July 3, 2022 MLS NEXT Pro...Toronto FC II vs New England Revolution II game report (by Rocket Robin)

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

Results and details of the MLS NEXT Pro game of Sunday July 3, 2022 between Toronto FC II and New England Revolution II
played at York Lions Stadium in North York at 7:00pm.

Toronto FC II (gray socks, red shorts and shirts, white names and numbers)

.......................90 Luka Gavran
51 Adam Pearlman...65 Antony Curic...62 Rohan Goulbourne...81 Themi Antonoglou
12 Kadin Chung...52 Alonso Coello Camarero (cpt)...72 Steffen Yeates
...........77 Jorda Perruzza...82 Julian Altobelli...22 Jacob Shaffelburg

Subs:...60 Baj Maan (gk)...33 Reshaun Walkes...58 Kobe Franklin...64 Kota Sakurai
...68 Nakye Greenidge-Duncan...73 Stefan Karajovanovic...80 Paul Rothrock
...83 Hugo Mbongue
team official...manager Gianni Cimini

New England Revolution II (light blue socks, white short and shirts, navy names and numbers)

......................98 Jacob Jackson
40 Sean O'Hearn...77 Ben Reveno...37 Michael DeShields...52 Jose 'Italo' Monteiro Fidelis (cpt)
.........48 'Michel' Costa da Silva...32 Jake Rozhansky...29 Noel Buck
.........99 'Ryan' Aparecido 'Lima' Cassiano...39 'Marcos' Domingos 'Dias'...10 Esmir Bajraktarevic

Subs:...50 Marzuq Puckerin (gk)...36 Meny Silva...44 Pierre Cayet...53 Hikaru Fujiwara
...66 Trevor Zwetsloot...?? Jamie Kabuusu...?? Alex Parvu...?? Giuseppe Ciampi
team official:...manager Clint Peay

Game officials:...referee Mario Alayass...referee's assistants Twayne Anderson and Mehmet Sen
...fourth official Scott Decker...(all black uniforms)

First Half:...game starts 7:04pm...TFC defends south end on this mild evening with a slight breeze from the north.
A bright sun is in the north west.
1 min...TFC Antonoglou rolls ball through Rev 6 yard box from left unplayed.
2 min...Rev DeShields heads ball back to goalie to cut off TFC Perruzza from through ball chip at 25 yards.
5 min...TFC Pearlman makes important block of cross on left edge of TFC box.
7 min...TFC Shaffelburg low cross from right along 10 yard line is cleared in box.
8 min...Rev O'Hearn chips cross from 45 yards on right well wide left on bounce for goalkick.
9 min...TFC Antonoglou chips 40 yard shot from left over players and it's caught by goalie.
11 min...TFC Shaffelburg is tapped pass forward at 10 yards but play is whistled down for him pushing a defender from behind.
12 min...TFC Curic heads away ball at 12 yards in center of box.
14 min...TFC Perruzza has pass go just over him at 10 yards on right side of net.
16 min...TFC Chung pokes ball away from Rev Marcus Dias on left side of box so goalie can smother.
18 min...Rev goalie catches chip from 35 yards from right before TFC Shaffelburg can get to it at 12 yards.
21 min...TFC defenders pop up two headers in 6 yard box giving up a cornerkick.
22 min...Rev Bajraktarevic cornerkick from right is caught by goalie.
23 min...Rev Italo rush up left but pushes ball over end line.
25 min...TFC Coello cuts to middle along 30 yard line and shoots high wide right of top corner.
26 min...Rev DeShields head ball back to own goalie.
27 min...Rev Ryan Lima long run up right and shoots 35 yarder that bends just wide left of post.
27 min...TFC Shaffelburg on left end line rolls ball back to TFC Altobelli who blasts 12 yarder off left post.
30 min...Rev Italo chips 30 yarder from left over players and wide right of net.
31 min...Rev Marcos Dias shoots 40 yard freekick down middle just over bar.
32 min...Rev Bajraktarevic cornerkick from right is caught overhead by goalie in alignment with left post.
34 min...Rev Buck is tapped centering pass and his 35 yard shot is sent over net.
35 min...Rev Bajraktarevic can't win Penalty kick on squeeze between two defenders.
35 min...TFC Perruzza run to left end line and low 18 yard shot is smothered by goalie on near post.
38 min...Rev YELLOW card...Italo earns it for bashing into TFC player.
38 min...Rev Bajraktarevic run up middle and blasts low 20 yarder that goalie sprawls to save. Rev Marcos Dias blasts
rebound from 15 yards up middle that goalie also clears.
39 min...Rev Italo chips 25 yard from left is well wide right.
40 min...TFC Shaffelburg shoots 12 yarder from far left well over net.
42 min...Rev Michael blasts 32 yard freekick from slight left into player wall and has rebound from 25 yards blocked.
45 min...TFC YELLOW card...Altobelli earns it for bumping player at center line.
48 min...half ends 7:52pm.

