August 19, 2023 MLS NEXT Pro...Toronto FC II vs New England Revolution II game report (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the MLS NEXT Pro game of Friday August 18, 2023 between Toronto FC II and New England Revolution II
played at York Lions Stadium at 7:00pm.

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

....................50 Gianluca Catalano
73 Jesus Batiz...51 Adam Pearlman (cpt)...76 Lazar Stefanovic...62 Rohan Goulbourne
..........68 Lucas Olguin...71 Markus Cimermancic...81 Themi Antonoglou
..........72 Jordan Faria...83 Hugo Mbongue...70 Matthew Catavolo

Subs:...60 Nathaniel Abraham (gk)...89 Matthew Medeiros (def)...92 Theo Rigopoulos (mid)...85 Marko Stojandinovic (mid)
...94 Myles Morgan (fwd)...33 Reshaun Walkes (fwd)...82 Julian Altobelli (mid)...86 Alec Diaz (fwd)...91 Dekwon Barrow (fwd)
team officials:...head coach Gianni Cimini...assistant coach marco Casalinuovo and Yianni Michelis
...goalkeeping coach David Monsalve

New England Revolution II (all white uniforms, navy names and numbers)

......................81 Nico Campuzano
43 Santiago Suarez...37 Victor Souza...44 Pierre Cayet...52 Jose Italo
89 Malcolm Fry...65 Noble Okello...76 Peyton Miller...32 Jake Rozhansky (cpt)
.................99 Jordan Adelbayo-Smith...38 Patrick Leal

Subs:...19 Olger Escobar (fwd)...31 Eric Klein (mid)...33 Brandonn Bueno (mid)...35 Nakye Greenridge-Duncan (fwd)
...40 Ben Awasi (mid)...41 Colby Quinones (def)...48 Jacob Akanyirige (def)...54 Cristiano Oliveria (mid)
team officials:...head coach Clint Peay*...assistant coach Marcelo Santos...goalkeeping coach Yuta Nomura
*(who was not here, he was helping the MLS team because their head coach was suspended)

Game officials:...referee Mazen Hassanin...referee's assistants Twayne Anderson and Joey Filipic
...fourth official Fabrizio Stasolla...(all black uniforms)

First Half:...game starts 7:02pm...TFC defends south end...the weather was cool for August especially with what we've been having
the last few weeks, it was windy too from the west which was mostly blocked by the stand.
1 min...TFC Mbongue runs up right and rolls pass from 15 yards forward to TFC Faria who can't save it on end line.
3 min...TFC Stefanovic stops and clears low centering pass to center in TFC box at 15 yards.
5 min...Revs Suarez heads away TFC cross into Revs box.
9 min...TFC Goulbourne 60 yard chip bounces to goalie to pick up on edge of box.
12 min...TFC Antonoglou chip from 28 yards on left is over to TFC Faria on right end line and cross has defender chest ball
to concede cornerkick from middle of 6 yard box.
14 min...Rozhansky 30 yard freekick from left is chipped wide right for goalkick.
15 min...Revs Adebayo-Smith 15 yard low centering pass from right near end line is cleared by defender in 6 yard box.
17 min...TFC Catavolo 30 yard shot down middle is well wide right of net.
19 min...TFC Batiz 35 yard shot near right sideline is wide right of net.
20 min...Revs Leal wins cornerkick off short knock off TFC Goulbourne.
21 min...Revs Rozhansky cornerkick from right has Revs Cayet at 8 yards on slight left head ball just over bar to top right.
23 min...Revs Okello steps forward and blasts low 35 yarder up middle wide left of net.
24 min...TFC Faria gets pass tapped back by TFC Mbongue and 25 yarder from slight angle has ball deflect off defender at 20 yards
and spins to goalie running up to 15 yards.
27 min...Revs Cayet sliding tackle to block TFC Mbongue's shot from right edge of 18 yard box.
28 min...TFC Faria is checked off ball at 15 yard line without getting shot.
28 min...Revs Miller cross from 22 yards along left end line has Revs Adebayo-Smith head 8 yarder from slight right that goalie catches
sprawling on right post.
31 min...TFC Mbongue has 18 yard shot blocked. TFC Batiz 20 yard rebound from right is wide left.
33 min...TFC Goulbourne pops header over own end line to break up Revs pressure.
33 min...Revs Rozhansky cornerkick from right is cleared.
33 min...TFC Faria passes to TFC Catavolo who holds back not to be offside at 25 yards and goalie picks up ball inside box.
34 min...Revs Miller wins cornerkick on deflection off 20 yard shot near left end line off defender.
35 min...Revs player's cornerkick from left is passed upfield and TFC goalie catches 30 yard chip from left back into box at 10 yards.
37 min...TFC Faria cross through 6 yard box from right is too far ahead of charging TFC players and out left side.
38 min...TFC Antonoglou cross from near left end line from 15 yards has TFC Mbongue duck and heads 6 yarder up middle that
goalie dives to left but ball actually hits the post.
39 min...Revs Italo 28 yard shot deflects off defender and hits top of bar for cornerkick.
40 min...Revs Rozhansky high cornerkick from right has TFC Mbongue leap to head ball away in 6 yard box. A Revs player
cross hack into box is wide right for goalkick.
41 min...Revs Leal cross from 25 yards on far right is well over net.
45 min...half ends 7:47pm with no added time.

