July 28, 2024...MLS NEXT Pro...Toronto FC II vs New York Red Bulls II game report (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Sunday July 28, 2024 MLS NEXT Pro game between Toronto FC II and New York Red Bulls II
played at York Lions Stadium in North York at 3:00pm.

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

.......................40 Adisa De Rosario
85 Marko Stojodinovic...72 Mark Fisher...58 Ythallo...71 Markus Cimermancic
............95 Nate Edwards...89 Charlie Staniland...68 Lucas Olguin
............81 Hassan Ayari...82 Julian Altobelli...73 Jesus Batiz

Subs:...50 Abraham Rodriguez (gk)...74 Kudai Mawoko (def)...94 Elijah Roche (def)...75 Luca Accettola (mid)
...98 Kristjan Fortier (def)...70 Matthew Catavolo (mid)...38 Charlie Sharp (fwd)
team officials:...head coach Gianni Cimini

New York Red Bulls II (all white uniforms, red names and numbers)

...........................21 Aidan Stokes
34 Juan Gurierrez...23 Aidan O'Connor (cpt)...50 Jair Collahjuazo...24 Curtis Ofori
90 Malick Dembele...44 Aiden Jarvis...91 Bento Estrela...82 Ibrahim Kasule
................37 Mohammed Sofo...66 Tanner Rosborough

Subs:...57 Alan Rutkowski (gk)...76 Jeff Bryjak (def)...27 David Alexandre (def)...77 Adri Mehmeti (mid)
...97 Frank Ssebuufu (fwd)...46 Dylan Sullivan (mid)...56 Matthew Dos Santos (def)
team officials:...head coach Ibrahim Sekagya

Game officials:...referee Ddavid Schmidt-Schweda...referee assistants Melissa Snedden and Reda Fazazi
...fourth official Fabrizio Stasolla...(all black uniforms)

First Half:...game starts 3:03pm...TFC defends south endn on this very hot and humid afternoon with a bright sun in the south west.
first five minutes starts off slow with a lot of pass backs to the TFC goalie.
5 min...TFC Altobelli rolls pass up left from 40 yards to charging TFC Batiz but is called offside although goalie had already
smothered ball at 15 yards.
7 min...NYRB Sofo rush up right and cuts to center and 20 yard shot is high and wide left.
8 min...NYRB Gutierrez crosses into TFC box from right and TFC Fisher flicks header out left side of box.
8 min...NYRB Dembele on give and go is called for hand ball on his rush.
9 min...TFC Fisher wins cornerkick on his run cutting along left end line off deflection off defender.
10 min...TFC Ayari cornerkick from left is cleared out middle of box and TFC Staniland passes back into box that's cleared.
11 min...TFC Hassan Ayari GOAL...TFC Nate Edwards shot from 25 yards on right pops up and over defender.
Ayari gets it on way down and low 8 yard shot from top right corner of 6 yard box is into left corner of net.
14 min...TFC Altobelli is given pass from right and his 18 yard shot is stopped by sprawling goalie at 5 yards. Defender clears rebound.
15 min...NYRB Ofori gets pass on far left and his 15 yard shot has goalie palm ball through box. Defender clears rebound.
16 min...TFC Cimermancic shot from 12 yards on right is saved by goalie. TFC Edwards has ball deflected off him over bar.
21 min...TFC Altobelli is given ball on 2 on 1 and low 18 yarder deflects off defender wide right for cornerkick.
22 min...TFC players work out short cornerkick from right but don't get ball into box.
23 min...TFC Edwards freekick from 30 yard line on right sideline is cleared on edge of box.
25 min...NYRB Rosborough rolls pass over to left wing over end line.
28 min...TFC Ayari shot into top of net after TFC Altobelli's good dribbling was called back for knocking down defender at 18 yard line.
29 min...water break is called.
31 min...play resumes.
32 min...TFC Batiz makes key stop on NYRB rush on edge of 18 yard box to break up play.
33 min...TFC Edwards touches pass ahead to TFC Altobelli up left but retreating defender gets back to block shot.
33 min...NYRB Dembele on give and go up right and 18 yard shot near end line is caught by goalie on near post.
34 min...NYRB Kasule finishes big pressure with TFC not able to clear from box with shot over box.
35 min...TFC Edwards is given pass from TFC Altobelli and bends 15 yard shot from left that goalie catches on right.
38 min...TFC Julian Altobelli GOAL...TFC Jesus Batiz gets to through ball on right and runs to edge of box
centering pass to TFC Nate Edwards who taps ball to left for Altobelli who rounds sliding defender
and shoots 7 yarder up middle into center of net over sliding goalie Aidan Stokes.
41 min...TFC Cimermancic runs to left end line but pass into box is cleared.
41 min...TFC Edwards wins cornerkick on run to pass up left and deflection off defender.
42 min...TFC Ayari cornerkick from left is headed away by nearest defender.
43 min...NYRB Sofo 40 yard freekick from left has flying NYRB Collahuazo not quite able to turn header at 5 yards.
46 min...TFC Altobelli and TFC Edwards on another break in play up left but defender clears centering pass attempt.
46 min...TFC Altobelli pass is too far forward to charging TFC Batiz at 8 yards and goalie picks up ball.
47 min...half ends 3:51pm.

