June 17, 2016 PDL--Toronto FC Academy vs Pittsburgh Riverhounds U23s (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the USL PDL game between TFC Academy and Pittsburgh Riverhounds U23
played Friday June 17, 2016 at The KIA Training Centre in Downsview at 4:00pm.

Toronto FC Academy (all red, white numbers)

....................1 Darren MacLeod
.....5 Klaidi Cela...4 Nikola Stakic (cpt)...14 Robert Boskovic
8 Nicholas Osorio...21 Matt Srbely...16 Kota Sakurai...18 Jacob Cini
..........11 Richie Ennin...19 Ethan Beckford...3 Leonard Sohn

Subs:...12/15 Cyrus Rollocks (gk/fwd)...17 Andrew Dias (def)...6 Thomas Mickoski (def)
...10 Glen Muenkat (mid)...9 Dante Campbell (mid)
team officials:...head coach Stuart Neely

Pittsburgh Riverhounds Under 23s (all black, white numbers, one white stripe in front)

....................31 Christian Snatchko
57 Cody West...35 Bennett Jull...38 Pierre Stephane...33 Matt Bischoff
60 Anthony Virgara...56 Jake Cooper...43 Mason George...49 Corey McCurdy...50 Dallin Cutler
.....................37 Kevin Angulo

Subs:...41 Jesse Scheirer (gk/fwd)...48 Stefan Mueller (def)...58 Matt Vananzi (mid)
team officials:...head coach Bobby Volkman

Game officials:...referee Alex Cho-Kee...referee's assistants Nick Diperno and Kim Lee
...fourth official Armando Pereira...(yellow shirts, black shorts and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 4:05pm...TFC defends north end on this hot and sunny afternoon with a wind from the south.
2 min...PR Angulo wins cornerkick on left after run to end line and deflection off defender.
2 min...PR Cutler cornerkick from left is cleared from box.
3 min...TFC Beckford rush up middle and taps pass to TFC Ennin is checked off ball.
9 min...TFC goalie runs to edge of box to pick up bouncer before PR Angulo can get to it.
10 min...TFC Sakurai flicks ball past defender at 25 yards but ball is picked up by goalie at 12 yards.
10 min...TFC Beckford is checked off ball on edge of PR box.
13 min...TFC Osorio can't redirect cross from left at 12 yards on right.
14 min...TFC Sohn cornerkick from right has TFC Stakic between crowd of players has 12 yards header wide right.
18 min...PR Virgara 28 yard low shot up middle has goalie dive left to stop at 3 yards and defenders clear rebound.
20 min...TFC Srbely 35 yard freekick down middle has TFC Stakic at 12 yards on left head ball wide left.
22 min...PR McCurdy low cornerkick from right is low and wasted.
23 min...PR Cutler cornerkick from right has leaping PR Angulo at 8 yards head downward and bounces wide left of net.
24 min...a water break is called.
26 min...play resumes.
27 min...PR Bischoff 30 yard cross from left has defender clear at 2 yards.
28 min...TFC Srbely cornerkick from left drops in box but defender clears at 5 yards.
30 min...PR Kevin Angulo GOAL...Angulo gets ball past TFCA Robbie Boskovic on left and rushes down left from 35 yard line. Angulo cuts towards goal on far left and low 8 yard shot is stopped by sliding goalie Darrin MacLeod on left post. The rebound deflects along left end line and Angulo banks an 8 yard shot off the inside of the right post.
31 min...TFC Sohn cornerkick from right is cleared.
32 min...PR gaolie leaps to beat TFC Sohn to bouncer at 16 yards.
34 min...TFCA Richie Ennin GOAL...TFCA Leonard Sohn passes forward from 25 yards and Ennin turns PR Pierre Stephane inside out at 12 yards on left and shoots low 10 yarder into right side of net past goalie Christian Snatchko.
37 min...TFC Ennin recovers poor PR clearance at 25 yards on left and blasts 20 yarder well high and wide right of net.
38 min...TFC Ennin receives pass on far left and run towards goal and low 15 yard cross near endline has goalie in middle of goal dive to save in front of TFC Beckford ready to tap in on left post.
41 min...TFC Srbely pass forward to TFC Ennin but PR Jull makes sliding tackle to break up play.
42 min...TFC Srbely runs along 25 yard line from left and cuts 25 yard shot wide right.
44 min...TFC Ennin 15 yard blast from left is blocked by defender and momentum pops ball up and flies for goalie to catch at 8 yards.
46 min...TFC Sohn chips 25 yarder through players thzt goalie catches.
46 min...PR Angulo taps ball back for PR Cutler on left and 22 yard cross from left is caught by goalie over crowd of players.
47 min...half ends 4:52pm.

