Saturday September 30, 2017--Toronto FC vs New York Red Bulls game review (by Rocket Robin)

Saturday Sepember 30, 2017--Toronto FC vs New York Red Bulls game review (by Rocket Robin)

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I've found that I don't have the time to do a game play by play with all the writeups I'm doing
covering other leagues. I will skip the details and maybe do that after the season is over.

Result of the Saturday September 30, 2017 MLS game between Toronto FC and New York Red Bulls
played at BMO Field in Toronto at 7:00pm.

31 min...TFC Justin Morrow GOAL...TFC Victor Vazquez intercepts pass from NYRB Gonzalo Veron
and eludes sliding check by that player at 40 yard line on right and runs forward to 30 yard
line and crosses over to left side of box where TFC Jozy Altidore runs forward and heads ball
down at 8 yard line on left and ball bounces across box for charging TFC Tosaint Ricketts but
retreating defender NYRB Aaron Long gets back to raise leg and tip ball which hits back
and arm of Ricketts at two yards and deflects back out. Morrow following up charges forward
shoots from 6 yards in middle over to right corner of net with goalie Luis Robles stuck
in middle of net. (The goal survives a 'Video Assisted Review' replay letting fans cheer twice).

36 min...TFC Justin Morrow GOAL...TFC Michael Bradley take quick freekick from 35 yard line
on right over to TFC Justin Morrow at 10 yard line wide left of box. He tips ball back
to TFC Chris Mavinga at 25 yard line on left who sends high cross over to 8 yards on right side
of box and defender heads away before TFC Tosaint Ricketts can get it. Ball bounces forward and
charging TFC Marky Delgado heads ball downward from edge of box and TFC Victor Vazquez taps
ball back outside of box for Morrow at 20 yards on left who rolls centering ball forward
to Ricketts at 12 yards with back to goal. Ricketts steps through defenders but running away
from net and taps pass to Bradley who from 18 yards steps forward and he shoots but ball
is partially blocked and rolls forward to NYRB Tyler Adams at 9 yards in middle who gets foot
to it but directs it towards goal. Morrow steps past him to get to ball and shoots
low 6 yarder down middle into left side of net with goalie doing splits at 4 yards in center
of net.

38 min...NYRB Gonzalo Veron GOAL...NYRB Tyler Adams receives pass on left side at center
line and runs down wing and rolls pass from 40 yard line forward and centered beyond
lunge of TFC Michael Bradley. NYRB Daniel Royer receives pass at 35 yard line in middle
and runs to 30 yard line and threads through ball pass to Veron forward and to left. Veron
running on left gets to pass at 10 yards on left and rolls ball into right corner of net with
sprawling goalie Alex Bono on edge of 6 yard box.

75 min...NYRB Tyler Adams at 25 yards on right rolls ball forward and NYRB Gozalo Veron receives
pass at 10 yard line on right side of box and sliding TFC Drew Moor trips him up at 6 yards.
Referee Allen Chapman calls a Penalty kick.

76 min...TFC Daniel Royer GOAL...Royer chips Penalty kick high to center left side of net
as goalie dives right.

78 min...TFC Justin Morrow at 28 yard line on left rolls pass between two NYRB players to find
TFC Jozy Altidore running forward to 10 yards on left with NYRB Aaron Long holding his jersey.
Altidore turns and dribbles across box with Long still holding on but this time with two hands
on his shoulder. Altidore gets away 8 yard shot as he's being dragged down and ball sails
wide right of net. Referee calls Penalty kick.

79 min...TFC Victor Vazquez GOAL...Vazquez shoots rolls Penalty kick into right corner of net
as goalie dives left.

90 min...TFC Justin Morrow GOAL...TFC Jozy Altidore at 35 yard line in middle rolls pass
over to TFC Marky Delgado at 30 yards on right and he rolls ball forward to charging Altidore
at 10 yards and he steps forward and shoots 8 yarder over sliding goalie at top corner
of 6 yard box and ball bounces wide but charging Morrow at 3 yard wide of left post
slides and connects to direct ball into right corner of empty net.

