July 26, 2014 MLS--Toronto FC vs Sporting Kansas City (by Rocket Robin)

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Result of the Saturday July 26, 2014, MLS game between Toronto FC and Sporting Kansas City played at BMO Field in Toronto at 7:00pm.

Toronto FC (all red, white names and numbers)

.......................12 Joseph Bendik
17 Nick Hagglund...16 Bradley Orr...15 Doneil Henry...2 Justin Morrow
23 Dominic Oduro...4 Michael Bardley (cpt)...26 Collen Warner...11 Jackson
...............9 Gilberto...27 Luke Moore

Subs:...1 Chris Konopka (gk)...3 Warren Creavalle (def)...8 Kyle Bekker (mid)...14 Dwayne De Rosario (mid)...21 Jonathan Osorio (mid)
...32 Andrew Wiedeman (fwd)...35 Daniel Lovitz (mid)
team officials:...head coach Ryan Nelsen

Sporting Kansas City (light blue & dark blue hooped socks, dark blue shorts, light blue & dark blue chests/dark blue backs, light blue names and numbers)

.......................30 Andy Gruenebaum
40 Igor Juliao...78 Aurelien Collin...5 Matt Besler (cpt)...15 Seth Sinovic
...............10 Benny Feilhaber...13 Lawrence Olum...12 Mikey Lopez
...............8 Graham Zusi...14 Dom Dwyer...17 C J Sapong

Subs:...21 Jon Kempin (gk)...4 Kevin Ellis (def)...9 Antonio Dovale (mid)...11 Sal Zizzo (fwd)...16 Claudio Bieler (fwd)
...22 Soony Ssad (fwd)...37 Jacob Peterson (fwd)
team officials:...head coach Peter Vermes

Game officials:...referee Ted Unkel...referee's assistants Greg Barkey and Richard Gamache...fourth official Geoff Gamble
...(yellow shirts, black shorts and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 7:08pm...TFC defends north end on this hot and sunny evening with the sun in the north west.
30 sec...SKC Dwyer 17 yard low shot up middle deflects off TFC Hagglund at 12 yards wide right for cornerkick.
1 min...SKC Zusi cornerkick from right is just over jumping SKC Dwyer and headed away out left for clearance.
3 min...TFC Jackson pushes ball too far forward on first touch at 28 yards up middle and goalie kicks it away on left side of box.
5 min...SKC Sapong low cross from 20 yards on far left has ball TFC Hagglund block and ball deflect for cornerkick.
6 min...SKC Zusi cornerkick from left has TFC Moore head ball away at 6 yards in middle of box.
7 min...TFC Oduro rolls 22 yarder from sharp right and wins cornerkick on goalie diving forward to 5 yards to try to stop and ball rolls off his fingertips and wide left.
7 min...TFC Warner cornerkick from left has TFC Hagglund at 10 yards on right heads 7 yarder wide right.
9 min...SKC Igor 20 yard shot from right deflects up off defender at 17 yards and goalie behind crowd of players bats down at 6 yards and Igor shoots 10 yarder from right that goalie slides to block at 5 yards. Rebound blast from 25 yards up middle is skied over net wide left by SKC Olum.
11 min...TFC Warner cornerkick from right has TFC Henry not quite able to turn header at 10 yards and ball bounces well wide left of net for goalkick.
13 min...SKC Besler long throw-in from right has TFC Warner twist away header on right side of box. SKC Lopez blasts 25 yard rebound up middle that bounces and TFC Orr shanks clearance at 8 yards for cornerkick.
14 min...SKC Zusi cornerkick from left is over players in box and TFC Hagglund heads it away on right.
14 min...SKC player's long throw-in from right has TFC Jackson flick header at 15 yards on right into box and TFC Oduro heads it out of box. SKC chip back into box is whistled down.
15 min...TFC Jackson GOAL...TFC Joe Bendik freekick from 85 yards is over to right and SKC Seth Sinovic leaps to head ball and heads it backwards from 45 yards. TFC Dominic Oduro gets to it at 35 yards on right and runs towards goal cutting towards middle. Oduro rolls pass forward for charging Jackson who gets ball at 12 yards in middle and rounds goalie Andy Gruenebaum and shoots 8 yarder from right into left side of net past defender Igor retreating to guard right post.
17 min...SKC Zusi 28 yard chipped freekick from right is headed out left of box by TFC Hagglund at 15 yards on right.
18 min...TFC Henry makes poke away and block of shot on edge of box from SKC Zusi.
19 min...SKC Sapong rush to edge of box on long run but falls after cutting to middle and being checked by TFC Bradley.
21 min...TFC Gilberto can't win freekick on tackle by SKC Collin poking ball away from behind at 24 yards up middle.
22 min...TFC Oduro cross from 25 yards on right has sliding TFC Hagglund head from 8 yards but his shot hits the right post and deflects back off him and out of box to right side.
25 min...SKC Sapong bends 25 yard shot from right wide left of net.
27 min...SKC Zusi 55 yard freekick from left is over SKC Sapong header attempt at 15 yards and ball wide left for goalkick.
28 min...TFC Warner 40 yard freekick from right is headed away at 15 yards. TFC Henry cross from 25 yards on left is headed away by SKC Besler at 15 yards.
29 min...TFC Bradley slides forward but can't stop rolled cross by SKC Zusi sent along 25 yard line and SKC Olum blasts low 25 yarder up middle wide right of net.
31 min...TFC Oduro cross from 15 yards along right end line is over box unplayed.
31 min...TFC YELLOW card...Jackson earns it for tackle on SKC Igor at SKC 35 yard line for about the fourth time this game.
32 min...TFC Oduro gets pass at 45 yards on right low 22 yard shot from right is over diving goalie at 4 yards and hits right post and retreating SKC Sapong clears before TFC Moore can connect on 7 yard shot up middle.
33 min...TFC YELLOW card...Morrow earns it for sliding tackle from behind on SKC Dwyer injurying both of them at TFC 35 yard line.
36 min...TFC Warner rolls 20 yard freekick on right edge of box that's cleared by sliding SKC player at 10 yards. Warner gets to clearance and kicks ball back upfield for TFC Oduro who crosses from 45 yards on right that goalie in crowd of players punches forward from 12 yards in middle and TFC Jackson shoots wide right from 15 yards on left.
39 min...TFC Warner 40 yard freekick up middle one-bounces wide left of net.
41 min...SKC Igor cuts across right and rolls 28 yarder through defenders to goalie.
43 min...TFC YELLOW card...Oduro earns it for not giving 10 yards on SKC Zusi's quick freekick from 30 yards on left.
43 min...SKC Feilhaber freekick from 30 yards on left has TFC Hagglund head away from 8 yards in middle of box.
45 min...TFC Warner 40 yard freekick from right is headed away by defender at 12 yards. TFC Jackson kicks 20 yarder from left that TFC Moore gets head to at 10 yards in crowd of players but ball deflects off him wide right.
46 min...TFC YELLOW card...Henry earns it for tackle on SKC Igor long run at TFC 20 yards on right.
47 min...SKC Feilhaber 20 yard freekick is bent just wide right of top corner of net.
47 min...half ends 7:55pm.

