September 29, 2024...MLS NEXT Pro...Toronto FC II vs Chattanooga FC game report (by Rocket Robin)

.............

Result and details of the Sunday September 29, 2024 MLS NEXT Pro game between between Toronto FC II
and Chattanooga FC played at York Lions Stadium in North York at 3:00pm.

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

...................80 Shafique Wilson
.......85 Marko Stojodinovic...58 Ythallo...96 Richard Chukwu
72 Mark Fisher...89 Charlie Staniland...68 Lucas Olguin...71 Markus Cimermancic...73 Jesus Batiz
..............81 Hassan Ayari...79 Andrei Dimitru

Subs:...60 Nathaniel Abraham (gk)...74 Kundai Mawoko (def)...98 Stefan Kapor (def)...86 Tyler Londono (mid)
...87 Costa Iliadis (mid)...65 Joses Chukwu (fwd)...70 Matthew Catavolo (mid)
team official: team head coach Gianni Cimini

Chattanooga FC (all navy uniforms, white names and numbers, teal trim)

.................32 Jon Burke
23 Jesse Williams...24 Logan Brown...14 Farid Sar-Sar...22 Milo Garvanian
.........6 Callum Watson...8 Andres Jimenez Aranzazu...33 Alex McGrath
.........11 Taylor Gray...9 Mehdi Ouamri...58 Jesus Ibarra

Subs:...51 Michael Barrueta (gk)...2 Robert Screen (def)...3 Joseph Patrick Perez (def)...10 Luis Garcia Sosa (mid)
...12 Ethan Koren (mid)...18 Min-jae Kwak (mid)...99 Markus Naglestad
team official:...team head coach Christopher Nugent

Game officials:...referee Fabrizio Stasolla...referee's assistants Vasyl Dzikh and Anton Hadzhiyski
...fourth official Melvin Christopher (black socks and shirts, teal shirts)

First Half:...game starts 3:01pm...TFC defends south end on this warm day with a bright sun in the southwest although
it was mostly overcast when the game started.
2 min...Chat Garvanian 40 yard freekick from right has Chat Ouamri head at 15 yards in crowd of player and goalie catches on bounce
on left of post.
3 min...Chat Gray cross from right along 15 yard line has Chat Ouamri chest and take mid-air shot from 15 yards wide left of net.
7 min...Chat YELLOW card...Aranzazu earns it for tackle on TFC Dimitru at TFC 35 yard line. Dimitru needs the trainer when he's
rolled over from behind.
9 min...play resumes.
10 min...TFC Batiz can't win freekick call on knock at Chat 33 yard line.
11 min...Chat Garvanian sends pass back from left end line and Chat Ibarra sends low cross in from left along 15 yard line. Chat
McGrath ducks for header but TFC Stojodinovic partially shanks midair clearance. TFC goalie dives to left post to smother ball.
13 min...Chat player is rolled centering pass from left but ball is cleared from the TFC box.
14 min...Chat Ouamri runs ball over left end line.
18 min...Chat Gray low cross along 12 yard line from right is popped up by defender and play is whistled down in box when TFC
player is knocked over on left side of 6 yard box.
19 min...Chat McGrath cross from right is cleared out left side of box.
20 min...TFC goalie is out to left corner of box to catch through ball bouncer.
24 min...TFC goalie is out to 22 yard line on left to punt away ball ahead of charging Chat Ouamri.
25 min...Chat goalie is out to 20 yards to head ball away from TFC Batiz. TFC Cimermancic chips 33 yarder from left well over net.
26 min...TFC Olguin at top left of 18 yard box taps pass along 15 yard line. TFC Ayari taps ball back to him and he center pass to
Ayari who takes low 16 yard shot up middle that goalie dives to right to smother.
27 min...TFC Fisher finishes pass play with roller from right over to left side and TFC Dimitru shoots roller that bends inward but just
wide right of post.
29 min...The visiting fans start singing the Glenn Miller song "Chattanooga Choo Choo".
29 min...Chat Ouamri pass looked like TFC Ythallo leaned in at 8 yards for hand ball but no call is made.
30 min...TFC Dimitru gets downfield pass at 35 yard line and taps pass for TFC Ayari who dribbles in and takes 20 yard shot down
middle around defender and has flying goallie palm ball over bar.
31 min...TFC Ayari high cornerkick from left is over players in box and bounces over right end line for goalkick.
32 min...Chat Garvanian runs on left sideline and cross along 8 yard line has Chat Ouamri head 6 yarder up middle wide right.
33 min...TFC Richard Chukwu dribbles in from 35 yards on left and blasts 22 yard roller from slight left that diving goalie
pushes wide of right post and defender clears.
34 min...Chattanooga Jesus Ibarra GOAL...Ibarra at 25 yard line just left of box cuts in and rolls pass
that Chat Mehdi Ouamri stops and taps back to him from 8 yards. Ibarra charging in shoots low 12 yarder
between Ouamri and defender from left to right side of box over sprawling goalie Shafique Wilson.
37 min...Chat Williams and Chat Gray on give and go play on right side and cross along end line has Chat Ouamri
head wide left from 3 yards in middle.
39 min...TFC Batiz cornerkick from left is shot to TFC Stojodinovic out to TFC Fisher who blends 25 yarder from left
that goalie catches on right post.
41 min...Chat defenders double head ball back to own goalie to beat TFC Dimitru to ball.
42 min...Chat Garvanian and Chat Garvanian have shots blocked inside box. Chat McGrath chipss 25 yarder that another
defender clears.
44 min...TFC Fisher checked off ball at 8 yards. TFC Cimermancic follow up with 20 yarder from right wide right of net.
45 min...TFC Ayari rolls centering pass from right and TFC Olguin 22 yarder up middle between players that goalie smothers
on right post.
46 min...TFC Batiz cross from just outside left side of 18 yard box at 8 yard line and sends high cross. TFC Fisher in crowd
of players heads ball downward from 7 yards on right post that goalie catches on bounce.
48 min...half ends 3:49pm.

