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July 7, 2023 MLS NEXT Pro...Toronto FC II vs Columbus Crew 2 game report (by Rocket Robin)
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Result and details of the Friday July 7, 2023 MLS NEXT Pro game between Toronto FC II and Columbus Crew 2
played at York Lions Stadium in North York at 7:00pm.
Toronto FC II (all red uniforms, white names and numbers)
................90 Luka Gavran (cpt)
92 Theo Rigopoulos...76 Lazar Stefanovic...62 Rohan Goulbourne...85 Marko Stojandinovic
..........71 Markus Cimermancic...95 Ife Adenuga...65 Antony Curic
..........33 Reshaun Walkes...83 Hugo Mbongue...72 Jordan Faria
Subs:...40 Adisa De Rosario (gk)...74 Kundai Mawoko (def)...87 Chimere Omeze (--)...89 Matthew Medeiros (def)
...68 Lucas Olguin (mid)...82 Julian Altobelli (mid)...86 Alec Diaz (fwd)...91 Dekwon Barrow (fwd)...94 Myles Morgan (fwd)
team officials:...head coach Gianni Cimini...assistant coaches Marco Casalinuovo and Yianni Michelis
...goalkeeper coach David Monsalve
Columbus Crew 2 (all yellow uniforms, black names and numbers)
.....................60 Stanislav Lapkes
.........4 Keegan Hughes...5 Jacob Erlandson...3 Stuart Ritchie
17 Jordan Knight...52 Taha Habroune...22 Marco Micaletto (cpt)...51 Gio De Libera...49 Cole Mrowka
...............9 Noah Fuson...18 Gibran Rayo
Subs:...50 Jesus Lozano (gk)...6 Aidan Wolf (mid)...8 Clay Holstad (mid)...11 Coleman Gannon (fwd)
...26 Abdi Mohamed (def)...29 Mataeo Bunbury (fwd)...57 Chris Rogers (fwd)...54 Owen Presthus (--)
...58 Mohamed Saad (--)
team officials:...head coach Laurent Courtois...assistant coaches Phil Boerger and Kobie Johnson
...performance coach Ahmad Salamah
Game officials:...referee Mazen Hassanin...referee's assistants Melissa Snedden and Sebastian Ritchers
...fourth official Carly Shaw-McLaren...(all black uniforms)
First Half:...game starts 7:02pm...TFC defends north end on this mild evening with the sun in the north west casting a shadow
on the west side of the field.
1 min...TFC Walkes on right end line at 10 yards sends low cross into box is cleared.
3 min...Crew Mrowka is called offside receiving pass rolled forward in center of box.
4 min...TFC Mbongue on run on slight right has Crew Hughes slide to block 15 yard shot and wins goalkick.
6 min...Crew Mrowka cornerkick from right has charging crew Erlandson heads 8 yarder that bounces wide left.
8 min...TFC Rigopoulos pass upright to TFC Mbongue has cross blocked then called offside.
9 min...Crew Knight run on slight right from 35 yards runs it over endline trying to beat defender.
11 min...Crew Micaletto 20 yard shot up middle is blocked after yet another run down left from Crew Ritchie with cross.
13 min...TFC Faria freekick from near left cornerflag is wasted to TFC Goulbourne whose low 35 yarder from left is stopped
by defender resulting in fast breakout.
16 min...Crew Rayo taps through ball pass to Crew Habroune whose 10 yard shot is tipped wide left for cornerkick.
17 min...Crew Mrowka corcnerkick from left is cleared by defenders. Crew Knight eventually ends Crew pressure with 40 yard
shot up middle that's over net.
18 min...TFC Walkes is given breakout on Crew quick cornerkick broken up and ends being checked off 1 on 3.
19 min...TFC YELLOW card...Stojandinovic earns it for sliding tackle at TFC 50 yard line near right sideline.
I notice that Crew has been called for a lot of offsides already.
23 min...Crew Knight low shot from 18 yards on right is saved by goalie. Crew Rayo rebound from 12 yards is also saved.
24 min...Crew Ritchie rush up left and sends cross through box unplayed and out right side of box.
26 min...TFC Mbongue has low 22 yard shot blocked and cleared.
30 min...Crew Ritchie ends pressure with low cross along 8 yard line from left that catches charging players in box offside.
32 min...Crew Micaletto crosses to Crew Habroune near edge of box but play is broken up.