Halftime: There are no fan activities today. Both teams' subs warm up.

Second Half:...starts 4:07pm. It's still sunny and hot. The scoreboard is now not working so I use my wristwatch until 86 minutes.
Halftime sub:...NYRB Sullivan replaces Collahuazo.
46 min...TFC Ayari 33 yard freekick from slight left is tapped forward for TFC Batiz but defenders check him off the ball.
51 min...NYRB YELLOW card...Estrela earns it for tackle on TFC Edwards at TFC 40 yard line.
52 min...NYRB player rolls ball forward to charging NYRB Sofo but goalie charges to smother at 15 yard line.
52 min...NYRB Sofo low blasts after run up right to 12 yards and goalie makes huge sliding save.
53 min...NYRB Kasule has 22 yard shot is deflected wide right for cornerkick.
............TFC YELLOW card...Altobelli earns it for some action earlier in the last play.
54 min...NYRB player's cornerkick from right is cleared.
55 min...NYRB Ofori chips 35 yard freekick from right is over leaping forward and goalie makes catch on jump at 3 yards.
56 min...TFC Hassan Ayari GOAL...TFC Lucas Olguin on right at 30 yard line passes across for Ayari who
shoots 20 yarder down middle that bends inward into top left corner of net.
59 min...NYRB YELLOW card...Ofori earns it for pulling down TFC Edward on edge of NYRB box.
60 min...NYRB sub...Mehmeti replaces Estrela.
...........NYRB sub...Ssebuufu replaces Dembele.
61 min...TFC Altobelli freekick is low from right edge of box and is out for TFC Ayari whose low 20 yard blast up middle
is between players and smothered by goalie.
62 min...NYRB Juan Gutierrez GOAL...NYRB Mohammed Sofo sends in a cornerkick from the right that Gutierrez
shoots a one-touch volley from 18 yards forward to left side of net.
63 min...TFC Staniland is in on break on right centers to TFC Altobelli but defender gets back to intercept pass.
64 min...TFC play ends up wide left of net on attempt.
67 min...NYRB Sullivan heads ball forward for pass up right but ball is over end line.
68 min...TFC Batiz rolls 22 yarder from left smothered by goalie on left post.
71 min...NYRB Gutierrez crosses from left along 10 yard line from edge of box. NYRB Ssebuufu leaps and heads 8 yarder down
middle over net.
72 min...TFC Batiz rolls centering pass and TFC Staniland blasts shot forward from 15 yards to right side of net. Oops
the offside flag was up!
74 min...TFC Markus Cimermancic GOAL...TFC Charlie Staniland just outside top right of 18 yard box rolls
centering pass to TFC Lucas Olguin who gives Cimermancic a short pass forward from 25 yards up middle
and he turns and bends a 10 yard shot into the top left corner of net.
76 min...A water break is called.
77 min...TFC sub...Sharp replaces TFC Altobelli.
78 min...play resumes.
79 min...NYRB Rosborough run along TFC left end line but he's checked off ball.
79 min...NYRB YELLOW card...Gutierrez earns it for pushing down TFC Edward at NYRB 50 yard line.
80 min...NYRB sub...Dos Santos replaces Ofori.
81 min...NYRB RED card...Aiden Jarvis is given a straight Red for pulling on the shirt of TFC Jesus Batiz who's
on a breakaway down the middle and eventually pulls him down as he gets into box. Referee David Schmidt-Schweda
also awards TFC a Penalty kick.
82 min...TFC Hassan Ayari Penalty kick shot has goalie crumple down to right side and is able to push the ball
wide right of the post.
83 min...TFC sub...Catavolo replaces Ayari.
84 min...TFC Batiz on left sends in high cross to TFC Edward on right who taps centering pass that TFC Sharp flubs at 10 yards.
86 min...NYRB Dylan Sullivan GOAL...NYRB Tanner Rosborough cross from 20 yards on slight left is over to
NYRB Frank Ssebufu who taps ball forward for Sullivan who chips 10 yard shot from right over goalie
Adisa De Rosario into left side of net.
87 min...NYRB Tanner Rosborough GOAL...NYRB goalie Aidan Stokes skies a clearance from the 6 yard box downfield
setting off 2 v 1 rush from 35 yard line. NYRB Bento Estrela heads pass across to Rosborough at 20 yard line
dribbling forward and finishing with 12 yard shot from slight right to bottom right corner.
87 min...NYRB sub...Alexandre replaces Sofo.
.........TFC had lined up two substitutes to bring into the game but team officials called it off.
92 min...TFC YELLOW card...goalie De Rosario earns it for time wasting taking goal kick.
93 min...TFC YELLOW card...Staniland earns it for dissent.
94 min...NYRB Dos Santos freekick from 25 yards on far left has defenders clear for fast breakout.
TFC Edwards gets away on breakaway rounds goalie at 45 yard line but retreating defender pokes ball away.
94 min...game ends 5:56pm.