Halftime: Both teams' subs warm up. A water tractor which looks like a lawn mower moistens the field like it did before the game.

Second Half:...starts 8:06pm...most of the field is in shadow now and the temperature has cooled.
45 min...TFC Chung ross through Rev box from right is headed out left. Rev Reveno then stops TFC player's low blast
from 20 yards on the left.
47 min...TFC Chung eludes defender and chips on right side of box. TFC Perruzza whiffs on 3 yard midair shot in alignment
with right post.
49 min...New England Marcos Dias GOAL...Revs 'Michel' rolls pass from 35 yard left sideline over to Dias who dribbles
to 22 yards cutting towards middle and bends shot into top right corner over goalie Luka Gavran.
51 min...TFC Altobelli can't win Penalty kick on rush into box on slight left and bump with players.
52 min...TFC Shaffelburg first-touch at 25 yards on left is over the end line.
53 min...TFC Yeates can't win Penalty kick as exiting box on right.
54 min...TFC Perruzza low 25 yard shot up middle has goalie dive and smother in center of goal.
55 min...TFC Shaffelburg receives centering pass from TFC Perruzza on right an bends 22 yard shot wide left.
56 min...TFC Shaffelburg cross from lefft along 6 yard line. Rev player heads away at 6 yards in center of box.
57 min...Rev Marcos Dias pass from center line to Rev Bajraktarevic who blasts 18 yarder from right side of box that tips off
defender and rolls to goalie.
59 min...TFC sub...Rothrock replaces Perruzza.
............TFC sub...Frankin replaces Chung.
63 min...Rev Bajraktarevic is checked off ball on edge of TFC box starting a fast break out.
64 min...TFC Franklin 22 yard shot from slight right is well over net.
65 min...Rev Reveno back pass from 15 yards that goalie clears ahead of charging TFC Shaffelburg.
67 min...TFC Rothrock has 15 yard shot after getting pass deflects off defender wide right.
67 min...TFC Antonoglou cornerkick from right is headed away. Antonoglou eventually gets ball back and bends cross wide left
for goalkick.
69 min...TFC Altobelli has play whistled down as he almost kicks defender's face.
69 min...Rev player rush on left and cross into box. Rev Ryan Lima heads 8 yarder over net.
70 min...TFC Shaffelburg has goalie make point blank save at 12 yards and TFC Rothrock is upended on edge of box for no call.
71 min...Rev YELLOW card...Rozhansky earns it for trip of TFC Altobelli at Rev 30 yard line.
71 min...TFC Antonoglou blasts 30 yard freekick down middle well over net.
72 min...TFC sub...Walkes replaces Shaffelburg.
74 min...TFC Franklin cross from 28 yards on right has defender pop header for cornerkick.
74 min...TFC Antonoglou cornerkick from right has defender head away.
75 min...TFC Franklin 40 yard chip from right has goalie catch just step ahead of TFC Walkes cutting in.
76 min...TFC Walkes goal is called back for offside on ball is passed back to him.
77 min...TFC Franklin receives pushed pass on right and rolled 22 yardd shot is saved by diving goalie. Rev Ryan Lima is injured
earlier in play and needs trainer.
79 min...Rev sub...Cayet replaces Italo.
80 min...Rev sub...Zwetsloot replaces Ryan Lima before play resumes.
81 min...TFC Kobe Franklin is pushed over by Revs Michael Deshields near right end line. Referee Mario Alayass awards TFC
a Penalty kick.
82 min...TFC Steffen Yeates GOAL...Yeates stutter steps and rolls Penalty kick to open left side as goalie Jacob Jackson
dives right.
84 min...Rev Bajraktarevic chips 28 yard freekick over wall up middle and goalie catches on right post.
86 min...Rev YELLOW card...Cayet earns it for pushing over TFC Pearlman at TFC 30 yard line.
90 min...Rev Marcos Dias has 30 yard shot up middle just over net.
92 min...TFC Rothrock skips in and 10 yard shot is stopped by goalie.
93 min...TFC YELLOW card...Pearlman earns it for grabbing Rev player breaking out at center line.
93 min...Rev Buck breaks in and goalie makes point blank save.
93 min...Rev Rozhansky cornerkick from left is cleared from box.
94 min...Rev O'Hearn 40 yard freekick is headed away.
95 min...regulation time ends 8:56pm.
.........A pushing match between multiple players breaks out.