33 min...Columbus (TFC own goal) GOAL...Crew Marco Micaletto and Crew Stuart Ritchie have give and go play down
the left side and Ritchie keeps running up left and at 22 yards sends in low centering cross meant for charging
Crew Noah Fuson at 12 yards but retreating TFC defender Rohan Goulbourne slides to stop ball and deflects it
at 10 yard into left corner of own net as goalie Luka Gavran was frozen in center of net expectime he'd have
to make a save on Fuson.
35 min...TFC Walkes run on right and cross is blocked by sliding defender and cleared.
35 min...Crew Micaletto high cross from 25 yards on right is caught overhead by goalie.
36 min...TFC YELLOW card...Mbongue earns it for knocking down Crew Erlandson at Crew 45 yard line.
38 min...TFC Markus Cimermancic GOAL...TFC Jordan Faria runs down left to rescue pass before it crosses the Crew
end line and chips short cross to center and charging Cimermancic steps between two defenders to head ball
from 5 yards even with left post into open right corner of net.
40 min...TFC Reshaun Walkes GOAL...TFC Theo Rigopoloulos takes thrown in from right at TFC 40 yard line downfield
and CC Gio De Libera pokes it further downfield to ensure TFC Hugo Mbongue who's tangling with CC Jacob Erlandson
doesn't get to it at CC 45 yard line. TFC Antony Curic gets to it at CC 40 yard line facing 1 v 3 and runs to 22 yard line
then taps back to charging Walkes to continue. Walkes cuts into top right corner of box holding off CC defender
Stuart Ritchie turning him inside out as he cuts to middle along the 10 yard line and shoots roller forward past goalie
Stanislav Lapkes in middle and a sliding CC defender guarding the left post.
42 min...Crew Mrowka cornerkick from right has Crew Ritchie tip ball out right and over end line for goalkick.
44 min...TFC Adenuga run on right and rolls centering pass but is stopped and cleared at 45 yards.
47 min...Crew Knight long run down right but 12 yard shot is blocked by defenders.
48 min...half ends 7:50pm.
Halftime: there was some fan contest that I missed.
Both teams subs warm up.
Second Half:...starts 8:06pm...there are now more shadows covering the field except on the east sidelines.
45:20 min...Crew Fuson rush down right and rolls centering pass that Crew Mrowka blasts 15 yarder well over net.
46 min...Crew Knight run down right and cross thorugh box is unplayed and bounces out for goalkick.
48 min...Crew Fuson can't win Penalty kick when TFC Batiz bumps him over when he cuts over from right.
49 min...Columbus Keegan Hughes GOAL...CC Cole Mrowka takes short freekick from 28 yards on left along
the 18 yard line to CC Gio De Libera who runs forward into top left of box all the way to near end line
and chips 7 yarder for charging Hughes to leap and take midair shot from 5 yards into left corner of net.
51 min...Crew Hughes long pass from 75 yards to Crew Mrowka at 30 yards and 20 yard shot is punched away by sprawling goalie.
52 min...Crew Mrowka short run on left and cross from left side of box is stopped and cleared by defender on left.
54 min...TFC Faria run on left and cross from left side of box is stopped and cleared by defender on left.
55 min...TFC goalie dives forward to break up centering pass rolled in from left.
56 min...Crew Rayo receives cetnering pass at 20 yards and turns and takes shot that goalie catches.
57 min...Columbus Marco Micaletto GOAL...TFC goalie Luka Gavran is centered a back pass from the left at 15 yards
and under no pressure initially he dribbles forward to 22 yards then kicks ball down middle but CC Tahar Habroune
at 30 yard line intercepts. Habroune quickly taps to Micaletto who blasts low shot down middle catching retreating
goalie at 15 yards and ball flies into center of empty net.
58 min...TFC Faria cornerkick from left has Crew Ritchie head away on left side of box for throw-in.
61 min...Crew Mrowka in middle passes left for Crew Ritchie who wins cornerkick on his cross into box.
61 min...Crew Mrowka cornerkick from left is out upfield. Crew Ritchie blasts 25 yarder from left over bar.
63 min...TFC player ends Crew pressure spell by falling on the ball on edge of box and winning a freekick.
64 min...Crew Fuson keeps ball in own right sdeline at 40 yards and wins ball and run into box on great dribbling and shot
from 12 yards that's stopped.