Halftime Entertainment: Two fans are challenged to kick a ball at the crossbar but they miss multiple times and ended up both
being given tickets to the MLS side's game against Philadelphia.

Second Half:...starts 8:04pm.
45 min...Revs Miller can't win Penalty kick when pushed over on run into left side of box.
46 min...TFC Faria dekes defender on right end line and low cross into 6 yard box has defender clear.
Revs Miller has to leave the field to have a forehead cut treated.
48 min...TFC Antonoglou 25 yard roller from slight left is wide right of net.
49 min...TFC Catavolo run to left end line and rolls centering pass that defender clears.
53 min...Revs Italo is injured at TFC 40 yard line.
56 min...TFC Catavolo cross fro left sideline at 22 yards has TFC Mbongue head 12 yarder from slight left over bar.
57 min...Revs Rozhansky chips short pass to Revs Leal who chips 12 yarder in box that goalie steps forward to catch on wide right
to prevent tap-in possibility.
60 min...TFC goalie is out to 12 yards along right endline to smother a TFC defender's header back to him.
61 min...TFC Batiz is called offside on 12 yard shot from wide right.
62 min...Revs sub...Awasie replaces Fry.
...........Revs sub...Quinones replaces Leal.
63 min...Revs YELLOW card...Souza earns it for sliding tackle on TFC Mbongue on center line.
67 min...Revs Adeboyo-Smith cross from 25 yards on left end line bends behind net.
68 min...TFC Mbongue receives short pass and quick 28 yarder down middle is knocked down and picked up by goalie at 5 yard line
in center of net.
70 min...TFC Faria has ball hit him on head on deflection and out for a goalkick.
71 min...Revs sub...Escobar replaces Okello.
...........Revs sub...Bueno replaces Miller.
73 min...TFC sub...Walkes replaces Faria.
...........TFC sub...Barrow replaces Catavolo.
...........TFC sub...Rigopoulos replaces Mbongue.
...........TFC sub ...Altobelli replaces Antonoglou.
77 min...TFC Cimermancic is centered short pass and chips 25 yarder over bar.
A light right starts falling.
78 min...TFC Altobelli 22 yard shot deflects off defender and goalie can't stop it before it rolls over end line.
79 min...TFC Batiz highg cornerkick from right has Revs Rozhansky head away on left but he wins a Revs freekick when he's
knocked over.
81 min...Revs Escobar spins behind defender to roll 15 yarder from slight left just wide left of net.
83 min...Revs YELLOW card...Italo earns it for a trip in the Revs end. *We saw it and the PA announced it but in the league website
stats it disappeared.
84 min...TFC Altobelli 28 yard freekick is into Revs player wall.
84 min...TFC Barrow rolls pass up left too far for TFC Batiz and defender clears at 15 yards.
85 min..,TFC Walkes on give and go with TFC Cimermancic on left side of Revs box taps 6 yarder wide left.
87 min...TFC Altobelli chips 15 yard shot wide left of net from even with left post.
88 min...TFC sub...Morgan replaces Goulbourne.
89 min...TFC Olguin chips 40 yarder into box and Revs Souza heads over own net.
89 min...Revs defender chests ball back to goalie.
90 min...Revs sub...Akanyirige replaces Italo.
91 min...TFC Altobelli 30 yard freekick from left has Revs Suarez head wide right in crowd of players for cornerkick.
92 min...TFC Altobelli cornerkick from left has ball knocked off defender on left for another cornerkick.
93 min...TFC Altobelli cornerkick from left has TFC Stefanovic head 15 yarder down middle that goalie catches under bar.
93 min...regulation time ends 8:52pm.