Halftime Entertainment: there was the usual pizza giveaway, Sportschek gift certificate giveaway, Scotts Lawn Care seat upgrade, and Drumsticks ice cream giveaway. There was a soccer mini game with children from Armour Heights Soccer Club who looked like they were 6 years old. It was an 8 on 7 game with girls playing too. Two of the boys had Mohawk haircuts.

2nd Half:...starts 8:12pm.
45 min...TFC goalie kicks ball out of bounds when threatened for throw-in.
45 min...SKC Besler takes long throw-in from left is cleared from box.
47 min...SKC Graham Zusi GOAL...Zusi from 30 yards on right pops up header. SKC Mikey Lopez can't get to ball as TFC Justin Morrow partially clears at 8 yards. SKC Benny Feilhaber shoots 18 yards up middle that's partially blocked by TFC Doneil Henry. SKC Dom Dwyer then blasts from 18 yards that's blocked by TFC Justin Morrow. TFC Bradley Orr slides to poke ball away at 8 yards on right before SKC C.J. Sapong can connect. Zusi finds himself with clear shot at 20 yards and shoots from left into top right corner of net.
48 min...TFC Bradley 55 yard freekick from left has SKC Collin head away on edge of box.
49 min...TFC Gilberto given ball on quick TFC freekick and runs up middle and rolls pass from 25 yards to TFC Jackson and he rolls 15 yard shot from left that's smothered by goalie.
50 min...SKC Lopez 25 yard roller up middle has goalie dive left to smother ball.
51 min...SKC Sinovic rush on left and low 25 yard shot is stopped by sliding TFC Hagglund at 15 yards on left.
52 min...SKC YELLOW card...Besler earns it for flipping over TFC Oduro after Besler stopped Oduro's pass into box on right after his long run up right.
53 min...TFC Bradley 22 yard freekick from right edge of box hits a player's head in two man wall. TFC Warner rebound from 25 yards in middle is shot over net.
54 min...SKC sub...Ellis replaces Sinovic who was injured on last play.
55 min...SKC Feilhaber shoots low 25 yarder up middle through traffic and goalie dives left to smother.
55 min...TFC Warner cornerkick from left has TFC Hagglund at 15 yards pop up header that goalie catches at 1 yard in front of TFC Gilberto.
57 min...TFC Moore cuts in from left near end line and his 10 yard low cross deflects off SKC Besler and back off Moore for goalkick call.
58 min...SKC Igor crosses from 30 yards on far right has SKC Sapong at 15 yards on left chest ball away from goal as he falls and SKC Feilhaber bounces 18 yard shot through crowd of players that goalie pushes wide right of net.
58 min...SKC Zusi cornerkick from right has SKC Sapong in crowd of players head ball over net with back turned at 8 yards.
60 min...TFC Gilberto cross from 22 yards on center is over to charging TFC Jackson whose 10 yard shot is stopped by foot of sprawling goalie and rebound tips off TFC Jackson wide left for a goalkick.
61 min...SKC Besler long throw-in from left wins cornerkick on TFC Hagglund header from 10 yards on left.
62 min...SKC Zusi cornerkick from left has goalie punch ball up at 3 yards and TFC Moore pops up header at 12 yards and TFC Hagglund heads ball away on right. SKC Olum rushes up right sideline and crosses in from 22 yards near end line and TFC Henry heads ball behind end line from 5 yards.
63 min...SKC Zusi cornerkick from right has SKC Collin head ball down at 15 yards but TFC Oduro runs ball away from box.
64 min...TFC Oduro rush down right and low cross has TFC Moore not able to redirect kick from 10 yards on right then TFC Jackson waiting at 5 yards on left kicks ball over net.
