Wednesday November 29, 2017--Toronto FC vs Columbus Crew SC game review Conference Final 2nd Leg (by Rocket Robin)

Wednesday November 29, 2017--Toronto FC vs Columbus Crew SC game review Conference 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 Wednesday November 29, 2017 playoff game between
Toronto FC and Columbus Crew SC held at BMO Field in Toronto at 7:30pm.
This was the second leg of the Eastern Conference Final.

24 min...TFC Victor Vazquez cornerkick from right is into box and Crew Josh Williams pushes over
TFC Drew Moor in 6 yard box while Moor jumped for header. Referee Ismail Elfath calls a Penalty kick.

25 min...TFC Victor Vazquez blasts Penalty kick low to left corner but diving goalie Zack Steffen
pushes wide of post.

59 min...TFC Jozy Altidore GOAL...TFC Sebastian Giovinco at Crew 25 yard line with
Crew Jonathan Mensah grabbing his arm backheels pass. Altidore rolls ball forward
to TFC Victor Vazquez at 20 yards in middle. Vazquez taps ball forward to charging Altidore
who has run between three Crew players and Altidore at 12 yards even with right post runs
by retreating Crew Lalas Abubaker and shoots low 7 yard shot into left corner of net with goalie
guarding right post.

Final Score:...Toronto FC...1...Columbus Crew SC...0...
(TFC wins two game aggregate 1-0)

Attendance was announced as a sellout of 30392. The weather was cold--hovering just below the freezing
point but I didn't get too cold. I was cheering for a goal by either team as I knew that would mean
there'd be no extra time. I suspect what made last year's MLS final unbearable was the extra time
and Penalty shootout. I got through it thanks to the resin-bag handwarmers given out by a league sponser.
I'd only heard about them before but bought some in the spring and used by first bags tonight inside
my mittens but they weren't a necessity. Last year's Eastern final was decider against Montreal
on an unseasonably mild rainy night.

Referee Ismail Elfath gave out only one Yellow card to each team plus the Penalty call for TFC. The game
was more wide open than rough.

After the game the Eastern Championship trophy was presented to the TFC players with our view on the East
stands blocked by the backdrop of the portable stage brought in to the West side although we could see the
presentation on the video board. Fireworks were set off--everything that had not been lit off before
the game started. After the presentation the players walked to the South end to celebrate with the
supporters' groups. Chris Mavinga broke from them and carried the trophy the entire length of the East
stands so we had a good look at it. Toronto/MLS/Canadian soccer legend Dwayne DeRosario had brought
the trophy out to the sideline before the game.

No MVP was announced over the PA system. Although Michael Bradley made a game saving save on a sliding
tackle from behind on Crew Justin Meram to break up a 2 on 1 rush inside the TFC box at 20 minutes,
I marked down Chris Mavinga as making more stops with flicked headers and clearances inside the TFC box.
Alex Bono earned the shutout for TFC but he didn't have to be spectacular tonight.

Offensively TFC was not dominating and my section was complaining about their players passing the ball
back to defenders and the goalie before they had the lead--so it wasn't time wasting.

Victor Vazquez took the Penalty kick at 25 minutes. He was the player chosen to take it. I would
agree as Sebastian Giovinco had missed a few this season. Vazquez shot low to the left corner just like
Giovinco's last two chances in the Supporter's Shield winning Montreal game in the regular season's final
home game. Zack Steffan dove to push the ball wide left of the post.

Jozy Altidore had fallen a few times on his own starting at 49 minutes and it looked to be getting
worse and he needed the trainer soon after. He was treated on the east side on the opposite side of the
benches and returned to the game within five minutes. He was walking on the field after that and our
section was chanting for Tosaint Ricketts to come in to replace him. He made a short run at 59 minutes
to collect a pass and score. He collapsed again soon after and was finally replaced by midfielder
Armando Cooper. Myself and the guy beside me both said to each other "Now watch him score" when we
saw him stay in the game after his first treatment.

TFC had few chances after that and the Crew almost tied it a few times which would have seen them advance
on the away goal rule. Best of them were 79 minutes when Federico Higuain took a cornerkick from the
right that had TFC Chris Mavinga pop a header in a crowd of players at 6 yards away and Pedro Santos
kept it inside the box. Justin Meram received a short tap back pass from Josh Williams and blasted
a 15 yard shot well over the bar. At 86 minutes Higuain was checked on the top right of the box
by Armando Cooper and went down and Michael Bradley dribbled it away but was checked off the ball by Meram
at 25 yards on the far right and Meram crossed into the 6 yard box and Adam Jahn connected on a flying
header on the right post and the ball was just between the legs of the charging Ola Kamara at 2 yards
on the left side of the net. The next minute Crew followed up with a cornerkick from the left that
had the ball knocked down and Mensah with his back to the net took a 15 yard midair kick down the middle
but well over the net. 91 minutes had Harrison Afful chip the ball from 28 yards on the right into
the box and goalie Alex Bono caught on the bounce stepping in front of the charging Kamara to make the
grab on the right post.

TFC used one Canadian this game and that was midfielder Jonathan Osorio who started and played 80 minutes.

