August 18, 2024 MLS NEXT Pro...Toronto FC II vs Philadelphia Union 2 game report (by Rocket Robin)
Result and details of the Sunday August 18, 2024 MLS NEXT Pro game between Toronto FC II and Philadelphia Union 2Final Score:.....Toronto FC II.....4.....Philadelphia Union 2........2.......
Attendance climbed to about 200 people by the time the game started which would normally be halftime but the game was under a weather delay because of lightning in the area which occured before the players even came out for warm ups. Play can't start until 30 minutes after the last bolt is spotted and the players needed their warm up time so the game started 50 minutes late. Once the national anthems started playing we had our first drops of rain which then turned on like a tap. TFC II games (not for CPL York United games which had a similar cloudburst on Friday night) allow the fans to bring umbrellas into the stadium. Also the attendance is so sparce that there's enough room for everyone to find shelter under the concrete overhang from the indoor structure on the edge of the walkway. My pen and paper notebook stayed dry for me in that spot as I needed a third hand for an umbrella if I wanted to stay in my seat. The game also had a 8 minutes of second half injury time (turned into 10) as at 86 minutes TFC goalie Nathaniel Abraham stopped a shot on the near post from 12 yards sent by PU Jamir Bedecio but it must have been off his face as trainers rushed out with towels then tied a tourniquet around his forehead within five minutes. He then made the save of the game at 100 minutes by flying to the far post to push away a freekick sent in from the left edge of the box by PU Diego Rocio. Efficient substitution to bring on Hassan Ayari at 73 minutes replacing goal scorer and captain Julian Altobelli but it paid off with Ayari's insurance goal just two minutes later. Not so good was bringing on young Nathaniel Edwards at 60 minutes and him drawing such unnecessary Yellows for delays on restart plays that weren't even in the TFC end. He's often a starter with his lightning speed runs down the wings. Referee Mo Mohseni gave out eight Yellow cards (six to TFC) plus the Red to TFC and awarded TFC a Penalty kick. Two of them were for sliding tackles but both in the first half which cut out that behaviour on the wet field. Let's make bone crushing checks standing up! One extreme to another! The PA system will play an ice cream truck music song every game and promise you could buy treats at the truck parked outside the gate...then often there was no truck there. Today they had two trucks arrive at the same time. It appears only one of them stayed. It also appears that the PA announcement is scripted—not pre recorded—as the announcer did adapt with the preclaimer “I know it's wet but....” before going into the usual speel. This was the third meeting of the season between these teams. TFC II lost 2-1 in their season opener away on March 17th and again at York Lions Stadium 4-0 on June 30th with the visitors scoring all their goals in the first thirty minutes. With new teams being added every year, I expect there will soon be a twice a season maximum. TFC improves to 7 wins, 9 losses, 4 ties, 0 shoot out bonus points for 25 points. They appear to stay in twelfth place (late scores jostled them around by the time I got home). Same number of points as Carolina Core but one more win in 20 games. The eighth place playoff line is now held by Inter Miami CF II at 33 points which is the same as ninth place New York Red Bulls II. Philadelphia's record falls to 12 wins, 7 losses, 3 ties, 2 shoot out bonus points for 41 points and leaves them in second place. Since winning their last home game against NYRB 4-3 on July 28th, TFC have been away as these grounds hosted the Canadian Open tennis tourney...not that they played on the field, but there'd have been nowhere to park all those extra cars. TFC earned a one point tie in Chattanooga losing in Penalty kicks two weekends ago then lost 2-1 in regulation against Atlanta United 2. It was announced earlier that week that midfielder Marko Stojodinovic had signed an MLS NEXT Pro contract with the team. Great but the press release stated he'd already played 32 games for them since last season! Anyway he drew an early Red card against Atlanta and that put them behind the 8-ball the rest of the game. TFC II stays in town and plays here next Sunday at 3:00pm against Huntsville (Alabama) the development team of MLS Nashville SC. They are in fourteenth place out of the fifteen teams in the Eastern Conference. Rocket Robin.
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