin, Ike Opara, Seth Sinovic; 
Benny Feilhabe (Peterson Joseph 64’), Graham Zusi, Lawrence Olum; C.J. Sapong, 
Dominic Dwye (Teal Bunbury 85’), Jacob Peterson (Josh Gardner 81’)

Subsitutes Not Used: Eric Kronberg, Matt Besler, Christian Duke, Soony Saad

TFC starters