July 12, 2014 MLS--Toronto FC vs Houston Dynamo (by Rocket Robin)

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Result of the Saturday July 12, 2014, MLS game between Toronto FC and Houston Dynamo played at BMO Field in Toronto at 7:00pm.

Toronto FC (all black, white names and numbers)

.......................12 Joseph Bendik
28 Mark Bloom...13 Steven Caldwell (cpt)...15 Doneil Henry...2 Justin Morrow
23 Dominic Oduro...26 Collen Warner...21 Jonathan Osorio...11 Jackson
..............27 Luke Moore...18 Jermain Defoe

Subs:...1 Chris Konopka (gk)...5 Ashtone Morgan (def)...8 Kyle Bekker (mid)...9 Gilberto (fwd)...14 Dwayne De Rosario (mid)
...16 Bradley Orr (def)...35 Daniel Lovitz (mid)
team officials:...head coach Ryan Nelsen

Houston Dynamo (orange socks and shirts, white shorts, names and numbers)

.........................1 Tally Hall
8 Kofi Sarkodie...18 David Horst...4 Jermaine Taylor...5 Warren Creavalle
13 Ricardo Clark...20 Andrew Driver...27 Boniek Garcia...11 Brad Davis (cpt)
..........12 Will Bruin...23 Giles Barnes

Subs:...24 Tyler Deric (gk)...2 Eric Brunner (def)...7 Omar Cummings (fwd)...10 Alexander Lopez (mid)...16 A. J. Cochran (def)
...17 Servando Carrasco (mid)...22 Brian Ownby (mid)
team officials:...head coach Dominic Kinnear

Game officials:...referee Baldomero Toledo (as a substitute for MLS program listed Geoff Gamble)...referee's assistants Philippe Briere
and Scott Kachmarik...fourth official Mathieu Bourdeau...(teal shirts, black shorts and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 7:08pm...TFC defends south end.
2 min...TFC Warner 45 yard freekick from left has goalie catch ball overhead on right post.
3 min...TFC Warner 35 yard freekick from left is caught by goalie diving forward at 4 yards.
5 min...HD Davis 28 yard freekick from left is headed through box to right. HD player taps ball to center but HD Clark can only roll weak shot as he slides for ball at 12 yards and ball rolls for goalie to pick up.
8 min...HD Davis 25 yard cross from left is cleared. HD Clark 40 yard chip from left is wide right.
10 min...TFC Oduro is pushed pass by TFC Moore from 20 yards in middle too far wide right to get clear shot from near end line before he gains control of it.
10 min...TFC Bloom throw-in from right bounces through TFC Moore's legs at 15 yards on right and goalie picks up.
12 min...HD Brad Davis GOAL...HD Giles Barnes dribbles from right forward and to left past three defenders and sends short pass from 20 yards up middle over to Davis in clear on left and blasts 18 yard shot to short side under diving goalie.
14 min...TFC Jackson rolls 22 yard shot from left though players and diving goalie blocks at 5 yards. A defender clears the rebound.
14 min...TFC Caldwell makes foot stop at 10 yards in middle on HD Bruin rolling pass on rush to right edge of box.
17 min...TFC Bloom rush up middle and taps pass over to TFC Jackson who has shot shot from 22 yards on right blocked by defender at 18 yards.
17 min...TFC Henry blocks shot on slide. TFC Caldwell makes another stop and clears from 12 yards.
20 min...TFC Warner rolls ball up right and TFC Bloom cross from 18 yards along end line and goalie catches.
