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September 1, 2023 MLS NEXT Pro...Toronto FC II vs New York Red Bulls II game report (by Rocket Robin)
Result and details of the Friday September 1, 2023 MLS NEXT Pro game between Toronto FC II and New York Red Bulls II
played at York Lions Stadium at 7:00pm.
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Toronto FC II (all red uniforms, white names and numbers)
.....................50 Gianluca Catalano
.........92 Theo Rigopoulos...51 Adam Pearlman (cpt)...76 Lazar Stefanovic
73 Jesus Batiz...11 Latif Blessing...85 Marko Stojandinovic...68 Lucas Olguin...81 Themi Antonoglou
..................83 Hugo Mbongue...70 Matthew Catavolo
Subs:...60 Nathaniel Abraham (gk)...62 Rohan Goulbourne (def)...89 Matthew Medeiros (def)...67 James Fidalgo (mid)
...94 Myles Morgan (fwd)...33 Reshaun Walkes (fwd)...72 Jordan Faria (mid)...82 Julian Altobelli (mid)...86 Alec Dias (fwd)
team officials:...head coach Gianni Cimini...assistant coaches Marco Casalinuovo and &Yianni Michelis
...goalkeeper coach David Monsalve
New York Red Bulls (all white uniforms, red names and numbers)
.........................57 Alan Rutkowski
45 Copeland Berkley...89 Davi Alexandre...3 Matt Nocita...2 Jayden Reid
.................48 Ronald Donkor...91 Bento Estrela
..........88 O'Vonte Mullings...31 Ibrahim Kasule...77 Amos Shapiro-Thompson
.........................37 Mohammed Sofo
Subs:...33 Juan Gutierrez (def)...34 Arian Recinos (def)...41 Julian Hall (mid)...44 Aidan Jarvis (mid)
...46 Dylan Sullivan (mid)...61 Henry Wise (mid)...66 Tanner Rosborough (fwd)...79 Rafael Mosquera (def)
team officials:...head coah Ibrahim Sekagya...sporting director Denis Hamlett
Game officials:...referee Youcef Boumsied...referee's assistants Gabriel Grenier and Shukwia Tajik
...fourth official Ryan Schwenger...(all black uniforms)
First Half:...game starts 7:02pm...TFC defends south end on this mild evening with the field by gametime almost completely in shade.
1 min...NYRB Sofo on run down right pushes ball over end line.
1 min...TFC Catavolo run into left side of box and passes back but ball never is worked back into box.
4 min...TFC Antonoglou run up left and cuts into center and taps pass to TFC Mbongue who rolls 10 yarder down middle wide left
of post.
8 min...NYRB Berkley long throw-in has NYRB Sofo with back to goal heads backward from 20 yards on right that bounces to goalie.
10 min...NYRB Bberkley long throw-in from right gets back to him and he bends 22 yard cross behind net.
11 min...NYRB Reid 50 yard freekick from left has TFC Batiz head ball away for fast breakout.
14 min...NYRB Berkley cross from 25 yards on right has TFC Stojaninovic head away at 10 yards.
15 min...TFC Mbongue backheels ball at 18 yards and TFC Blessing shoots 18 yarder down middle over net.
18 min...NYRB goalie is out to 22 yards on right to head away bouncer before TFC Blessing can get to it.
19 min...TFC Rigopoulos cross from 15 yard sideline on right has TFC Mbongue head 6 yarder on left post wide right on leap
and bounces it wide.
20 min...NYRB Alexandre is off field for a change of shoes.
20 min...NYRB player's cornerkick from left has goalie catch and throw to start a fast breakout.
22 min...NYRB Mohammed Sofo GOAL...NYRB Amos Shapiro-Thompson on far left sends high cross into box for leaping
NYRB O'Vonte Mullings but it's over his head and the ball bounces to right side of box. NYRB Copeland Berkley crosses
from right edge of box and leaping Sofo outjumps three defenders and heads 6 yarder down middle to top left corner
of net beyond goalie Gianluca Catalano.
