Sunday November 5, 2017--Toronto FC vs New York Red Bulls game review Conference Semi-Final 2nd Leg (by Rocket Robin)

Sunday November 5, 2017--Toronto FC vs New York Red Bulls game review Conference Semi-Final
2nd Leg (by Rocket Robin)

..........................

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 and details of the Sunday November 5, 2017 MLS playoff game between 
Toronto FC and New York Red Bulls held at BMO Field in Toronto at 3:00pm.   
This was the second leg of the Eastern Conference Semi-Final.  

Halftime Break...TFC RED card...Jozy Altidore earns his second Yellow card 
for incident in the hallway to the dressing room.
NYRB RED card...Sacha Kljestan earns his second Yellow card for incident 
in the hallway to the dressing room.  
TFC YELLOW card...Michael Bradley earned it for argueing with the referee 
while on the field after the halftime whistle (now that one we could see).  

54 min...NYRB Bradley Wright-Phillips GOAL...TFC Michael Bradley rolls pass 
forward from TFC 30 yard line but NYRB Aaron Long steps in front of TFC player 
at 45 yards and taps ball forward down middle to NYRB Daniel Royer who turns 
and fires low 35 yard shot around Michael Bradley at 30 yards and shot deflects 
off Wright-Phillips who was standing in front of TFC Drew Moor and Wright-Phillips 
lifted his leg at 22 yards and ball changes direction and bounces into right side 
of open net as goalie Alex Bono is planted on left side of net.  

Final Score:...Toronto FC...0...New York Red Bulls...1...
(Two game aggregate ends 2-2 but Toronto advances on away-goal rule).

Attendance was announced as a sellout of 29974.  Extra temporary stands had been 
erected in the north and south ends.  The extra seats in the north end blocked 
out two small scoreboards in that end.   The extra stands were covered 
in a canopy and looked like they had the luxury ammenities usually reserved 
for the boxed suites so the revenue was probable worth it for the team.

The game was played on a relatively mild afternoon (for November).  The day 
was overcast and a hard rain fell for part of the game and my seventh row seat 
was well protected except for a few minutes when the wind changed direction.   

Man of the Match (who is always a TFC player) was announced as Drew Moor.  
He had been injured in the first game of this series with an ankle twist and 
had to be sybbed off on the same play that he was called for a Penalty kick.  
He was listed as 'questionable' to play all week.  He had a few key stops 
to break up NYRB plays.  He made a flying header on the edge of the TFC box 
at 60 minutes preventing a potential tap-in and a poke away at 89 minutes.  
With no TFC goals scored today it would be between him and goalie Alex Bono.  

TFC had two 'goals' called back during the game.  At 77 minutes Giovinco 
chipped a ball across the box from 15 yards on the right over three NYRB 
players as he was falling backwards.  NYRB Tyler Adams stepped in front 
of TFC Jonathan Osorio waiting at 6 yards on left post and chested it back 
to goalie who was guarding right post.  Goalie Luis Robles got to ball 
after it was over the line and it dropped behind him.  Contact between Adams 
and Osorio was minimal but the play had been called offside.  At 90 minutes 
Giovinco had just won a freekick by being pushed over on the left end line 
just outside the box.  Giovinco laid on his back to kill some time.  
TFC Victor Vazquez took a quick freekick from 15 yards that curled into 
the top corner of the net while Giovinco was still on his knees and 
referee Chris Penso called that play back as he hadn't whistled in to 
restart the play.  

While Altidore and Kljestan were ejected at halftime (we fans didn't see 
the hallway scuffle), both had earned Yellow cards at 33 minutes.  
Giovinco had knocked over Tyler Adams from behind at the NYRB 40 yard line.  
Adams got up and stepped towards Giovinco but Altidore bearhugged Adams 
as players from both teams milled around.  Players ended up dispersing except 
Altidore and the NYRB captain Kljestan who were argueing.  Kljestan 
mimiced him with a chest out gesture and pushed Altidore who fell 
backwards as if hit by a truck.    

