May 31, 2024...MLS NEXT Pro...Toronto FC II vs Chicago Fire II game report (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Friday May 31, 2024 MLS NEXT Pro game between Toronto FC II and Chicago Fire II
played at York Lions Stadium in North York at 7:00pm.

Toronto FC II (all red uniforms, white names and numbers)

........................40 Adisa De Rosario
.........51 Adam Pearlman...65 Antony Curic (cpt)...58 Ythallo
92 Theo Rigopoulos...79 Andrei Dimitru...89 Chrarlie Staniland...71 Markus Cimermancic...95 Nate Edwards
..................73 Jesus Batiz...82 Julian Altobelli

Subs:...80 Shafique Wilson (gk)...76 Lazar Stefanovic (def)...97 Tristan Pusztahegy (def)...68 Lucas Olguin (mid)
...70 Matthew Catavolo (mid)...85 Marko Stojadinovic (mid)...38 Chrsllie Sharp (fwd)...81 Hassan Ayari (mid)
...91 Dekwon Barrow (fwd)
team officials:...head coach Gianni Cimini...assistant coach Marco Casalinuovo...goalkeeper coach David Monsalve

Chicago Fire II (white socks and shirts, baby blue shorts, black names and numbers)

........................70 Patrick Los
55 Omari Glasgow...43 Jaylen Shannon...42 Diego Konincks...54 Lamonth Rochester
...................57 Charlie Heuer...35 Sergio Oregel Jr.
.........53 Peter Soudan...48 David Poreba (cpt)...49 Luka Prpa
........................44 Jason Shokalook

Subs:...78 Bryan Dowd (gk)...41 Jean Alpha Diouf (def)...46 Juan Miguel Calle (mid)...50 Christian Koffi (mid)
...59 Romain Blake (def)...63 Michael Ramirez (fwd)
team officials:...head coach Ludovic Taillandier...assistant coach Patrick Nyarko...general manager Alex Boler

Game officials:...referee Fabrizio Stasolla...referee's assistants Brad Doubrough and Dasyl Dzikh
...fourth official Nivin Raizada...(all black uniforms)

First half:...game starts 7:02pm...TFC defends south end on this mild evening with the sun in the north west.
19 sec...CF Soudan wins cornerkick.
45 sec...CF Soudan cornerkick from left is low and TFC Dimitru clears.
1 min...TFC Ythallo heads CF player's cross into box from left out the right side.
2 min...TFC Altobelli 40 yard freekick from right sideline has CF Konincks head away from 15 yards in crowd in center of box.
5 min...CF Rochester hig cross from left is over TFC box and CF Glasgow recovers ball on the right but turns back rather than
play towards box.
6 min...CF Glasgow beats TFC Edwards to high ball on right and crosses over TFC box.
7 min...TFC Cimermancic on left rolls ball forward from 20 yards. TFC Altobelli rolls cross from 8 yards on left through box
and unplayed.
8 min...TFC Edwards runs down left to end line and wins a cornerkick on a rolled cross.
9 min...TFC Batiz cornerkick from left has CF Glasgow twist header away among crowd of players in box.
9 min...TFC Markus Cimermancic GOAL...TFC Theo Rigopoulos sends in low centering cross along the 10 yard line
after a short run up the right. Cimermanic slides to poke 5 yarder forward up middle to middle of net beyond goalie.
11 min...CF Rochester center pass has CF Poreba have 15 yard shot deflected off defender high and wide left.
12 min...CF Soudan cornerkick has leaping CF Shannon on near post twist 4 yard header winning another cornerkick.
TFC Ythallo is injured on the play and needs the trainer.
15 min...Chicago (Jesus Batiz own goal) GOAL...CF Peter Soudan cornerkick from left is into crowd of players
on the short side and Batiz deflects it into his own net from 4 yards.
15 min...TFC Altobelli ends up on break from 30 yards on left and rolls 15 yard shot wide right of net.
18 min...Both TFC goalie and TFC Ythallo return to the field from injuries.
21 min...CF Soudan 40 yard freekick from left has TFC Curic at 8 yards in center of box head ball away wide right for cornerkick.
22 min...CF Soudan cornerkick from right is partially cleared. CF Prpa recovers at 22 yards on left and shoots wide left.
25 min...Chicago Jason Shokalook GOAL...Shokalook and TFC Antony Curic bump for ball sent from 70 yards upfield
and bouncing high to just outside the 18 yard box. Curic goes down and Shokalook rolls 15 yarder into right side of net
past goalie Adisa De Rosario sliding out at 6 yards.
27 min...TFC Julian Altobelli wins Penalty kick call when bumped over on left side of box. (although FotMob said it was a handball
by CF Charlie Heuer trying to prevent cross).
28 min...TFC Julian Altobelli blasts Penalty kick over bar on left side of net.
29 min...CF YELLOW card...head coach Taillandier earns it for complaining about a call.
32 min...TFC Pearlman shepherds ball over end line for TFC goalkick on left keeping CF Prpa away from it.
34 min...CF Rochester long run up left and low cross/shot is through box and out.
35 min...TFFC Batiz wins cornerkick on run down left and deflected shot from 8 yards is into outside webbing of net.
35 min...TFC Batiz cornerkick from left has goalie punch ball away in crowd of players at 15 yards.
37 min...CF Heuer steps around defender to steal loose ball and makes quick pass from right to center for CF Shokalook
rolls 23 yarder up middle that goalie smothers.
38 min...CF Oregel recovers interception and takes shot from 22 yards from the left and that hits the top of the bar
and deflects over net for a goalkick.
41 min...TFC Batiz run down right sideline and cuts to center and rolls 15 yard shot between players that goalie dives to smother.
42 min...TFC Batiz at 20 yards threads pass to left. TFC Altobelli volleys 14 yard shot just over the bar.
45 min...TFC Curic heads away cross into TFC box from left to beak up CF players sustained pressure.
49 min..TFC Batiz low 40 yard freekick from right is cleared. Batiz recovers and pass to TFC Altobelli on left who chips
high cross from 25 yards that goalie drifts to right post to make catch.
50 min...half ends 7:53pm.

