September 6, 2019...Toronto FC II vs Chattanooga Red Wolves game report (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Friday September 6, 2019 USL League One game between Toronto FC II and Chattanooga Red Wolves
played at BMO Training Ground in Downsview at 4:00pm.

Toronto FC (all red, white names and numbers)

................40 Eric Klenofsky (cpt)
19 Griffin Dorsey...36 Franco Ramos Mingo...42 Patrick Bunk-Andersen...88 Jesus West
39 Luca Petrasso...37 Gideon Waja...35 Mehdi Essoussi...53 Jayden Nelson
.............58 Jordan Faria...77 Jordan Perruzza

Subs:...28 Caleb Patterson-Sewell (gk)...48 Dante Campbell (mid)...61 Rocco Romeo (def)...64 Shaan Hundal (fwd)
...81 Themi Antonoglou (mid)...85 Antonio Carlini (mid)...98 Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty (fwd)
team officials:...manager Michael Rabasca

Chattanooga Red Wolves (white socks and shirts, red shorts, black names and numbers)

........................24 Alexander Mangels
.........25 Timmy Mehl...5 Leo Folla...6 Vangjel Zguro
20 Tony Walls...7 'Ualefi'...11 Sito Seoane...22 Conor Doyle...17 Greg Hurst
...............10 Steven Beattie...12 Eamon Zayed

Subs:...27 Will Dieterich (gk)...8 Josue Soto (mid)...14 Amirgy Pineda (mid)...16 Andrew Kendall-Moulllin (def)
...32 Colin Falvey (def)
team officials:...managerTim Hankinson

Game officials:...referee Mo Mohseni...referees assistants Jason Olinsky and Brad Doubrough
...fourth official David Barrie (teal shirts, black shorts and socks)

First Half:...game starts 4:08pm...TFC defends south end.
3 min...CRW Walls pokes ball away from TFC Nelson who'd pushed through three guys to get into CRW box.
4 min...TFC Petrasso crosses high from 12 yards on left end line but ball bounces unplayed on right side.
5 min...CRW Zguro cornerkick from right has CRW player send header from 8 yards that lands on top of net.
6 min...TFC West cornerkick from right has TFC Mingo head 10 yarder down middle that goalie palms over net.
7 min...TFC Essoussi cornerkick from left bends to TFC Bunk-Andersen at 15 yards who can't turn header.
8 min...CRW Walls high cross from right has CRW Seoane chase ball and 12 yard shot is blocked by sliding goalie.
9 min...CRW Zguro cornerkick from right has goalie palm ball away. CRW Seoane blasts 20 yarder low and wide right of net.
9 min...CRW Zguro cross from 30 yards on left is caught by goalie in crowd of players at 10 yards.
11 min...CRW Seoane passes to right but CRW Zayed pushes ball over end line on first touch.
13 min...TFC West 22 yard freekick from slight left is blasted high and right of net.
15 min...TFC Faria run on right and cross into box is headed away.
16 min...CRW Seoane on run up middle passes right to CRW Beattie and he sends low cross from 25 yards steps in front
of charging CRW Zayed on left.
17 min...CRW goalie comes out to 30 yards to clear through ball pass meant for TFC Perruzza.
18 min...TFCPetrasso run down right and 12 yard shot is bent behind net.
21 min...CRW Zguro freekick from 22 yards on far right has goalie punch ball away. A CRW player follows up
and wins cornerkick.
22 min...CRW Zguro cornerkick from right is caught by goalie but play was whistled down in box anyway.
23 min...TFC West cornerkick from left has goalie bat ball down and catch at 5 yards.
24 min...TFC Perruzza gets through five guys and pokes 8 yarder that's deflected for cornerkick on slide by defender.
24 min...TFC West cornerkick from right has goalie punch ball away in crowd of players on left post.
27 min...TFC YELLOW card...Mingo earns it for push from behind on CRW Beattie at TFC 35 yard line. He'd just been warned
two minutes earlier.
28 min...CRW Zguro bends 40 yard freekick from left but ball is cleared on edge of box.
29 min...TFC Griffin Dorsey is tripped up from behind by CRW Leo Folla as he dribbles up middle to just inside box.
Referee 'Mo' Mohseni awards TFC a Penalty kick.
30 min...TFC Jordan Perruzza GOAL...Perruzza stutter steps Penalty run then shoots low to left side as goalie
Alexander Mangels sprawls in middle.
32 min...CRW YELLOW card...Walls earns it for holding back TFC Nelson at CRW 40 yard line.
34 min...CRW Hurst receives pass in open at TFC 40 yard line on left and takes 35 yard shot nearer middle and bends ball
well wide right.
36 min...TFC Dorsey is checked off ball inside right side of CRW box.
39 min...TFC Essoussi chips 40 yarder that goalie cahrges out to catch at 15 yards on left in front of charging players.
40 min...CRW Hurst cross from 25 yards on far left is between charging CRW players at 12 yards in middle.
41 min...CRW YELLOW card...Folla earns it for sliding tackle on TFC Petrasso injurying him at CRW 40 yard line.
42 min...TFC Dorsey 30 yard blast down middle is deflected at 25 yards for cornerkick.
42 min...TFC West cornerkick from right has TFC Bunk-Andersen on near post deflect ball across 6 yard box but defender clears.
43 min...TFC Perruzza spins for 10 yard shot that's partially blocked. TFC Nelson shoots 8 yarder over net.
44 min...CRW player rushes down left and cross has TFC Bunk-Andersen head 10 yarder over own net.
44 min...CRW Zguro cornerkick from left has TFC Bunk-Andersen head ball away in middle of box.
45 min...TFC Faria low cross from right has two TFC players not able to get away shot.
45 min...CRW Seoane rolls pass along 8 yard line from 20 yards on left and ball is unplayed and out right side.
46 min...half ends 4:54pm.