24 min...TFC Catavolo on run down left and taps ball forward and TFC Antonoglou rolls it over end line.
25 min...NYRB Berkley has 25 yard low shot that's blocked on edge of 18 yard box.
26 min...NYRB Reid can't win Penalty kick on fall on left edge of TFC box.
28 min...TFC Antonoglou wins goalkick on deflected clearance off NYRB Berkley grabbing at him.
30 min...NYRB Donkor eludes three tackle attempts and rolls ball forward. NYRB Kasule falls and ball rolls over end line on left.
31 min...NYRB O'Vonte Mullings GOAL...Mullings is given a pass up the middle from NYRB Ronald Donkar from 35 yard
line and takes shot from 20 yards down middle into low middle of net over sprawling goalie at 6 yards.
32 min...TF goalie clearance is stopped by lunge of NYRB Mullings at 28 yards but he's then checked off the ball.
34 min...NYRB O'Vonte Mullings GOAL...NYRB Ibrahim Kasule feeds pass up middle from 35 yards to charging Mullings
at 25 yard line on slight right and he rolls 10 yarder on right to far side of net past sliding goalie at 5 yards.
35 min...NYRB Reid run down left and high cross from 30 yards is over box and bounces out.
36 min...TFC YELLOW card...Pearlman earns it for pulling down NYRB Kasule away from play at TFC 35 yard line.
38 min...TFC Batiz pokes ball forward for TFC Mbongue on a breakaway on left and his 10 yard shot is pushed wide left
by goalie on near post.
39 min...TFC Catavolo cornerkick from left is messed up by TFC Blessing letting pass get away at NYRB 25 yard line.
40 min...NYRB YELLOW card...Sofo earns it for trip on TFC Olguin at TFC 35 yard line.
42 min...NYRB Donkor and TFC Blessing are injured at TFC 50 yard line and both down as play carries on.
43 min...TFC Mbongue cornerkick from right has TFC Stefanovic in crowd of players heads 6 yarder over net.
44 min...TFC Antonoglou freekick from 40 yards on left has TFC Catavolo cross from 15 yard line on left with both
having ball but NYRB Nocita heading away in box.
45 min...TFC Pearlman checks NYRB Kasule off ball on left side of TFC box.
46 min...half ends 7:48pm.
Halftime: The fan event tonight is a soccer ball putting contest with contestants kicking the ball closest to a flag to win a prize.
Both teams have their subs stay out on the field to warm up.
Second Half:...starts 8:04pm. The temperature is getting colder as predicted. It's a good thing I wore my hoodie!
Halftime sub:...TFC Altobelli replaces Blessing.
45 min...TFC Rigopoulos rolls ball from 40 yards between players and goalie picks it up.
46 min...NYRB Berkley pass on right from 25 yards forward has NYRB Mullings has 15 yard shot near right end line blocked.
47 min...NYRB Reid bends 33 yard cross from left that goalie leans over and palms ball wide right of net.
48 min...NYRB Sofo rolls 25 yard blast from right wide left of net.
48 min...TFD goalie slides forward to smother ball at 15 yards ahead of charging NYRB Mullings who jumps over him.
51 min...NYRB Nocita pops up header at 30 yards trying to prevent break-in and ball is over to TFC Catavolo who
one-touches 30 yard chip well wide left of net.
52 min...NYRB Kasule rolls ball past defender at 18 yards but goalie is out to smother it at 12 yards.
56 min...TFC Mbongue gets through 1 v 2 for break at 35 yards with one defender falling but NYRB Alexandre gets back in play
to check him off ball at 15 yards along left edge of box.
58 min...TFC sub...Faria replaces Mbongue.
.............TFC sub....Walkes replaces Catavolo.
.............TFC sub...Morgan replaces Rigopoulos.
59 min...TFC Walkes run to right end line for pass and low cross is cleared in box.
60 min...NYRB Reid high cross is over box. NYRB Berkley boots high ball shot behind end line on right.
61 min...NYRB player rolls entering pass from left. NYRB Kasule slips around defender and gets away 15 yard shot.
