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Result and details of the Saturday October 14, 2017 USL game between
Toronto FC II and FC Cincinnati played at The Ontario Soccer Centre in Vaughan at 7:30pm.
Toronto FC II (all red, white names and numbers)
......................40 Mark Pais
.......61 Rocco Romeo...42 Mitchell Taintor (cpt)...77 Brandon Onkony
9 Tsubasa Endoh...45 Luca Uccello...63 Liam Fraser...48 Dante Campbell...5 Ashtone Morgan
...................64 Shaan Hundal...19 Ben Spencer
Subs:...80 Angelo Cavalluzzo (gk)...35 Lars Eckenrode (def)...50 Matthew Srbely (mid)...55 Aidan Daniels (mid)
...56 Malik Johnson (mid)...58 Anthony Osorio (def)...59 Noble Okello Ayo (def)
team officials:...head coach Jason Bent
FC Cincinnati (all white, blue names and numbers)
........................1 Mitch Hildebrandt
32 Justin Hoyte...22 Austin Berry...3 Tyler Polak...4 Harrison Delbridge
23 Andrew Wiedeman...6 Kenney Walker...19 Corben Bone
.........11 Danni Konig...9 Djiby Fall...20 Jimmy McLaughlin
Subs:...30 Dallas Jaye (gk)...2 Matt Bahner (def)...7 Kadeem Dacres (fwd)...16 Kyle Greig (fwd)
...21 Marco Dominguez (mid)...51 Sem de Wit (def)...99 Josu (def)
team officials:...manager Alan Koch
Game officials:...referee Fab Stasolla...referee's assistants Chantal Boudreau and Gianni Facchini
...fourth offcial Alexis Vaughan...(teal shirts, black names and numbers)
First Half:...game starts 7:36pm...TFC defends north end on this rainy night with a fog covering the field.
3 min...FCC goalie catches cross on right post.
8 min...FCC defender heads away cornerkick from right.
9 min...TFC Tsubasa Endoh GOAL...TFC Luca Uccello runs on left to top left edge of FCC box and he crosses
ball to center where charging TFC Ben Spencer heads 8 yarder up middle low towards right post with sprawling
goalie Mitch Hildebrandt getting shins to it and deflecting it away. Endoh charges forward and shoots 10 yard
roller while in line with right post into left corner of net.
12 min...FCC defender heads away from 5 yards.
13 min...FCC Djiby called for handball in TFC box on cross from right.
14 min...FCC Djiby rolls 22 yarder after short rush on right wide left.
19 min...FCC Hoyte throw-in from right is cleared on edge of box.
20 min...TFC Taintor clears ball in TFC box at 8 yards in middle.
21 min...FCC cross from right is headed away.
22 min...TFC Taintor heads away another ball into TFC box at 6 yards.
23 min...FCC player's cornerkick from left is over players in box and play is whistled down.
25 min...TFC goalie dives at 6 yards to smother ball sent in from left.
26 min...TFC YELLOW card...Spencer earns it for interference at center line.
27 min...FCC YELLOW card...Delbridge earns it for sliding tackle.
28 min...TFC Endoh 30 yard freekick from right down in box and defender clears at 15 yards.
30 min...TFC Tsubasa Endoh GOAL...TFC Luca Uccello on right taps ball to sideline for
TFC Dante Campbell who takes high cross from 30 yards on right. TFC Ben Spencer on left side
of box heads ball from 8 yard line across box to Endoh who blasts low 10 yard shot that hits
sliding defender at 6 yards and deflects over him and sliding goalie and into right side of net.
32 min...TFC goalie smothers ball beating FCC player to ball.
36 min...FCC Wiedeman turns and blasts 22 yarder down middle over net.
39 min...FCC McLaughlin wins freekick on left edge of box as TFC Fraser trips him from behind.
40 min...FCC Danni Konnig GOAL...FCC Kenney Walker takes freekick chip from left edge of box
near endline and leaping Konnig at 6 yards heads ball forward in crowd of players and over flying
goalie Mark Pais's outstretched arms just under bar.
41 min...FCC Djiby jumps for cross sent in from left and low short from 18 yards hits right post
and FCC Konig at 8 yards waiting for rebound s called offside.
43 min...FCC Berry cross from right is headed away on edge of box.
44 min...FCC Polak 35 yard freekick on right is cleared on left side of box.