Halftime Entertainment: nothing today.

Second Half:...starts 5:09pm and there's no rain!
47 min...TFC Nelson threads pass from 40 yards on left to charging TFC Perruzza up center and he shoots 20 yarder
wide right from top corner of box.
50 min...TFC Jesus West pushes over CRW Tony Walls from behind on right side of box and referee awards CRW a Penalty kick.
50 min...CRW Steven Beattie GOAL...Beattie blasts his Penalty kick to top right corner as goalie Eric Klenofsky dives left.
52 min...CRW Seoane cross from 35 yards on left has retreating TFC Bunk-Andersen concede cornerkick.
53 min...CRW Zguro cornerkick from left is whistled down in box when a TFC player is pushed over on right side of box.
55 min...CRW Zayed cross from 40 yards on right has CRW Beattie shoot 15 yarder that goalie makes key save. CRW Seoane
blasts rebound from 6 yards off TFC Dorsey and deflects for cornerkick.
55 min...CRW Zguro high cornerkick from left has CRW Beattie head 12 yarder from slight right that leaping defender heads
off goalline starting fast TFC breakout.
56 min...TFC Perruzza is caught from behind on 1 v 1 against CRW Ualefi at 25 yards.
56 min...CRW Zayed one-touch shot wide right after receving pass at 15 yards on right.
59 min...TFC Faria rolls 25 yard shot up middle that diving goalie smothers on right post.
60 min...CRW Zguro 40 yard freekick from right has CRW Walls slide and 12 yarder rolled forward and wide left.
62 min...CRW Zayed cross off TFC Dorsey at 10 yards on left for cornerkick.
62 min...CRW Zguro high cornerkick from left has CRW Folla not able to turn header at 15 yards on right.
63 min...A CRW player is called offside for maybe only the second time this game but TFC goalie catches cross anyway.
66 min...TFC Essoussi dribbles in from right and 20 yard shot is caught by goalie on right post.
67 min...CRW Hurst receives pass from left and CRW Zayed scissor kick from 10 yards fly wide right.
70 min...CRW YELLOW card...Mehr earns it for push over on TFC West just outside box on run.
71 min...TFC Jordan Faria GOAL...Faria bends a freekick from 20 yards on the near left into top left corner of net
out of reach of goalie. TFC spent quite a bit of time setting this kick up with taller players like TFC Patrick Bunk-Andersen
and other loading up the right side of the box so it got the goalie to take a step to the right expecting a chipped cross
to the far post.
72 min...TFC YELLOW card...West earns it for pull down of player wide right of TFC box.
73 min...CRW Zguro freekick from right side of box has TFC Mingo head away in crowd of players at 10 yards.
74 min...TFC Nelson run on left but can't get by CRW Walls on end line.
75 min...CRW Zguro cornerkick from right has goalie punch away for another cornerkick but also connect with CRW Folla
who needs trainer.
76 min...CRW Zguro cornerkick from right has goalie punch away ball out of box.
77 min...TFC Faria run to right end line and shot/cross from 15 yards is caught by goalie.
78 min...TFC goalie punches away 25 yard shot.
79 min...TFC sub...Hundal replaces Nelson.
80 min...CRW Zguro high cross from far left bends and CRW Doyle one-touch shot from 15 yards on right is across box.
81 min...CRW Zguro low cross fro 22 yards on left has TFC Mingo clear from middle of box.
82 min...CRW Eamon Zayed GOAL...CRW Vangjel Zguro high cornerkick from left is headed away by leaping defender
at 5 yards on right post. CRW Timmy Mehl chips cross from 25 yards on left to open CRW Conor Doyle just outside
top left of 6 yard box. He controls ball and, rather than try shot or tap to CRW Greg Hurst in middle who was
covered by TFC Griffin Dorsey, sends low pass over to open Zayed who blasts low 12 yarder into open right side of net
over diving goalie who had to scramble over from guarding left post. TFC players looked like they stopped playing
waiting for an offside call.
85 min...TFC Mingo gives up cornerkick when TFC player missed ball.
86 min...CRW sub...Soto replaces Seoane.
87 min...TFC Bunk-Andersen key header on edge of box to clear cross.
90 min...TFC Petrasso cornerkick from left is caught by goalie.
91 min...TFC YELLOW card...Bunk-Andersen earns it for plowing into CRW goalie.
92 min...game ends 5:56pm.

