May 14, 2016 MLS--Toronto FC vs Vancouver Whitecaps (by Rocket Robin)

Saturday May 14, 2016 MLS--Toronto FC vs Vancouver Whitecaps at BMO Field in Toronto at 7:30pm. (by Rocket Robin)

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Toronto FC (white socks and shirts, blue shorts, red names and numbers)

.................1 Clint Irwin
33 Steven Beitashour...24 Damien Perquis...3 Drew Moor...2 Justin Morrow
21 Jonathan Osorio...9 Tsubasa Endoh...4 Michael Bradley (cpt)...7 Will Johnson
...........17 Jozy Altidore...10 Sebastian Giovinco

Subs:...40 Quillan Roberts (gk)...5 Ashtone Morgan (def)...11 Mo Babouli (fwd)...14 Jay Chapman (mid)
...15 Eriq Zavaleta (fwd)...19 Daniel Lovitz (fwd)...23 Josh Williams (23)
team officials:...head coach Greg Vanney

Vancouver Whitecaps FC (all navy, white names and numbers, light blue sleeves)

.....................1 David Ousted
8 Fraser Aird...26 Tim Parker...44 Pa-Moudou Kah...2 Jordan Harvey
7 Christian Bolanos...31 Russell Teibert...15 Matias Laba...77 Pedro Morales (cpt)
...............19 Erik Hurtado...23 Kekuta Manneh

Subs:...70 Paolo Tornaghi (gk)...3 Sam Adekugbe (def)...6 Jordan Smith (def))...11 Nicolas Mezquida (mid)
...13 Cristian Techera (mid)...17 Andrew Jacobson (mid)...27 Blas Perez (fwd)
team officials:...head coach Carl Robinson