Score at end of regulation time: Toronto FC II.....0......New England Revolution II.......0......

Penalty shootout: The south end goal is used after the TFC goalie and Revs first shooter initially lined up at the north end goal.
This causes a stampede of kids who had ran to the north end of the west stands (the only ones that are used) charge back
to the south side to get a closer view.

1 Revs Jake Rozhansky GOAL...Rozhansky shoots right as goalie Gianluca Catalano dives left. (Wow all that standing around
and having to change ends is a lot of pressure).

1 TFC Jesus Batiz stutter steps and blasts low shot down middle and goalie Nico Campuzano dives right but tips the ball over the net with one of his feet that was still in the center of goal.

2 Revs Olger Escobar GOAL...Escobar shoots roller to left as goalie dives to right.

2 TFC Julian Altobelli hits crossbar near the right post on his shot.

3 Revs Jacob Akanyirige GOAL...Akanyirige stops and starts his run and sends roller to left as goalie dives right.

3 TFC Adam Pearlman GOAL...Pearlman's shot is is midway up to left side of net as goalie dove left but under the shot.

4 Revs Jordan Adebayo-Smith GOAL...Adebayo-Smith shot is to top left side of net over diving goalie who guessed left.

Final Score: Toronto FC II........0........New England Revolution.......0........
New England wins 4-1 in the Penalty shootout and earns the bonus point. Both teams earn one point for the tie in regulation.

Attendance was about 500 by halftime. A lot of the young fans with their parents were from the North York Soccer club as was announced with the help from their coach David Monsalve who is also the goalkeeping coach of TFC II.

TFC have been playing away games for almost a month and were 1 win and 1 loss (both in regulation) since they've been gone. There's been a lot of action on the player movement front in the last few weeks both by the MLS team and at the NEXT Pro level. The reason for the long time away is that for two weekends this university site held the Canadian Open tennis final (this year it was the Men's, next year it will be the Women's as this site rotates with Montreal).

Just today it was announced that TFC II have loaned defender Jalen Watson to Pacific FC of the Canadian Premier League (CPL) for the rest of the season. I hadn't noticed him in the lineup for quite awhile and in the fine print of the announcement it said he'd only played in two TFC II games this season.

I was wondering about their goalkeeping situation. They have loaned backup goalie Adisa De Rosario to York United FC of the CPL (they share this stadium with that team) for the rest of the season and he started last week as he fits in for U-21 minutes as York will miss the playoffs (even if they qualify by their play) if they don't meet that league's quota. Ok good for him getting playing time but...Toronto FC (the MLS team) just had their first string goalie Sean Johnson break his hand in practice and will miss four to six weeks. They play on Sunday at BMO Field against CF Montreal and that was probably the reason why TFC II's top goalie Luka Gavran wasn't even on the bench.

Gianluca Catalano was given the start tonight. I read he was signed by them months ago from League1 Ontario team Vaughan Azzurri but back on June 23rd it said it was a short term loan but it was good that he is still here. The back up goalie was Nathaniel Abraham who one of the soccer dads here tonight said was from their U-17 Academy team.

TFC had been idle for the last two weeks after going two games and done in the new League's Cup involving MLS and Mexican League teams. They didn't even make the round of 32 so have had to wait until that competition is almost over. No players were loaned down to TFC II as the MLS team continues to shed players to free up salary cap space.

TFC II head coach made no subs until the 73 minute mark when he made a quadruple change to shake things up as many of the players were tiring. He saved his last sub for 88 minutes when he subbed off defender Rohan Goulbourne for forward Myles Morgan who was the second half injury time hero for their last road game against New York Red Bulls II scoring the winning goal in regulation. Bringing in a forward for a defender could be looked at as an effort to win in regulation (only way to earn a full 3 points) as time is running out to qualify for the playoffs.

Revs II have former TFC II players Noble Okello, a giant sized midfielder who even has some MLS games in his time here, as a starter tonight and forward Nakye Greenidge-Duncan who stayed on the bench.

Gianluca Catalano earned the shutout (in regulation) for TFC. He had a few key saves to make. He was aided by a defensive line of Jesus Batiz (when he wasn't bombing up the wing), captain Adam Pearlman, Lazar Stefanovic, and Rohan Goulbourne.

Nico Campuzano earned the shutout for the Revs. He was outshot 21 to 5 so had a lot more work to do. He was aided by his defenders Jose Italo, Pierre Cayet, Joao Victor Souza, and Santiago Suarez.