Final Score:....Toronto FC.....4.....New York Red Bulls.....2....

Attendance was announced as another sellout of 28979. People were heading for the
exits by the 80 minute mark. Were they new fans? TFC has never had a record
this good in previous seasons, never finished first, and only their third year
making the playoffs after eight years of failing to qualify.

Man of the Match (who is always a TFC player) was announced as Justin Morrow who
with his three goals was an obvious choice. Media reports say he is only
the second defender to score three goals in a game however to me he was on the wing
and didn't play defence with Eriq Zavaleta, Drew Moor, and Chris Mavinga being the
three man backline. Morrow blasted his Penalty kick off the bar on TFC's sixth shot
in the MLS Final last year giving Seattle a chance to score and convert and win
the Cup for 2016 so to win tonight and clinch the Shield with a dominating performance
must be sweet.

TFC clinches the Supporters' Shield (first place team overall in the Eastern and
Western Conference) for the first time. There was a few ways they could win the Shield
tonight based on the results of other teams but they controlled their own destiny.
Vancouver had lost on Wednesday so no one in the West could win it. Atlanta only
tied tonight so they lost their chance and New York City only got a tie so the same
situation for them.

So it turns out they would have won tonight based on other results but this is a very
positive way to win it on their own which should increase their confidence even more.
They also snap a two game loss streak which they hadn't had since early last season.

The players celebrated in the north end for a brief minute as that's where the game
ended (where they were defending). They soon drifted to the south end where a sign
board was carried out that said 'TFC 2017 MLS Supporter's Shield Champions'.
The players played the supporters drum in another Viking chant. Hmmm "the fans who
pay the least..." I said to my seatmate as we in the East side were ignored as usual.
I did convince them to stay for the presentation of the Shield (never happened as then
we heard the announcement). With fans in my section bailing out, it was easy
to understand why we were ignored.

It was announced the Shield will be presented pre game at the next home game against
Montreal October 15--their final home game of the regular season.

Tosaint Ricketts was the only Canadian starter in the game. He was replaced by Canadian
Jonathan Osorio at 74 minutes. "It must be the new 'one Canadian' on the field maximum
rule recently activated" I said to my seatmate which I thought he felt was the truth
until I admitted I was kidding.

Sebastian Giovinco was the only TFC player not available. Jozy Altidore who had missed
the last few games was a starter and played the entire game (he is often replaced
by Ricketts late in games). Injured players Steven Beitashour (72 minutes) and Benoit Cheyrou
got into the game (89 minutes) I'll assume partly as a reward for their long recovery.

I'm not sure why Red Bulls left their leading scorer (Bradley Wright-Phillips) and US Men's
National team player Sacha Kljestan on the bench to start the game except for what I've
heard was a brutal schedule of midweek MLS and US Open Cup games over the last month.
It looked like it was almost going to work when NYRB tied the game at 76 minutes with
a fresh Wright-Phillips and Kljestan on the field but the lead didn't last more than
three minutes.

The two side traded Penalty kicks at 76 and 79 minutes with the second one allowing TFC
to retake the lead. Other than that, referee Alan Chapman gave out one Yellow card to
each team. NYRB goalie/captain Luis Robles drew one at 50 minutes for running over the
center line to check on an injury to Tyler Adams and it was considered dissent.
Jozy Altidore drew one at 81 minutes when he crashed into Aaron Long, injuring him.
This Yellow means Altidore will miss the next game through card accumulation.

The Red Bulls NOT winning keeps them in sixth place in the East and ends up keeping *four
teams behind them still in the race for the final playoff spot which they occupy.
[*now that all the weekend results are known.]

As I got to the game early, I was given a red bucket hat sponsored by Sonnet Insurance.
There haven't been a lot of giveaways this year. It was for the first 15000 fans (about
half of us). The last game the announcer said 1500 before correcting himself. Some fans
threw their hats onto the field after TFC goals but they didn't travel far. After the last
TFC goal a few made it to the sideline but weren't even cleared from the field by groundscrew
nor ball kids. I've got a big skull but the hat did fit thanks to me getting a haircut earlier
in the week. I'll look forward to the next game when the first 10000 will be given a toque
by sponsor KIA Motors.