Game officials:...referee Robert Sibiga...referee's assistants Brian Dunn and Daniel Belleau
...fourth official Fotis Bazakos...(orange shirts, black shorts and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 7:54pm...TFC defends north end on this cold evening with a strong wind from the north and the sun in the northwest behind the clouds. Scotty Newlands was back for his second game in a row to sing the national anthem. We only needed 'O Canada' tonight for these two Canadian teams.
2 min...TFC Beitashour under pressure from Morales at his own 30 yard line near right sideline passes back to TFC Williams who doesn't expect it and VW Hurtado eludes sliding goalie at 18 on edge of box but pushes ball over end line.
3 min...VW Hurtado low shot from 15 yards on right after receiving pass has retreating TFC Bradley stop ball at 5 yards. A TFC player's poor clearance finds VW Aird at 22 yards on right and he chips cross that goalie leaps to catch at 7 yards before VW Bolanos can get head to it. Ball is dropped but picked up again by goalie.
8 min...TFC Giovinco 30 yard freekick from left is low and blocked in wall of players.
9 min...TFC Giovinco chips ball forward from 30 yards on left that VW Parker at 15 yards step in front of TFC Osorio and head for cornerkick.
9 min...TFC Bradley cornerkick on left has goalie near left post swat ball high through box and defenders clear out right side of box.
11 min...Whitecaps Kekuta Manneh GOAL...Manneh intercepts pass from left by TFC Damien Perquis centers past TFC Jonathan Osorio at 45 yards and runs in on left and rolls 18 yard shot through legs of sliding goalie Clint Irwin at 12 yards to right side of net.
13 min...TFC Beitashour cross from 30 yards on far right has TFC Altidore leap at 7 yards but goalie gets hand in to palm ball over to left side of box. Altidore eventually gets pass just outside box on left and runs along 20 yard line to center but can't find opening so passes right to TFC Giovinco and his 18 yard shot from right is blocked by VW Harvey and deflects out of box for VW breakout.
14 min...TFC Giovinco can't win freekick on tackle at VW 25 yard line.
14 min...TFC Morrow eludes defender on left just outside box and eventually gets cross in from 25 yards on left that VW Harvey at 5 yards on right kicks ball behind end line.
15 min...TFC Giovinco cornerkick from right has TFC Altidore leap to head 5 yarder that deflects for another cornerkick.
16 min...TFC Bradley cornerkick from left is into box and goalie punches away on left post. TFC Johnson from 25 yards blasts rebound that deflects high off VW Morales at 18 yards and out for another cornerkick.
16 min...TFC Bradley cornerkick from left is well over players in box and bounces wide right for goalkick.
16 min...Whitecaps Christian Bolanos GOAL...VW goalie David Ousted is given short backpass and punts ball upfield from 90 yards. VW Kekuta Manneh heads ball at 60 yards in middle forward to VW Erik Hurtado at 50 yards who survives jostling by TFC Drew Moor to roll ball forward from 45 yards up middle for charging VW Manneh at 35 yards and he runs to 15 yards and fires low shot that goalie Clint Irwin sprawls to block at 7 yards on right. Ball rebounds out to 15 yards on right and Bolanos shoots over fallen players into left side of net.
18 min...TFC Morrow rush down left and low cross from 25 yards on left is caught on bounce by diving goalie in middle of box at 6 yards.
19 min...TFC Beitashour 40 yard cross from right has VC Aird head ball away at 8 yards in middle.
21 min...TFC goalie boots ball downfield from 22 yards when TFC Perquis almost bangs into him trying to prevent VW player from getting to ball.
22 min...VW Aird cross from 30 yards on right has goalie catch ball on bouncer.
22 min...TFC Perquis makes key header at 10 yards in middle in front of crowd of players on VW Harvey's cross from 25 yards on left.
24 min...TFC Bradley makes key clearance in TFC box at 12 yards in middle on low pass from VW Hurtado at 8 yards along left end line.
25 min...VW Aird cross from 30 yards on right has TFC Perquis at 7 yards in middle beat VW Morales to head ball away. VW Manneh rolls 20 yard rebound through crowd of players up middle wide left of post.
26 min...TFC Osorio makes run from 55 yards to 35 yards up middle and rolls through ball pass forward to find TFC Giovinco on right at 22 yard line and he rolls 12 yardd shot that diving goalie gets hand to and pushes wide left of post.
26 min...TFC player's cornerkick from left is high over to left and TFC Giovinco dekes past VW Harvey near right end line and running across box taps ball back to TFC Bradley who blasts 18 yarder just over bar.
28 min...VW Manneh is checked off ball just inside TFC box when trying to control cross sent in from left.
30 min...TFC Morrow cross from 28 yards on far left has VW Parker pop up header from left high across box.
30 min...TFC Altidore taps pass to left for TFC Morrow and he rolls 15 yard tipped shot to goalie.
33 min...TFC Giovinco intercepts pass and rushes down left wing from 40 yards and rolls centering pass from 20 yards near left end line that charging TFC Altidore at 6 yards in middle can't get to and ball rolls to right and defender clears.
33 min...VW Teibert and VW Parker called for squashing TFC Altidore as he steps down middle into box. Referee Robert Sibiga awards Penalty kick.
34 min...VW YELLOW card...Kah earns it for complaining while lining up for Penalty kick.
34 min...TFC Jozy Altidore blasts Penalty kick to right side and goalie David Ousted flies to knock ball down and defenders clear.
Altidore is injured on the play looking like he twisted his left ankle on the foot he planted to kick with his right and is taken off at the next whistle and walks to the dressing room.
37 min...TFC Sebastian Giovinco GOAL...TFC Damien Perquis punts ball downfield from 70 yards on right that finds Giovinco at 20 yards on right and he turns around VW defenders Pa-Moodou Kah and Tim Parker and slides to kick 15 yarder down middle into left corner of net.
37 min...TFC sub...Babouli replaces injured Altidore.
39 min...TFC Giovinco 33 yard freekick from left has goalie palm ball over net near left post.
39 min...TFC Giovinco cornerkick from left has VW Hurtado on left head ball away.
42 min...TFC Osorio cross from 30 yards on right is caught by goalie stepping forward at 7 yards.
44 min...TFC Perquis chips ball from 70 yards on right downfield and VW Parker at 22 yards heads ball back towards goalie to prevent TFC Giovinco getting to it and ball goes wide left for cornerkick as goalie can only get hand to it.
45 min...TFC Giovinco cornerkick from left is high and lands on right side of box where TFC Bradley at 15 yards has shot stopped by defender at 7 yards. TFC Endoh backheels ball to TFC Babouli whose low 18 yard shot up middle through crowd of players is just wide left of post.
47 min...half ends 8:41pm.