Halftime: The PA system plays the same music as an ice cream truck. The ice-cream truck has been outside the north gate (the one gate that is open for these games) and earlier they promised it would stay until halftime but tonight it didn't leave until the game ended because some people bought from it on their way out. There are no concession stands open for their games but there is no restriction on bringing in outside food.

There were no halftime fan contests tonight.

Second Half:...starts 8:09pm.
Halftime subs:...TFC Sharp replaces Altobelli.
..................TFC sub...Stefanovic replaces Ythallo.
..................CF sub...Koffi replaces Prpa.
49 min...CF Oregel and Glasgow on give and go up right has Glasgow with low 7 yards shot that hits the near post
and a defender clears the rebound.
49 min...CF Rochester cross from 25 yards on left has CF Shokalook head 4 yarder on right post wide right on bounced header.
50 min...TFC Dimitru is injured at CF 30 yard line right sideline.
52 min...CF Koffi runs up left sideline but taps ball over end line before he can cross.
55 min...TFC Curic bumps CF player off ball run down middle without allowing shot.
56 min...TFC Sharp short run to middle and 22 yard shot is just over bar.
58 min...TFC Pearlman on 1 v 3 has 18 yard shot blocked on right.
58 min...CF sub...Diouf replaces Rochester.
60 min...CF Glasgow run on left and threads through ball pass to CF player on edge of box. Another CF player taps pass over
and CF Soudan ends up having 18 yard shot blocked.
62 min...TFC Staniland recovers partial clearance and 25 yard shot up middle is stopped by defender at 15 yards.
62 min...TFC Jesus Batiz is tripped up at 15 yards by CF Christian Koffi. Referee Fabrizio Stasolla awards TFC another Penalty kick.
63 min...TFC Charlie Sharp blasts Penalty kick low to the right and diving goalie Patrick Los stops it and a defender
clears it out of box.
64 min...TFC Edwards wins cornerkick on left when a sliding defender pokes ball away at 5 yard line.
65 min...TFC Batiz high cornerkick from left has TFC Pearlman not able to turn header on leap at 12 yards on right.
68 min...TFC Edwards cross from left edge of 18 yard box is behind charging TFC players.
68 min...CF sub...Calle replaces Heuer.
...........TFC sub...Stojadinovic replaces Staniland.
...........TFC sub...Olguin replalces Rigopoulos.
69 min...CF defender pops up header for goalie to catch on TFC players pressing in CF end.
70 min...CF Glasgow blast 25 yarder from left deflecting off TFC Pearlman at 15 yards for cornerkick on left.
71 min...CF Soudan high cornerkick from left has CF players miss poking in 3 yarder near right post.
72 min...CF Soudan high cornerkick from right has TFC Curic in crowd head out of box.
74 min...TFC Cimermancic breaks in from left and defenders clear.
..........Two cF players are injured..Koffi and Konincks with kicks to the head and need trainer.
..........TFC YELLOW card...Sharp earns it for one of these kicks.
77 min...CF Soudan sent in on left and cuts towards center on 20 yard line and goalie smothers.
78 min...TFC sub...Barrow replaces Curic. Pearlman becomes the captain.
79 min...TFC Sharp receives centered pass from left and shoots 10 yarder over bar.
80 min...TFC Barrow intercepts clearance by defender near right end line and center ball but another defender clears.
81 min...CF defender clears cross from right on left side of box with two TFC players waiting for the ball.
82 min...TFC Edwards cross from right has goalie dive forward and push ball out of the 6 yard box and defender clears.
83 min...TFC Edward low cross from right has TFC Sharp stop ball and tap over to TFC Stojadinovic blasts 20 yarder over
top left corner of net.
84 min...TFC sub...Catavolo replaces Dimitru.
84 min...TFC Batiz rush up left and rolls ball to center but TFC Sharp has 6 yard shot smothered by goalie on save who needs trainer.
86 min...CF sub...Ramirez replaces Shannon.
...........CF sub...Blake replaces Soudan.
87 min...CF Glasgow gets clearance away as TFC Barrow plows into his follow-through at 8 yards in middle of box.
88 min...TFC Stojadinovic 35 yard freekick from right is behind TFC players and cleared.
92 min...CF Konincks head away cross between two TFC players also jumping for ball. TFC Sharp rolls centering pass which
is cleared.
93 min...Chicago David Poreba GOAL...Poreba gets breakaway pass at 35 yards from CF Michael Ramirez and rounds
goalie at 20 yards and rolls ball into open net from 6 yards.
94 min...CF Christian Koffi draws Penalty kick on run into left side of box when pulled down by TFC Adam Pearlman
on 1 v 1 rush at 5 yards.
95 min...Chicago David Poreba GOAL...Poreba blasts Penalty kick low to left side of net on stutter step run up
as goalie slumps to right.
95 min...game ends 8:59pm without restart.

