May 29, 2016 USL Toronto FC II--Toronto FC II vs Wilmington Hammerheads (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the USL game between Toronto FC II and Wilmington Hammerheads played on Sunday May 29, 2016 at Ontario Soccer Centre in Vaughan at 7:30pm.

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

.................40 Quillan Roberts
32 Wesley Charpie...42 Mitchell Taintor...34 Skylar Thomas...51 Robert Boskovic
63 Liam Fraser...31 Sal Bernal...36 Brian James...20 Chris Mannella (cpt)
..............61 Bubacarr Jobe...64 Shaan Hundal

Subs:...30 Phil Di Bennardo (gk)...45 Luca Uccello (mid)...55 Adam Daniels (mid)...56 Malik Johnson (mid)
...54 Ethan Beckford (fwd)....(only five subs!)
team officials:...head coach Jason Bent

Wilmington Hammerheads (all white, black names and numbers)

.................1 John Smits
2 Tom Parratt...4 Michael Mecham...23 Bruno Caldini Perone...3 Peobo De Doue
7 Austin Martz...20 Zev Taublieb...19 Jeff Michaud...8 Mael Corboz
...........22 Kyle Parker...10 Justin Moose

Subs:...16 Eric Ati (gk)...9 Matthew Barnes-Homer (fwd)...15 Bryce Taylor (fwd)...18 Stefan Defregger (mid)
...(only four subs!)...team officials:...head coach Mark Brace

Game officials:...referee Pierre Acouri...referee's assistants Gianni Facchini and Sean Hornsby
...fourth official Justin Tasev...(teal shirts, black shorts and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 7:42pm...TFC defends north end on this mild, overcast evening with a strong wind from the west.
2 min...WH Corboz 40 yard freekick from right has TFC Fraser head away at 15 yards behind end line.
3 min...WH Corboz low cornerkick from right has first defender kick ball away.
4 min...WH goalie runs out to edge of box to pipck up through ball bouncer.
5 min...WH De Doue makes sliding lunge to break up TFC Hundal to TFC Jobe pass at 8 yards on right inside box conceding cornerkick.
5 min...TFC Mannella cornerkick from right has TFC Thomas pop up header on left edge of box but ball is cleared.
10 min...TFC Fraser flying header to 15 yards to clear long chip into box in front of crowd of players.
10 min...TFC Bernal 18 yard shot from left is blocked.
11 min...WH Parratt cross from near left cornerflag has WH Taublieb jump at 8 yards but defender is able to head ball over own net.
12 min...WH Corboz cornerkick from right is partially cleared. Corboz gets ball back and cross into box has TFC Thomas reach back and hook away clearance.
13 min...TFC goalie to edge of box to catch bouncer ahead of WH Moose.
14 min...TFC Charpie blasts partial clearance from 20 yards on right well over net.
15 min...TFC Charpie gets back to break up pass on edge of TFC box preventing WH break-in.
16 min...WH Martz rush to TFC end line to save ball and low cross is cleared by defender.
17 min...WH goalie out to 25 yards to clear ball before TFC Jobe can get to through ball pass up middle.
18 min...WS Corboz bends 30 yard freekick from left has TFC Hundal head ball away at 15 yards on right.
19 min...TFC Jobe blast 18 yard shot from right has goalie catch on right post.
22 min...TFC Shaan Hundal GOAL...TFC Robert Boskovic at 55 yard line passes down left sideline. TFC Sal Bernal who from 20 yard line runs to left end line and sends low cross from 22 yards into box between three defenders and Hundal at 8 yards spins in middle, steps forward and shoots low shot from 6 yards to right side of net beyond diving goalie John Smits.
24 min...TFC Jobe rush on right for ball and bends 30 yard shot is just high and left of corner.
25 min...TFC Boskovic cross from 35 yards on left has defender head away in crowd in box.
25 min...WH De Doue chips 28 yard shot from left high and wide left of net.
26 min...TFC Jobe eludes WH De Doue at 45 yard line on right (advantage played) and charges to 25 yards and bends cross into box and WS Parratt bicycle kick clearance at 6 yards.
28 min...WH Martz is given pass and he shoots 25 yarder down middle is over net.
29 min...WM Jeff Michaud is given short pass forward up middle by WM Justin Moose and is upended by sliding tackle by TFC Skylar Thomas at 7 yards on right. Referee Pierre Acouri gives Thomas a Yellow card and awards WM a Penalty kick.
29 min...WM Bruno Perone GOAL...Perone blasts Penalty kick low to right corner of net as goalie Quillan Roberts dives left.
32 min...TFC Mannella takes 22 yard freekick from the left edge of the box and the goalie bats the ball down. TFC Thomas then shot a 12 yarder that the defenders were able to block at 4 yards. 34 min...WH Martz rushed on the right and crossed into the box from 20 yards and WM Parker headed a 10 yarder down the middle that the goalie caught on the right post. 37 min...TFC Mannella takes a 30 yard freekick from the right that was over to TFC James on the left end line and he crosses to the middle of the box and TFC Hundal popped up a header that the goalie turned back towards his net and caught near the left post.
38 min...TFC Thomas sliding tackle on right edge of box breaking up WH Martz rush.
41 min...TFC James is injured on tackle near center line.
42 min...TFC Mannella on give and go up middle rolls 28 yard shot wide right.
43 min...TFC James cross from 25 yards on right end line has TFC Bernal bicycle kick at 10 yards on left is high and wide left.
44 min...TFC Bernal rolls shot with back turned from 20 yards for WH goalie to easily pick up.
45 min...WH De Doue rush on left and cross is over players in box.
46 min...half ends 8:29pm.