Halftime Entertainment: There's Tony from Pizza Pizza giving away a slice to a row of fans, Nestle Drumstick draw with another row of fans winning. There's a movie prizepack draw for the upcoming movie 'The Nice Guys'. There's a short mini game with an 8 by 8 of children from a local club played with pylon boundaries near the center line.

2nd Half:....starts 8:57pm.
46 min...TFC Perquis slides to stop VW Manneh on left edge of TFC box.
48 min...VW Aird long run up right but rushes shot that rolls to goalie from 22 yards.
49 min...TFC Morrow low cross from 25 yards on far left has defender clear for throw-in.
50 min...VS Bolanos 35 yard freekick from left is whistled down in box.
51 min...TFC Bradley chips 50 yarder down middle through players and ball bounces wide right of net.
52 min...VW Manneh 15 yard shot from left on 1 on 3 rush is blocked.
53 min...TFC Giovinco 25 yard freekick near left corner of box has VW Hurtado head away on left side of box.
53 min...TFC Endoh 45 yard shot from right is over crowd of players and goalie catches at 10 yards.
58 min...TFC Giovinco runs on left and pushes ball over end line after bump with VW Bolanos.
62 min...VW YELLOW card...Aird earns it for checking TFC Giovinco after whistle was blown for TFC freekick.
63 min...TFC Giovinco bends low 30 yard freekick from left wide left of post.
65 min...TFC Sebastian Giovinco GOAL...TFC Michael Bradley intercepts pass at 55 yards on left and rushes forward cuttng to middle and at 25 yards rolls ball forward and Giovinco gets to ball at 15 yards up middle and rolls shot past sprawling goalie at 7 yards into left corner of net.
67 min...VW player cross from 28 yards on left is just ahead of VW Hurtado at 10 yards.
68 min...TFC Babouli at 40 yards in middle passes forward to TFC Giovinco at 28 yards who runs up right and 15 yard chip shot has goalie catch.
68 min...TFC Giovinco on right chips pass from 22 yards but goalie charges to grab it on left.
69 min...VW Kekuta Manneh GOAL...VW Pedro Morales at 40 yards on left rolls pass forward to Manneh at 25 yard line and he runs to edge of TFC box and dekes sliding TFC Steven Beitashour on edge of box and steps forward on left and from 15 yards shoots low past sprawling goalie at 4 yards on left into right corner of net.
70 min...VW Morales in middle chips 50 yarder downfield and retreating goalie catches at 4 yards.
71 min...VW Pedro Morales GOAL...VW Kekuta Manneh turns at 45 yards in middle after receiving short pass and runs down middle to 35 yards and rolls pass forward and to left for charging Morales who runs to 10 yard line on left and bends 18 yard shot around TFC Damien Perquis at 15 yards and flying goalie at 5 yards into right side of net.
73 min...TFC Johnson bends 30 yard cross from left that VW Harvey heads out of box from 8 yards in crowd of players.
74 min...TFC Bradley chips 40 yarder from right and goalie leaps between crowd of players and punches ball away at 8 yards.
74 min...VW RED card (2nd YELLOW)...Fraser Aird earns his second Yellow card on delayed call for pushing over and injurying TFC Jonathan Osorio at TFC 45 yard line.
76 min...VW sub...Smith replaces Manneh.
77 min...TFC sub...Lovitz replaces Perquis.
78 min...TFC Lovitz wins cornerkick on deflection of cross near left end line.
79 min...TFC sub...Chapman replaces injured Osorio.
79 min...TFC Drew Moor GOAL...TFC Sebastian Giovinco cornerkick from left has charging Moor outjump VW Jordan Harvey to head 6 yarder from right into short right side of net.
81 min...TFC Lovitz cross from left near end line is through players in box and TFC Endoh get ball at 10 yards on right and tap pass back for TFC Chapman at 15 yards who rolls ball to Endoh on right and he has 12 yard shot blocked by VW Harvey.
82 min...VW Morales is injured by TFC Babouli at 20 yards on far right.
84 min...VW sub...Perez replaces Hurtado.
84 min...TFC Lovitz long cross from far left finds Endoh on right and he rolls ball through 6 yard box unplayed that defender on left clears.
85 min...TFC Giovinco cornerkick from left is over players in box and to right where TFC Endoh stops it dribbles around defender and crosses from 15 yards. TFC Moor leaps to head ball downward and ball deflects back to him off defender and he slides and jabs at ball from 5 yards and goalie catches.
87 min...VW sub...Jacobson replaces Morales.
88 min...VW YELLOW card...Perez earns it for kicking ball away after TFC freekick called at VW 50 yard line.
89 min...TFC Morrow cross from 25 yards on left drifts behind net.
90 min...TFC Chapman low cross from 20 yards on far right has VW Kah clears at 12 yards on right.
90 min...TFC Chapman rolls centering pass from 10 yards on left end line and TFC Babouli boots 7 yard shot over net.
92 min...TFC Moor chips 40 yarder forward down middle that VW Bolanos heads down at 12 yards on left and ball finds TFC Giovinco and he blasts 7 yard shot that has VW goalie make point blank save.
92 min...TFC Giovinco cornerkick from left has VW Kah in middle of box heads ball away in crowd of players.
93 min...TFC Bradley chips from 55 yards on right and TFC Johnson flicks header forward from 22 yards down middle and TFC Moor gets foot to ball at 15 yards but can't control it and ball rolls for goalie to dive on wide left of net.
93 min...TFC YELLOW card...Giovinco earns it for interfering with goalie.
94 min...TFC Endoh cross from 18 yards on right has VW Kah at 6 yards on right head ball behind end line.
95 min...TFC Endoh short cornerkick from right has TFC Giovinco cross from near cornerflag and VW Kah at 6 yards heads ball away to right for throw-in.
95 min...TFC Giovinco freekick from 20 yards on far right has VW Jacobson on right head ball over players in box.
96 min...game ends 9:48pm.