Getting away from the stadium was a problem again this game. The early leavers took all the
streetcars. I waited for the Harbourfront streetcar and the first one I couldn't get into.
After four Bathurst buses/streetcars including one only two-thirds full, I changed lines to get
on a bus to get moving. The bus couldn't use the special streetcar passageway so turned into
the street and bumper to bumper traffic. One hour after the game I was only six blocks away
from the stadium! The owner of TFC ie MLSE had an NHL game scheduled between their hockey team
Toronto Maple Leafs against Detroit at Ricoh Coliseum right beside BMO Field. I can only believe
they played here (where their AHL farm team the Marlies play) rather than the larger Air Canada
Centre because they were holding the closing ceremonies of the Invictus Games there. Thankfully
the baseball season is over--or at least out of town, but it was still standing room only
on the subway. It was the Nuit Blanche festival tonight so that may explain part of the crowd
getting away from the downtown.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
twitter @RocketRobin01

stats from MLSsoccer.com
Match Information

Goals and Assists
32'    TOR  Justin Morrow 
37'    TOR  Justin Morrow 
39'    NYRB Gonzalo Verón          Assisted By: Tyler Adams, Daniel Royer 
77'    NYRB Daniel Royer (PK) 
80'    TOR  Víctor Vázquez (PK) 
90'+1' TOR  Justin Morrow          Assisted By: Jozy Altidore, Marco Delgado 

Disciplinary
52'    NYRB Luis Robles            Reason: Dissent 
82'    TOR  Jozy Altidore          Reason: Unsporting Behavior 

Lineup

Toronto FC 
17 F Jozy Altidore 
87 F Tosaint Ricketts      (75')
25 G Alexander Bono 
15 D Eriq Zavaleta 
 3 D Drew Moor 
23 D Chris Mavinga 
26 M Nicolas Hasler        (73')
18 M Marco Delgado 
 4 M Michael Bradley 
 7 M Víctor Vázquez        (90') 
 2 M Justin Morrow 

Bench
 1 G Clint Irwin 
 6 D Nick Hagglund 
 8 M Benoit Cheyrou         (90')
33 M Steven Beitashour      (73')
22 F Jordan Hamilton 
21 F Jonathan Osorio        (75')
44 F Raheem Edwards 

Manager  Greg Vanney  

New York Red Bulls 
 7 F Derrick Etienne          (59')
30 F Gonzalo Verón 
31 G Luis Robles 
62 D Michael Murillo 
33 D Aaron Long 
15 D Sal Zizzo 
 4 M Tyler Adams 
27 M Sean Davis               (64')
 8 M Felipe 
77 M Daniel Royer 
 5 M Connor Lade              (84')

Bench
18 G Ryan Meara 
55 D Damien Perrinelle 
92 D Kemar Lawrence 
16 M Sacha Kljestan            (64')
10 M Muhamed Keita             (84')
19 M Alex Muyl 
99 F Bradley Wright-Phillips   (59')

Manager  Jesse Marsch 

Officials
Referee  Allen Chapman 
Assistant Referee  Jeremy Hanson 
Assistant Referee  Gianni Facchini 
Fourth Official  Geoff Gamble 
Video Assistant Referee  Yusri Rudolf 

Match Information
MLS at BMO Field
Toronto, ON
Attendance 28979
Weather Clear

Team Statistics
TOR                        NYRB
 13     Shots                14 
  5     Shots on Target       4 
  6     Shots off Target      6 
  2     Blocked Shots         4 
  2     Corners               8 
 10     Crosses              24 
  1     Offsides              1 
 10     Fouls                11 
  1     Yellow Cards          1 
  0     Red Cards             0 
396     Total Passes        502 
 73 %   Passing Accuracy     78 % 
 43.5 % Possession           56.5 % 
 51     Duels Won            41 
 11     Tackles Won          18 
  2     Saves                 1 
 23     Clearances           20

Toronto FC starters