Halftime Entertainment: there's a photo op of some woman who by ballot won a key (one of six) that one will open the new KIA car at the gate. The other keys will be drawn at subsequent home games.

2nd Half:...starts 8:45pm.
45 min...WH Corboz shot is blocked at 12 yards, WH Michaud rebound shot from 15 yards is wide left.
46 min...TFC goalie beats WH Martz to pick up through ball pass at 12 yards.
47 min...TFC Bernal cuts in from left and shoots 18 yarder wide right of net.
48 min...WH Michaud cross from 20 yards near left end line has defender clear at 3 yards on right post.
49 min...WH player's cross from 25 yards on right has WH Michaud midair kick down and bounces onto top of net.
50 min...TFC Jobe has shot blocked by WH De Doue at 8 yards on right. The ball is then kick around in the box.
51 min...TFC Mannella freekick from 25 yards on left has WH Parratt pop up header away on right.
54 min...WH Corboz 40 yard freekick down middle bounces wide left of net.
55 min...TFC Mannella cornerkick from left has defender in crowd head away at 6 yards.
56 min...WH Moose wins cornerkick on TFC Thomas who blocks his cross attempts.
56 min...WH Mannella cornerkick from right is cleared away.
57 min...TFC Bernal breaks through on left and passes right to no one.
58 min...TFC Mannella cornerkick from right has goalie leap to punch away.
58 min...TFC RED card...Skylar Thomas earns his second Yellow card for wrestling WH Kyle Parker at 20 yards and carrying him into box before he fell. Referee also awards WM a freekick at 20 yards.
60 min...WH Corboz 20 yard freekck into wall. WH Martz blasts 22 yard rebound over the net and back fence.
62 min...WH player passes just inside TFC box but can't get away shot.
63 min...WH Martz blasts 20 yard shot over net.
63 min...WH YELLOW card...Taublieb earns it for pushing over TFC Bernal.
64 min...TFC Mannella 35 yard freekick from left has goalie punch ball away.
66 min...WH De Doue on give and go on left wing fires 20 yard shot near left end line is high and behind net.
67 min...WH Michaud low 25 yard shot between players caught by goalie.
68 min...WH Corboz cornerkick from left has leaping goalie catch on left post over head of WH Parratt.
69 min...WH Martz rushes forward from 60 yards eluding defenders and as TFC Taintor pushes on him gets away a 15 yard shot up middle that the goalie bats down. WH Michaud blasts a 10 yard shot from the left that the goalie stopped on the left post and Taintor then kicks the ball behind the end line.
70 min...WH Corboz cornerkick from left has goalie catch on left post.
71 min...WH De Doue stops TFC Jobe shot on right edge of box.
71 min...WH player cross from left is over box.
72 min...WH Michaud shot from 20 yards on left is wide right.
72 min...WH sub...Defregger replaces Michaud.
.........TFC sub...Daniels replaces Mannella.
74 min...TFC Bernal cross from far left has defenders stop in box. TFC player's shot deflects off TFC Hundal at 8 yards and bounces to goalie.
76 min...WH Parratt bends 25 yard cross from far right over net and bounces wide left for goalkick.
77 min...TFC sub...Beckford replaces Bernal.
78 min...WH Mecham blasts 20 yarder up middle on partially cleared cornerkick from left that deflects off player.xxxxxxxxx
79 min...WH sub...Barnes-Homer replaces Parker.
80 min...TFC Hundal rush against WH Mecham on left and cuts along 20 yard line and rolls shot from middle wide left of net.
81 min...TFC sub...Uccello replaces Fraser.
81 min...WH Mael Corboz GOAL...Corboz at 20 yards taps ball back to WH Justin Moose at 28 yards in middle and he passes low to 20 yards to WH Stefan Defregger who taps ball back to Corboz who steps around TFC Robert Boskovic on run to right and cuts 20 yard shot from right to left side of net.
84 min...WH Defregger 30 yard freekick up middle is tapped back and around to keep possession.
85 min...TFC sub...Johnson replaces Hundal.
85 min...WH player's cornerkick from left is short and passes around.
86 min...WH sub...Taylor replaces Martz.
86 min...WS goalie leaps to catch ball before TFC Beckford can get to it.
89 min...WH Matthew Barnes-Homer GOAL...WH Tom Parratt chips ball from 75 yards downfield and ball bounces at 25 yards. Barnes-Homer steps around TFC Robert Boskovic and beats goalie who is trying to pick up ball on right edge of box. Barnes-Homer has to step back for ball then rushes to 10 yards on right and his low shot is just ahead of sliding Boskovic and into left side of open net with retreating TFC Mitchell Taintor too late to stop.
90 min...TFC Beckford tips ball at 8 yards but goalie saves.
91 min...TFC James 35 yard freekick from right has defenders head away.
92 min...TFC YELLOW card...Taintor earns it for complaining about no hand ball call.
93 min...game ends 9:33pm.