65 min...Crew YELLOW card...Fuson earns it for tackle on TFC Curic at Crew 22 yard line.
66 min...Crew sub...Presthus replaces Knight.
...........Crew sub...Rogers replaces Erlandson.
68 min...TFC Walkes cross from right is just behind TFC Faria at 8 yards in middle and ball is cleared.
69 min...TFC Curic through ball pass from 35 yards that no one runs for.
70 min...TFC Faria rush to left end line on 1 on 2 and cross from 18 yards along end line is caught by goalie on near post.
72 min...TFC sub...Barrow replaces Walkes.
..........TFC sub...Olguin replaces Adenuga.
..........TFC sub...Altobelli replaces Mbongue.
73 min...TFC Goulbourne 28 yard freekick from far left is stopped and dribbled out by Crew Micaletto from 10 yards.
75 min...Crew sub...Gannon replaces Habroune.
..........Crew sub...Saad replaces Rayo.
76 min...Crew Fuson rush on right after receiving pass and Crew player gets low 12 yard shot from left into the outside webbing of net.
77 min...TFC Altobelli has 15 yard shot blocked on right by sliding defender.
77 min...Columbus RED card...Noah Fuson earns his second Yellow card for bumping TFC Jordan Faria cutting across from
the left side just before he got into box. (Fuson had earned his first Yellow at 65 minutes).
78 min...TFC Faria 22 yard freekick from left is just a step ahead of charging TFC Curic.
79 min...TFC Olguin cross from left has defender head ball out right side of box.
80 min...TFC Faria cross from left is over player but wins cornerkick.
80 min...TFC Faria cross from left has defender in box head ball away.
81 min...TFC Faria bends 20 yarder from left just wide right of post.
82 min...TFC Barrow is checked off ball on edge of Crew box.
83 min...Crew sub...Mohamed replaces Ritchie.
83 min...TFC Stojandinovic 40 yard low blast between players on slight left is wide left of net.
85 min...TFC Stefanovic cross from right has TFC Altobelli flick header from 12 yards up middle that goalie catches.
86 min...TFC Rigopoulos cross from right end line bends behind net for goalkick.
86 min...TFC sub...Morgan replaces Stojandinovic.
88 min...Crew Micaletto wins freekick when pushed over at Crew 40 yard line and needs trainer.
Crew have a hard time bringing him back into the game and so TFC play 11 v 9 for almost 5 minutes.
92 min...TFC Morgan pops header in box that defender clears.
93 min...TFC Goulbourne high cross from left is partially cleared. Goulbourne recross from left is cleared on right.
93 min...TFC Morgan pops header at 3 yards onto top of net on cross from right.
93 min...Crew Hughes key header to clear cross.
93 min...TFC Goulbourne cross from left has TFC Morgan can't redirect ball.
94 min...Crew Saad long run left to cornerflag but then cuts in on end line and passes out results in Crew shot that wins
cornerkick when it spins off defender.
94 min...game ends 8:55pm.
Final Score:...Toronto FC II........2.........Columbus Crew 2...........3.........