45 min...half ends 8:21pm with no added time.
Halftime Entertainment: There are six winners of car keys from earlier games this season. One of them
will have the key that starts the car that had been driven into the north end zone. The third contestant
has the key that starts the car so there's not much suspense. The prize was a one year lease for a new
KIA car. Other events were a toss of autographed t-shirts into the stands. There was free popcorn at the
gate (I saw it at the start of the game) whether that was to make up for the food trucks not being here
tonight, I'm not sure.
Second Half:...starts 8:37pm.
47 min...FCC McLaughlin 18 yard shot from left has defender shoulder ball down and clear.
47 min...FCC Bone at 30 yards in middle rolls ball forward and right for FCC Konig who receives it at 20 yards,
turns and fires between defender at 18 yards forward and hits the bar. The ball deflects out and hits the
flying goalie on the back then deflects back and hits bottom of rght post from 4 yards and TFC Taintor clears over
own end line.
48 min...FCC Konig is tapped pass and blasts low 15 yarder between players from left side of box and goalie blocks
but can't hold on and defender clears out of box.
49 min...FCC Kenney Walker GOAL...Walker pass attempt from 30 yards in middle hits TFC player.
FCC Tyler Polak recovers ball at 25 yards and taps to Walker who one-touches low shot forward around
TFC Luca Uccello and into right side of net just between post and diving goalie.
51 min...FCC defender retreat into box to clear ball.
51 min...FCC McLaughlin slips on run up left but no freekick call is given.
53 min...TFC Shaan Hundal GOAL...TFC Mitch Taintor taps ball from 65 yards back
to TFC Brandon Onkony who chips pass from 70 yards forward that finds Hundal behind two defenders
on one bounce at 25 yards and he chips 22 yarder from just outside box on right over goalie
who was just inside box and ball one-bounces into empty net.
56 min...FCC Polak from right has leapng TFC player head ball away.
56 min...TFC Endoh is injured on clearance that hits him in face at TFC 35 yard line.
58 min...FCC Polak cornerkick from right has FCC player leap and not able to turn header and ball
is wide left for goalkick.
60 min...TFC Taintor heads away ball at 5 yards on FCC player's cross from left.
61 min...TFC Morgan is injured in TFC box.
62 min...TFC player behind defenders on left and low cross along edge of box is intercepted and cleared.
63 min...FCC Walker 30 yard freekick from left is way over to right and headed back into box by FCC Delbridge
and TFC Endoh heads ball wide left preventing FCC Wiedeman from 10 yard attempt on left post.
64 min...FCC players work out short cornerkick from left is cleared and recross from right is also cleared.
65 min...TFC Spencer loses balance after chesting ball down at 10 yards on right and TFC Fraser had sent in cross
to him from 25 yards.
66 min...FCC Djiby Fall GOAL...FCC goalie picks up ball after TFC Ben Spencer faceplants in box and rolls
ball forward. An FCC player at FCC 20 yards sends low pass forward for charging FCC Jimmy McLaughlin near
center line. He charges forward to edge of TFC box and runs to left endline with TFC Rocco Romeo keeping him
outside of clear shot. McLaughlin slides to send cross near end line into middle of 6 yard box and charging
FCC Djiby Fall steps in front of TFC Mitchell Taintor to tip in 5 yarder up middle into center of net with
goalie frozen in middle.
67 min...FCC sub:...Dacres replaces Weideman.
68 min...TFC Hundal is pushed down too easy on run up right but no call is made by referee.
69 min...FCC Delbridge blasts 30 yard freekick from right well high and wide left of net.
71 min...TFC goalie punches ball away of cross from left.
72 min...TFC goalie catches cross from 25 yards.
73 min...TFC sub...Daniels replaces Campbell.
75 min...FCC Djiby ducks and heads 8 yarder wide left.
76 min...FCC player gets back to clear in box.
77 min...TFC Hundal has defender poke check on slide at 15 yards on right.
77 min...FCC Dacres ends FCC pressure with 18 yard blocked shot.
78 min...TFC goalie picks up deflected ball at 6 yards that bounced back to him.
80 min...FCC sub...Greig replaces Djiby.
81 min...FCC McLaughlin cuts in from left along 25 yard line to center and bends shot wide
right of post.