21 min...HD Sarkodie cross from 25 yards on right has TFC Caldwell boot away at 12 yards on left side of box.
23-24 min...HD players get a few chances on the left but can't work anything into the box.
25 min...HD Driver gets by fallen TFC Morrow and rolls 28 yarder from right that goalie smothers.
26 min...TFC Defoe is upended by HD Driver at 19 yards after he passes forward to TFC Jackson on right side of box.
27 min...TFC Defoe 19 yard freekick down middle has goalie palm ball over net.
28 min...TFC Warner cornerkick from right has TFC Henry being held by HD Bruin slide and kick 12 yarder over net down middle.
29 min...HD Brad Davis GOAL...HD Giles Barnes cross from 25 yards is flick headed by HD Will Bruin to Davis in open on left side and he shoots 10 yarder through legs of goalie Joe Bendik into right side of net.
32 min...TFC Defoe cuts shot from 20 yards down middle well over net.
33 min...HD YELLOW card...Sarkodie earns it for tripping TFC Moore on rush at HD 40 yard line on left.
34 min...TFC Warner 45 yard freekick from left has defender head ball from 15 yards in middle wide left for throw-in.
35 min...TFC Morrow long throw-in from left is headed by defender at 5 yards on left for cornerkick.
35 min...TFC Warner cornerkick from left is knocked back over to left for Warner to recrosss and eventually TFC Moore has 15 yard shot up middle blocked.
36 min...HD YELLOW card...Taylor earns it while waiting for TFC freekick at 20 yards for shoving Defoe.
.........TFC YELLOW card...Defoe earns it while waiting for TFC freekick at 20 yards for stepping on feet of Taylor.
37 min...TFC Warner 45 yard freekick from left has TFC Caldwell at 8 yards head ball back out of HD box as no one is on edge of box to drive in shot.
38 min...TFC Jonathan Osorio GOAL...TFC Jermain Defoe eludes HD Jermaine Taylor to get cross from 15 yards on right end line has goalie Tally Hall bobble ball over head and Osorio head ball in from 2 yards.
39 min...HD YELLOW card...Horst earns it for tripping TFC Moore at 25 yards on his run down middle.
40 min...TFC Defoe blasts 25 yard freekick down middle is high and wide left of net.
41 min...HD Davis rush on left and cross has TFC Henry make clearance at 10 yards preventing HD player getting to ball.
41 min...HD Davis cross from 25 yards on left has TFC Bloom pop up header that goalie catches.
42 min....TFC Jackson rush down left and taps pass over to TFC Defoe at 30 yard line and Defoe rolls centering pass downfield for charging Jackson but goalie picks up ball at 6 yards on left.
43 min...TFC Oduro cross from 28 yards on right has defender at 15 yards deflect ball back for goalie to catch.
45 min...HD Davis throw-in from left cornerflag is worked around but no ball is put into box.
45 min...TFC Dominic Oduro GOAL...TFC Jonathan Osorio rolls pass forward from edge of TFC box for charging TFC Jermain Defoe who dribble upfield from 70 yards and races to 30 yards up middle and rolls pass to right for TFC Dominic Oduro at 22 yards and he shoots and goalie blocks at 7 yards on right. Ball comes back for Oduro to shoot rebound from 12 yards on right to shoot low into left side of net.
47 min...half ends 7:55pm.