TFC advances to the MLS Cup for the second year in a row and will be hosting it as they have a better
record than the two Western teams--Seattle and Houston. The game will be on Saturday December 9th and
it will start at 4:00pm which means in theory it should be warmer than last year's nighttime start.
On my way home I found notices that the subway line I use won't be running that weekend--tonight's game
if it had been held last weekend instead would have resulted in the same problem.

The Crew had a good season in 2017 recovering from a ninth place finish in 2016 to finish fifth
in the East. They were on a ten game unbeaten streak to finish the regular season then beat Atlanta
on the road in a Penalty kick round in their wildcard round game. They then split their conference
semi-final series against New York City FC but won on total games. A few months ago news broke that
the Crew team owner planned on moving the club to Austin Texas (allowing that city to do an end around
paying expansion fees) unless the city of Columbus built him a downtown stadium to replace the MLS's
first-built 'Soccer Specific Stadium'. The MLS office seemed to be complacent until fans in Columbus
and other cities found out and created a groundswell of support to 'Save The Crew'. Late breaking
news has the MLS announcing that larger city in Ohio, Cincinnati, made the four finalists (narrowed
from twelve) to receive the next two expansion franchishes.

TFC should have a full roster for the MLS Final depending on how seriously injured Jozy Altidore is.

Our 'souvenirs' tonight was a pull apart '2017 TFC Playoffs' roller that reminded me of a window blind.
It was less awkward that last year's cardboard card banner. Many went unnoticed under people's seats
and created a scramble after the game by folks running down the rows picking them up. There was
no sponsor's name so I suspect that club paid for this.

This game had other simularities to the Sunday October 15th game against Montreal. Jozy Altidore
scored the only goal of the game, TFC missed a first half Penalty kick, and we had one player break
from the mob in the south end and carry the trophy (Supporters Shield for that game) along the East
side stands so we could enjoy it. Drew Moor carried it that game.

TFC advances to the MLS Cup for the second year in a row and will be hosting it as they have
a better record than the two Western teams--Seattle and Houston. The game will be on Saturday
December 9th and it will start at 4:00pm which means in theory it should be warmer than last
year's nighttime start. On my way home I found notices that the subway line I use won't be
running that weekend--tonight's game if it had been held last weekend instead would have
resulted in the same problem.

TFC should have a full roster for the MLS Final depending on how seriously the injury
is to Jozy Altidore.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
Twitter RocketRobin01

stats from MLSsoccer.com
Match Information

Goals and Assists
60' TFC  Jozy Altidore       Assisted By: Víctor Vázquez 

Disciplinary
78' TFC  Michael Bradley     Reason: Unsporting Behavior 
86' CLB  Jonathan Mensah     Reason: Unsporting Behavior 

Lineup

Toronto FC  
17 F Jozy Altidore       (68') 
10 F Sebastian Giovinco 
25 G Alexander Bono 
33 D Steven Beitashour 
15 D Eriq Zavaleta       (HT)
 3 D Drew Moor 
23 D Chris Mavinga 
 2 D Justin Morrow 
21 M Jonathan Osorio     (81')
 4 M Michael Bradley 
 7 M Víctor Vázquez 

Bench
 1 G Clint Irwin 
26 D Nicolas Hasler 
18 D Marco Delgado       (HT) 
 6 M Nick Hagglund       (81')
87 F Tosaint Ricketts 
31 F Armando Cooper      (68')
44 F Raheem Edwards 

Manager  Greg Vanney  

Columbus Crew SC 
10 F Federico Higuaín 
 9 F Justin Meram 
11 F Ola Kamara 
23 G Zack Steffen 
 4 D Jonathan Mensah    
 3 D Josh Williams 
17 D Lalas Abubakar    (73') 
25 M Harrison Afful     
20 M Wil Trapp 
 8 M Mohammed Abu      (80')
32 M Pedro Santos      (85')

Bench
41 G Brad Stuver 
 2 D Jukka Raitala 
19 D Kekuta Manneh      (73')
21 D Alex Crognale 
16 M Héctor Jiménez     (85')
12 M Adam Jahn          (80')
28 F Niko Hansen 

Manager  Gregg Berhalter 

Officials
Referee  Ismail Elfath 
Assistant Referee  Frank Anderson 
Assistant Referee  Corey Rockwell 
Fourth Official  Baldomero Toledo 
Video Assistant Referee  Drew Fischer 

Match Information
MLS Playoffs at BMO Field
Toronto, ON
Attendance 30392
Weather Clear

Team Statistics
TOR                        NYRB
  9     Shots                11 
  6     Shots on Target       1 
  1     Shots off Target      8 
  2     Blocked Shots         2 
  6     Corners               3 
 15     Crosses              18 
  1     Offsides              4 
 11     Fouls                17 
  1     Yellow Cards          1 
  0     Red Cards             0 
510     Total Passes        442 
 86 %   Passing Accuracy     83 % 
 53.3 % Possession           46.7 % 
 48     Duels Won            41 
 12     Tackles Won          19 
  1     Saves                 5 
 19     Clearances           18

Toronto FC starters