Final Score:.......Toronto FC.........3..........Vancouver Whitecaps............4.............

Attendance was not announced and did not look like a sellout especially in the upper west side seats. The extremely cold weather for mid May probably killed the walk up crowd. The MLS webpage didn't list the attendance neither but a writer in the Vancouver Sun showed it as 24,478.

Man of the Match (who is always a TFC player) was Sebastian Giovinco which makes sense as he scored two goals and had an assist to continue his streak of scoring or assisting on EVERY TFC goal this season. That's now 13 with eight goals and five assists.

Jozy Altidore would have broken that Giovinco's streak if he'd scored on the Penalty kick he took but had it saved. What was the strategy of that? Giovinco almost always scores on Penalty kicks. Was it to give Altidore confidence after a reporter implied last week he hadn't scored this season and therefore was overpaid and/or not doing his job.

Altidore pulled up with an injury right after his Penalty kick. Reports say it was a hamstring injury. It gave a big chance for Mo Babouli who hardly gets any minutes until almost injury time. Today in actual injury time his best chance had him sky the potential tieing goal over the net.

Michael Bradley was playing is defence in the second half with Justin Morrow moving up and running the wings.

TFC's league leading stingy defence which had only allowed seven goals in nine games looked quite suspect with some poor passing and checking. The crowd in my section was highly critical of their play.

Tonight was a return home somewhat for Vancouver players Fraser Aird from Scarborough and Russell Teibert who although from Niagara Falls played in the first year of the Toronto FC Academy in 2008.

Although Blaz Perez came on early in Whitecaps Wednesday game when Masato Kudo was knocked unconscious, tonight he was held back until 83 minutes before coming into the game when the team was more concerned with holding a one goal lead while down a man.

I wasn't expecting this result. I know the West were +9 already against Eastern teams teams but I thought TFC at home could beat any western team. Whitecaps had played a midweek home game against Chicago so I expected they'd be tired. TFC and Vancouver had similar records but Whitecaps has improved greatly since starting the season losing their first two games and not scoring an open play goal for their first half dozen games.

Kekuta Manneh scored two goals. He maintained his quick pace the whole game.

