June 26, 2016 USL Toronto FC II--Toronto FC II vs Charleston Battery (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Sunday June 26, 2016 USL game between Toronto FC II and Charleston Battery played at Ontario Soccer Centre in Vaughan at 7:30pm.

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

.................30 Phil Di Bennardo
32 Wesley Charpie...42 Mitchell Taintor...34 Skylar Thomas (cpt)...58 Anthony Osorio
.........36 Brian James...55 Aidan Daniels...63 Liam Fraser
.........61 Bubacarr Jobe...64 Shaan Hundal...31 Sal Bernal

Subs:...70 Gianluca Catalano (gk)...45 Luca Uccello (mid)...51 Robert Boskovic (def)..56 Malik Johnson (mid)
...46 Ayomide Akinola (fwd)...-- Phil Boerger
team officials:...head coach Jason Bent

Charleston Battery (all neon green, black names and numbers)

....................1 Alexander Tambakis
11 Quinto Griffith...4 Taylor Mueller...6 Shawn Ferguson (cpt)...15 Emmanuel Adjetey
24 Zachary Prince...12 Maikel Chang...16 Heviel Cordoves...20 Justin Portillo
.............9 Romario Williams...10 Ataulla Guerra

Subs:...23 Odesnel Cooper (gk)...3 Forrest Lasso (def)...8 Neveeal Hackshaw (mid)...17 Ricardo Garbanzo (fwd)
...19 Dante Marini (mid)...25 Christopher Taonis (fwd)
team officials:...head coach Mike Anhaeuser

Game officials:...referee Yusri Rudolph...referee's assistants Peter Pendli and Christian Palavicino
...fourth official Justin Tasev...(teal shirts, black shorts and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 7:43pm...TFC defends south end on this mild evening with the sun in the north west and a strong wind from the west.
4 min...CB Mueller leaps to head TFC cross from right out of box.
9 min...TFC Daniels pass to TFC Hundal on right and his 10 yard shot is deflected off CB Griffith for a cornerkick.
10 min...TFC Daniels rolls cornerkick from right that nearest defender clears. TFC Jobe gets upfield from TFC Daniels and runs to right end line and high cross drifts behind net.
11 min...TFC defender heads away chip shot before CB Williams can get to it at 10 yards.
11 min...CB Williams rolls ball foward on right for CB Guerra and his cross/shot from 10 yards near endline is through box unplayed.
12 min...CB Griffith cross from 25 yards on left is caught in wind and goalie on left post with arms up fumbles catch but defender clears.
16 min...TFC Bernal rush down left and cross from 28 yards is too far forward for charging TFC Jobe at 8 yards on left post.
17 min...TFC Hundal rush down left trying to get past CB Ferguson and rolls ball over end line.
17 min...CB Williams 15 yard shot rolls through players and wide left of net.
18 min...CB Griffith cross from right 28 yards has CB Chang chest ball down at 10 yards on left but his shot is blocked.
19 min...TFC Fraser sliding tackle on CB Guerra at 10 yards on right flips him over but no call is made.
21 min...TFC Bernal eludes one defender and 10 yard shot from far left is blocked by CB Mueller.
23 min...CB Guerra flicks header past CB Thomas at 40 yards but rolls low 30 yard shot from right to goalie.
26 min...CB Williams rush into box on left near end line has defender concede cornerkick.
27 min...CB Portillo cornerkick from left has goalie run forward to punch out. Portillo then crosses this partial clearance from 25 yards on left that goalie catches.
29 min...TFC James pushes pass to TFC Hundal who rolls ball over end line on right.
30 min...TFC Osorio rescues ball on left sideline and crosses 30 yarder that CB Ferguson heads away at 10 yards in box.
31 min...TFC Taintor long run up right but is checked off ball just inside CB box.
32 min...CB player's cross from 20 yards on left finds CB player at 10 yards on right has shot blocked.
33 min...CB Cordoves has low 12 yard shot up middle blocked by defender.
34 min...TFC Charpie has low 12 yard shot up middle is blocked by defender.
35 min...TFC Charpie rush down right and 30 yard cross from right has goalie catch at 8 yards.
38 min...TFC Thomas makes key stop on edge of box to prevent through ball pass to CB Williams.
38 min...TFC Hundal rush on right dekes defender but is pass back is cleared.
39 min...TFC Bernal cross from 22 yards on left has diving defender head ball away.
41 min...TFC Hundal flicks pass to TFC Bernal alone at 30 yard line on left and he shoots 15 yarder into outside webbing of net.
42 min...CB Guerra 8 yard shot from left after dribbling in is rolled wide right of post.
43 min...CB Cordoves rush along 18 yard line from right but can't get clear shot and his shot from the left is a roller easily smothered by goalie.
45 min...CB Portillo blasts partial clearance from 22 yards from left wide right of net.
46 min...half ends 8:29pm.

