May 19, 2017 USL Toronto FC II--Toronto FC II vs Tampa Bay Rowdies game review (from uslsoccer.com)
Rowdies Rally, Take Lead in East By CHARLIE CORR - charlie.corr@uslsoccer.com, 05/19/17, 7:00PM EDT Three second-half goals push Tampa Bay past TFC II VAUGHAN, Ontario – The Tampa Bay Rowdies looked to be in some trouble midway through the second half, but the experienced side stepped up when it needed to most. The Rowdies overcame an early deficit with three straight second-half goals to earn a 3-1 win against Toronto FC II at the Ontario Soccer Centre to move into first place in the Eastern Conference standings. They move a point ahead of the Charleston Battery, who travel to face the Harrisburg City Islanders on Saturday. Joe Cole provided a 68th-minute equalizer, Martin Paterson scored just seconds after he came off the bench in the 80th minute and Darwin Jones put the match away in the 82nd minute. TFC II’s Luca Uccello ended his team’s lengthy scoreless streak. The Rowdies improve to 6-2-2 (20 points) overall and earn their first road win, moving to 1-1-2 away from Al Lang Stadium. TFC II falls to 1-5-3 (6 points) overall and 0-2-1 at home. Scoring: 10’ – TOR – Luca Uccello (Sergio Camargo) 68’ – TBR – Joe Cole 80’ – TBR – Martin Paterson 82’ – TBR – Darwin Jones (Joe Cole) •#TORvTBR: Full match and Opta box score Three Things That Mattered: •1. The Rowdies needed a push of some sort, and Joe Cole and company eventually came through. Cole tallied his third goal of the season and his second against TFC II to get things going. He netted once during the Rowdies’ 4-0 win against Toronto on April 1 at Al Lang Stadium. This second go-around, Darwin Jones had enough room to build the play up down the right side and crossed in toward Luke Boden. Boden redirected from the right of the six-yard area and Cole positioned himself well from close range to put into the back of the net for the 68th-minute equalizer. •2. The turning point of the match came in the 80th minute when Rowdies Head Coach Stuart Campbell brought in Martin Paterson for Deshorn Brown. Though Brown had nothing to show for his efforts on the score sheet, he had been one of the most effective first-half players for the Rowdies. The switch, though, paid off in a matter of less than a minute. On a free kick opportunity, the ball was delivered into the right of the box and headed into the center where Paterson positioned himself perfectly for the finish and his second tally of the campaign. Ultimately, that goal would serve as the winner and put Tampa Bay into the East lead ahead of the Charleston Battery. •3. If not for some strong defensive efforts to gain a point here and there, perhaps more would have been made of Toronto’s lack of scoring over the first two months. TFC II ended a 520-minute scoring drought on Friday with Luca Uccello finding the back of the net in the 10th minute for a 1-0 lead against the Rowdies. In the opening minutes Uccello actually timed his run well behind the Tampa Bay defense on a couple of occasions. It worked to perfection in the 10th as Sergio Camargo provided the lead pass, spotting a wide-open Uccello who took a good first touch and then picked his moment with a right-footed shot past Rowdies goalkeeper Matt Pickens with a low right-footed shot inside the left post for a 1-0 advantage. Looking at the match overall, Hundal could have added to his performance, particularly in the 86th minute when his close-range shot went over the frame. USLSoccer.com Man of the Match: Joe Cole, Tampa Bay Rowdies – Cole’s equalizer and assist on the final tally by Darwin Jones provided a massive turnaround as the Rowdies earned their first road victory. Upcoming Games: Toronto FC II vs. Richmond Kickers – May 24, 12 p.m. ET, Ontario Soccer Centre Tampa Bay Rowdies at Rochester Rhinos – May 24, 7:05 p.m. ET, Capelli Sport Stadium
.
.