Final Score:.....Toronto FC II.......4........New York Red Bulls......3.........

Attendance started off slow but peaked at about 300 by halftime. The weather was extremely hot and humid with a bright sun burning down from the south west. The PA system played the ice cream truck theme music then made a big announcement before the game started but no truck ever showed up. I suppose there's no contract signed and the vendor could do more business elsewhere. At least someone was able to override a second playing of the announcement at halftime so most fans didn't know what had happened. The tech guys had more problems as for at least 3/4 of the game at various times the scoreboard wasn't functioning. Maybe the CPL York United FC guys planted a glich in the software so things wouldn't work today. No problems Friday night! Both teams are out of town for the next two weekends as the Canadian Open tennis tournament takes over...sure they don't play on the field of the stadium but tennis fans take up every parking spot of the school and overflow onto the subway parking lot three blocks away.

TFC were going along quite comfortably to win this with a 4-1 lead, a Penalty shot awarded, and a NYRB player sent off but things got tighter at the end of the game. Understandably Hassan Ayari was chosen to take the PK so he could earn a hat-trick but the shot was pushed wide, then the visitors scored two quick goals to make a tight game of it. After they closed to 4-3, at 88 minutes NYRB Adri Mehmeti chipped a 50 yard freekick down the middle which a leaping Adisa De Rosario made the catch and was awarded a freekick when he was upended and injured. 92 minutes had Tanner Rosborough on a 1 v 1 rush but his shot from 20 yards on the right was wide left.

The league site posted a five minute highlight package of the game whereas I'm used to two minute summaries even if it gets down to PKs after regulation. Only thing missing was some mention of the Red card that set up the Penalty kick.

TFC were getting by without five of their U-20 players who were away in Mexico at the CONCACAF U-20 Championships with qualification to the U-20 Men's World Cup on the line. Canada has advanced from their group with a 2 win, 1 tie, 0 loss record and just need to win their quarterfinal match to clinch a spot for a tournament they haven't participated in since they hosted in 2007 at a then soon to be named 'BMO Field' in downtown Toronto. Missing were goalie Nathaniel Abraham, forward Richard Chukwu, midfielder Andrei Dimitru and TFC II regular defenders Adam Pearlman (often the captain) and Theo Rigopoulos. I thought the team would sorely miss those two regulars but they got by with a slightly older team.

A superfan/autograph collector said NYRB were without three from their lineup: defender Omar Valencia, midfielder Ronald Donkor, and forward Julian Hall as they had been in the lineup for the Red Bulls MLS game last night against Toronto FC in the League Cup which also includes Mexican club CF Pachuca. Last night's game was held in New Jersey so there wasn't going to be a lifeline of unused MLS players for this afternoon. Only TFC player I'd consider seriously splitting time between the two teams who played today was forward Charlie Sharp who wasn't brought on until the 77 minute mark.

Referee David Schmidt-Schweda gave out six Yellow cards (three to each team) plus the Red card with all three NYRB Yellows for knocking over almost unstoppable Nate Edwards. Two of the TFC Yellows were during second half injury time for time wasting and dissent. He'd be quite popular with the players for scheduling water breaks at 29 and 76 minutes. I'd brought my own water bottle into the stands and it started off cold but was undrinkably hotter than luke warm by game's end and that was storing it under my seat in the shade.

This game was the first of the day in the NEXT Pro league but by the time I got home after driving to the League1 Ontario first place battle, the rest of the games were over so all results are known for the weekend.

The win improves TFC II's record to 6 wins, 8 losses, 3 ties, 0 shoot-out-win bonuses for 21 points. That keeps them in twelfth place of the 15 teams in the Eastern Conference.

Red Bulls II's record falls to 7 wins, 8 losses, 4 ties, 3 SOW points for 28 points. They held the final playoff spot of eighth when the day began but they slip to ninth as Inter Miami CF II won and now have 29 points. TFC II hold two games in hand on both those teams.

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

Toronto FC II starters