May 27, 2015 PDL--Toronto FC Academy vs Forest City London (by Rocket Robin)

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Results and details of the Wednesday May 27, 2015 PDL game between Toronto FC Academy and Forest City London played at The KIA Training Ground in Downsview at 2:30pm.

Toronto FC Academy (all red, white numbers)

.....................1 Darrin MacLeod
14 Nicholas Osorio...2 Gabriel Boakye...5 Alain Sargeant...3 Kevon Black (cpt)
8 Dapo Afolayan...11 Daniel Jodah...10 Martin Davis...16 Tarik Robertson
..............17 Mark Gonzalez...18 Michael Maiorano

Subs:...30 Phil Di Bennardo (gk)...4 Nikola Stakic (def)...6 Joshua Paredes (mid)...9 Malik Johnson (mid)...15 Aziah Reid (fwd)
...19 Liam Fraser (mid)...23 Oliver Spring (def)
team officials:...head coach Stuart Neely

Forest City London (all yellow, black numbers, white trim)

......................1 Mark Haynes
2 Pierre Mangold...5 Aurelien Norest (cpt)...3 Kal Okot...91 Anthony Perez
.........8 Denver Spearman...18 Peter Manginas...10 Sandro Rajkovic
.........9 James Pucci...44 Ben Fitzpatrick...7 Alejandro Pastor

Subs:...22 Scott Shewfelt (gk)...4 Aaron Schneebeli (def)...6 Parker Seymour (mid)...11 Ryan Ware (mid)...13 Damon Blackport (fwd)
...17 Connor McFall (mid)...28 Jeannin Takumi (def)
team officials:...head coach Martin Painter

Game officials:...referee Armando Pereira...referee's assistants Nicholas Pipipotino and Keith Yunen...fourth official Johnny Latino(?)
...(navy shirts and shorts, black socks)

1st Half:...game starts 2:32pm...TFCA defends north end on this mild afternoon with a bright sun in the south west and very gusty winds.
4 min...FCL Pucci rush on left and 25 yard shot is well over net.
7 min...FCL Ben Fitzpatrick steals ball off defender on right edge of box and takes sharp angle low shot past diving goalie Darrin MacLeod into left corner of net.
8 min...FCL Mangold is injured at FCL 35 yard sideline.
10 min...FCL sub:...Seymour replaces injured Mangold who needs help to limp off field.
11 min...FCL Pucci receives chipped pass from 40 yard line on left downfield and takes quick 15 yard shot that's into short side webbing of net.
12 min...FCL Pucci 45 yard freekick from left ends up winning cornerkick.
13 min...FCL Pastor cornerkick from left is well over players in box.
14 min...A TFCA poor clearance finds an FCL player who has 12 yard shot in box blocked by defender.
15 min...FCL Pucci cornerkick from right is short and Pucci is tapped back ball and his long cross drifts over left end line.
22 min...FCL Seymour long throw-in from left has defender pop up header and FCL player blasts 20 yarder down middle that goalie palms over bar.
23 min...FCL Pastor cornerkick from left is well over players in box and out for throw-in.
30 min...FCL Rajkovic chips pass forward and left from 35 yards, FCL Pucci shoots 18 yarder from left wide left of net.
31 min...FCL Pucci cornerkick from right has nearest defender on right post shank clearance attempt for another cornerkick.
31 min...FCL Pucci cornerkick from right is partially cleared and cross from left is ruled offside.
33 min...FCL player gets foot in to hook 10 yard shot from left that's saved.
35 min...TFCA Gonzalez turns and fires 28 yard shot from right well over net. (this was TFCA's first shot of the game!)
36 min...FCL Seymour long throw-in from right has defender flick header backwards through box.
37 min...FCL Pucci 40 yard freekick from right bounces through charging players in box and wide left for a cornerkick.
38 min...FCL Pucci gets tapped pass from right and 18 yard blast is wide right of net.
39 min...FCL Seymour 25 yard low blast deflects off defender and rolls to another defender to clear.
42 min...FCL Pastor 50 yard freekick from left is cleared in box by defenders.
43 min...FCL Pucci 22 yard freekick from left has flying goalie push ball wide right of post.
43 min...FCL Pucci cornerkick from right is whistled down in box.
46 min...FCL Rajkovic is tapped pass from left sideline and 40 yard low shot is saved by diving goalie.
46 min...FCL Spearman 30 yard shot from right has defender head ball away from 12 yards.
46 min...half ends 3:18pm.