67 min...SKC Besler long throw-in from right is headed away in crowd of players by TFC Henry at 15 yards.
68 min...SKC YELLOW card...Igor earns it for pulling down TFC Oduro on run down right side at SKC 22 yard line.
69 min...TFC Bradley 28 yard freekick from right has TFC player pop up header at 8 yards on left and goalie catches at 5 yards in middle of box.
69 min...SKC player's cross from 15 yards on left has ball hit SKC Sapong who then falls and defender boots ball away at 8 yards.
70 min...SKC sub...Saad replaces Sapong.
71 min...SKC Zusi cornerkick from right has TFC Moore head ball away. TFC Gilberto is injured on bump at center line with SKC Igor.
72 min...TFC YELLOW card...Bradley earns it for complaining about last play.
73 min...TFC Jackson rush on left but cross is blocked on edge of box.
74 min...SKC RED card...Matt Besler earns his second Yellow card for check on TFC Oduro at SKC 22 yard line on far right.
75 min...TFC Bradley 28 yard freekick from right has TFC Henry to left of crowd of players head 8 yarder that bounces over net.
76 min...SKC sub...Peterson replaces Lopez.
79 min...SKC Jacob Peterson GOAL...SKC player's low cross from 40 yards on left sideline deflects off underside of TFC Nick Hagglund's raised leg at 25 yards on left and bounces into box. SKC Peterson can't completely stop ball with foot at 18 yards on left and ball also gets by defender. SKC Dom Dwyer finally stops ball and taps backpass from 10 yards in middle and Peterson takes 15 yard shot into low right side of net past diving goalie Joe Bendik.
79 min...TFC sub...Osorio replaces Oduro.
80 min...TFC Jackson 18 yard shot from left is wide left of net.
81 min...TFC sub...De Rosario replaces Orr.
81 min...SKC Saad 8 yard shot from left near end line after round defender is saved by goalie on left post.
84 min...TFC Osorio cornerkick from left has SKC Collin at 7 yards head ball forward and out of box.
85 min...TFC goalie clears bad back pass from TFC Morrow with SKC Dwyer racing him for ball at 22 yards.
85 min...TFC Oduro runs up right wing and rolls centering pass for TFC De Rosario who cuts towards goal and bends low 20 yard shot up middle that goalie dives to left to smother.
86 min...TFC Oduro long cross from 30 yards on right has SKC Zusi step in front of charging TFC Jackson and head ball from 6 yards wide of left post for cornerkick.
86 min...TFC Osorio cornerkick from left has SKC Collin head ball away from 8 yards but play whistled down anyway when TFC Henry shoves him.
87 min...TFC Osorio is checked off ball in SKC box before getting away shot.
88 min...TFC Moore heads cross from right downward and TFC Bradley 22 yard low shot down middle is wide left of net.
90 min...SKC Zusi and Dwyer freekick from 35 yards on right is a tap and never into TFC box.
91 min...TFC Bradley 40 yard freekick down middle has goalie punch ball away on left. TFC player is then called offside.
91 min...TFC Jackson cross from 28 yards on left is a step ahead of sliding TFC Oduro at 5 yards on right post.
93 min...TFC Hagglund long throw-in from right has SKC Collin at 8 yards head ball out of box.
93 min...TFC Morrow chips ball from 25 yards and TFC Henry misses scissor kick shot at 8 yards down middle.
95 min...TFC Bradley 35 yard freekick from left is over players on right post.
95 min...game ends 9:02pm.

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

Attendance was announced as a sellout at 22591 on this hot evening. This will be the last TFC home game for almost a month.

