July 14, 2024 MLS NEXT Pro...Toronto FC II vs FC Cincinnati 2 game report (by Rocket Robin)
.............
Result and details of the Sunday July 14, 2024 MLS NEXT Pro game between Toronto FC II and FC Cincinnati 2
played at York Lions Stadium in North York at 3:00pm. (well scheduled anyway!)
Toronto FC II (all red uniforms, white names and numbers)
...........................40 Adissa De Rosario
85 Marko Stojodinovic...68 Lucas Olguin...58 Ythallo...71 Markus Cimermancic
73 Jesus Batiz...81 Hassan Ayari...89 Charlie Staniland...82 Julian Altobelli (cpt)
................72 Mark Fisher...95 Nate Edwards
Subs:...50 Abraham Rodriguez (gk)...74 Kundai Mawoko (def)...93 Pablo Patrick-Galvez (def)...94 Elijah Roche (mid)
...97 Tristan Pusztahegy...75 Luca Accettola (mid)...98 Kristjan Fortier (def)...65 Joses Chukwu (def)...70 Matthew Catavolo (mid)
team officials:...head coach Gianni Cimini...assistant coach Marco Casalinuovo..goalkeeper coach David Monsalve
FC Cincinnati 2 (white socks, shorts, and shirt backs, blue hoop chests, orange names and numbers)
...............................25 Paul Walters
.................96 Gael Gibert...38 Brian Schaefer...48 Juan Machado
35 Kenji Mboma Dem...41 Nico Benalczar...49 Peter Mangione...43 Jesus Castellano
..........42 Amir Daley...77 Stefan Chirilla...44 Ben Stitz
Subs:...30 Hunter Morse (gk)...40 Alejandro Guido (mid)...46 Guilherme Santos (fwd)...50 Yeiner Valoyes (mid)
...52 Yair Ramos (mid)...61 Nicholas Samways (mid)...64 Connor Stout (def)...80 Lincoln Matuskiewicz (def)
team officials:...head coach Tyrone Marshall...assistant coach Shavar Thomas...goalkeeper coach Ryan Coulter
Game officials:...referee Myriam Marcotte...referee's assistants Gabrielle Lemieux and Melissa Snedden
...fourth official Amanda Kwan...(all black uniforms)
First Half:...game starts 3:42pm...TFC defends south end on this game which started late because of a rain delay
with lightning in the distance.
3 min...Cin Machado gets back to bump TFC Altobelli over in Cin box and gives up cornerkick.
3 min...TFC Batiz works out short cornerkick from right and eventually goalie beats TFC Fisher to catch ball.
4 min...Cin Dem runs up right and pass is cleared on edge of box.
8 min...Cin Chirilla 30 yard cross/shot from right is well over net.
10 min...Cin Castellano run up left and draws freekick when pushed near left end line.
12 min...TFC Edwards bends 25 yarder from left around defender and goalie catches.
13 min...FC Cincinnati 2 Ben Stitz GOAL...FCC Gael Gibert sends ball low and forward from right up to find
FCC Stefan Chirilla who turns and sends pass in from TFC 50 yard line in middle over to left for charging
Stitz who dribbles in from 35 yards and rolls 15 yard shot from slight left past sliding goalie Adisa De Rosario
at 10 yards and into right corner of net.
16 min...Cin Chirilla one-touch shot from 25 yards from left that goalie catches.
16 min...TFC Stojodinovic 25 yard low shot from right that goalie catches.
24 min...TFC YELLOW card...Cimermancic earns it for sliding tackle on Cin Daley at TFC 50 yard line.
26 min...Cin YELLOW card...Gibert earns it for grab on TFC Fisher spinning him around at TFC 50 yard line in center circle.
29 min...TFC YELLOW card...Olguin earns it for grab on Cin Dem at Cin 50 yard line.
30 min...TFC Altobelli 10 yard shot from right deflects off goalie's face for cornerkick on deflection.
31 min...TFC Batiz cornerkick from right has goalie in crowd near right post and defender clears.
33 min...TFC Batiz cornerkick from right is over players and defender heads wide from left for cornerkick.
34 min...TFC Ayari cornerkick from left is high and TFC can't draw Penalty kick for tug in the box.
38 min...TFC Edwards bends cross from left at 25 yard line that bounces wide right for goalkick.
39 min...TFC Batiz ends multi pass play with weak 25 yard chip bounces to goalie.
40 min...TFC Batiz has 10 yard shot deflect off sliding defender for cornerkick on left.
41 min...TFC Ayari cornerkick from left is high and Cin Machado heads it out right side of box.
42 min...TFC Batiz cross from right has Cin Gibert clear from enter of box.
43 min...TFC Ayari bends 30 yard freekick from left is high and wide left of goal.
44 min...TFC YELLOW card...Batiz earns it for tackle on Cin Dem at Cin 45 yard ine sideline.
45 min...half ends 4:28pm.
