August 24, 2016 USL Toronto FC II--Toronto FC II vs New York Red Bulls II review (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Wednesday August 24, 2016 USL game between Toronto FC II and New York Red Bulls II played at the Ontario Soccer Centre in Vaughan at 5:00pm.

Toronto FC II (white socks and shirts, blue shorts, red names and numbers, one red chest hoop)

.........................92 Nathan Ingham
42 Mitchell Taintor...34 Skylar Thomas...65 Marko Maletic...58 Anthony Osorio
20 Christopher Mannella (cpt)...11 Mo Babouli...45 Luca Uccello...49 Martin Davis
...............61 Bubacarr Jobe...64 Shaan Hundal

Subs:...80 Angelo Cavalluzzo (gk)...31 Sal Bernal (mid)...36 Brian James (mid)...37 Adam Bouchard (def)
48 Raheem Edwards (mid)...56 Malik Johnson (mid)...62 Reshon Phillip (fwd)
team officials:...head coach Jason Bent

New York Red Bulls II (navy socks and shirts, yellow shorts, names and numbers)

..........................18 Ryan Meara (cpt)
66 Noah Powder...17 Zachary Carroll...33 Aaron Long...20 Justin Bilyeu
............4 Tyler Adams...7 Derrick Etienne...36 Daniel Metzger
..........77 Junior Flemmings...21 Brandon Allen...47 Florian Valot

Subs:...74 Ryan Diaz (gk)...29 Stefano Bonomo (fwd)...39 Timothy Schmoll (def)...80 Devon Williams (mid)
...79 Benjamin Mines (mid)...46 Kevin O'Toole (def)...45 Zoumana Simpara
team officials:...head coach John Wolyniec

Game officials:...referee Justin Tasev...referee's assistants Peter Pendli and Brian Butler
...fourth official Yusri Rudolf...(teal shirts, black shorts and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 5:13pm...TFC defends south end on this hot and humid late afternoon with a hazy sun in the west and a stong crossfield wind from the west.
14 sec...NY Flemmings gets centered pass and his 18 yard shot is wide right of the post.
2 min...NY Etienne is injured at TFC 30 yard line.
6 min...NY Flemmings 20 yard shot down middle has goalie make sprawling save.
8 min...NY Flemmings bends 25 yard cross from right across box unplayed.
8 min...TFC Mannella is checked off ball on edge of NY box.
9 min...TFC Maletic ends NY pressure with deflection on slide that knocks ball over own net.
10 min...NY Powder is tapped back pass and 30 yard shot is just wide right of post.
12 min...NY Bilyeu low cross from 20 yards on left has defender clear.
12 min...NY Allen rush on right and cuts towards goal and 20 yard shot is down middle is batted down by goalie on left post.
14 min...NY Powder rush down right and eventually checked off ball in box.
17 min...NY Allen shot from 20 yards deflects off sliding defender wide left.
18 min...NY Valor cornerkick from left has ball heded across box but cleared.
18 min...NY Etienne is given centering pass from right and his 15 yard shot is caught by goalie under bar.
19 min...TFC Mannella freekick from right bounces in box. TFC Davis recovers partial clearance for 28 yard shot forward wide left of net.
21 min...NY Valor 22 yard freekick from left edge of box is cleared out right side of box.
27 min...TFC Babouli low 22 yard shot up middle is off left post. TFC Hundal rolls 12 yard shot wide right on deflection.
28 min...TFC player's cornerkick from right has defnder head ball away.
30 min...NY Etienne cornerkick from left is worked out and crossed to right. An NY playeer can't win a Penalty kick on trip up in box.
31 min...TFC Osorio cross from left is cleared away.
31 min...NY Flemmings shot from 12 yards on left is into outside webbing of net.
32 min...referee calls a water break.
34 min...play resumes.
36 min...NY Etienne run on left wins cornerkick.
36 min...NY Valor cornerkick from left has NY Adams on edge of box pops up header and goalie catches.
37 min...TFC Babouli through ball pass from 30 yards too far forward for charging TFC Jobe and goalie picks up.
38 min...TFC Osorio cross from left into 6 yards box and defender concedes cornerkick.
38 min...TFC Mannella cornerkick from left has TFC Hundal flick header on leap but wins cornerkick.
39 min...TFC Mannella cornerkick from right is headed away.
40 min...TFC Mannella 30 yard freekick from right is headed away in box.
41 min...NYRB Vela 50 yard freekick down middle and NY taps pass for NY Flemmings to roll 22 yarder down middle that goalie smothers.
43 min...TFC YELLOW card...Maletic earns it on delayed call.
47 min...TFC Davis deflected shot from 22 yards deflects for goalie pick up.
48 min...NY Etienne eludes defender's slide and gegts away 18 yard shot up middle and hits bar.
50 min...TFC Babouli cornerkick from right is tapped short and TFC Mannella cross blocked out for throw-in.
50 min...half ends 6:03pm.