Halftime...only the TFC subs stay outside to kick ball around.

2nd Half:...starts 5:08pm.
46 min...TFC Srbely cornerkick from left is low and defender clears.
47 min...TFC Sakurai taps backheeler forward for TFC Sohn and his 12 yard shot from the far left is caught by goalie.
48 min...PR McCurdy high cross from 25 yards on right near end line has TFC Cela clear on left side of box.
50 min...PR Angulo cross from 22 yards near right end line is over players in box.
51 min...TFC Sohn cornerkick from right is over players in box.
52 min...PR McCurdy rush to right end line and low 25 yards cross is caught by goalie on right post.
53 min...TFC Srbely 40 yard freekick up middle has PR Stephane make stop at 6 yards and clears.
55 min...PR Stephane is injured in collision with PR goalie and TFC player on right side of box. A water break is taken.
56 min...TFC Osorio wins cornerkick on long run up left.
56 min...TFC Srbely cornerkick from left is low and PR player shanks clearance kick for another cornerkick.
57 min...TFC Srbely cornerkick from left has goalie palm ball wide right.
57 min...TFC Sohn cornerkick from right has TFC Stakic not able to turn header on left at 6 yards but play is whistled down.
59 min...TFC Sohn 28 yard shot from right is deflected wide left for cornerkick.
60 min...TFC Sohn cornerkick from left is over TFC Stakic head attempt and out box on right.
62 min...PR sub...Mueller replaces West.
64 min...TFC Cini pass to TFC Ennin who runs along 25 yard line from left and cuts 25 yard shot that diving goalie pushes wide right and defender clears.
65 min...TFC sub...Mickoski replaces Cela.
.........TFC sub...Dias replaces Cini.
.........TFC sub...Rollocks replaces Ennin.
66 min...PR Mueller blasts low 25 yarder from right just wide left of post.
67 min...PR sub...Scheirer replaces Cutler.
........PR sub...Venanzi replaces George.
68 min...PR Venanzi 30 yard freekick from right has goalie catch on left post.
70 min...TFC players find themselves on a 2 on 0 break behind defender at 22 yards. TFC Osorio shoots 15 yarder down middle off outside of right post.
70 min...water break is called.
72 min...play resumes.
73 min...TFC Rollocks cartwheels over goalie on run down left. TFC Stakic is injured 30 yards away from play.
74 min...TFC sub...Muenkat replaces Sohn.
75 min...TFC Rollocks rush down left and his 12 yard shot from left deflects off foot of defender and goalie sprawls on left post to smother ball.
76 min...TFC sub...Campbell replaces Stakic.
77 min...TFC Srbely 28 yard freekick from left cornerflag has defender concede cornerkick.
7 min...TFC Srbely cornerkick from left is over TFC Bokovic at 8 yards but wins another cornerkick.
77 min...TFC Srbely cornerkick from right has TFC Campbell pop up header from 10 yards on right wide right for goalkick.
79 min...TFC Rollocks cross from left endline wins cornerkick on block of deflection.
80 min...TFC Srbely cornerkick from left is partially cleared and TFC Sakurai blasts 30 yarder up middle between players that flying goalie pushes wide right.
81 min...PR Venanzi freekick from 25 yards on left has PR Virgara on left fire high 15 yard shot across box.
83 min...TFC Srbely cornerkick from left has PR Cooper as nearest defender head ball away on left side of box.
84 min...TFC YELLOW card...Boskovic earns it for bumping over PR Scheirer on run down right sideline.
85 min...PR Venanzi 30 yard freekick from right has PR Cooper head 10 yarder wide right of net.
87 min...TFC Srbely 30 yard freekick from right has goalie punch ball away in crowd of players at 7 yards. TFC Muenkat recovers ball at 25 yards, turns and fires ball down middle well over net.
90 min...TFC Srbely rush between players from 40 yards and low 28 yard shot up m iddle has goalie smother.
91 min...PR Angulo low centering pass from 25 yards on far right and PR Virgara taps ball wide right from 8 yards.
91 min...TFC Beckford chips 30 yarder up middle that bounces between players unplayed for goalie.
92 min...TFC Dias chips 28 yard shot that is stopped.
93 min...TFC Beckkford stops and shoot screened 15 yard shot from left has diving goalie save on left post.
95 min...game ends 5:58pm.

