August 26, 2017 USL Toronto FC II--Charlotte Independence vs Toronto FC II game recap (from uslsoccer.com)
Hamilton, TFCII Upend Charlotte By USLSoccer.com Staff, 08/26/17, 9:25PM EDT Toronto rallies from two down against shorthanded Independence MATTHEWS, N.C. – Jordan Hamilton delivered the final blow in the 76th minute as Toronto FC II completed a three-goal rally to upend the Charlotte Independence, 3-2, Saturday at Sportsplex at Matthews. Charlotte standout Enzo Martinez, who has been on a roll of late, managed to pull back a pass from Siaj and fire a shot inside the far post to open the scoring in the 21st minute. In the 32nd minute, Siaj played the role of finisher, collecting a threaded pass from Bilal Duckett and unleashing an effort that deflected off TFCII defender Ashtone Morgan and inside the far post. For Siaj, it was his third goal of the year – two of which have come against Toronto. Charlotte’s Alex Martinez was sent off early in the second half and that opened the door for the Toronto comeback as Morgan was able to pull one back with a left-footed effort off a corner kick, just two minutes before Ben Spencer equalized by pouncing on a loose ball in the area and sending it past Independence keeper Cody Mizell. Hamilton completed the comeback when he collected a feed from Jordan McCrary, controlled, turned and sent his effort into the top corner for the decisive blow. With the result, Toronto improved to 5-14-6 overall (21pts) and 2-11-2 away from home, stopping a 13-game winless streak on the road. The Independence now stand at 12-5-8 overall (44pts) and 6-2-4 at home. Scoring: 21’ – CLT – Enzo Martinez (Jaime Siaj) 32’ – CLT – Jaime Siaj (Bilal Duckett) 69’ – TOR – Ashtone Morgan (Ben Spencer) 71’ – TOR – Ben Spencer 76’ – TOR – Jordan Hamilton (Jordan McCrary) •#CLTvTOR: Full match and Opta box score Three Things That Matter: •1. The loss was the first for the Independence in eight games since the Sportsplex at Matthews became the squad’s permanent home. In seven previous contests in Matthews, Charlotte had posted a 5-0-2 record while outscoring visitors by a total of 14-4. For Toronto, it was the side’s first road victory since edging Phoenix Rising FC, 1-0, in the season opener and marks the team’s first win over a conference opponent away from home since a 2-1 triumph over Orlando City B in Week 25 of the 2016 campaign. •2. Head coach Jason Bent’s side continues to capably play the role of spoiler as the young group has now taken four points off conference frontrunner Charlotte in August after the two sides played to a 2-2 draw north of the border on August 9. Hamilton tallied both TFCII goals in the draw which came one game after Shaan Hundal’s 52nd minute goal sent Toronto past the then first place Charleston Battery. With six of its remaining seven games coming at home against playoff contenders, TFCII will have as much to say as any Eastern Conference side when it comes to shaping the playoff picture. •3. Despite the setback, 2016 USL All-League First team selection Enzo Martinez continued to make his case for a repeat selection by finding the net for the fifth time in the last six contests. Now on 14 goals for the season, Martinez ranks second in the Eastern Conference behind only the Battery’s Romario Williams (15 goals). Martinez and Jorge Herrera (12 goals) are the highest scoring duo in the USL and are one of only two pairs of teammates with at least eight goals to this point in the season, joining Golden Boot race leader Dane Kelly and Antoine Hoppenot of Reno 1868 FC. USLSoccer.com Man of the Match: Ben Spencer, Toronto FC II – The 22-year-old ignited the rapid comeback, assisting on Toronto’s first goal before pouncing on a loose ball to send home the equalizer. Upcoming Games: Charlotte Independence vs. Richmond Kickers – Sept. 2, 7 p.m. ET, Sportsplex at Matthews Toronto FC II vs. Saint Louis FC – Aug. 30, 7:30 p.m. ET, Ontario Soccer Centre
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