Halftime Entertainment: A lookalike replaced Rachel Bonnetta to MC this Halftime show. There was the usual draws/ads for Scott's lawn care, pizza, Purolator who donated 9000 lbs of food, and Drumsticks ice cream. There was a mini game with young children from the High Park Fottball Club that ended in a 0-0 tie with a team of 7 against a team of 8. The game was less than 3 minutes long barely enough time to play Shakira's song "LaLaLa".

All the TFC subs warmed up with stretching exercises on the field during halftime.

2nd Half:...starts 8:11pm.
46 min...TFC Moore flick chip from 15 yards in middle between defenders has TFC Jackson shoot 12 yarder from left low and wide left of net.
48 min...TFC Warner 40 yard chip from right is bounced wide left of net.
49 min...HD Barnes cross from 25 yards on left has TFC Henry head ball away at 7 yards in middle of box.
50 min...HD Davis cornerkick from right has defender head away near right post.
54 min...HD Sarkodie rush on right and low cross from 25 yards on right has TFC Caldwell put foot in at 8 yards on HD Barnes to clear ball for a cornerkick.
54 min...HD Davis cornerkick from right has defender head ball away on right post over to left.
55 min...HD YELLOW card...Clark earns it for tackle of TFC Jackson at HD 50 yard line.
56 min...TFC Oduro at 30 yards on right charges towards box and HD Creavalle pokes ball away on edge of box. Oduro regains loose ball at 20 yards on right end line and 15 yard chip is caught by goalie.
56 min...HD Driver rush down middle from center line has shot partially blocked at last minute at 20 yards by TFC Caldwell.
57 min...TFC sub...Lovitz replaces Oduro.
57 min...HD YELLOW card...Creavalle earns it for pull down of TFC Bloom near right edge of box.
58 min...TFC Lovitz 22 yard freekick from right has TFC Caldwell head 6 yarder just over bar on step forward.
60 min...HD Garcia from left bends 22 yard shot through defenders and goalie dives right to punch ball wide right of post.
60 min...HD Davis cornerkick from right is headed around and eventually cleared by defenders.
61 min...TFC Jackson cross from 22 yards on right has HD goalie punch away ball up middle.
61 min...HD goalie charges left to smother ball that had deflected off defender on edge of box.
62 min...TFC Jermain Defoe GOAL...TFC Jackson backheels pass through defender's legs at 50 yard line on right sideline to TFC Jonathan Osorio who runs from 45 yards on right cutting towards goal and middle of field. Osorio rolls short pass to Defoe at 25 yards and he runs to left and forward and rolls 10 yard shot around sliding HD Kofi Sarkodie and though goalie's legs at 5 yards into right side of net.
64 min...HD Barnes outraces TFC Caldwell for bouncing ball on left and charges in from 30 yards towards goal and shoots wide right from 12 yards. TFC Caldwell is injured on play chasing him on left edge of box.
65 min...HD sub...Ownby replaces Driver.
67 min...HD Barnes receives short pass from right and rolls 22 yarder up middle that goalie smothers near right post.
68 min...TFC sub...Orr replaces injured Caldwell. TFC Henry takes over as captain.
68 min...TFC Osorio can't draw Penalty kick on trip just inside box between two defenders.
69 min...HD Davis cross from 25 yards on left has TFC Henry twists header from 6 yards in middle out right side of box.
69 min...TFC Defoe gives to TFC Moore but he's checked before he can take shot at 10 yards on left. TFC Osorio has shot blocked on edge of box.
70 min...HD players sustain pressure in TFC box and TFC Osorio makes two stops of shots from edge of box.
71 min...HD Davis crosses from 22 yards on left that HD Ownby leaps to head from 10 yards that goalie falls along line to catch in center of net.
73 min...TFC Henry makes clearance kick of rolled cross sent in by HD Bruin from left at 15 yards.
75 min...TFC Jackson chip from 30 yards up middle has HD defender head ball away at 10 yards.
75 min...TFC Orr heads cross back to goalie to break up HD play.
76 min...HD Clark low cross from 18 yards near right end line has TFC Henry slide to clear ball at 6 yards for cornerkick.
77 min...HD Davis cornerkick from right has HD Taylor jump even with right post and head ball over net from 5 yards.
77 min...HD Ownby cross drifts behind TFC net from 20 yards on left.
78 min...HD sub...Cummings replaces Creavalle.
79 min...TFC sub...Gilberto replaces Moore.
80 min...TFC Lovitz rush down left and 30 yard cross from left has goalie catch at 8 yards even with right post.
81 min...HD Taylor is hurt on kick to face by TFC Gilberto at center line.
82 min...HD Davis low 20 yard shot from left is smothered by goalie.
83 min...TFC Gilberto bumps player off ball at 30 yards on left and runs in and shoots low and wide right from 12 yards.
85 min...HD sub...Carrasco replaces Clark.
86 min...HD Cummings cross from 30 yards on left is cleared by TFC Henry leaping header at 10 yards.
88 min...TFC Jermain Defoe GOAL...HD Servando Carrasco sends bad backpass from TFC 50 yard line near left sideline across to center and Defoe intercepts at HD 45 yards and runs up middle and takes low 15 yard shot that goalie gets piece of at 12 yards and Defoe steps around him and shoots 5 yarder over sliding HD Kofi Sarkodie into empty net.
90 min...HD Davis cornerkick from left has defender pop up header at 6 yards and out of box. TFC Gilberto knocks over charging HD Garcia rushing for loose ball on edge of box.
90 min...HD Barnes 23 yard freekick after receiving tap over from left is low and sprawling goalie pushes wide left of post.
91 min...HD Davis cornerkick from left has TFC Henry head ball out wide right side of box.
91 min...HD Barnes shoots midair shot from 22 yards down middle that's well over net.
93 min...game ends 8:59pm.

Final Score:.....Toronto FC.......4..........Houston Dynamo...........2........

Attendance was announced as a sellout at 22591 (they say their eighth in a row) on this warm hazy evening.

Man of the Match (who is always a TFC player) was announced as forward Jermain Defoe. That was an obvious choice with him scoring the winning goal and an insurance goal.

Houston goalie Tally Hall had a poor game with him not able to hang on to an overhead catch that resulted in the first goal and had Jermain Defoe but the winning goal between his legs. I can't blame him for the final goal as he was left all alone for Defoe to rush in alone on a bad backpass and did make the initial save. All the Dynamo starting defenders drew Yellow cards this game.