Man of the Match (who is always a TFC player) was announced as midfielder Dominic Oduro. He had many runs and chances to score. Before the game Steven Caldwell was announced as TFC's Community Player of the Month of July for his charitable work.

TFC Jermain Defoe was suspended for this game because of Yellow card accumulation. Now defender Doneil Henry will miss a game for this same reason after picking up another Yellow card today.

Toronto FC did not make a substitution until after the SKC winning goal although they were warming up guys and Jonathan Osorio was getting his jacket off but I felt they should have come in earlier as Jackson and Dominic Oduro were both tiring. Their passes and shots were getting wilder. 60 minutes was long enough for both of them which is the limit on some of their other starts this season. Dwayne De Rosario only had 15 minutes to operate and had one good shot.

Collen Warner took most of the cornerkicks for TFC until Jonathan Osorio got into the game. Michael Bradley had at least four freekicks near the end of the game.

TFC's new defender Warren Creavalle did not come into the game. TFC traded for him earlier in the week by giving Houston Dynamo their place in the Allocation order plus some allocation money and Dynamo used it to claim US national team defender DeMarcus Beasley. This was a good move for TFC as they don't need another defender and the Designated Player salary to pay for him.

SKC are the defending MLS champions and scored on a world class shot by USA national team and now newly designated player Graham Zusi. Their winning goal was scored soon after their captain Matt Besler (also a long time SKC player but now a newly signed DP) was sent off for collecting his second Yellow card. The goal scorer was Jacob Peterson, a former TFC player. Besler took most of the freekicks and Zusi took the cornerkicks. I had cheered for the USA and all the Concacaf teams throughout the World Cup and they brought new respect for the region with three out of the four teams making the Round of 16.

This was the fifth road win in a row for SKC--an almost unheard of run in this league.

Both teams had played non-MLS games on Wednesday night--both English Premier League teams. TFC had lost 3-2 to Tottenham and SKC had lost 4-1 to Manchester City.

Both goalies had to make key stops or it might have been a 5-5 game.

This breaks a three game undefeated streak in MLS league games for TFC.

Early arriving fans were given a canvas bag from sponsor Sportchek.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

stats from MLSsoccer.com
Match Information

Goals and Assists
16'  Jackson                 Assisted By: Dominic Oduro 
48'  Graham Zusi             
80'  Jacob Peterson          Assisted By: Dominic Dwyer 

Disciplinary
32'    Jackson                YELLOW   Reason: Dissent  
35'    Justin Morrow          YELLOW   Reason: Foul 
44'    Dominic Oduro          YELLOW   Reason: Not Retreating 
45'+2' Doneil Henry           YELLOW   Reason: Foul 
53'    Matt Besler            YELLOW   Reason: Foul 
69'    Igor Julião            YELLOW   Reason: Foul 
73'    Michael Bradley        YELLOW   Reason: Dissent 
75'    Matt Besler            RED      Reason: Foul    (2nd YELLOW) 

MLS Regular Season at BMO Field
Attendance 22591
Weather Clear

Records:
Toronto FC:  7-6-5  26pts.
Sporting KC:  11-5-5  38pts.

Lineups

Toronto FC – Joe Bendik; 
Nick Hagglund, Bradley Orr (Dwayne De Rosario 82’), Doneil Henry, Justin Morrow; 
Jackson, Michael Bradley ©, Collen Warner (Jonathan Osorio 80’), Dominic Oduro; 
Luke Moore, Gilberto

Substitutes Not Used: Chris Konopka, Kyle Bekker, Warren Creavalle, Andrew Wiedeman, Daniel Lovitz

Sporting KC – Andy Gruenebaum; 
Matt Besler ©, Aurelien Collin, Igor Julio, Seth Sinovic (Kevin Ellis 55’); 
Mikey Lopez (Jacob Peterson 77’), Lawrence Olum, Benny Feilhaber; 
Graham Zusi, C.J. Sapong (Soony Saad 71’), Dominic Dwyer

Substitutes Not Used: Claudio Bieler, Sal Zizzo, Toni, Jon Kempin

Stats:

Team Statistics

TOR                           SKC
 17    Shots                   17 
  4    Shots on Target          7 
 12    Shots off Target         5 
  1    Blocked Shots            5 
  5    Corners                  7 
 23    Crosses                 22 
  3    Offsides                 1 
 17    Fouls                   21 
  5    Yellow Cards             1 
  0    Red Cards                1 
278    Total Passes           308 
 71 %  Passing Accuracy        72 % 
 47 %  Possession              53 % 
 77    Duels Won               73 
 11    Tackles Won             14 
  5    Saves                    3 
 29    Clearances              26 


Officials
Referee  Ted Unkel 
Assistant Referee  Gregory Barkey 
Assistant Referee  Richard Gamache 
Fourth Official  Geoff Gamble

Toronto FC starters