Final Score:.....Toronto FC II.......1..........New England Revolution II........1........
But wait! The game isn't over as MLS NEXT Pro offers a bonus point for the team that wins in Penalty kicks.

A coin flip decides who kicks first and what end to use.  The south end doesn't make any difference 
as fans are all in the west stands. 

1....TFC Julian Altobelli GOAL...Altobelli shoots low to center as goalie dives right.
1....Revs Marcos Dias...Dias shoots low to center right and goalie dives and blocks shot. 
2....TFC Kobe Franklin GOAL...Franklin rolls shot to left corner as goalie dives right. 
2....Revs Jake Rozhansky GOAL...Rozhansky shoots to high left just over flying goalie. 
3....TFC Themi Antonoglou GOAL...Antonoglou rolls shot to left corner as goalie dives right.
3....Revs Sean O'Hearn GOAL...O'Hearn shoots to slight left as goalie slumps to right. 
4....TFC Alonso Coello Camarero GOAL...Coello shoots to top right corner over flying goalie. 
4....Revs Noel Buck GOAL...Buck shoots to top left as goalie slumps in middle to right.
5....TFC Paul Rothrock GOAL...Rothrock shoots low to right as goalie dives left.

Winner of Penalty kicks:....Toronto FC II (5-3) to get that bonus point.

Good strategy as TFC got the goalie to dive right every shot until the last one where they switched
it up. TFC had only had one other PK shootout game and that was June 2nd when they lost to Rochester.
This competition was better than I thought. Each team gets one point for a tie and then the winner
of this gets one more so the three points given for a win in regulation just gets divided up.
I'd like the NHL to give three points for a regulation win and their overtime/shootout winner
get two so in that league there's more encouragement to win in three periods.

Attendance was about 400 on this warm summer evening. Pretty good for a team that actively discourages
fans from attending. This was the first time I was allowed past security without the passive permission
of a game day official (a circa 2005 Tiger Woods doppelganger waved me through the last two games).

Game officials were an all-Canadian crew. I only recognized one of them as he is often the RA
in League1 Ontario but all the others officiate this league and CPL games. Referee Mario Alayass gave
out five Yellow cards today (two to TFC II). The best part was he didn't fall for a bunch of lame
Penalty call requests from neither team and he allowed a few 'advantage—play on' plays and waited
until the play was over before giving out a card. What caught me by surprise was the Penalty call
as up to now nothing in the box would be called.

With Toronto FC (MLS) expected to bring in a bunch of new players once the transfer window opened up,
I am waiting for TFC II to fill in with a bunch of players brought down from the parent team.
Earlier in the day I received a tweet that Jacob Shaffelburg was being 'loaned' to the team.
At MLS he was playing the wing but today he was lined up as one of the central forwards with
Jordan Perruzza who also has played games this season for TFC. Shaffelburg looked just a step off
at different times as if he hadn't got to practice with this team before today.