Final Score:......Toronto FC Academy....1.....Pittsburgh Riverhounds U23s....1...

Attendance started slow at about 30 but by the end of the game was around 85. I was expecting these were people arriving after they got out of work but very few left when the game ended so then I thought it was for parents watching young academy players but they went to practice on another field. There were a lot of people chatting with Riverhounds players who I didn't see at the beginning of the game. These grounds are a busy place. Two fields over the visiting Los Angeles Galaxy were practicing for tomorrow's game at BMO Field. After that four fields over was a practice mix of TFCA's League 1 Ontario and OPDL players.

Referee Alex Cho-Kee gave out only one Yellow card in the game (to a TFCA player) and called a water break in each half. The game never got rough.

Pittsburgh came to town with a depleted line-up of only three subs and a player doubling as a forward and back up goalie. Their coach this day was Bobby Volkman and he'd told a TFC game day crew official that they had trouble getting players across the border. TFCA only had five subs including having Cyrus Rollocks listed as both a forward and back up goalie. Rollocks answered a TFC ground crew official that he hadn't played goal before.

Best non-scoring chances were at 18 minutes when PR Anthony Virgara took a low 28 yard shot up the middle that the goalie dived left to stop at 3 yards and the defenders cleared the rebound. 20 minutes had TFC Matt Srbely take a 35 yard freekick down the middle that had TFC Nikola Stakic at 12 yards on the left head just wide left. 23 minutes had PR Dallin Cutler take a cornerkick from the right that the leaping PR Virgara at 8 yards head downward and the ball bounced just wide left. 66 minutes had PR Mason George blasts low 25 yarder from right just wide left of post. 70 minutes had TFC Nicholas Osorio shoot a 15 yarder down the middle off the outside of the right post after finding themselves on a 2 on 0 break behind a defender at 22 yards. 75 minutes had TFC Cyrus Rollocks rush down the left and his 12 yard shot deflected off the foot of a defender and the goalie sprawled on the left post to smother. 80 minutes had TFC Srbely's cornerkick from the left partially cleared and TFC Kota Sakurai blasted a 30 yarder up the middle between the players that the flying goalie was able to push wide right of the post. 93 minutes had TFC Ethan Beckford stop and take screened 15 yard shot from the left that the diving goalie saved on the left post.

For the second time in three days, TFC teams host the last place team and earn a tie. Wednesday had TFC II play earn a last minute tie while playing down a man against FC Montreal in USL action.

TFCA's record improves to 1 win, 4 losses, 3 ties for 6 points and fifth in the seven team Great Lakes Division. TFCA had gone to Kitchener on Wednesday night and lost to first place K-W United 2-1. Less than two days rest! Head coach Stuart Neely said most of today's players were in that lineup. They meet Pittsburgh again next Sunday on the third game of a four game road trip with earlier games on Thursday and Saturday! Hopefully teenage energy can get them through. They have already played more games than all the teams ahead of them.

TFCA still hold the worst plus/minus record in the division at -12 but most of that was from their 7-0 opening day home game defeat to KWU.

Riverhounds record improves to 0 wins, 5 losses, and 2 ties for 2 points and last place.

The visiting team are the Under 23s of the USL Pittsburgh Riverhounds team that plays in the same league as Toronto FC II. They are in thirteenth of the fourteen teams in the Eastern Conference (one place behind TFC II). I remember seeing that team at the TFC II home opener April 17th and asking for help filling in assists after the game and speaking with PR forward and goal scorer Romeo Parkes. Then May 7th he was banned from the league for kicking Karl Ouimette of NY Red Bulls II from behind after a Red card. I remember Ouimette since attending CSL games and watching him play for Trois-Riveres Attak in 2009.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

Toronto FC Academy Starters