82 min...FCC player has 7 yard shot is blocked in box.
83 min...there's frantic action on edge of TFC box.
84 min...FCC sub...de Wit replaces Berry.
85 min...TFC Hundal 20 yard shot deflects for goalie to catch on bounce.
85 min...FCC Justin Hoyte GOAL...Hoyte at 30 yard line on right sideline sends centering pass
to FCC Kenney Walker closer to middle. He steps forward and chips ball into box where charging
Hoyte gets behind TFC Mitchell Taintor who heads ball backwards as he doesn't jump high enough
at 12 yards. The ball lands at 8 yards and Hoyte on bounce shoots 4 yarder while in line with right
post into left corner of net.
88 min...TFC Endoh cross from 22 yards has defender clear on left.
88 min...FCC goalie catches cross from right.
89 min...TFC Endoh 40 yard freekick up middle is chip and headed away on edge of box on left.
90 min...FCC defender heads away just inside box.
91 min...TFC YELLOW card...Onkony earns it for sliding tackle at TFC 40 yard line.
92 min...TFC goalie dives and bats ball. FCC Dacres 18 yard shot from right and TFC Romeo clears
ball wide left of post.
93 min...TFC YELLOW card...Taintor earns it for flattering FCC Dacres at TFC 25 yard line.
94 min...FCC player's 30 yard freekick from right is over box and FCC player rescues ball on left end line.
94 min...game ends 9:26pm.
Final Score:...Toronto FC II...3...FC Cincinnati...4...
Attendance was announced as 1,119. It had started to rain hard before game time and continued all night. I'll admit there were more fans than last the last game which was a surprise for such a miserable night but nowhere near those numbers actually turned up. There were more than thirty traveling fans—more than just parents and family of team members. They were chanting the whole game up against the pre-teen Little Ultras who had been absent the last two home games. There was even a fog that drifted in for the start of the game. I was in a tough spot as when I say 'notebook' that doesn't mean a computer but pen and paper. I couldn't get my umbrella to wedge between the fencing of the stands for protection so well before game time I asked to squeeze into what I call the treehouse/pressbox. Permission eventually granted but it was somewhat an obstructed view. My goal descriptions are embellished by rewatching them on YouTube. Interesting hearing the PA staff also skeptical about the number of fans and earlier reading through the stadium rules about forbidden behaviour and objects in the stands "...large bags and umbrellas..." and them mumble away from the microphone "except for tonight". Everyone had a raincoat or umbrella. There were some questions before the game which was the last weekend of the regular season of whether TFC II would use their young players or drop some TFC players down that wouldn't play in the MLS game tomorrow against Montreal. It might be important to keep them tuned up for the MLS playoffs. Would they give their MLS regulars a rest that were away at World Cup qualifying which meant Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore for the USA and Armando Cooper for Panama. Nicolas Hasler was NOT away playing with Liechtenstein. In a mid-week game, because Tampa Bay beat Orlando City B, Cincinnati clinched a playoff spot without playing. Although tonight they could move up a spot or two I wasn't sure if they would rest players. Man of the Match (who is always a TFC II player) was Tsubasa Endoh who with the first two goals of the game was the obvious choice. Ashtone Morgan and Ben Spencer were the other MLS roster players starting tonight's game. Defender Morgan was injured earlier this year but has had a hard time finding playing time at the MLS or USL level. His playing tonight solved the push-pull between TFC Academy grad young Julian Dunn-Johnson and MLS high draft choice Brandon Aubrey for the starting spot. Neither player was even on the bench. Dunn-Johnson's positional doppelganger Nobel Okello was an unused sub. Neither of the goalies were spectacular in this game but weather conditions played a big factor I think. Mitch Hildebrandt had saved three of four spot kicks after extra time in a Round of 16 US Open Cup game against MLS Chicago Fire. Cincinnati were eventually knocked out in the semi-finals. He didn't look good at all being caught out on Hundal's goal. I was only surprised that Mark Pais started instead of Angelo Cavalluzzo because Pais allowed four goals last week against Bethlehem. Referee Fab Stasolla gave out four Yellow cards (three to TFC but two of them were after the 90 minute mark) in a game that's only danger was slide tackles. Roughest part of the game was when FCC Harrison Delbridge and the TFC goalie got into a pushing match after Delbridge bent over to grab the ball after their goal at 40 minutes to hurry up and get the game restarted. FCC almost didn't need the end of game heroics as one minute after that goal at 40 minutes FCC Djiby Fall jumped for a cross sent in from the left and his low shot from 18 yards hit the right post and FCC Danny Konig standing all alone at 8 yards was called offside. 