June 8, 2014 League 1 Ontario--Durham United FC vs Internacional de Toronto (from League 1 Ontario website)
Durham United FC 2 - Internacional de Toronto 0 . Mon Jun 9 Written By: Meertins, Tyrrell Durham United FC claimed their first victory of the League1 Ontario season after a physical encounter with Internacional de Toronto. There was a sense of desperation surrounding the opening minutes at Kinsmen Park in Pickering, as both sides recorded draws in the opening matchweek. Three players were cautioned in the opening half hour – Alex Flores and Tong Li for Internacional, and striker Lerohne Young for Durham – following several cynical fouls committed by members of both teams. Internacional’s pacy and direct attacks posed a constant threat throughout the match, and it only took three minutes for Nolberto Solano’s men to create their first chance. Joshua Portillo’s clearance from his half fell to Sergio Ribadeneira at the half-way line, and the Internacional striker played a pass behind the defence to an advancing Flores, who ran towards the box but fired a weak effort at Durham goalkeeper Ben Cowman. The main difference between the two sides in the first half was their approach without the ball. Internacional’s 4-3-3 transitioned into 4-1-4-1 out of possession, allowing Durham’s centre-backs to carry the ball, with Internacional opting to press in midfield once the first pass was played. Durham, on the other hand, implemented a high-pressing game when Internacional played out from goal-kicks. Durham wingers Martino Dumevski and Jordon Hargrave pressed the Internacional full-backs, Emile Saimovici closed down Internacional’s defensive midfielder Andoni Gallego, and Young was forced into double-duty closing down the two centre-backs. In the 13th minute, Ribadeneira received a goal-scoring opportunity that epitomized Internacional’s best moves in the first half. Victor Gallo played a lofted ball into the lone striker, and he controlled it on his chest before firing an effort wide of the net. Ribadeneira was exceptional for large portions of the match; the Internacional striker outmuscled the Durham centre backs – specifically Le-Shaun Young – and worked hard to sustain possession and link play with his midfield. At one stage, Internacional created three chances in a four-minute period. In the 26th minute, Diego Abascal received the ball in midfield and evaded two challenges before playing a pass into Li, but the right back's hesitant shot to shoot was blocked. A minute later, Inter sprung forward on the counter with Portillo taking the ball from his box to half, before playing a long diagonal to Flores on the left – the Internacional winger’s attempt fell into the hands of Durham's Cowman. Cowman, though, was quickly forced to make his first difficult save in the 30th minute, when Portillo nodded the ball into the path of Ribadeneira, and the striker unleashed a powerful shot that the Durham goalkeeper pushed away for the corner. Likewise, Durham recorded their first shot of the match three minutes later, when Gallo nodded Cowman’s goal-kick into the path of Young around the 18-yard box, but the Durham striker fired a wild shot over the net. While Durham’s centre-backs received time to circulate the ball, their midfield duo Davinder Johal and Joseph Roccasalva couldn’t link play between the lines with their partner, Saimovici, and their roles were negated by the dynamic and physical pairing of Internacional's Javier Douglas and Abascal. One of the oddities regarding Internacional’s shape in the first two games is the positioning of the player in the central midfield single pivot. In the first half, Gallego sat a few yards in front of the centre backs and ensured that Young lost aerial duels. It appears that the aim was to push the full backs forward, yet this tactic occurred on precious few occasions. In the second half though, Raheem Edwards replaced Li, and Solano pushed Gallego to right back, while Edwards and Flores swapped positions in midfield. Now, the dynamic Douglas played in the single-pivot; he’s a reliable passer in midfield, but his presence in a deeper role in turn provided Durham’s deep midfield duo with additional time and space on the ball. Within seconds, these players began to link with Saimovici, who drifted into a pocket of space to receive the ball, turned and lashed a shot inches wide of the goal. Coincidentally, each club's left-sided midfielder dominated the opening twenty minutes in the second half. Ribadeneira forced Cowman to make a save, and he pounced on the rebound and squared the ball to Edwards in front of an open goal, but the winger sliced his shot wide. Afterwards, Edwards received two good balls into the left channels, but Durham centre-backs Nicholas Goddard and Le-Shaun squeezed the flank well and made timely challenges to clear danger. Durham manager Tony La Ferrara also identified an ideal matchup on his team's left flank, encouraging Hargrave to isolate Gallego. In his first attempt, Hargrave flew past Gallego towards the byline but his cross fell neatly into Internacional keeer Vrbec’s hands. Seconds later, Hargraves skipped past the right back again, this time cutting the ball back to Lerohne's path. Lerohne's miscued effort fell again to Hargraves, who guided the ball to goal, but Vrbec made a terrific save to keep the score-line leveled. Solano reacted and introduced Hugo Vaz at right back to contain Hargrave, thus forcing La Ferrara to instruct his wingers to swap flanks; Hargrave’s impact decreased, and Dumevski failed to get behind Internacional’s sturdy new right back. La Ferrara introduced Kyle Crighton for Saimovici in the playmaker role, and within minutes Crighton had capitalized on a defensive miscue and played a great ball behind the defence to an unmarked Dumevski – who had drifted centrally. The Durham winger promptly handed his side the lead. Internacional received a golden chance in the 66th minute when an unmarked Gallo nodded a header from six-yards out into Cowman, and Edwards pounced on the rebound to force the Durham keeper into a second save. Unfortunately, for Solano, Internacional’s Edwards received an injury – colliding with a teammate – thus leading to the introduction of Manuel Ramos who slotted into midfield and pushed Flores wide. Inter's Douglas gradually began to string passes together in deep positions, but the energy in midfield significantly decreased as Abascal tired, and Ramos failed to impose himself. Durham doubled their lead in the 74th minute, when goalkeeper Vrbec poorly judged a free kick, and Roccasalva directed the loose ball into an open net. Vaz’s earlier introduction at right back did provide a noticeable extra passing option for Internacional, and his combination with Portillo saw the Internacional winger create several half-chances that Ribadeneira failed to execute. Neither side enjoyed large spells of possession, but Internacional’s direct attacks in transition, particularly through Edwards, posed an ongoing threat to Durham. Still, the dynamism in Inter's midfield initially provided by Abascal and Douglas – who was forced into a deeper position following Li’s exit – faded in the second half, and Durham's keeper Cowman was outstanding in making several top-class saves to keep Internacional at bay. Durham’s efficiency in the final third, along with Cowman’s imperious display, earned the home side a deserved and hard-fought three points.
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