September 19, 2018 MLS Toronto FC--Toronto FC vs Tigres UANL (Mexico) Campeones Cup (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Wednesday September 19, 2018 game between Toronto FC and Tigres UANL played at BMO Field in Toronto at 8:30PM. This was the inaugural edition of Campeones Cup between the MLS champions and the Mexican league champions. 35 min...Tigres Jesus Duenas GOAL...Tigres Juninho chips ball from 50 yard line on left forward to Duenas on edge of box and he eludes TFC Michael Bradley to get 12 yard shot into short side under sprawling goalie Alex Bono. 63 min...Tigres Jesus Duenas GOAL...Tigres Lucas Zelarayan takes cornerkick from right has TFC Justin Morrow as nearest player on that side flick heads the ball away. Duenas all alone in alignment with left post waits for second bounce of ball and blasts 28 yard low shot forward and into left side of net just inside post past diving goalie. 65 min...Tigres (Eriq Zavaleta own goal) GOAL...Tigres Enner Valencia receives pass behind TFC Nick Hagglund who misses connecting at 45 yard line on right and Valencia dribbles upfield with Hagglund and TFC Justin Morrow in pursuit. At the 15 yard line, Valancia starts cutting towards goal as Hagglund nudges him and Morrow slides to block his rolled crossed. Morrow then slides by him and towards end line leaving ball at 3 yard line. Valancia then dribbles back to 6 yard line and sends low centering cross meant for Tigres Lucas Zelarayan standing unmarked at 8 yards in middle of box but Zavaleta at 8 yards in alignment with right post puts his foot down and deflects ball forward and the ball bounces over the diving goalie into the right side of the net. 84 min...TFC Auro runs just outside right side of box and cross from 15 yard line hits arm of Tigres Jesus Duenas just inside box. Referee Ricardo Montero calls for a Penalty kick. 85 min...TFC Lucas Janson GOAL...Janson blasts Penalty kick low to left side of net as goalie dives right. Final Score:...Toronto FC......1........Tigres UANL........3......... Attendance was announced as 14,823. Wow that was bad! This was not part of our ticket package. In fact at the beginning of the season this Cup was only introduced early this MLS season by the league offices. It sounded good in theory to have the champions of Mexico and the MLS play each other but this was awkward for Toronto FC who are still trying to earn a playoff spot. I didn't recogniez anyone except two fellow season ticket holders. I'd say there could have been 50% visitor supporters and spread all around the stadium except the south side. Tigres had their biggest support in the north side with a mariachi band and banners hung in that end. Before the warm up there was a black squirrel on the field. Was that a bad omen like the time a cat ran onto the field when TFC was playing in the CCL many years ago and TFC lost the game against Santa Laguna? There was a mariachi band in the endzone playing popular tunes that even I knew. "Seasons In The Sun" (!) Wow to play that old Canadian chestnut by Terry Jacks! Was that played to goad the Canadians here? Nah that song was popular everywhere in the English speaking world. Their only problem was before the game we were asked to stand and give a moment of silence for the Mexican earthquake victims last year but the band played almost all the way through it until prompted to stop probably by fellow fans. The refereeing crew tonight were all from Costa Rica. There was no VAR (video assistant referee) operating tonight but there was nothing controversial where it would have been needed. Man of the Match (no this time not a TFC player because it wasn't them sponsoring the game) was named as Jesus Duenas which was an easy choice because he scored two goals. The PA system played 'Mi Gente' by J Balvin and Willy Williams because maybe that's the only Spanish language song they have. Oops there was 'Vivir Mi Vida' by Marc Anthony in time for the trophy presentation. There were two TV anchor desks in the north end but when I looked after the game they both appeared to be Spanish--Univision and some other group. I expected the MLS Extra Time Radio podcast crew would be there plus a crew from TSN which had blocked off the time from 8:30pm to 11:00pm in case there was a Penalty shoot out after regulation time. How will the Canadian Network kill so much time? (they started their sports news show early). This game had only two Canadian starters...Jonathan Osorio and Jay Chapman...very appropriate as Osorio scored the winner and Chapman scored the insurance goal on Saturday against Los Angeles Galaxy. TFC have only been starting Osorio and sometimes Ashtone Morgan for quite a few games. Tosaint Ricketts was brought on at 56 minutes to replace Jozy Altidore. A comic Canadian moment happened at 73 minutes when Osorio passed to Chapman in the box and he blasted a shot off Ricketts and the deflection sailed well out of the box. There were games in the MLS season tonight. Philadelphia scored an injury time stunner while down a man to upset the Seattle Sounders who had been on an MLS record nine game win streak on the road in Seattle. The Union solidify their fifth place status in the East making it harder for teams below them to displace them for a playoff spot. Columbus lost on the road but are looking secure enough to hang on to a spot. Atlanta had a tough time but won on the road against league worst San Jose. That result doesn't really effect TFC but it does move United closer to catching TFC's single season points record of 69 set just last year in the MLS "greatest season record ever"...until this year (?). Maybe next year Atlanta or some other MLS team will win Campeones Cup (will it held in a Mexican city?) and TFC will be forgotten. TFC didn't play an MSL game tonight but fell from 1.3 to 0.9% on sportsclubstats.com site for their chances of making the playoffs. Rocket Robin robing@eol.ca twitter @RocketRobin01