63 min...TFC Morgan low cross from 22 yards on right is smothered by sprawling goalie in 5 yard box unchallenged.
64 min...NYRB Donkor blasts 20 yard shot that goalie swats away.
65 min...TFC Pearlman heads away ball in crowd of players beating NYRB Berkley.
66 min...NYRB Shapiro-Thompson blasts 20 yarder from left just missing top right corner of net.
(TFC players are called on two offside plays in succession).
68 min...TFC Faria is injured at center line on check.
70 min...TFC Batiz has 18 yard shot blocked after passes set him up.
71 min...NYRB sub...Mosquera replaces Shapiro-Thompson.
..............NYRB sub...Sullivan replaces Estrela.
..............NYRB sub...Hall replaces Sofo.
74 min...TFC Altobelli 28 yard freekick from right has nearest defender head away at 15 yards near center of box.
74 min...TFC Olguin hangs on to shirt of NYRB player on 2 on 1 into TFC box with referee playing advantage but no card is given
later when play is broken up.
77 min...NYRB YELLOW card...Donkor earns it for grab on TFC player at NYRB 40 yard line.
80 min...NYRB Reid is injured.
80 min...NYRB sub...Jarvis replaces Donkor.
............TFC sub...Diaz replaces Batiz.
81 min...TFC Diaz breakaway down right from 40 yards and he centers pass for TFC Walkes at 7 yards on left but retreating
defender breaks it up.
82 min...NYRB Kasule give and go with NYRB teammate is broken up in TFC box.
84 min...TFC Altobelli short run to left end line and his cross has ball cleared for fast NYRB break out.
84 min...NYRB Kasule rolls pass forward to NYRB Hall on slight left for him to shoot 12 yarder into top left corner of net but
he's called offside.
85 min...TFC Diaz on break has retreating NYRB Sullivan give up cornerkick.
85 min...TFC Faria cornerkick from left has goalie punch ball away.
86 min...TFC Faria wins freekick at top left side of NYRB box.
86 min...TFC Faria 25 y ard freekick from slight left has goalie swat ball away.
87 min...NYRB Nocita pops up header in NYRB box that goalie drops then smothers.
87 min...TFC goalie catches back pass from right. Oh Oh! Referee calls for a NYRB freekick.
88 min...NYRB Reid or Kasule eventually takes 8 yard freekick from top of the 6 yard box on right tha'ts blocked in TFC player wall.
91 min...NYRB Kasule runs ball to left cornerflag and wins cornerkick on deflection off defender.
93 min...game ends 8:52pm.
Final Score:....Toronto FC II.....0......New York Red Bulls II.......3........
Attendance was about 300 for this start of the holiday weekend (at least 100 less than their last few games). The temperature was cooling as the sun went down by the second half. Hero of the game was 22 year old Toronto born O'Vonte Mullings who plays for Red Bulls. He was wearing the captain's armband and at halftime I saw his father (wearing a personalized #88 jersey) with a family friend and heard that he is always the captain and this wasn't just a favour for him being from here nor his birthday. Wikipedia places him playing his young days for FC Durham (that would be around Oshawa) and attending Florida Gulf Coast University. Red Bulls also have midfielder Ibrahim Kasule who was just named NEXT Pro 'Player of the Month' for August which he also won in July! TFC just looked 'off' tonight with plays set up alright but just not completed. TFC could have opened the scoring early starting at just 4 minutes with TFC Themi Antonoglou running up the left and cutting into the center and taps a pass to Hugo Mbongue who rolled a 10 yarder down the middle wide left of the post. 15 minutes had Mbongue backheel a ball at 18 yards and Latif Blessing (!) shot a 20 yarder over the net. 19 minutes had Theo Rigopoulos crossed from the sideline at the 15 yard line on the right and Mbonge leaped and headed a 6 yarder near the left post downward and it bounced wide right of the post. Then the Red Bulls took over! They had a few spells similar in the second half. Just 90 minutes before the game started, a tweet arrived that said TFC midfielder Latif Blessing had been loaned