Halftime Entertainment: Three fans are chosen to take Penalty kicks but first they have to spin ten times then shoot into
a mini-net in the north end goal. All contestants lost but were given a TFC II scarf. Ooh I was given one on the way in
to the stadium today.

A T-shirt toss was held with some holding tickets to the MLS game on Wednesday between MLS Toronto FC and New York Red Bulls.

Second Half:...starts 4:05pm.
Halftime sub:...Chat Naglestad replaces Ouamri.
46 min...Chat Naglestad makes sliding tackle on TFC Staniland injurying him.
48 min...Chat Watson rolls through ball pass between defenders from 30 yards and goalie smothers on left post beating Chat Gray
to ball.
49 min...TFC Batiz rush to left end line and crosses over goalie and TFC Cimermancic chests ball down at 10 yards on right but
is checked off ball. Chat Aranzazu is injured on bump with TFC Batiz earlier in the play.
51 min...Chat Naglestad is not able to connect on scissor kick at 15 yards down middle.
54 min...Chat Ibarra on 2 on 1 shoots 15 yarder off another defender and ball spins wide right for cornerkick.
54 min...Chat Garvanian cornerkick from right has Chat Sar-Sar heads 6 yarder down middle over bar in crowd of players in box.
55 min...TFC Ayari intercepts Chat Watson poor backpass at 25 yard line and dribbles forward tapping pass over to left for
TFC Dimitru. Ayari finishes play with 8 yard shot that diving goalie stops at 2 yards on dive and Chat Sar-Sar clears at 3 yards
out left side of box.
57 min...TFC Batiz chip from 25 yards has defender clear.
57 min...Chat Sar-Sar heads ball away at 8 yards.
59 min...TFC Markus Cimermancic GOAL...TFC Charlie Staniland runs on right survives shirt tug and
from just outside top right corner of 18 yard box sends short centering pass. TFC Andrei Dimitru
on slight right on edge of box rolls over to Cimermancic who shoots low 10 yarder between players into
right corner of net beyond diving goalie Jon Burke.
60 min...TFC Ayari has 20 yard shot deflect off defender for cornerkick on right.
61 min...TFC Ayari cornerkick from right is short on trick play but is passed back and Ayari can't keep it in bounds
so a Chat throw-in.
61 min...Chattanooga Milo Garvanian GOAL...Chat Jesus Ibarra runs in from 22 yard line on left after
receiving long cross. He centers pass from right on 1 v 2 (Mark Fisher and Marko Stojodinovic) passes
to Garvanian in alignment with left post who shoots 12 yard roller between crowd of players to right
corner of net beyond diving goalie.
64 min...TFC Cimermancic pops 10 yard header that goalie catches in middle.
65 min...Chattanooga Taylor Gray GOAL...Chat Markus Naglestad at 15 yards on left side of box finds
Gray who'd stepped around TFC Jesus Batiz at 10 yards on slight right and he shoots forward into
right side of net.
68 min...Chat sub...Perez replaces Williams.
...........Chat sub...Sosa replaces Watson.
69 min...Chattanooga Alex McGrath GOAL...After run on left side of box, Chat Markus Naglestad crosses
from left end line that has defender at 7 yards on right pop up header and Chat Luis Garcia Sosa chests
ball down and McGrath takes midair shot from 12 yards down middle into left side of net.