NYRB were only one goal away from winning the series.  A series saving 
save was made at 61 minutes by TFC goalie Alex Bono.  NYRB Tyler Adams 
flicked a rolling ball with his back to the goal between two defenders 
at 22 yards that found Bradley Wright-Phillips in alone just inside the 
box and he stepped forward and shot a low 12 yarder up the middle that 
the charging goalie slid to make a point blank save at 10 yards and hung 
onto the ball.  

Giovinco was given a Yellow card at 80 minutes which means he will miss 
the first game against Columbus in the Eastern Final.  He was pushed from 
behind by NYRB Aaron Long on a run down the left wing at the 18 yard line.  
Tyler Adams got to loose ball and turned and ran upfield.  Giovinco got 
up and chased the referee to complain about the non-call with wild arm 
gestures (for not the first time in this game).  The referee turned towards 
him and gives him a card.  Giovinco had picked up a Yellow card 
at 81 minutes in the first game in the series for time-wasting.  

NYRB had no shots on net in the first half but their second half goal 
and Wright-Phillips chance as their only shots on target.  
They had won six cornerkicks in the first half.  TFC only had one shot 
on net this game.  That one was at 94 minutes when Vazquez inside the NYRB 
box after receiving a pass and a defender pushed him over but the loose 
ball found Giovinco able to shoot a low 12 yarder that the goalie caught.  

NYRB players were smart enough to not give up any freekicks near the edge 
of the box which would have set up one of Giovinco's highlight reel 
freekicks.  

TFC wins the series and the player went to the south end to applaud their 
fans.  NYRB players walked to the north east end to applaud their travelling 
fans in the balcony.  The Depeche Mode song "Just Can't Get Enough" was 
played as it is for each victory but no fireworks were blasted off.  
It was only the second time this year that TFC hasn't won a home game.  

TFC weren't exactly playing conservatively but the wet conditions may 
have levelled the ablities between the teams as TFC often sent passes 
off target and over players heads.  TFC were burned on a lot 
of offside calls.

We fans had an Entripy.com (a clothing company) "TFC 2017 Playoffs" 
flag waiting for us in our seats.  

The game ball was delivered by former Toronto Maple Leafs ice hockey 
captain Wendal Clark.  During a break in the action the video board 
panned us a view of current Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock 
watching the game.  

No MLS games are scheduled next weekend as there is a FIFA scheduled 
international break.  The USA has a friendly game away against Portugal.  
Portugal has clinched a World Cup spot and the USA is out.  (Altidore, Kljestan, 
and Michael Bradley played key roles on that team).  Canada doesn't play.  
From what I've read no TFC players are scheduled to play.  

In today's game, once again, no Canadians started.  I thought TFC would keep 
their three listed Canadians on their eighteen out but on their third sub they 
brought on Jonathan Osorio at 65 minutes.  Canadian forwards Tosaint Ricketts 
and Raheem Edwards stayed on the bench.  When does the new Canadian Premier 
league start?  The Giovinco and Altidore suspensions mean the team may have 
to use some of their Canadians.  Usually if there are no injuries, TFC only 
starts making subs at the 65 minute mark.  

A tunnel fight?  I have been in that hallway before when I've had press 
accredition for Canadian national team games.  I'd say it's wider than the 
tunnel that fans have to cross to get to the other side of the railway tracks 
when leaving the CNE grounds.  That has hundreds at a time trying to squash 
into the narrow exit with other fans banging on the metal sides of the walls 
on their way through and up a narrow staircase on the other side.  However 
today I had a potentially worse experience.  The Royal Winter Fair 
(admission price $27.50 yikes) was being held in some of the buildings 
on the fair ground and the street between the building and the streetcar 
stop was fenced off to maybe restrict departing fans from scaring the horses.  
There were more than a thousand of us making our way to the streetcar 
terminal penned in by the fencing to a width of one sidewalk tile and the 
line stopped moving.  An authority from the other side of the fence came 
down the line and told us that the passage only led to the streetcar stop 
and not an exit to the street.  That prompted half the line to turn around 
and start walking in the other direction and past us.  (and through the 
tunnel under the train tracks to get out?) Yep it would only take some 
yahoo to yell "Fire, Run" and we'd be making the headlines for the trampled 
fans not the soccer teams.  