Halftime: There are no fan activities for the 70 people here. Both teams' subs warm up.
TFC leads in the stats with a 7-2 advantage in shots and 4-2 with shots on goal.
TFC sub Pablo Patrick-Galvez in injured at the end of the warm up and needs trainer to be helped off the field.
Final Score:......Toronto FC II.......1........FC Cincinnati 2.........2..........
Attendance grew to about 70 by halftime. This is an all time low since the start of the MLS NEXT Pro era in 2022. Reasons are probably a combination of the England vs Spain Euro Final going on at the same time as this game; that people were recovering from last night's third place Canada vs Uruguay Copa game that was settled on Penalty kicks or anticipating the Argentina vs Colombia final later tonight. I'd say the major reason was the thunderstorm that was scheduled for gametime. Yep! That delayed a 3:00pm kickoff until 3:42pm. The TFC goalie's had just come out for warm ups at about 2:00pm and it was just starting to rain but they retreated when a downpour started and thunder could be heard. The ice cream truck that appeared to make one sale to a security official beat a retreat to do business elsewhere but at least the PA system showed they could adlib by playing Rihanna's 'Umbrella' song and omit the ice cream truck music and ad this week. (He wasn't here at all the last game when his music played). It had stopped raining before the game started and the sun even came out by the 70 minute mark. The rain cooled the temperature and humidity from yesterday and no water breaks needed to be scheduled. Referee Myriam Marcotte (leading an all female crew) gave out seven Yellow cards (five to TFC including a Yellow to a member of the coaching staff) and one Red card to a different member of the TFC coaching staff. She wasn't falling for any lame falls and shouts for Penalty kicks or handballs for any ball played above the knees. I was impressed by the play of TFC midfielder Hassan Ayari today as he had some good runs and set up some passes on a platter for teammates to have shots at the net. I always have an answer available if anyone asks me if there's any player I think can move up to the MLS team. The last two years it was goalkeeper Luke Gavran and this year I'll pick Ayari. He's US born, age 21 and has played for Tunisia internationally and was signed along with Charlie Staniland from England's Sheffield United earlier this season. Today he appeared to take the cornerkicks from the left side while Jesus Batiz took them from the right. I was already penciling him in as a Penalty kick taker but he was subbed off at 85 minutes with the game still tied. Paul Walters played brilliantly for the visitors. He made some point blank saves, NEXT Pro stats say 8 shots on target, with at least two that looked like they went off his face. He is on an MLS contract. I'd give about 8 shots by TFC that were off target or so it seemed. TFC continues to have the worst luck. Near the end of the subs warming up between halfs, new roster addition Pablo Patrick-Galvez went down injured and needed help from the trainer to leave the field. He looked like he was called up from the TFC Academy and is age 17. Hard luck as an Instragam search revealed he'd just been selected for the MLS NEXT All-Star Game on July 24th in Columbus. With the league expanding again in Season 3, it's become less often that you'd host any team a second time in the regular season. Cincinnati was here on April 14th for TFC's home opener and TFC won that game 2-1. By the time I got home after the delay I waited for the Copa final to start (which was also delayed but their reason was a ticketing problem with non-ticketed persons trying to crash the gates into the stadium) all the Eastern Conference games were over. The loss drops Toronto FC II's record to 5 wins, 8 losses, 3 ties, 0 shoot-out-win bonus points for 18 points. That's twelfth place of the fifteen teams in the East. The playoff line held by the eighth place team is now 26 points. TFC have only scored 19 goals in their 18 games played so scoring is their major problem. FCC's record improves to 11 wins, 4 losses, 2 ties, 0 s-o-w points for 35 points. That is good for second place. They've only allowed 19 goals against in 17 games. TFC were beaten their last home game two weeks ago by first place Philadelphia Union II. Last weekend they travelled to Columbus and earned one point for a shootout loss. One Wednesday they finally made up a rescheduled game in Chicago losing 2-0. So Toronto FC II doesn't play next weekend. Their next game is a home game on Sunday July 28th at 3:00pm against New York Red Bulls II who as of right now, hold that final eighth place playoff spot. Rocket Robin
Toronto FC II starters
FC Cincinnati 2 starters
TFC Julian Altobelli (82) takes opening kickoff.
TFC Markus Cimermancic (71) clears from own end.
TFC Nate Edwards tries to get to this chipped pass up the middle.
TFC Nate Edwards (95) gets to ball in middle.
Cincinnati player tries to get pass to Cincinnati Ben Stitz (44).
TFC Jesus Batiz (73) cornerkick from right.
TFC Hassan Ayari (81) chips freekick directly to goal.
Oh. I'm missing the Euro Final!
Cincinnati Stefan Chirilla (77) taps ball to Cincinnati Kenji Mboma Dem (35) on second half kickoff.
TFC Hassan Ayari (81) crosses freekick into box.
midfield action
.
.