Final Score:.....Toronto FC II........1..........Chicago Fire II...........4.........

Attendance started off slow because of the usual weeknight early start but by halftime it reached its peak of about 300 people. It seemed to me quieter than last week's game but the Section 114 supporters (that's their section at BMO Field for the MLS team) were a section farther away as there were a group of children taking their spot from last week. They seemed to be Adam Pearlman fans.

This game was close with a 2-1 score into injury time although TFC pulled out all the stops really from 78 minutes when they gambled on yet another forward, young Dekwon Barrow to replace defender (and tonight's captain Antony Curic). From about 74 minutes onward they had Fire pinned in their own end except that if Fire could break the press, they were on 3 v 2 breaks or worse. I had TFC on three clear chances that they couldn't put away.

A game when they were awarded two Penalty kicks and they converted neither shows that it just wasn't their night. Chicago were awarded one late in stoppage time when it didn't matter and put it away. This is the league where Penalty kicks are part of the game to break ties giving one extra point for a 'shoot-out' victory. Actually TFC is 0-2 in those contests—both taking place here in front of the home fans. Altobelli's 28 minute try I was thinking that there was quite a delay before he could take it and he skied it...those extra time tiebreakers with so many guys to get through usually move quite quickly. The Charlie Sharp one was just a good save. Sharp had a sitter at 79 minutes from 10 yards and he put his shot over the bar.

Referee Fabrizio Stasolla gave out only three Yellow cards (two to TFC players) and the Fire one was for their head coach Ludovic Taillandier for complaining about a call. The game was a mix of frequent passing to move the ball up the field and long punts to try to get a charging man behind the defenders. Both sides tried this tactic often.

The loss for TFC drops their record to 4 wins, 3 losses 2 draws (although 0 shootout points), for 14 points. The only other Easter Conference game played tonight had Crown Legacy win and pull clear of TFC dropping them to ninth. Things could change as the rest of the teams play later this weekend so they could fall another few spots. Top eight make the playoffs. Because of two postponed road games, TFC has games in hand on all the other teams.

Chicago's record improves to 5 wins, 2 losses, 3 ties (with 2 shootout points) for 20 points. They move up one spot (with only tonight's results in) to third place. When you think that at the start of the day they had 17 points and TFC had 14 and a TFC win would have had the two teams tied, it shows that just a win on any weekend still vaults a team up quite a few places at this time of year.

Eighth place is the cut-off for the playoffs and the current line is 15 points held by Columbus Crew 2.

TFC II's next game is against New York Red Bulls II next Sunday in New York (yeah the NYRBII team plays in New York not New Jersey). TFC will have their next home game against New York City FC II on Wednesday June 12. They haven't had a home game on that night this season.

Rocket Robin
robin.glover.1958@gmail.com
X @RocketRobin01

Toronto FC II starters