May 11, 2016 USL Toronto FC II--Toronto FC II vs. Richmond Kickers game recap (from uslsoccer.com.ca)
TFC II Rises to Bent’s Challenge 05/11/2016, 3:18pm EDT By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com Snapped three-game skid with victory against Richmond in matinee VAUGHN, Ontario – With his side mired in a three-game losing streak, Toronto FC II Jason Bent challenged a number of his players ahead of Wednesday’s matinee at the Ontario Soccer Centre against the Richmond Kickers. Bent’s words had the desired effect, as the hosts shook off some early pressure in front of a sellout crowd to earn a 1-0 victory through a goal by Salvador Bernal with 15 minutes to go. “We showed good resilience and challenged a number of our players before the game and they came up big,” Bent said after the game. “It was huge for confidence, our first home game win of the season, gave our supporters a good little showing which is fantastic for the boys.” After falling 1-0 to the Kickers two weeks ago at City Stadium, when an early goal by Brian Ownby proved the difference, Toronto almost fell into a similar hole on Wednesday as the Kickers got onto the front foot early on. The visitors’ biggest chance arrived in the 14th minute, as Ownby was played into the right side of the penalty area with a clear look on goal. TFC II goalkeeper Quillan Roberts made a big stop to deny him, however, and defender Nick Hagglund followed up with a clearance off the line as Yudai Imura sent the rebound goal-bound in the best chance for either side in the first half. Despite the scare, Toronto’s confidence seemed to build as the half went on, and it began to create chances of its own. Jordan Hamilton and Raheem Edwards started to put pressure on the Kickers’ back four, while Luca Uccello – who made his first start this season after suffering an injury in preseason – and Chris Mannella both distributed well as the hosts managed to create some good spells of pressure. “We were all up for it today as you could see,” said Uccello. “We had a positive start in the first half. To me [the kickoff time] really doesn’t matter, as long as we come out and play our game I don’t mind.” Toronto continued to find opportunities in the second half, as Bubacarr Jobe tested Kickers goalkeeper Matt Turner with a cross from the right, and Hamilton forced an excellent save in the 74th minute with a turning left-footed shot that Turner palmed away. A minute later, however, Bernal was alert to a quick free kick taken by Adam Bouchard, and was able to shake off his defender as they pursued the ball and finish low into the left corner of the net for his first of the season. “It’s always good to get that first goal in, but the most important thing was we got that three points and broke that losing streak,” Bernal said. Toronto will face another big test this Saturday as it heads to Charleston to face the Battery and their imposing 28-game home undefeated streak at MUSC Health Stadium. Adding to the challenge will be the absence of Hamilton, Edwards, Mannella and Skylar Thomas, all of whom will be with the Canada U23s in the Caribbean. After the team’s first win since its second game of the season, though, TFC II will have a little more spring in its step as it heads to the Low Country. “I think we got to go out there with the same mentality we did today,” Uccello said of Saturday’s game. “Looking to get three points and we just have to give everything. We had subs, starters and Sal got a goal today coming off the bench so we just having to continue [playing like] that.”
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