Halftime Entertainment: the second of six keys was given out to open a KIA car (they must have drawn the ballot beforehand) at the end of the season was done. A 4 on 5 mini game between girls from Brams United Soccer Club played out at 0-0 with extremely small goals.

2nd Half:...starts 8:45pm...the sun is down but it's not dark yet.
46 min...TFC Charpie cross in from 25 yards on right has TFC Bernal slide and shoot 12 yarder over net.
47 min...CB Prince 20 yard shot down middle deflects off defender and goalie picks up wide left of net.
48 min...CB Portillo 45 yard freekick from left has last defender head away on edge of box.
48 min...TFC goalie smothers ball at 15 yards on left.
50 min...TFC Daniels rolls pass forward from 25 yards but defender intercepts just inside box.
52 min...CB Griffith cross from 30 yards on right has defender head away at 12 yards.
53 min...CB Cordoves cross/shot from 18 yards on left is drifted well over net.
55 min...CB goalie runs out to 15 yards on right to smother through ball pass meant for TFC Hundal.
56 min...CB Guerra receives pass up right and blasts 18 yarder well over net.
57 min...TFC Fraser cross from 30 yards on right bends wide left for goalkick.
58 min...TFC sub...Johnson replaces Jobe.
60 min...TFC Daniels low cross after receiving pass on right and defender deflects ball out of box from 12 yards.
61 min...CB Cordoves rolls short pass foward and CB Williams rolls 18 yarder that goalie smothers.
61 min...TFC Johnson is injured in sliding collision with CB player at CB 35 yard line.
.........CB sub...Garbanzo replaces Codoves before play resumes at 64 minutes.
64 min...CB Prince blasts 28 yarder down middle between players tghat goalie palms over net.
65 min...CB Portillo cornerkick from right has CB Prince flick header from right that deflects wide for cornerkick.
65 min...TFC sub...Akinola replaces injured Johnson.
67 min...CB Chang taps pass in middle to CB Williams whose low shot has goalie push ball wide left for cornerkick.
67 min...CB Portillo cornerkick from left has defenders clear in box.
69 min...CB Portillo 45 yard freekick down middle whistled down in box.
.........TFC YELLOW card...Thomas earns it for complaining about and incident off ball one minute earlier.
.........CB YELLOW card...Ferguson earns it for complaining about the incident.
71 min...CB Prince pushes pass forward from 20 yards and goalie beats CB Garbanzo to dive on ball at 7 yards.
71 min...TFC Daniels is injured at CB 30 yard line.
.........TFC YELLOW card...Daniels earns it for his delay in leaving the field after his injury near sideline.
75 min...CB Portillo gets around fallen TFC Charpie for 18 yard shot from slight left is caught by goalie.
75 min...TFC Hundal cross from 20 yards on far right has TFC Akinola 5 yard tip with foot caught by goalie on left post.
76 min...TFC Charpie cross from 25 yards on right bounces through box too far forward for two charging TFC players at 5 yards including TFC Bernal header attempt.
78 min...Battery Romario Williams GOAL...TFC Sal Bernal ducks to head ball across field from 35 yards on right and CB Ricardo Garbanzo intercepts at 28 yards in middle and taps ball across for CB Justin Portillo who running to right rolls short pass forward to CB Ataulla Guerra who taps ball back to Garbanzo at 22 yards to charge forward up middle and shoot roller from 10 yards as two defenders close in on either side. TFC goalie Phil Di Bennardo does splits at 6 yards to make save and rebound deflects to left where Williams beats TFC Wesley Charpie to ball at 7 yards and shoots low to right side of open net.
79 min...CB sub...Hacksshaw replaces Guerra.
81 min...TFC sub...Boskovic replaces Osorio.
Thunder can be heard and it starts to rain starting an exodus for the exit.
81 min...CB Chang is injured at CB 30 yard line.
83 min...TFC Boskovic cross from left has defender head away at 7 yards.
84 min...CB sub...Taonis replaces Williams.
87 min...CB goalie out to 20 yards to clear TFC Hundal charging forward.
87 min...TFC Hundal chips high cross from near right endline over box and out for throw-in.
88 min...CB YELLOW card...Garbanzo earns it for high challenge at TFC 35 yard line on TFC Taintor ducking for header.
89 min...CB sub...Maarini replaces Chang.
91 min...TFC Daniels 30 yard freekick from right is cleared with header and TFC Bernal blasts 30 yard partial clearance on left iw well over back fence.
92 min...TFC RED card...Skylar Thomas earns his second Yellow card for tackle at TFC 30 yards well away from play on CB Chrisopher Taonis injurying him.
93 min...A CB players freekick from 35 yards on the right has CB players pass up and down the sideline for the next minute wasting time.
95 min...TFC Charpie cross from right at 22 yards has defender head ball away.
95 min...game ends.