Final Score:...Toronto FC II......2.........Chattanooga Red Wolves......2.......

I estimated attendance at about 80 because it looked the same as the League 1 Ontario game I was
at last night except today's crowd was more spread out. The weather was overcast and it had
rained before the game. As soon as the game started the rain began again with it varying
between light and medium. The second half had no rain. Why such a weather report from me
is the canopy over the last four rows of the stands had not been re-erected and so today
all the fans got wet. I had asked at the last game when it first disappeared and was told
the stands had been temporarily moved for a soccer camp/tournament and the cover would be back
by their next game. Today I wasn't counting on it and brought an umbrella from the spectators'
parking lot about 800 yard uphill past the grounds gates. If the stadium was as fussy
as BMO Field downtown where umbrellas are not allowed I figured I'd hide mine in the bushes
until the game ended rather than walk back. Turned out no problem bringing it in.
Now if I just had a third hand to hold it while I took notes! The USL website listed the crowd
as 74 so that made my estimation skills (for small crowds anyway) look pretty good. School's
back in so there weren't many children.

Man of the Match (who is always a TFC player) was announced as defender Franco Ramos Mingo.
I don't have a problem with that as he made some key blocks and clearances. I can't remember
him winning the Anthony's Espresso coffee maker prize this season. With so few spectators today,
there was no identical prize for the loudest fan given out at halftime.

Referee Seyed-Mohammad Mohseni gave out six Yellow cards (three to each team) plus the two Penalty
kick calls and all were for rough tackling or pushing. With such a small crowd it was easy
to hear what he was saying when he was on our side of the field. There were only five offsides
the entire game with CRW earning four of them. The wet ground made for a lot of slide tackles
as they were easy to make on the field turf.

Also easy to hear was goalie/captain Eric Klenofsky with his commands shouting out of proper
positioning for his teammates. He was much louder than counterpart Alexander Mangels.
Does that say something about New Jersey being louder than California?

Red Wolves got good practice at cornerkicks and it was their eleventh near the end of the game
that began a play that led to them scoring the tying goal. The players arrived in three minivans
rather than the full sized rental coach that every other visiting team I've seen this year rides.