TFC's next home game was announced as Tuesday November 29 but no time was 
given (7:30pm I know now).  It will be the second leg of the Eastern 
Conference Final against Columbus (the Columbus vs New York City FC game 
hadn't got started).  I expect the weather will be a lot colder than today.   
Once I got home their was an e-mail invoice waiting for me with details 
and a bill.     

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
Twitter RocketRobin01

stats from MLSsoccer.com
Match Information

Goals and Assists
54'    NYRB  Bradley Wright-Phillips        Assisted By: Daniel Royer 

Disciplinary
34'    NYRB  Sacha Kljestan                 Reason: Unsporting Behavior 
34'    TOR   Jozy Altidore                  Reason: Unsporting Behavior 
45'+2' NYRB  Sacha Kljestan                 Reason: Unsporting Behavior 
45'+2' TOR   Michael Bradley                Reason: Dissent 
45'+2' TOR   Jozy Altidore                  Reason: Unsporting Behavior 
71'    NYRB  Bradley Wright-Phillips        Reason: Unsporting Behavior 
80'    TOR   Sebastian Giovinco             Reason: Dissent 
90'+2' NYRB  Felipe                         Reason: Dissent 

Lineup

Toronto FC 
17 F Jozy Altidore 
10 F Sebastian Giovinco 
25 G Alexander Bono 
15 D Eriq Zavaleta       (66') 
 3 D Drew Moor 
23 D Chris Mavinga       (54')
33 M Steven Beitashour   (64') 
18 M Marco Delgado 
 4 M Michael Bradley 
 7 M Víctor Vázquez 
 2 M Justin Morrow 

Bench
 1 G Clint Irwin 
 6 D Nick Hagglund       (54')
21 D Jonathan Osorio     (66') 
26 M Nicolas Hasler      (64')
31 M Armando Cooper 
87 F Tosaint Ricketts 
44 F Raheem Edwards 

Manager  Greg Vanney   

New York Red Bulls 
30 F Gonzalo Verón           (80') 
99 F Bradley Wright-Phillips 
31 G Luis Robles 
62 D Michael Murillo         (64')
33 D Aaron Long 
55 D Damien Perrinelle 
92 D Kemar Lawrence 
 8 M Felipe 
16 M Sacha Kljestan 
77 M Daniel Royer 
 4 M Tyler Adams 

Bench
18 G Ryan Meara 
 5 D Connor Lade 
27 D Sean Davis               (64')
29 D Fidel Escobar 
19 M Alex Muyl 
88 M Vincent Bezecourt 
 7 F Derrick Etienne          (80')

Manager  Jesse Marsch 

Officials
Referee  Chris Penso 
Assistant Referee  Jeremy Hanson 
Assistant Referee  Eric Boria 
Fourth Official  Silviu Petrescu 
Video Assistant Referee  Ted Unkel 

Match Information
MLS Playoffs at BMO Field
Toronto, ON
Attendance 29974
Weather Cloudy

Team Statistics
TOR                        NYRB
  4     Shots                 3 
  1     Shots on Target       1 
  3     Shots off Target      2 
  1     Blocked Shots         2 
  1     Corners               8 
  7     Crosses              26 
  4     Offsides              2 
 14     Fouls                17 
  3     Yellow Cards          3 
  1     Red Cards             1 
326     Total Passes        441 
 69 %   Passing Accuracy     73 % 
 41.6 % Possession           58.4 % 
 54     Duels Won            46 
 11     Tackles Won          13 
  1     Saves                 1 
 37     Clearances           16

Toronto FC starters