July 5, 2018 USL Toronto FC II--Tampa Bay Rowdies vs Toronto FC II game review (from uslsoccer.com)
Hristov Provides Historic Boost for Rowdies By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 07/05/18, 1:02AM EDT Record-setting goal paved way for important win for Tampa Bay playoff hopes Tampa Bay Rowdies forward Georgi Hristov salutes the club's fans and the banner commemorating his club-record 58th goal in Green and Gold. | Photo courtesy Matt May / Tampa Bay Rowdies ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – With his last goal having arrived on April 21 in the club’s last home victory, Tampa Bay Rowdies’ fans had needed to be patient as they waited for the chance to hoist the banner they’d created in anticipation of forward Georgi Hristov making club history. Just eight minutes into the club’s 3-1 victory against Toronto FC II on Wednesday night, however, the large-format jersey commemorating Hristov’s 58th goal in Green and Gold – breaking the tie with Rowdies legend Derek Smethurst to become the club’s all-time leader in goals – was hoisted by Ralph’s Mob, creating another special moment for the club legend. “They’re amazing,” said Hristov. “I’ve played for some big clubs in my country [Bulgaria] and Poland, but the fans here are amazing. Every game, they never stop supporting us. I told them that they’re amazing and that I really appreciate the support and to keep it up because I think our team has a great future.” At the heart of the goal was Hristov’s natural opportunism, as a long clearance by Rowdies goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald cleared both Leon Taylor and his marker near the halfway line. A moment’s hesitation by a Toronto defender gave Hristov all the opening he needed, and his first-time lob over advancing TFC II goalkeeper Borja Angoitia landed softly into the back of the net. “My first coach always used to say, ‘No matter how small the chance is, just go for it always. Make the impossible possible,’” said Hristov. “I had to go a long way to get to the ball and I knew Leon [Taylor] would maybe miss it and his defender would go to the goalkeeper, so I was just ready for the ball. It was a good goal.” The goal provided early impetus for the Rowdies as they claimed their first home victory under Head Coach Neill Collins, with the side having recorded three draws and one loss at home since the former defender’s appointment in May. As welcome as claiming the record proved for the Bulgarian, the victory was equally important as the Rowdies moved into ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings ahead of Saturday’s home clash with defending USL Cup champion Louisville City FC. “It means a lot to me,” said Hristov. “The Rowdies are such an old club with a lot of history, but at the end of the day, it’s all about the three points. Let’s not take away the effort that the guys put in tonight. We deserved the win, so I’m even more happy that we won the game.” Tampa Bay Rowdies forwards Georgi Hristov and Leon Taylor celebrate Hristov's 58th goal for the club, which made him the Rowdies' all-time leading goal-scorer. Leon Taylor also found the net for the hosts, his third goal in as many games since joining the Rowdies, while Joe Cole capped the performance with his fourth goal of the season with 11 minutes to go. The contest also saw debuts for new signings Stefano Bonomo and Afrim Taku, both of whom came on as second-half substitutes as the process of getting acclimated to their new surroundings began in earnest. The night, though, belonged to Hristov. “I’m delighted for Georgi,” said Collins. “We knew it was just a matter of time because a goal-scorer is always a goal-scorer. We were looking back at his record only last week and he’s got a goal every three games or every four games in his career, so that’s pretty impressive. He’s been getting into the right places and not put it in the net, and that’s a big sign that it’s going to come. I’m pleased for him. It’s huge for the club to have the record goal-scorer in our ranks and it couldn’t happen to be a nicer guy.” 4-3-2-1 4-1-4-1 Tampa Bay Rowdies Toronto FC II 3 1 July 4, 2018 7:00 PM Referee Elvis Osmanovic Venue Al Lang Stadium Attendance 5,221 Tampa Bay Rowdies 50 Fitzgerald GK 58' OWN GOAL 27 Gorskie DF 16 Lachowecki DF 17 Mkandawire DF 21 Ivan Magalhaes DF 29 Oduro MF 20 Vingaard MF 26 Cole MF (C) 79' GOAL 11 Fernandes MF 70' subbed out 10 Hristov MF 8' GOAL, 84' subbed out 14 Taylor FW 27' Yellow card, 54' GOAL, 57' subbed out Substitutes 1 Mizell GK 7 Flemmings 9 Alex Morrell 23 Nanchoff 28 Taku 84' subbed in 56 Bonomo 57' subbed in 13 Guenzatti 70' subbed in Manager Collins Toronto FC II 30 Angoitia GK 48 Campbell DF 38 Bjornethun DF (C) 70' subbed out 52 Dunn-Johnson DF 47' Yellow card 61 Romeo DF 30' Yellow card 59 Okello Ayo MF 57' subbed out 45 Uccello MF 64 Hundal MF 37 Waja MF 58 Faria MF 66' subbed out 56 Johnson FW Substitutes 90 Olatunji GK 49 Boskovic 36 Kübel 70' subbed in 57 Mohammed 55 Daniels 66' subbed in 50 Srbely 57' subbed in 51 Hamilton Manager Rabasca Tampa Bay Toronto FC II 50.6% Possession 49.4% 58.7% Duels success rate 41.3% 62.8% Aerial duels won 37.2% 11 Interceptions 11 7 Offsides 1 4 Corners 5 413 Passes 396 92 Long passes 76 76.3% Passing accuracy 74.5% 63.8% Passing acc in opp half 65.9% 14 Crosses 20 14.3% Crossing accuracy 25.0% 3 Goals 1 16 Shots 1 6 Shots on target 0 0 Blocked shots 0 4 Shots outside the box 0 12 Shots inside the box 1 37.5% Shooting accuracy 0.0% 19 Tackles 9 84.2% Tackles success rate 88.9% 20 Clearances 20 13 Fouls conceded 15 1 Yellow cards 2 0 Red cards 0
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