September 11, 2016 USL Toronto FC II--Toronto FC II vs Orlando City B (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Sunday September 11, 2016 USL game between Toronto FC II and Orlando City B played at the Ontario Soccer Centre in Vaughan at 7:30pm.

Toronto FC II (all red, white names and numbers)

....................40 Quillan Roberts
32 Wesley Charpie (cpt)...34 Skylar Thomas...13 Clement Simonin...44 Triston Hodge
63 Liam Fraser...36 Brian James...45 Luca Uccello...56 Malik Johnson
...............64 Shaan Hundal...51 Ricardo John

Subs:...80 Angelo Cavalluzzo (gk)...48 Raheem Edwards (mid)...49 Martin Davis (mid)...55 Aidan Daniels (mid)
...58 Anthony Osorio (mid)...46 Ben Spencer (fwd)...79 Kladi Cela (def)
team officials:...head coach Jason Bent

Orlando City B (all purple, white names and numbers)

....................50 Mark Ridgers
2 Tyler Turner...48 Kyle Anthony Callan McFadden...53 Craig Nitti...42 Zachary Ellis-Hayden
49 Andrew Ribeiro (cpt)...56 Alejandro Garcia...43 Pierre Da Silva...16 Devron Garcia
..............51 Michael Cox...13 Hadji Barry

Subs:...70 Jake Fenlason (gk)...15 Pedro Nezio De Araujo Lopes Ribeiro (fwd)...23 Conor Donovan (def)
...40 Johnny Mendoza (mid)...54 Keegan Smith (mid)
team officials:...head coach Anthony Pulis

Game officials:...referee Yusri Rudolph...referee's assistants Peter Pendli and Sean Hornsby
...fourth official Alexis Vaughan...(teal shirts, black shorts and socks)

There's a moment of silence before the national anthems to mark the fifteenth anniversary of the 9-11 attacks.

1st Half:...game starts 7:44pm...TFC defends north end on this mild evening with the sun already set by game time. There's a breeze from the west.
4 min...OCB Orlando Cox GOAL...OCB Zachary Eliis-Hayden takes throw-in from 35 yard line on left that has Cox receive at 22 yard line on left and he turns behind three defenders and rolls 15 yarder past diving goalie Quillan Roberts at 4 yards and ball banks in off right post.
6 min...TFC Hundal 15 yard shot from right has defender shank clearance from 7 yards onto top of net.
6 min...TFC Uccello cornerkick from left is over players in box and can't be saved on right end line.
8 min...TFC Fraser chips 28 yarder over players and goalie catches overhead.
10 min...OC Alejandro Garcia 28 yard freekick up middle is well over net.
12 min...OC Alejandro Garcia intercepts ball on check inside TFC box after OC Da Silva low cornerkick from right into box but play is whistled down.
12 min...TFC James blasts low 35 yard shot up middle between players wide left of net.
14 min...TFC Uccello cornerkick from left has goalie in crowd of players palm ball through to right and starts OC fast breakout.
15 min...TFC Charpie cross from 25 yards on right has defender head ball away.
15 min...OC goalie runs to edge of box to beat TFC John to clear ball.
16 min...TFC Johnson blasts loose ball 22 yards down middle well over net.
17 min...TFC Hodge 35 yard cross from left has defender head clearance.
19 min...TFC Uccello 35 yard freekick up middle chip has defender head away from 15 yards.
20 min...OC goalie picks up bouncer on left post sent in from 15 yards on left end line.
24 min...TFC Charpie 22 yard cross from right has defender head ball down and clear.
24 min...TFC players have consecutive shots blocked on edge of box.
25 min...TFC John heads ball away from goal. TFC Johnson shoots 18 yarder from right high and wide right.
26 min...TFC James 10 yard shot on right is cleared at 3 yards by sliding defender.
27 min...TFC Shaan Hundal GOAL...TFC Wesley Charpie at 25 yards on far right rolls backpass to TFC Liam Fraser and he chips ball from 25 yards on right into box where Hundal volleys 6 yard shot on right side of goal that sprawling goalie Mark Ridgers blocks in center of net but Hundal slides behind goalie to knock in ball from 1 yard into open net.
30 min...TFC John race for pass down left and beats defender to get away 25 yard shot high and wide right.
32 min...OC Turner is injured in collision with TFC Uccello at TFC 45 yard line and needs trainer.
38 min...TFC Hundel can't keep ball in play on long pass up right wing with defender shadowing him and over endline.
38 min...OC Turner is checked off ball running towards middle just inside TFC box.
39 min...TFC Uccello 35 yard freekick from left dips over players in box and caught by goalie.
40 min...TFC Johnson low cross from 20 yards near right end line has defender clear.
42 min...TFC Uccello 33 yard freekick on right end line has ball fall in box but defenders clear.
43 min...OC Cox pushes ball top too far forward on run to ball on left for goalkick.
44 min...TFC James is checked off ball on edge of OC box when defender converge.
46 min...TFC Uccello c ornerkick from left has TFC Thomas pop header from 7 yards on right end line and defender heads away.
47 min...half ends 8:31pm.