71 min...Chat McGrath has low cross blocked by sliding defender but wins cornerkick.
72 min...Chat McGrath cornerkick from left is cleared by defender on left side of box.
73 min...TFC Fisher cross from 30 yards on right has TFC Batiz bumped off header try from 8 yards.
74 min...Chat sub...Kwak replaces Ibarra.
...........TFC sub...Kapor replaces Richard Chukwu.
76 min...Chat Kwak wins cornerkick on run from 40 yards then cuts to middle and 22 yard shot deflects off defender.
77 min...Chat Brown high cross from left end line has goalie catch just wide right of net.
78 min...Chat Kwak intercepts TFC Stojodinovic at TFC 45 yard line and taps ball over to Chat Naglestad and they race
in on 2 on 1 and Naglestad centers pass back to to Kwak at 25 yard line and his 18 yard shot has sprawling goalie
deflect ball wide right from edge of 6 yard box.
79 min...Chattanooga Taylor Gray GOAL...Chat Milo Garvanian chips high cross from 15 yard line on right
after his initial cornerkick finds its way back to him. Gray heads 6 yarder from left that goalie
gets hand to but pushes it into top left corner of net.
80 min...TFC sub...Joses Chukwu replaces Dimitru.
...........TFC sub...Londono replaces Staniland.
81 min...TFC Fisher passes low cross from right but no TFC player runs along 8 yard line for shot.
82 min...Chat Naglestad centered pass and 22 yard shot down middle is well over net.
82 min...Chat sub...Screen replaces Aranzazu.
..........TFC sub...Catavolo replaces Stojodinovic.
85 min...TFC Catavolo cornerkick from right is to TFC Londono upfield who passes it over to charging Catavolo who's now offside.
86 min...Chat Gray intercepts defender and passes to Naglestad who has another defender deflect his shot wide right at 15 yards.
87 min...Chat player's cornerkic from right is short but never is worked into the box.
88 min...TFC Batiz header that goalie catches on right but carries ball over the endline with his momentum.
89 min...TFC Ayari low cornerkick from right has TFC Fisher skip jump to redirect shot on goal.
89 min...TFC Ayari cornerkick from right to middle has TFC Batiz blast 25 yarder over net.
91 min...game ends 4:51pm.

Final Score:...Toronto FC II......1.......Chattanooga FC...........5.........

Attendance was about 200 people on this mild afternoon with mostly clouds but the sun in the south west during warm ups. This was the last home game of the season for TFC II who were officially eliminated from the playoffs just last week on the road with their 2-0 loss to New York Red Bulls II. The weather was great for this time of year compared to previous years so I thought that would make up for the fans thinking this was a nothing game. Chattanooga were still in the running but outside the top eight so were desperate to win. TFC II could be a spoiler like the baseball Blue Jays knocking out Boston Red Sox earlier in the week.

There were about 80 Chattanooga fans here. Their team today wore navy kits but fans were mostly in an alternate baby blue (think Manchester City). Not just a collection of parents, these also included supporters who sang for most of the game. Their chants of 'Cee Eff Cee' sound almost the same as what our supporters shout...one initial out. Our group wasn't here today.