Today was the first time Whitecaps have beaten TFC in MLS play since coming into the league (only three games—two wins, one tie). They have won one Voyageurs Cup game though. The first 15000 fans were given a Danny Dichio trading card. In a pregame presentation he was presented a plaque by TFC general manager Tim Bezbechenko. Dichio is a coach in the TFC Academy. The 'Danny Dichio' chants at 23 minutes today for his special day seemed louder than last week. This is the first time I noticed that the two players in the 'Wall of Honour' #9 Danny Dichio and #11 Jim Brennan have been removed. This would not have been because of the renovations.

Touques and parkas were required for this cold afternoon. It was worse than last Saturday. I expect it will finally be warmer for their Wednesday and next Saturday game. With their home schedule starting so late this year, I didn't expect this weather until a home playoff date at the end of the season.

People were late getting to the game today. This week the transit was OK but the Gardiner Expressway was closed. For the second week in a row the game didn't start on time. Last week there were opening ceremonies but tonight there was nothing to keep the game from starting almost 20 minutes late.

I didn't notice any program sellers tonight. We were given a pack of 'Real Fruit Gummies' on the way out if we went through the right exit.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

stats from MLSsoccer.com
Match Information

Goals and Assists
12'  Kekuta Manneh 
18'  Christian Bolaños 
37'  Sebastian Giovinco     Assisted By: Damien Perquis 
66'  Sebastian Giovinco     Assisted By: Michael Bradley 
70'  Kekuta Manneh          Assisted By: Pedro Morales 
72'  Pedro Morales          Assisted By: Kekuta Manneh 
80'  Drew Moor              Assisted By: Sebastian Giovinco 

Disciplinary
35'  Pa Modou Kah           Reason: Unsporting Behavior 
63'  Fraser Aird            Reason: Unsporting Behavior 
76'  Fraser Aird            Reason: Unsporting Behavior 
89'  Blas Pérez             Reason: Time wasting 
90'+4' Sebastian Giovinco   Reason: Dangerous play 

Lineup

Toronto FC 
17 F Jozy Altidore       (38')
10 F Sebastian Giovinco 
 1 G Clint Irwin 
33 D Steven Beitashour 
24 D Damien Perquis      (78')
 3 D Drew Moor 
 2 D Justin Morrow 
 4 M Michael Bradley 
 7 M Will Johnson 
21 M Jonathan Osorio     (79')
 9 M Tsubasa Endoh 

Bench
40 G Quillan Roberts 
23 D Josh Williams 
 5 D Ashtone Morgan 
15 D Eriq Zavaleta 
19 D Daniel Lovitz      (78')
14 M Jay Chapman        (79') 
11 F Mo Babouli         (38')

Manager  Greg Vanney  

Vancouver Whitecaps FC 
19 F Erik Hurtado        (85')  
 1 G David Ousted 
 8 D Fraser Aird 
26 D Tim Parker 
44 D Pa Modou Kah 
 2 D Jordan Harvey 
31 M Russell Teibert 
15 M Matías Laba 
 7 M Christian Bolaños 
77 M Pedro Morales       (89')
23 M Kekuta Manneh       (78')

Bench
70 G Paolo Tornaghi 
 3 D Sam Adekugbe 
17 M Andrew Jacobson     (89')
 6 M Jordan Smith        (78')
13 M Cristian Techera 
27 F Blas Pérez          (85')
11   Nicolás Mezquida 

Manager  Carl Robinson 

Officials
Referee  Robert Sibiga 
Assistant Referee  Brian Dunn 
Assistant Referee  Daniel Belleau 
Fourth Official  Fotis Bazakos 

Match Information
MLS at BMO Field
Toronto, ON
Weather Sunny

Team Statistics

TOR                        VAN
 21     Shots                8 
 10     Shots on Target      6 
  4     Shots off Target     1 
  7     Blocked Shots        1 
 11     Corners              0 
 38     Crosses              6 
  1     Offsides             2 
 10     Fouls               13 
  1     Yellow Cards         2 
  0     Red Cards            1 
496     Total Passes       336 
 83 %   Passing Accuracy    73 % 
 61.1 % Possession          38.9 % 
 35     Duels Won           34 
 12     Tackles Won         10 
  2     Saves                7 
  4     Clearances          32

Toronto FC starters