Best non-scoring plays were at 27 minutes when Shaffelburg on the left end line rolled the ball back
to Alonso Coello who blasted a 12 yard shot off the left post. 38 minutes had TFC goalie Luca Gavran
keep the game scoreless when Revs Esmir Bajraktarevic ran up the middle and blasted a low 20 yarder
that he sprawled to save and Revs Marcos Dias blasted a rebound from 15 yards up the middle that
the fallen goalie also saved. 47 minutes and TFC Kadin Chung elude a defender and chip from
the right side of the box over to Perruzza who whiffed on a 3 yard midair shot in alignment with
the right post. 69 minutes had Revs Ryan Lima head an 8 yarder over the bar upon receiving a cross
and within a minute Shaffelburg up the other end made the goalie make a point blank save at 12 yards.
A TFC goal at 76 minutes was called back for being offside (too bad for Reshaun Walkes). Rothrock
had an added time chance from 10 yards stopped by the goalie.

If I thought the TFC II used a lot of players from the league site listing 36 although three unlisted
players were used today, the Revs II listed 47 then added three more today. Some names looked
familiar. It wasn't for the game they played May 14th at BMO Field as I'm still waiting for a reply
to my e-mail if I could watch them if I didn't have an MLS ticket. Ahh it was last year when both
teams were in the USL League One and it was Friday October 29th. Paul Rothrock scored the only goal
of the game and TFC II grabbed the last playoff spot but as other teams played over the weekend,
they were knocked back down. Useful info in my fear that MLS II teams that slumped/slacked down from
the USL Championship level would not be competitive when MLS NEXT Pro was formed this year and grabbed
their II teams from both levels of USL.

A lot of my fear of pointing out an unused TFC II player sitting in our section to the autograph/
collectors (and of course the guy immediately bee-lined over to the player with his autograph book)
was relieved when Paul Rothrock actually climbed into the stands after the games to greet his relatives.
I reminded him of his scoring the only goal in the season finale last year against New England
and he thanked me and I took up his offer to fist-bump.

One of the regulations said to me the first time I was allowed in was don't bother the players for
autographs. That's one of the reasons I hide my notebook when I'm near the gates. Here these guys
were talking autographs and $$$ card and merch selling most of the game and they'd smuggled in food.
A submarine sandwich from one and a can of pop by another. I'm sure they wouldn't try that at BMO Field.

One useful theory from them was the reason the TFC II vs Inter Miami home game was cancelled last week
was that all the security personnel at a game like this was needed for the Little Italy area of Toronto
as it was the day the team introduced their new designated player Lorenzo Insigne.

As this was the last game of the weekend even though Monday is the American Fourth of July,
the standings will stay this way until the end of the week.

Toronto improves its record to 5 wins, 6 losses, 2 ties, 1 shootout win for 18 points. That's good
for sixth place in the ten team Eastern Conference. Top four teams make the playoffs. That level
is currently 27 points.

New England's record is now 7 wins, 3 losses, 4 ties, 1 shootout win for 26 points. That's good for
second place in the East. Hmm that record means now they're one out of four in shootouts!

TFC II's next game is next Sunday against the Eastern Conference's first place team Columbus Crew II.
That team promoted Jacen Russell-Rowe who I realized I'd only seen once while he was in the TFC Academy
and that was in March 2019 at the BMO Training Ground bubble when he played in a USSDA U-18/19 game
against Vardar from Michigan. Russell-Rowe made his MLS debut last week and helped the MLS Crew beat
TFC 2-0 at BMO Field providing assists on both goals.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
twitter @RocketRobin01


Game statistics from MLS NEXT Pro website:  

                                   TFC II        New Eng Revs II 
Statistics                                                       
Possession %                        54.8%           45.2%                             
Shots                               11              12  
Shots on goal                        4               5     
Blocked shots                        2               3          
Total passes                       575             469       
passing accuracy %                  87.7%           87.2%              
Corners                              2               3  
Crosses                              8              10           
Offsides                             3               1               
Duels won                           47              44               
Tackles won                         18               6               
Saves                                4               3                 
Clearances                           8              13             
Fouls                               16              10                 
Yellow cards                         2               3                 
Red cards                            0               0

Toronto FC II starters