Their supporters caused some confusion before they even arrived as security guards from Sword tried to get us (we the first twenty people here) to move from our center line seats (well first come first served) into the far north section of the stands (think endzone to 10 yard line). Why? I heard 'the owners' were supposed to be here but why would they need 3500 seats? We ended up staying. Later Whenife, one of the security supervisors, came up to me and apologized saying there were a lot of new staff members and some confusion in instructions. She's one of my favourites. During the first games after the pandemic she would instruct the staff to let me through although I wasn't a friend or family member of a player. When the visiting fans arrived it started to make sense. Security watched them closely. Maybe there had been problems with them at other stadiums but they were well behaved today...I'm sure winning helps.

Chattanooga came out hot with almost all the action in the first 25 minutes taking place in the TFC half of the field. At 25 minutes the Cht goalie came out to 20 yards and had to head the ball away before Jesus Batiz got to it. The ball bounced to Markus Cimermancic who chipped a 33 yarder from the slight left well over the open net or the game might have been different.

Only behind 1-0 at halftime and TFC getting more chances after that goal. Halftime sub was Cht subbing forwards Markus Naglestad for starter Mehdi Ouamri. Nothing looked wrong with Ouamri and he is their leading scorer with 12 goals. This is the first game as head coach for Christopher Nugent who'd been one of their assistant coaches but now replaced Rod Underwood sometime earlier this week.

TFC II's leading scorer (10 goals) Julian Altobelli wasn't in the lineup today nor was usual starting goalie Adisa De Rosario.

Chattanooga really broke it open during an eight minute spell starting at 61 minutes. Not only did they respond to the TFC goal at 59 minutes but ended up with three in total to take the lead and pull away.

TFC's day could be summarized on one play. 85 minutes and substitute Matthew Catavolo took a cornerkick from the right side but it's upfield (not for the first time today and Chattanooga did it too) and Tyler Londono got it at about 25 yards on the right sideline and he rolled a pass downfield for Catavolo but the defenders had stepped forward and Catavolo was immediately flagged offside.

Referee Fabrizio Stasolla gave out only one Yellow the entire game and that was at 7 minutes to Andres Jimenez for a tackle from behind on Andrei Dimitru who today had moved up to play forward. After that nothing..no fake dives for freekicks nor Penalty kick calls. The coaches weren't screaming at the referee's and the fans weren't either.

Ceremonial coin tosser was Grant Fisher the brother of today's TFC captain Mark Fisher. He was introduced as an Olympic medalist. He won bronze medals in the 5000M and 10000M races for the USA at the Paris 2024 games [Thanks Wikipedia]. It was like teammates were trying to set up Mark all game. He has been captain before but it made sense with forward Julian Altobelli not in the lineup nor defender Adam Pearlman who I saw going over to the players bench before the game in street clothes as he was Red carded in their last game.

[Late Edit: Both these Fisher brothers were born in Calgary Alberta Canada--Thanks again Wikipedia.]

Mark Fisher's best chances to impress were during first half added time when he received a high cross from Jesus Batiz in a crowd of players at 7 yards and he headed the ball downward and the ball bounced to the goalie. 49 minutes had Batiz rush to the left end line and cross over the goalie and Fisher chested the ball down at 10 yards on the right but was checked off the ball without getting a shot. 89 minutes had him get to a cornerkick and he skip jumped to redirect it onto goal but the goalie was there to save it. Not even an assist as he crossed from 30 yards on the right over to Batiz but he was bumped off the ball trying for an 8 yard header. 81 minutes had Fisher send a low cross from the right along the 8 yard line but no TFC player had bothered to run forward into the box.

Football playing brothers were on TFC II today. 16 year old Richard Chukwu was a starting defender and 17 year old forward Joses Chukwu came in as a substitute making his home debut at 80 minutes. Richard had been subbed off at 74 minutes for another home debut guy, Stefan Kapor.

Shafique Wilson was in net for TFC in his first start. He was left out to dry a few times with defender blunders. His best save was at 78 minutes when Cht's Min-Jae Kwak intercepted Marko Stojodinovic at the TFC 45 yard line and it set up a 2 v 1 rush with Markus Naglestad and Wilson made a split leg save at 6 yards on Kwak's 18 yard shot. Of course on the resulting corner, Chattanooga eventually scored their fifth goal.

Goalie Jon Burke was a difference maker for Chattanooga with lots of diving saves to smother low shots to the corner of the net.