Both sides only made one substitution and not until late. The cooler weather kept players from
cramping up. Maybe both managers didn't want to break the rhythm of the starters being together.
Red Wolves only brought five subs so that may help explain their reasoning and their change
at 87 minutes seemed to me like time wasting to preserve the tie. TFC made theirs at 79 minutes
bringing in forward Shaan Hundal for Jayden Nelson who'd started off the game well but fizzled
after the 50 minute mark.

Jordan Perruzza's goal was his tenth of the season and put him into second place in the Golden Boot
race. Steven Beattie scored his ninth to pull into a three way tie for third. The leader
is Ronaldo Damus of North Texas SC with thirteen including two (one a Penalty kick) in the game
that started later in the evening. League stats also listed CRW goalie Alexander Mangels leading
the league with 68 saves. TFC with their platoon system can't compete with that. Tonight's backup
was Caleb Patterson-Sewell who was brought down from the MLS team.

Neither Penalty kick was missed. I've seen too many recently at the CPL and L1O level with shots
sent down the middle and stopped including at least two where the rebound was then put in.
Perruzza stutter stepped and Beattie was riskier but unstoppable into the top right corner.
Both penalty kicks were deserved although the referee appraiser I sat beside said the referee
looked over at his assistant to make sure the TFC penalty call was inside the box. I thanked
Perruzza after the game for being one of my newest Twitter followers.

Best non-scoring chances were at 6 minutes when TFC Jesus West took a cornerkick from the right
that TFC Franco Ramos Mingo headed a 10 yarder down the middle that the goalie palmed over the bar.
8 minutes had CRW Tony Walls send in a high cross from 25 yards on the far right with a CRW player
rolling a centering pass from the left that CRW Sito Seoane blasted a 12 yard shot that the sliding
goalie blocked. CRW Vangjel Zguro sent in the resulting cornerkick had the goalie punch away
in a crowd of players at 5 yards and Seoane one-touch blasted a 20 yarder low and wide right.
24 minutes had TFC Jordan Perruzza get through five guys up the middle and poke an 8 yarder that
one of those defenders was able to slide and deflect for a cornerkick. 43 minutes had Perruzza
spin beside a set of defenders and shoot a 10 yarder that was partially blocked with TFC Jayden Nelson
blasting the rebound from 8 yards over the bar. 55 minutes had CRW Eamon Zayed chip from the
40 yard line on the right side downfield that a leaping CRW player got a foot to and tipped
a centering pass that CRW Steven Beattie slid and connected from 8 yards down the middle
and the goalie sprawled to make a point blank save. Seoane blasted the 8 yard rebound from the left
off TFC Griffin Dorsey to deflect for a cornerkick. Zguro then sent in a high cornerkick from
the left that Beattie headed from the slight right that Dorsey headed off the line on the left post
starting a fast break out. 75 minutes had Zguro send in a cornerkick from the right that the goalie
punched away for another cornerkick but also connected with CRW Leo Folla who required the trainer
for about the only injury of the game. No real good chances after the tying goal for either team.

The result really scuttles TFC's playoff chances. The tie keeps them seven points out of the playoffs
in that Chattanooga was one of the team holding the fourth and final playoff spot so they don't make
up any ground on them. Today was a rare date where there are three games on Friday—this league
is so small that they can manage only five games a weekend. At the time of my writing the other
Friday results had first place North Texas SC beat last place Orlando City B by 3-1 and second place
Lansing Ignite beat FC Tucson 5-0 in Tucson.

TFC moves up one spot by breaking a point ahead of Richmond who now have two games in hand.
Their record improves to 6 wins, 9 losses, 8 ties for 26 points. Chattanooga now moves up to fourth place
with a record of 8 wins, 7 losses, 9 ties for 33 points although Forward Madison and South Georgia
both one point behind play each other on Saturday.

TFC's plays next Friday here at 4:00pm against Orlando City B. They are the only team that hasn't visited
this ground. TFC has been down to Florida twice earlier this season with a split in their series with
each team winning one game 2-0. Overall Orlando has won only three games this season. TFC hasn't won
in eight games. Orlando has lost eight in a row and haven't won in thirteen. Somethings gotta
give...unless they play to a tie!

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
twitter @RocketRobin01

Toronto FC II starters