Final Score:.......Toronto FC II....1...Wilmington Hammerheads.......3......

Attendance was around 750 on this mild evening with people arriving late maybe waiting until the threat of the thunderstorm warnings had been called off.

Referee Pierre Acouri gave out four Yellow cards—three to TFC II but that included two to Skylar Thomas for pull downs including one for a Penalty kick. The game was wide open with no viciousness.

Best non-scoring chances were at 32 minutes when TFC Chris Mannella took a 22 yard freekick from the left edge of the box and the goalie batted the ball down. TFC Skylar Thomas then shot a 12 yarder that the defenders were able to block at 4 yards. Two minutes later WH Austin Martz rushed on the right and crossed into the box from 20 yards and WM Kyle Parker headed a 10 yarder down the middle that the goalie caught on the right post. 37 minutes had TFC Mannella take a 30 yard freekick from the right that was over to TFC Brian James on the left end line and he crossed to the middle of the box and TFC Shaan Hundal popped up a header that the goalie turned back towards his net and caught near the left post. 69 minutes had WH Martz rush forward from 60 yards eluding defenders and as TFC Mitchell Taintor pushed on him got away a 15 yard shot up middle that the goalie batted down. WH Jeff Michaud blasted a 10 yard shot from the left that the goalie stopped on the left post and Taintor then kicked the ball behind the end line.

I was sitting with what became a cheering section of about 20 family and relatives for former Toronto resident John Smits who is the goalie for Wilmington. He started with North Mississauga and was then with Erin Mills. He was the goaltender for University of Toronto from 2009 to 2011, FC Edmonton of NASL from 2012 to 2015 which included a short stint with Montreal Impact of MLS in 2015. Before this season he was signed by the Hammerheads and has played nine games. He took no chances with some punch aways instead of catch attempts in crowded situations.

This was the second time a visiting team has pulled out a Toronto area goalie. Gregory Ranjitsingh continues to lead the league with a 0.19 goals against average and a .909 save percentage. He shut out TFC II when Louisville City came to town May 4th. He worked his way through the Sigma FC system.

Two years ago Wilmington were the Toronto FC USL team for getting players playing time but there never seemed to be more than three at once. There were also restrictions at certain times to bring players across the border. It's so much easier to have the players in the same town to call up on short notice. TFC II did not have any of their MLS bring-downs (aka players that wear numbers less than #30) on the roster today. It appears with injury problems at the big team, only captain Chris Mannella who's been marooned here all year was in the line up.

Security asked to check my bag. He asked me if I had any sunflower seeds which must have become a concern as outside food can be brought in.

TFC had lost their previous three road games and now have a four game losing streak. Their record is now 2 wins, 7 losses, 2 ties for 12th place out of 14 teams in the Eastern Conference. Wilmington had been only one point ahead of them but improves to 3 wins, 4 losses, 3 ties.

TFC II next Saturday are away against Charlotte Independence. Their next home game is here Saturday June 11th against USL defending champions Rochester Rhinos at 7:30pm.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

Toronto FC II starters