2nd Half:...starts 3:40pm.
halftime sub:...TFCA Fraser replaces Afolayan.
46 min...FCL Seymour long throw-in from left bounces to TFCA goalie.
48 min...FCL Pastor pushes TFCA Sargeant over in TFCA box for freekick call.
49 min...TFCA Fraser cornerkick from right has TFCA player pop up header that blows out of box.
50 min...TFCA player's cornerkick from left is cleared in box.
50 min...TFCA Fraser cross from 30 yards on left is well wide right of net.
52 min...FCL YELLOW card...Okot earns it for twisting up TFCA Davis at TFCA 50 yard line.
56 min...TFCA Fraser low 40 yard freekick from right has defender clear on edge of box.
57 min...TFCA sub...Reid replaces Gonzalez.
58 min...FCL goalie beats TFCA Reid to dive on through ball on right side of box.
59 min...FCL Manginas can't win Penalty kick on sliding tackle on right side of box.
59 min...FCL Seymour long throw-in from right has ball knocked around in box and FCL Pastor takes low 8 yard shot that's blocked by sliding goalie but offside flag was up.
60 min...TFCA sub...Johnson replaces Davis.
62 min...FCL Norest is injured on sliding tackle at FCL 45 yard line.
63 min...TFCA Jodah 40 yard freekick from left is over three TFCA players waiting on right side of box.
65 min...FCL Perez is injured drifting out of bounds to make header.
68 min...FCL YELLOW card...Rajkovic earns it for TFCA Osorio for tackle at TFCA 50 yard line.
69 min...TFCA Osorio puts teammates offside on 3 man rush when he fumbles ball on dribble.
71 min...FCL Okot 60 yard freekick from left has TFCA Black head ball back to goalie who has to charge to save it before it flies for cornerkick.
73 min...FCL Pastor 40 yard freekick from far right has FCL player on left head ball that's blown away from net.
74 min...FCL Pucci 22 yard freekick from left has FCL Okot head ball across box.
74 min...FCL Pastor blasts 25 yard shot from left well over net.
75 min...TFCA sub...Paredes replaces Osorio.
77 min...FCL Pucci 40 yard freekick from far right has defender at 15 yards head ball away.
78 min...TFCA Jodah cornerkick from left is through goalie's hands on left post and flies for cornerkick on right.
78 min...TFCA Jodah low cornerkick from right has closest defender clear ball for fast break.
79 min...FCL goalie catches 40 yard shot from left on bounce.
80 min...FCL sub...McFall replaces Manginas.
81 min...FCL Fitzpatrick 25 yard shot from left bends just high and wide right of net.
82 min...FCL McFall 22 yard shot from left has FCL Pastor on left turn and fires shot that goalie pushes wide left for cornerkick.
82 min...FCL player's cornerkick from left is partially cleared and recross is offside.
83 min...TFCA Jodah cross from 25 yards on left is through two TFCA players and wide for throw-in.
87 min...FCL YELLOW card...Spearman earns it for tackle at FCL 30 yard sideline.
88 min...TFCA Jodah 40 yard freekick from left sideline has TFCA player pop up header that's ruled offside.
89 min...FCL Pucci tap back for his 40 yard freekick down middle blast down middle for easy save.
90 min...TFCA YELLOW card...Paredes earns it for sliding tackle on delayed call at TFCA 40 yard line.
91 min...FCL sub...Blackport replaces Pastor.
95 min...Ball rolls across FCL box from left and TFCA Boakye on right blasts ball over net from 12 yards.
95 min...game ends 4:25pm.

Final Score:......Toronto FC Academy........0......Forest City London.......1.......

Attendance was about 50 on this mild afternoon with the bright sun in the south west coming in and out of the clouds. There were very gusty winds from the south. This week there were no TFC II players hanging around to watch Academy players (and ex-Academy players on K-W United) as they were getting ready to be called onto the main TFC roster for their international friendly against Manchester City FC [spoiler alert: many of them stole the show].

TFCA still haven't scored in now their third game of the season. They couldn't take advantage of the strong gusty winds at their backs in the second half. They were outshot 7-1 in the first half. FC London sees their record improve to 2 wins, 0 losses, 1 tie.

The TFCA defence looked sound (they have only let in four goals in these three games) but it was a defensive miscue at 7 minutes that was the lone goal of the game.

There was lots of close checking and sliding tackles but only four Yellow cards given out by referee Armando Pereira (FCL drew three of them).

FCL Parker Seymour was a weapon with his long throw-ins into the TFC box whether with or against the wind. He came into the game at the 10 minute mark to replace defender Gabriel Boakye who'd been injured on a tackle.

I was surprised that TFCA didn't try a few more 35 yard shots with the wind at their backs. A cornerkick for them squeezed through goalie Mark Haynes' upstretched hands on the near post and the ball flew through the box. Haynes earned the shutout without having to make any outstanding save. The wind was similar to last Tuesday's home opener in that it blew cornerkicks over the box and clearance attempts died midair and forward passes blew off the field. Better for the fans was the weather was a lot warmer and there was sun for some of the game today.

FCL broke up a lot of TFCA plays beyond the 30 yard line so they never turned into threats for scoring chances.

Best non-scoring chances were at 22 minutes when FCL Parker Seymour took a long throw-in from the left had a defender pop up a header and an FCL blasted a 10 yarder down the middle that goalie goalie palmed over the bar. 43 minutes had FCL James Pucci take a 22 yard freekick from the left that the flying goalie pushed wide right of the post. 78 minutes had TFCA Daniel Jodah's cornerkick go through the goalie's hands as I mentioned above. 82 minutes had FCL Connor McFall take a 22 yard shot from the left that has FCL Alejandro Pastor on left turn and fire a shot that the goalie pushed wide left for a cornerkick. Last action in injury time finished with TFCA Gabriel Boakye blasted a ball that had rolled across the FCL box from the left over the net from 12 yards on the right.

I had no time to ask any questions after the game like if beating TFCA was more satisfying than prior year wins against Toronto Lynx but I now had to race downtown to catch the Toronto FC vs Man City game...yes made it and the TFC II players did impress.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

Toronto FC Academy starters