Final Score:......Toronto FC II.....0.....Charleston Battery......1.......

Attendance was announced as 1069 although it didn't look that full. Fans were given a ticket for a free Slurpee or ice cream cone from the vending trucks at tonight's game. The crowd was down to about 200 once the rain started at about 82 minutes.

The game started off quite dull with both teams having enough defenders on the edge of the box to knock away or block most of the challenges and both weren't taking risks with committing enough players forward.

Alexander Tambakis earned the shutout for Charleston with a few key saves.

Phil Di Bennardo played well in goal for TFC II. With Alex Bono and Quillan Roberts both moving up to the MLS team because of the injury to starter Clint Irwin, guys like Di Bennardo will have to carry the USL team. Di Bennardo had played one game earlier this year for the USL team and that was last Saturday's 4-1 road loss against Louisville City.

The TFC II backup for tonight's game was Gianluca Catalano who is only 16 and has played four [correction seven] games this season for their Academy team in League 1 Ontario. (thankfully not the 19 year old namesake who was arrested for ten bank robberies in the Toronto area earlier this year and makes Google searches hard to conduct). Irwin had played every minute of TFC MLS and Amway Canadian Championship games this season until his injury in last night's game against Orlando City. Bono came in to finish that game. I'd been warning them on my posts (if I ever get my TFC game reports eventually posted) that they should be using more than one goalie but it's been a team feature for most of their ten year existence.

Referee Yusri Rudolph gave out five Yellow cards in total (three to TFC but two were to Skylar Thomas) in a game that was not rough.

I got this feeling that TFC II were playing for the tie for the last half hour. The TFC goalie was slow to pick up the ball into his box. 71 minutes had TFC Aidan Daniels picked up a Yellow card for being too slow to get off the field after being injured and needing the trainer. Before play even resumed he was signalling to come back on the field.

Best non-scoring chances were at 42 minutes when CB Ataulla Guerra dribbled into the left side of the TFC box and his 8 yard shot was rolled wide right of the post. 46 minutes had TFC Wesley Charpie cross in from 25 yards on the right and TFC Sal Bernal slide and shoot a 12 yarder over the net. 61 minutes had CB Heviel Cordoves roll a short pass forward and CB Romario Williams rolled an 18 yarder that the goalie smothered. 64 minutes had CB Zachary Prince blasted a 28 yarder down the middle between players that the goalie was able to palm over the net. 67 minutes had CB Maikel Chang tap a pass in the middle to Williams whose low shot had the goalie push wide left for a cornerkick. 71 minutes had CB Prince push a pass forward from 20 yards and the goalie beat CB Garbanzo to dive on ball at 7 yards. 76 minutes had TFC Charpie cross from 25 yards on the right that bounced through the box too far forward for two charging TFC players at 5 yards including Bernal's header attempt.

The Battery wore an all neon green kit for tonight's game. I've been more used to their yellow and black striped kits since I used to watch them play the Toronto Lynx in their A-League days. They've had the same head coach—Mike Anhaeuser since 2004. [the yellow and black is still the home kit].

Charleston's record improves to 8 wins, 4 losses, 3 ties for 27 points and fourth place in the fourteen team Eastern Conference.

TFC II slips to 3 wins, 10 losses, 4 ties for 13 points and twelfth place in the East. Their website put a big push on their playoff drive which means they have to catch the eighth place team. Their next game is this Saturday on the road to Wilmington Hammerheads who hold ninth spot with 17 points. Their next home game follows on Wednesday July 6 against Bethlehem Steel who hold eighth place with 18 points. Extra problem for TFC II is both these teams have played three games LESS than them!

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

Toronto FC II starters