47 minutes had FCC Corben Bone at 30 yards in the middle roll the ball forward and right for Konig who received it at 20 yards, turned, and fired between defenders at 18 yards and hit the bar. The ball deflected back and downward and hit the back of the flying goalie and deflected back and hit the bottom of the right post from 4 yards and then TFC Mitch Taintor cleared over his own end line. The next minute had Konig tapped a pass and blasted a low 15 yarder between players from the left side of the box and the goalie blocked but couldn't hold on and a defender cleared. I was surprised that TFC only made one sub in the game so no players were rewarded for participating. I'd expect it was because the game was undecided until almost the end. FCC dominated possession especially in the second half with TFC counterattacks their only chances. League stats post FCC leading 8 to 1 in cornerkicks. The TFC lineup again made me happy with six Canadian starters and six of seven players on the bench being Canadians. This was 'fan appreciation day' although I don't recall seeing the ice cream truck here tonight nor any burger tent set up. A popcorn wagon was brought to the game to give the fans free popcorn but I don't know how many takers would want popcorn coated with rainwater with their butter. Halftime had the finals of the KIA car. One finalist of the six chosen throughout the season was allowed to draw out a key which might start the car electronically from the 50 yards away. The third contestant succeeded which ended the building suspense. There was not much of a 'meet and greet' promised by the team before the game. The rain had fans just as anxious to leave as soon as they could. Players came over to the fence to chat with fans and the end gate was opened so fans could come out onto the field but there were few takers. Many of the players used that gate as an exit back to the locker room. Cincinnati's huge USL crowds of 20K have sent them up the list of potential MLS expansion teams. Thinking ahead I thought some potential expansion draft that TFC who lost oft injured defender Mark Bloom of home state Georgia to Atlanta United, would lose oft injured defender Nick Hagglund to his hometown Cincinnati. Cincinnati is one of the independent USL teams—not in any kind of arrangement with an MLS team. They have some former MLS players on their roster including TFC forward Andrew Wiedeman which the PA guy mispronounced which proves he's newer than 2014. Cincinnati ends the season at 12 wins, 10 losses, 10 ties for 46 points. Their plus/minus is -2. They climb to sixth place in the East (not knowing all the weekend results yet). Eight teams in each conference make the playoffs but finishing fifth to eighth is a handicapped since each round is only one game and hosted by the higher ranked team so Cincinnati is almost guaranteed to play all their games on the road. The result ends the season for Toronto FC II. Their record falls to 6 wins, 19 losses, and 7 ties for 25 points. They have a goals plus/minus of -27. 27 goals for, 54 against. They finish fifteenth (last) in the Eastern Conference. Last year (in a 30 game season) their record was 7 wins, 18 losses, 5 ties for 26 points. They were eleventh out of fourteen teams last season. The League 1 Ontario championship final was originally to be held here tonight when it was scheduled back in the spring but was bumped by TFC II having preference with the Ontario Soccer Centre according to L1O chair Dino Rossi. After some uncertainty they have rescheduled to play here on Friday the 20th . The rain was fitting destiny for L1O assuming the weather will be better. Ironic that this was the last game TFC II will play at this location as next season they will groundshare at BMO Field and Lamport Stadium in downtown Toronto. I think TFC II are glad to leave the OSC facility despite the polite thank you tweets. Fans won't miss the aluminum bench seating (particularly in cold weather or rainy weather like tonight) and the port a potties. The ownership will be glad to control concession revenue rather than lose it to indie-owned mobile food trucks. The new locations will allow liquor sales so will attract a more hard core support replacing the family entertainment atmosphere of games the last few years. Rocket Robin robing@eol.ca twitter @RocketRobin01
Toronto FC II starters
FC Cincinnati starters
TFC Ben Spencer (19) takes opening kickoff.
TFC Brandon Onkony (77) takes throw-in.
ball is popped up in midfield
The referee whistles for a Cincinnati freekick at center line.
Cincinnati Danni Konig (11) starts second half.
Cincinnati Kenney Walker (6) lines up freekick.
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