Halftime Entertainment: Halftime had a draw for a KIA car. One key was given away today to a fan to join five others that had won earlier in the season. The contestants put their key in a lock and the winning key started the car remotely that was driven into the end zone.

2nd Half:...starts 8:48pm.
halftime subs:...OC Mendoza replaces Alejandro Garcia.
................TFC Osorio replaces Hodge.
45 min...OC Mendoza rush down right and rolls cross into box but defender clears. OC Barry is injured on play at TFC 25 yard line and needs trainer.
47 min...OC sub...Smith replaces Barry before play resumes.
48 min...OC player's cross from left end line has defender head concede cornerkick on right.
49 min...OC Da Silva cornerkick from right is caught by goalie.
51 min...TFC John 40 yard freekick from right is cleared on edge of box.
52 min...TFC Johnson run on left and on edge of box crosses to right and charging TFC James has shot blocked at 12 yards.
53 min...TFC Uccello cornerkick from right has TFC John pop up header at 7 yards with back to net and goalie catches on left post.
54 min...OC Turner cornerkick from left has OC Smith on right at 15 yards head across box but defenders clear. OC Ribeiro slides and shoots 22 yarder down middle over backfence.
55 min...TFC Osorio low cross from 22 yards on right has defender clear.
57 min...TFC Uccello 40 yard freekick from right has OC Smith head ball away on edge of box.
58 min...TFC Charpie cross from 25 yards on right is over head on TFC John on left post.
60 min...OC Da Silva 25 yard shot from left is well over net.
60 min...OC sub...Lopes-Ribeiro replaces Barry.
61 min...TFC Johnson rush down middle and shot deflects off flying goalie into outside right webbing of net for cornerkick.
61 min...TFC player's cornerkick from right has ball headed wide right for goalkick.
64 min...TFC sub...Edwards replaces James.
65 min...OC Turner 35 yard freekick from left after decoy is high and wide right.
65 min...OC YELLOW card...Turner earns it for grabbing TFC player at OC 45 yard line.
66 min...TFC YELLOW card...Osorio earns it for tackle on OC Turner at TFC 10 yard line on right side.
67 min...OC Da Silva 30 yard freekick from right has defenders clear from box.
69 min...OC Turner 30 yard freekick from far right is well wide right.
70 min...TFC Ricardo John GOAL...TFC Luca Uccello crosses from 25 yards on right and TFC Raheem Edwards at 15 yards on left pop up header and get foot to on way down then rescues ball on left end line to cross in from 8 yards and John between defenders heads 4 yarder from left to short side of net just inside post.
71 min...OC Nitti is injured away from play at OC 35 yard line.
72 min...OC sub...Donovan replaces Nitti before play resumes.
73 min...OC YELLOW card...Cox earns it for injurying TFC Uccello at TFC 30 yard line.
74 min...OC Ellis-Hayden is injured at 40 yard line on flip over.
75 min...TFC sub...Spencer replaces Hundal.
78 min...OC Donovan gets back to make key clearance of cross from right into box.
78 min...OC Da Silva is injured on right edge of OC box.
81 min...OC Ellis-Hayden long run up left wing and cuts towards box and 20 yard shot wins cornerkick on deflection.
81 min...OC Da Silva cornerkick from right has TFC goalie step back and swat ball away from bar. OC Mendoza cross from 8 yards on left side deflects off defender for cornerkick.
82 min...OC Turner cornerkick from left has ball partially cleared and OC Da Silva blasts 22 yarder up middle that flying goalie pushes wide left.
83 min...OC YELLOW card...Lopes-Ribeiro earns it for tackle at OC 45 yard line.
83 min...TFC YELLOW card...Edwards earns it for pulling down secondary player on OC rush at TFC 50 yard line.
86 min...OC Turner cross from 22 yards on right has goalie catch at 4 yards.
87 min...TFC Johnson is injured when grabbed at OC 40 yard line and needs trainer.
89 min...OC YELLOW card...Ellis-Hayden earns it for injurying TFC Johnson again at OC 40 yard line.
92 min...OC player 45 yard freekick from left has goalie catch at 12 yards in crowd of players.
94 min...OC Mendoza has 22 yard shot along right end line blocked by sliding defender and ball deflects for throw-in.
95 min...OC Turner long throw-in from right is into box but has referee whistle play down for defender being pulled over.
96 min...OC Da Silva on left crosses from left near endline. OC Turner 15 yard shot from far right spins off sliding defender and another defender clears.
97 min...OC Da Silva 30 yard freekick from right has defender clear on edge of box.
97 min...game ends 9:40pm.