Attendance was about 300 by halftime. The club sent out a tweet yesterday that they were moving the game up an hour from 8:00pm to 7:00pm. Assuming the 8:00pm starting time, a game in regulation would normally end just after 10:00pm but a tie game immediately goes to five rounds or more of Penalty kicks which brings it close to the pre-timed lights out curfew that happens at 10:30pm. Usually only parents and friends come to these games so 24 hours notice is enough time to adjust. Crew had great success with Stuart Ritchie running down the left wing and continuing to send crosses into the TFC box. On something like his fifth try, Rohan Goulbourne slid back to prevent a Crew player getting to it and pushed it into his own net. Interesting that both Goulbourne and Jordan Faria used the same run down the left wing playbook in the second half. Referee Mazen Hassanin gave out four Yellow cards (two to each team) but because the ones to the Crew were to the same player, they played short from 77 minutes. Columbus was playing effectively down two men for about four or five minutes at 88 minutes when injured Marco Micaletto was injured near the center line and needed the trainer so therefore had to leave the field and found it difficult to be signalled back onto the field. Crew defenders just made sure to head away crosses into the box and punt the ball downfield. TFC Myles Morgan had the best late chance popping a cross from the right onto the top of the net from 3 yards on the left post. Toronto FC (the parent club) had brought up four players for their Tuesday game in Orlando. Goalie Luka Gavran, defenders Adam Pearlman and Lazar Stefanovic, and forward Jesus Batiz all made the trip to Florida. Stefanovic and Batiz actually got into the game as halftime subs. Gavran was back with TFC II tonight in goal which probably means Tomas Romero has returned from the El Salvador Gold Cup team that did not make the quarterfinals whereas Toronto FC #1 goalie Sean Johnson is still with the USA team. Stefanovic was the other loaned player back with TFC II for tonight. Two TFC blunders make the difference in this game ie an own goal and a goaltending error. As one of the few paying customers, I was given a Yellow wristband which happens to be the Crew's main colour. Columbus had a large travelling contingient of fans....or were they just locals? On the Crew bench was forward Mataeo Bunbury who is one of the sons of Canadian soccer great Alex Bunbury. He never got into the game. One Crew starter was midfielder Jordan Knight who also was labelled on Wikipedia as Canadian. He had a big fan following with some in replica named and number jerseys. He climbed into the stands after the game and even I got to ask him about where he was from. More specific than “Here” was he answered me he was born in Mississauga and moved to Shelburne Ontario. Only info I'd found was he played for Athlete Institute FC. I said it was difficult to find info on him (and he instantly knew what I meant) because almost all searches lead to the singer from New Kids On The Block. He is fast and only 21 so looks like he has a promising future. I'll start: Crew were Hangin' Tough playing down a man at the end. Step By Step they're closing in on first place. These Games in the Summertime will go a long way to see where they finish. OK I'll stop at four NKOTB songs! Mo Farsi was with the Crew 2 last year and is now with their MLS team. Jacen Russell-Rowe had the same situation but these last few weeks has been with the Canadian National team. I saw him in their Guadeloupe game on Tuesday except he was credited with the injury time 'own goal' which gave the visitors the tie. The result leaves TFC II in twelfth place in the thirteen team Eastern Conference with a record of 3 wins, 10 losses, 4 ties, and 2 shootout wins (the extra point given by a PK contest if the game ends in a tie in regulation) for 15 points. Tonight's game was the only one held in the East with all the other conference teams playing Sunday so they could fall further. The seventh place playoff line is currently held by Philadelphia Union II with 23 points. Columbus improves to 10 wins, 5 losses, 2 ties, 2 shootout wins for 34 points and move into second place. First place is held by Crown Legacy FC (the Charlotte FC feeder club) who were here last Friday for a regulation stoppage time win. Toronto FC II stay in town for a game Wednesday night against Philadelphia Union II (Hey, there's the playoff line right there!) This stadium will be quite busy as Sunday as it hosts a soccer doubleheader with the Canadian Premier Leagues York United FC hosting Forge FC preceded by an afternoon League1 Ontario match between their two feeder teams...Alliance United hosting Sigma FC. So if TFC II win they play the Depeche Mode song “Just Can't Get Enough” just like at BMO. If they lose, they play 'abcdefu' by Gayle (emphasis on the 'fu'). Rocket Robin
Toronto TFC II starters
Columbus Crew 2 starters
TFC Hugo Mbongue (83) takes opening kickoff.
Crew Cole Mmrowka (49) cornerkick comes in from the right.
A battle for the ball at the center line with Crew Stuart Ritchie (3) waiting for a pass up the sideline.
TFC Jordan Faria (72) short freekick pass to TFC Rohan Goulbourne (62) will go wrong when a defender blocks Goulbourne shot
and Crew gets a fast breakout.
TFC Theo Rigopoulos (92) takes throw-in.
Crew Cole Mrowka (49) will take second half kickoff.
TFC Jordan Faria (72) juggles pass.
TFC Rohan Goulbourne (62) waits to take freekick as three TFC players are subbed out.
Crew Marco Micaletto (22) will clear this freekick just outside the 6 yard box.
Stats (from MLS NEXT Pro website)
TFC II Crew 2
Possession % 51.2 48.8
Shots 8 14
Shots on Goal 3 6
Blocked Shots 3 2
Total Passes 555 527
Passing Accuracy % 87.4 86.5
Corners 2 5
Crosses 18 16
Offsides 5 5
Duels Won 41 43
Tackles Won 10 16
Saves 4 1
Clearances 10 16
Fouls 12 12
Yellow Cards 2 1
Red Cards 0 1
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