2nd Half:...starts 7:21pm...there's now a very bright sun in the north west.
Halftime subs:...TFC Phillip replaces Hundal.
.................TFC Johnson replaces Davis.
46 min...NY Valor 40 yard freekick from right is headed away. Two NY shots on edge of box are blocked.
47 min...TFC Osorio 45 yard cross from left is caught by goalie.
49 min...NYRB Long bumps TFC Phillip off shot on rush into box but wins cornerkick.
50 min...TFC Mannella cornerkick from right is over players in box.
51 min...NYRB Valot 30 yard freekick from left sideline is over leaping players in box and bounces out for goalkick.
52 min...NYRB sub...Simpara replaces Etienne who is injured again.
53 min...NYRB Simpara gets shot from left and rebound is blocked by defenders.
56 min...NYRB Allen cuts to middle and rolls 20 yard shot that goalie dives and pushes wide left.
56 min...NYRB player's cornerkick from left is crossed over box.
58 min...TFC Taintor cross from 25 yards on right has NYRB goalie and TFC Babouli bash together after ball goes through them.
58 min...TFC YELLOW card...Uccello earns it for pulling down NYRB Valot at TFC 40 yard line.
59 min...TFC goalie punches away ball into box.
60 min...NYRB Valot 25 yard freekick from left is cleared on right side of box.
60 min...NYRB Powder chips pop up from right side of box and goalie catches.
61 min...NYRB Flemmings pass to NYRB Valot who taps to NYRB Allen who rolls 18 yard shot past goalie but ball deflects for cornerkick because TFC Maletic did the splits at 3 yards to get a foot to it.
62 min...NYRB Junior Flemmings GOAL...NYRB Tyler Adams sends in high cornerkick from left that NYRB Zachary Carroll at 7 yards on right pops header across box and Flemmings turns away from net to get foot to knock it down. NYRB Florian Valot takes low 8 yard shot from left that sprawling goalie Nathan Ingham stops. NYRB Brandon Allen while being grabbed by TFC Marko Maletic shoots from 4 yards that deflects off prone goalie. Flemmings slides to get to 5 yard rebound down middle and shoots high to right side of net between three defenders on goalline.
63 min...TFC sub...Bouchard replaces Uccello.
.........TFC sub...Edwards replaces Maletic.
66 min...TFC Babouli spins at 20 yards and chips pass to right to offside TFC Jobe instead of shooting himself.
67 min...NYRB sub...Bonomo replaces Allen.
68 min...NYRB Flemmings rolls pass forward and right to NYRB Valot who shoots low 12 yarder that sliding goalie deflects wide right.
69 min...NYRB Bonomo taps centering pass from right and NYRB Flemmings rolls 8 yard shot down middle wide left.
71 min...TFC goalie clears ball off NYRB Bonomo to win goalkick.
72 min...NYRB Bonomo chips 22 yard shot on 1 on 8 rush wide right.
73 min...NYRB Simpara cross from 25 yards on right has TFC Taintor boot away on left.
74 min...TFC goalie catches 30 yard shot from right.
75 min...NYRB sub...Williams replaces Metzger.
76 min...NYRB Simpara on rush on right crosses to NYRB Bonomo taps pass over for NYRB Williams shoots 25 yarder over net.
77 min...NYRB Bilyeu 35 yard freekick from left has two leaping NYRB players not able to turn on up middle and ball rolls out right.
78 min...NYRB Simpara 30 yard shot up middle is high and wide left.
79 min...NYRB Mines replaces Flemmings.
80 min...NYRB Bilyeu 35 yard freekick from left is over players and wide right for goalkick.
81 min...NYRB Simpara scuffs 12 yard shot from left that rolls to goalie on left post.
83 min...TFC sub...James replaces Mannella. Thomas becomes captain.
84 min...NYRB Valot is injured at TFC 50 yard line.
86 min...NYRB Powder freekick from 22 yards on right end line is knocked down in box and defender clear.
86 min...NYRB players miss a bicycle kick and a scissor kick in the TFC box.
87 min...NYRB sub...O'Toole replaces Valot.
88 min...NYRB Bilyeu 20 yard freekick from edge of box is into wall and TFC wins goalkick.
89 min...TFC YELLOW card...Phillip earns it on delayed call.
91 min...TFC Babouli 50 yard freekick from right sideline has goalie charge forward and punches wide for TFC throw-in.
92 min...NYRB Powder is injured on tackle just inside of TFC box on run down right and needs trainer.
94 min...NYRB Williams catches goalie out at 35 yards on the right and takes a low 30 yard shot to the open net and TFC Bouchard gets back to make sliding save at 2 yards.
95 min...game ends 7:11pm.