Final Score:.....Toronto FC II.........2.........Orlando City B..........1.......

Attendance wasn't announced but on a night they should have been proud of—one of the best of the year. The USL website listed 1300 which is almost full on this mild night. 'Celebrity' sightings in the large crowd included Ashtone Morgan who manned an autograph table before the game; former player and broadcaster and TFC coach at the academy level Danny Dichio, and players not in the lineup today that I recognized Mitchell Taintor who is serving a five game suspension for his part in a fight with FC Montreal players; defender Adam Bouchard, and captain/midfielder Christopher Mannella (not a good sign unless he's injured). TFC head coach Greg Vanney was in the crowd and had a long chat with newly signed forward Ben Spencer after the game. Spencer came on at 75 minutes.

Referee Yusri Rudolph gave out six Yellow cards—four to Orltando in a game that had some hard checks and lots of freekicks given out.

Quillan Roberts was back and playing goal for TFC II. He has been the TFC MLS back up since Clint Irwin was injured. He answered me after the game that he expects to be back with the MLS club next week rather than the USL team's final game of the season. Irwin was the backup in last night's MLS game in Chicago.

Roberts didn't have much to do tonight thanks to good defensive play by the four in front of him and some inaccurate shooting by OCB players especially on cornerkicks and freekicks. He had two key saves in the last ten minutes to preserve the win.

Midfielders Liam Fraser and Luca Uccello were back in the TFC lineup as starters after being away with the Canada U-20s for two games last week in Costa Rica where they lost 2-1 and 2-0. Both players played important parts in today's games with Uccello taking most of the cornerkicks and freekicks and both setting up TFC goals.

TFC's Ashtone Morgan was up here tonight at an autograph table before the game signing for the kids. He has played a few games for TFC II this season to keep in game shape. He isn't playing for either team now as he's recovering from an injury. The first 300 fans received a TFC II white t-shirt. I was glad that they had them in x-large, it will be better that the large red one I was given at a game earlier this year. Some extra shirts were thrown to the crowd during the game to get the crowd riled up. It made me feel a bit better because my e-mail was rejected for an invitation to the Toronto FC BBQ held at the KIA Training Centre early in the afternoon.

Orlando City B lists three Canadians on their roster. Midfielder Richmond Laryea did not start nor was he on the subs bench. He followed childhood friend Cyle Larin through Sigma Academy and was drafted this spring. Forward Michael Cox is their leading scorer with, including tonight, 11 goals. He is from Calgary and played for FC Edmonton of the NASL last season.

Defender Zachary Ellis-Hayden is from Kitchener and played for the PDL championship team K-W United last season. He answered me after the game that USL is certainly a step up from the summer-season PDL.

Cox and Ellis-Hayden joined the TFC players along the fence milling around to chat with the crowd. Those two had friends and relatives watching. It was nice that TFC II players didn't vanish like last week against Charlotte but tonight they didn't get beat 5-1. The win improves TFC's record to 7 wins, 17 losses, 5 ties for 26 points with one game to go. They break out of a five game losing streak which started when they traveled to Orlando on August 6 and lost on an injury time goal. They pass FC Montreal and Pittsburgh who have 23 points to move into twelfth place in the fourteen team Eastern Conference although those teams have two and three games left respectively.

Their PR department could brag that they've won one more game than their inaugural season last year where their record ended as 6 wins, 17 losses, 5 ties in a 28 game schedule however this is Orlando's first year back in USL after their original franchise jumped to MLS two years ago and they hold a playoff spot.

Orlando City's record falls to 8 wins, 12 losses, 8 ties for 32 points. They stay in eighth place in the East and for another weekend fail to secure the last playoff spot. They have only earned one tie in their last seven games which started right after that home game win against TFC. They risk being passed by Wilmington at 30 points and Harrisburg and Bethlehem both with 28 points and all teams with two games to go.

TFC II wraps up their season next Saturday in Rochester.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

Toronto FC II starters