to TFC II but could be recalled at any time. I don't know if he had time to practice with them specifically. He was subbed out at halftime after doing nothing special and was replaced by regular Julian Altobelli. There were four TFC II guys at Wednesday night's MLS game (and rare searched for win) downtown against Philadelphia. Goalie Luka Gavran (who's staying there until the injury situation improves), defender Adam Pearlman, midfielder Themi Antonoglou, and forward Hugo Mbongue all stayed on the bench until 99 minutes when Mbongue replaced Jonathan Osorio. Tonight the last mentioned three were back. Pearlman was on for all 90 minutes in his role as captain, Antonoglou played the full 90 and Mbongue started and lasted until 58 minutes when he was part of a triple substitution to try to shake the forwards up. Referee Youcef Boumsied gave out three Yellow cards tonight (two to Red Bulls) and didn't fall for any lame Penalty calls. Alan Rutkowski earned the shutout for Red Bulls with a few key saves but was helped by his defensive line of Copeland Berkley, Davi Alexandre, Matt Nocita, and Jayden Reid. Reid ended up often joining the attack running up the left wing before sending in crosses or sending the ball downfield. Most impressive was Matt Nocita and just before halftime he headed away a freekick from 40 yards in a crowd of players and a few seconds later headed away a cross sent along the 15 yard line. This was aided by his 6 foot 8 inch size (yes I looked that stat up). He also broke up plays at least another six times. Red Bulls triple swapped at 71 minutes and brought in ('Autograph Guy' said) 15 year old Julian Hall to play forward and he didn't look out of place. Theo Rigopoulos looked good on the wing in the 58 minutes he played on the wing. He was often open on the sideline. Strange play at 87 minutes when the TFC goalie caught a backpass and NYRB earned a freekick at the 8 yard line. I think they were more satisfied with just wasting time setting up the shot then seriously expecting to score with 11 TFC guys in the 6 yard box. This looked like the game that finally ended TFC's slim playoff hopes. Their record drops to 6 wins, 12 losses, 7 ties, 3 bonus points for shoot-out-wins (ties after 90 minutes result in a Penalty shot contest for one extra point) for a total of 28 points. That puts them in tenth place (of the thirteen Eastern Conference teams) with most of the other teams still to play later in the weekend. The playoff line is currently 37 points (that's seventh place) held by both Huntsville and Chicago. TFC has only three games to go which means they could only earn 9 points. Red Bulls record improves to 14 wins, 7 losses, 5 ties, 3 shoot-out-wins for 50 points and they are in third place. Their twitter account says they clinched a playoff spot last weekend with a win over Chicago. Their MLS team is currently in twelfth place and it's hard to understand. TFC goes on the road for the next two Friday nights...at Philadelphia and New York City FC then home for 'Decision Day' for a rare Sunday afternoon game on September 24 at 2:00pm against Crown Legacy (the reserve team of Charlotte FC).Rocket Robin
robin.glover.1958@gmail.com
twitter @RocketRobin01
Toronto FC II starters
New York Red Bulls II starters
TFC Hugo Mbongue (83) takes opening kickoff.
NYRB Copeland Berkley (45) sends in long throw-in.
NYRB Jayden Reid (2) takes freekick.
TFC Themi Antonoglou (81) takes freekick.
NYRB Ibrahim Kasule (31) takes second half kickoff.
NYRB Ronald Donkor (48) dribbles down sideline past TFC Lucas Olguin (68).
TFC Julian Altobelli (82) freekick is headed away.
Handshakes after the game.
Stats (from MLS NEXT Pro website)
TFC II New York
Possession % 52.7 47.3
Shots 9 9
Shots on Goal 2 4
Blocked Shots 2 2
Total Passes 526 474
Passing Accuracy % 81.6 80.2
Corners 4 2
Crosses 8 16
Offsides 4 3
Duels Won 54 70
Tackles Won 11 16
Saves 1 2
Clearances 15 17
Fouls 6 16
Yellow Cards 1 2
Red Cards 0 0
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