Final Score:.....Toronto FC II...........0..............New York Red Bulls II........1.....

Attendance started off with a few hundred and climbed to maybe 700 by halftime. (no announcement was made at the game but USL lists 1081 but I doubt that many showed up—burning off a $5.00 ticket is still worth buying season tickets). The early start is partially to blame although it would have been a gamble to have it at 7:30pm as that was the time that the MLS team played an away game against Orlando City so a lot of people would have stayed home. This is certainly better than last year as some of their games were within hours of the MLS team playing a HOME game in downtown Toronto and very difficult to get here in time.

Referee Justin Tasev gave out three Yellow cards that I counted—all to TFC II players. He called a water break at 32 minutes as this was a hot and humid day and a blinding sun in the north west stayed out from 30 minutes until the end of the game.

NYRB dominated the game overall but that didn't necessarily mean they'd win it as because they couldn't put the game away, TFC had a chance right to the final kick. NYRB had their first shot at 14 seconds and continued to pressure from there! They ground down TFC for the last 20 minutes and left TFC with very few opportunities near the end.

Ryan Meara earned the shutout for NYRB. He was once their MLS team's goalie in 2012 but a series of injuries and the play of Luis Robles who played all 34 league games three years in a row and is doing the same in 2016 has kept him out of their lineup. He had a few key saves to make but was well protected by the defence. Nathan Ingram was the goalie for TFC. He had much more work to do and along with his saves and inaccurate off target finishing by NYRB he kept TFC in the game until the end instead of down three goals in the first half.

Best non-scoring chances were at 27 minutes when TFC Mo Babouli took a low 22 yard pass up the middle that was off the left post. TFC Shaan Hundal rolled the rebound from 12 yards wide right on a deflection. First half injury time had NYRB Derrick Etienne elude a defender's slide and get away an 18 yard shot up the middle that hit the bar. 56 minutes had NYRB Brandon Allen cut to the middle and roll a 20 yard shot that the goalie dove and pushed wide left of the post. 61 minutes had NYRB Junior Flemmings pass to NYRB Florian Valot who tapped to NYRB Brandon Allen who rolled an 18 yard shot past the goalie but TFC Marko Maletic did the splits at 3 yards to get a foot to and tip it wide left of the post. The resulting cornerkick created the only goal. 68 minutes had NYRB Flemmings roll a pass forward and right to NYRB Valot who shot a low 12 yarder that the goalie goalie deflected wide right. The next minute had NYRB Stefano Bonorro tap a centering pass from the right and Flemmings rolled an 8 yard shot down the middle wide left of the post. Second half injury time had the TFC goalie caught out of goal at 35 yards and NYRB Devon Williams shot low from 30 yards to an open net that was stopped by a retreating TFC Adam Bouchard with a slide at 2 yards to keep it out of the net.

NYRB II were the first Eastern Conference team to clinch a playoff spot and they did that on the weekend. There was no let up as now they want to hold on to first so they can host their playoff games right through the process. I've heard the playoffs are one game series at the team with the better record so IF TFC II were able to squeeze in to that eighth place spot they would probably play NYRB in New York.

The playoffs look dim as TFC's record is now 6 wins, 15 losses, 5 ties for 23 points in 26 games with only four games to go. Orlando City B holds the eighth spot with a record of 8 wins, 8 losses, 8 ties for 32 points. That means OC hold two games in hand as do the teams TFC are chasing.

I certainly bought in to the team execs plan that TFC II is a development team to nurture players for their MLS team but skeptics can point to first place NYRB II and Orlando City B (who are in their first year of playing) and say "Why can't we do both?".

As one of the first 100 fans through the gates (actually they said I was first) I received a TFC II t-shirt. It's all red which will be a match for last year's all white one. There were supposed to be ten that were player autographed and I saw a girl wear one later covered in Sharpie marker signatures but if I'd have gotten it I wouldn't be able to wear it, instead it would have become a souvenir.

TFC II next game is Sunday August 28 at Ontario Soccer Centre at 4:00pm against FC Montreal—a day after the MLS team meets Montreal Impact at BMO Field. FCM was the league's worst team but have won their last three in a row to pull out of last place.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

Toronto FC II starters