Best chances were at 12 minutes when TFC Themi Antonoglou chipped from 28 yards on the left over to Jordan Faria on the right end line and he sent a cross into the 6 yard box and a defender chested it away to concede a cornerkick. 21 minutes had Revs Jake Rozhansky send in a cornerkick from the right that Pierre Cayet at 8 yards on the slight left headed to the top right of the net but just over the bar. 28 minutes had Revs Peyton Miller cross from 22 yards along the left end line and Jordan Adebayo-Smith headed an 8 yarder from the slight right that the goalie sprawled to catch on the low right post. 38 minutes had Antonoglou cross from near the left end line from 15 yards away and Hugo Mbongue ducked and headed a 6 yarder up the middle that hit the outside of the left post and a Revs Victor Souza cleared the rebound. The next minute Revs Jose Italo fired a 28 yard shot up the middle that deflected off a defender and hit the top of the bar earning a cornerkick.

Second half had Revs Patrick Leal at 57 minutes chip a 12 yarder in the box that the goalie stepped forward to catch and prevent a tap-in. 68 minutes had Mbongue receive a short pass and take a quick 28 yarder down the middle that the goalie knocked down and picked up. 81 minutes had Revs Olger Escobar spin behind a defender to roll a 15 yarder from the slight left just wide left of the post. 85 minutes had TFC Reshaun Walkes on a give and go with Markus Cimermancic on the left side of the box tap a 6 yarder wide left of the post. Added time had TFC Julian Altobelli first take a 30 yard freekick from the left that a Revs player headed wide right in a crowd of players for a cornerkick. Altobelli took the cornerkick from the left that had the ball knocked off a defender on the left for a cornerkick. Altobelli took another cornerkick from the same side and this time TFC Lazar Stefanovic headed a 15 yarder down the middle that the goalie caught just under the bar.

Referee Mazen Hassanin from Calgary gave out only two Yellow cards (both to Revs players). He didn't fall for any soft Penalty kick calls. The game never got rough.

This was the only game in the Eastern Conference tonight. The result changes TFC II's record to 6 wins, 11 losses, 6 ties, and 3 bonus points (for shootout wins) for 27 points. That moves them up for a tenth place tie with Atlanta United 2. The seventh place playoff line is currently 33 held by Philadelphia Union II. Toronto could slip further behind after the rest of the Eastern teams play this weekend.

Revs II's record improves to 12 wins, 5 losses, 7 ties, 5 shootout wins for 48 points. That puts them in second place in the East and the league site says this was the game that clinches them a playoff spot. They earned two points tonight.

Revs had visited here on May 14 where two Damian Rivera goals at 83 and 85 minutes gave them a come from behind 3-2 victory. Rivera wasn't here tonight. Some fan asked after the game why head coach Clint Peay wasn't here and a player said he was with the MLS team as their coach while their regular coach is suspended. June 23 and these teams met for a Revs home game and Revs won via shootout in that game.

Rocket Robin
robin.glover.1958@gmail.com
twitter @RocketRobin01

Toronto FC II starters

New England Revolution II starters

TFC Hugo Mbongue (83) takes opening kickoff.

Revs Malcoolm Fry (89) runs to get to pass.

TFC Matthew Catavolo (70) has trouble trying to get by Revs Noble Okello (65).

Revs Jake Rozhansky (32) chips 30 yard freekick wide right for goalkick.

Revs Jake Rozhansky (32) and Patrick Leal (38) take second half kickoff.

TFC Jesus Batiz (73) ready's throw-in as TFC coach gives instructions.

TFC Jordan Faria (72) leads rush without help.

TFC Julian Altobelli (82) puts freekick into Revs player wall.

Revs Jake Rozhansky (32) scores on first Penalty kick and gets the Revs off to a good start.

Revs II players celebrate clinching playoff spot.

Stats (from mlsnextpro.com) 
                                          TFC II           New England Revolution II
Possession %                                50.5                    49.5
Shots                                       21                       5
Shots on Goal                                2                       1
Blocked Shots                                6                       1
Total Passes                               522                     515
Passing Accuracy %                          88.1                    87
Corners                                      5                       4
Crosses                                     10                       7
Offsides                                     0                       1
Duels Won                                   42                      32
Tackles Won                                 12                       9
Saves                                        1                       2
Clearances                                  10                      10
Fouls                                        6                      13
Yellow Cards                                 0                       1
Red Cards                                    0                       0

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