The ice cream truck stayed outside the gate until the game ended.

I don't know much about Chattanooga. It's in Tennessee I checked before the game. I only remember hearing the song 'Chattanooga Choo Choo'. Something my parents would have liked before they ever met. Bandleader Glenn Miller disappeared on a flight in WWII. So the travelling fans suddenly started singing it...well not at random...at 29 minutes because the lyrics mention the train leaves from Track 29. Instant Danny Dichio song.

TFC II were prepared to give us 'stuff' on our way in. When I bought my ticket at the booth I was given a choice of a gift. I chose a TFC II scarf (yes it does have their logo and name on it—not their MLS parent). It wasn't wool but the more I thought of it the better I liked it as I've got plenty of wool scarves for different teams. From a distance it could pass for silk or at least linen. The ticket seller also snuck me a souvenir pen with the TFC II logo. The other choice from what I could see was a nylon tote bag.

After the game, game day staff brought out a few cartons of mini balls (about the size of tennis balls but much softer). Players first autographed some with Sharpies and threw them to the crowd (those who hadn't bolted to the exit). Ooh I'm glad I stayed. I got one autographed by Mark Fisher! Hard to read but once I made out the #72, I could read the M and F. Later I caught a blank one thrown by a game day staff member...or let me say I followed it as it rolled under six rows of steps/seats before settling. My cat loves these balls. The last ones I had must be from their time at the Ontario Soccer Centre.

The loss drops TFC II's record to 9 wins, 12 losses, 6 ties, and 1 bonus point (for finally winning one of those Penalty kick contests held after a tie game) for 34 points. That leaves them in twelfth place in the fifteeen team Eastern Conference. They finish their schedule with their 'Decision Day' game next Sunday against Crown Legacy FC who play in Matthews North Carolina. They are the reserve team of MLS Charlotte FC.

The win improves Chattanooga's record to a symmetrical 9 wins, 9 losses, 9 ties, 7 bonus points for 43 points. That boosts them to eighth place...the last playoff spot for now with some games to be played later tonight. They are an 'independent' team meaning they are not a '2', 'II', nor 'B' reserve team of an MLS franchise. Hmm they aren't restricted like other clubs with having to play draft picks or rehabbing players from MLS teams. This will be the way ahead I've read for new teams coming into the league as MLS teams are already here. In the fight in American soccer, they are trying to crush the rival USL league. 29 teams now in. That would mean they'd have to more than double in size to take in all the USL clubs. Chattanooga looks like they're a success story in only their first year easily surpassing the one-year-and-done Rochester New York team of 2022.

I was trying to get an answer to the question of where TFC II will play next season. “See you next season” flashed on the scoreboard at the end of the game is reassuring but they didn't say 'here'. The Toronto AFC team of the Northern Super League (the new Canadian Women's pro league) that starts next year will be using this stadium. York United FC of the Canadian Premier League has played here since their league started in 2019. The university obviously has some say in when their varsity teams play in a variety of sports. If TFC II stays somebody may be playing games on Tuesday mornings!

A TFC official I've seen here during every game answered me before today's game started. “A decision has not been made yet”. With a fan base of maybe 400 people, moving back to the BMO Training Centre in Downsview (like their USL days) makes economic sense but the MLS NEXT Pro league is supposed to have fussy standards for broadcasting and expects their cameras to be in a concrete structure like a building not on mechanical risers or that's what I heard when they first joined the league.

Oh and the 'owners' who were going to be here today were not from MLSE who now effectively own all the big pro teams in Toronto but from Chattanooga FC and were among the travelling fans.

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

Stats from MLS NEXT Pro 

Stats                   Toronto    Chattanooga FC
Shots                      16              17   
Shots on Goal               9               7
Blocked Shots               3               5
Total Passes              561             491
Passing Accuracy %         90.4            90.4
Corners                     6               5
Total Crosses               4              11
Offsides                    2               1
Goalkeeper Saves            2               8
Clearances                  3               3
Fouls                       8               6
Yellow Cards                0               1
Red Cards                   0               0

Toronto FC II starters

Chattanooga FC starters

Grant Fisher the American Olympic double medalist will make the coin toss with brother TFC Mark Fisher (72)
and Chattanooga's Alex McGrath (33) waiting to make the call.