Dynamo's record on the road now is 1 win, 8 losses, 1 tie. They have now let in an MLS worst 38 goals so even a 2-0 lead wasn't good enough.

It was important that TFC scored the first half injury time goal to tie it so the second half could be like starting a new game with TFC having the momentum.

Doneil Henry played the full 90 minutes in defence--an easy choice as Nick Hagglund was Red carded in their last game. With Steven Caldwell getting injured this game, Henry may stay as a starter. He was given the captain's armband after Caldwell left the game.

Brad Davis was the best Dynamo player scoring the first two goals of the game by finding himself twice all alone on the left side of the box. He had returned to their lineup after playing for the USA team at the World Cup.

Michael Bradley also played for the USA and played 60 minutes in last week's TFC game against DC United but was not in tonight's lineup. TFC head coach Ryan Nelson decided to rest him. Collen Warner replaced him in the midfield and took a lot of freekicks and cornerkicks just like Bradley does.

Gilberto came in off the subs bench at 79 minutes and had one good chance but shot wide.

Joe Bendik made some key stops especially in the second half. With Julio Cesar away in the World Cup for Brazil and on the end of that 7-1 loss to Germany it's even less likely he will be coming back. Today Cesar was in goal for their 3-0 loss against Netherlands.

The CNE grounds were an obstacle course of cement walls and fences because of the Indy car race course that's been set up. The PA announcments at today's games advised fans to take transit to Wednesday's game as it will be worse and they'll be less parking.

There were no detours on my way here or home with transit. The bus stopped outside the subway station and there I found it overcrowded because the Argo football game had just ended. I often find that I'm dropped outside as a baseball game is ending but they both play in the same stadium.

Toronto FC play Dynamo again this Saturday in Houston but before that they have a home game this Wednesday against Vancouver Whitecaps.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

stats from MLSsoccer.com
Match Information

MLS Regular Season at BMO Field
Attendance 22591
Weather Clear

Goals and Assists
13'   Brad Davis       Assisted By: Giles Barnes 
30'   Brad Davis       Assisted By: Giles Barnes 
39'   Jonathan Osorio 
45'+1' Dominic Oduro 
63'   Jermain Defoe    Assisted By: Jonathan Osorio, Jackson 
89'   Jermain Defoe 

Disciplinary
35'   Kofi Sarkodie    Reason: Foul 
37'   Jermaine Taylor  Reason: Argument 
37'   Jermain Defoe    Reason: Argument 
40'   David Horst      Reason: Foul 
56'   Ricardo Clark    Reason: Foul 
59'   Warren Creavalle Reason: Foul 

Records:
Toronto FC:  7-5-3  24pts.
Houston Dynamo:  5-11-3  18pts.    

Lineups

Toronto FC – Joe Bendik; 
Mark Bloom, Steve Caldwell © (Bradley Orr 69’), Doneil Henry, Justin Morrow; 
Jackson, Jonathan Osorio, Collen Warner, Dominic Oduro (Daniel Lovitz 58’); 
Jermain Defoe, Luke Moore (Gilberto 80’)

Substitutes Not Used: Chris Konopka, Kyle Bekker, Dwayne De Rosario, Ashtone Morgan 

Houston Dynamo – Tally Hall; 
David Horst, Kofi Sarkodie, Jermaine Taylor, Warren Creavalle (Omar Cummings 79’); 
Ricardo Clark (Servando Carrasco 86’), Brad Davis ©, Oscar Garcia, Andrew Driver (Brian Ownby 67’)
Will Bruin, Giles Barnes

Substitutes Not Used: Tyler Deric, A.J. Cochran, Eric Brunner, Alexander Lopez

Stats:

TOR                            HOU
 16     Shots                   14 
  8     Shots on Target          8 
  6     Shots off Target         4 
  2     Blocked Shots            2 
  2     Corners                  6 
 13     Crosses                 25 
  3     Offsides                 0 
  7     Fouls                   18 
  1     Yellow Cards             5 
  0     Red Cards                0 
323     Total Passes           418 
 76 %   Passing Accuracy        76 % 
 43.3 % Possession              56.7 % 
 62     Duels Won               46 
 18     Tackles Won             14 
  6     Saves                    4 
 28     Clearances              19 

Officials
Referee  Baldomero Toledo 
Assistant Referee  Phill Briere 
Assistant Referee  Scott Kachmarik 
Fourth Official  Mathieu Bourdeau

Toronto FC starters