stats from MLSsoccer.com
Match Information

Goals and Assists
36'   TIG  Jesús Dueñas             Assisted By: Juninho
64'   TIG  Jesús Dueñas            
66'   TIG  Eriq Zavaleta (OG)
86'   TFC  Lucas Janson (PK)

Disciplinary
None

Lineup
Toronto FC
17 F Jozy Altidore         (57')
10 F Sebastian Giovinco    (40')
25 G Alexander Bono
15 D Eriq Zavaleta
 4 D Michael Bradley
 6 D Nick Hagglund
 9 M Gregory van der Wiel  (65')
18 M Marco Delgado
21 M Jonathan Osorio
14 M Jay Chapman
 2 M Justin Morrow

Bench
 1 G Clint Irwin
12 D Jason Hernandez
 5 D Ashtone Morgan
 7 M Víctor Vázquez
96 M Auro                  (65')
87 F Tosaint Ricketts      (57')
16 F Lucas Janson          (40')

Manager  Greg Vanney

Tigres UANL
 9 F Eduardo Vargas         (64')
10 F André-Pierre Gignac
29 F Jesús Dueñas
 1 G Nahuel Guzmán
28 D Luis Rodríguez
 4 D Hugo Ayala
 3 D Juninho
 6 D Jorge Torres
 5 M Rafael Carioca
19 M Guido Pizarro           (85')
 8 M Lucas Zelarayán         (88')

Bench
30 G Miguel Ortega
 2 D Israel Jiménez
14 D Juan Sánchez
18 M Ismael Sosa             (88')
25 M Jürgen Damm             (85')
13 F Enner Valencia          (64')
17 F Rafael Durán

Manager  Ricardo Ferretti

Officials
Referee                Ricardo Montero
Assistant Referee      Juan Carlos Mora
Assistant Referee      Octavio Jara
Fourth Official        Henry Bejarano

Match Information
Campeones Cup at BMO Field
Toronto, ON
Attendance 14823
Weather Clear

Team Statistics

TFC                              TIG   
 15    Shots                       8      
  4    Shots on Target             3      
  7    Shots off Target            4      
  4    Blocked Shots               1     
  6    Corners                     1      
 14    Crosses                     6      
  0    Offsides                    2     
 14    Fouls                      11   
  0    Yellow Cards                0       
  0    Red Cards                   0    
481    Total Passes              534     
 85 %  Passing Accuracy           87 %      
 47.8 %  Possession               52.2 %      
 33    Duels Won                  43       
 12    Tackles Won                20     
  1    Saves                       2      
  8    Clearances                 17

Toronto FC starters