July 28, 2024...MLS NEXT Pro...Toronto FC II vs New York Red Bulls II game report (by Rocket Robin)
Result and details of the Sunday July 28, 2024 MLS NEXT Pro game between Toronto FC II and New York Red Bulls IIFinal Score:.....Toronto FC II.......4........New York Red Bulls......3.........
Attendance started off slow but peaked at about 300 by halftime. The weather was extremely hot and humid with a bright sun burning down from the south west. The PA system played the ice cream truck theme music then made a big announcement before the game started but no truck ever showed up. I suppose there's no contract signed and the vendor could do more business elsewhere. At least someone was able to override a second playing of the announcement at halftime so most fans didn't know what had happened. The tech guys had more problems as for at least 3/4 of the game at various times the scoreboard wasn't functioning. Maybe the CPL York United FC guys planted a glich in the software so things wouldn't work today. No problems Friday night! Both teams are out of town for the next two weekends as the Canadian Open tennis tournament takes over...sure they don't play on the field of the stadium but tennis fans take up every parking spot of the school and overflow onto the subway parking lot three blocks away. TFC were going along quite comfortably to win this with a 4-1 lead, a Penalty shot awarded, and a NYRB player sent off but things got tighter at the end of the game. Understandably Hassan Ayari was chosen to take the PK so he could earn a hat-trick but the shot was pushed wide, then the visitors scored two quick goals to make a tight game of it. After they closed to 4-3, at 88 minutes NYRB Adri Mehmeti chipped a 50 yard freekick down the middle which a leaping Adisa De Rosario made the catch and was awarded a freekick when he was upended and injured. 92 minutes had Tanner Rosborough on a 1 v 1 rush but his shot from 20 yards on the right was wide left. The league site posted a five minute highlight package of the game whereas I'm used to two minute summaries even if it gets down to PKs after regulation. Only thing missing was some mention of the Red card that set up the Penalty kick. TFC were getting by without five of their U-20 players who were away in Mexico at the CONCACAF U-20 Championships with qualification to the U-20 Men's World Cup on the line. Canada has advanced from their group with a 2 win, 1 tie, 0 loss record and just need to win their quarterfinal match to clinch a spot for a tournament they haven't participated in since they hosted in 2007 at a then soon to be named 'BMO Field' in downtown Toronto. Missing were goalie Nathaniel Abraham, forward Richard Chukwu, midfielder Andrei Dimitru and TFC II regular defenders Adam Pearlman (often the captain) and Theo Rigopoulos. I thought the team would sorely miss those two regulars but they got by with a slightly older team. A superfan/autograph collector said NYRB were without three from their lineup: defender Omar Valencia, midfielder Ronald Donkor, and forward Julian Hall as they had been in the lineup for the Red Bulls MLS game last night against Toronto FC in the League Cup which also includes Mexican club CF Pachuca. Last night's game was held in New Jersey so there wasn't going to be a lifeline of unused MLS players for this afternoon. Only TFC player I'd consider seriously splitting time between the two teams who played today was forward Charlie Sharp who wasn't brought on until the 77 minute mark. Referee David Schmidt-Schweda gave out six Yellow cards (three to each team) plus the Red card with all three NYRB Yellows for knocking over almost unstoppable Nate Edwards. Two of the TFC Yellows were during second half injury time for time wasting and dissent. He'd be quite popular with the players for scheduling water breaks at 29 and 76 minutes. I'd brought my own water bottle into the stands and it started off cold but was undrinkably hotter than luke warm by game's end and that was storing it under my seat in the shade. This game was the first of the day in the NEXT Pro league but by the time I got home after driving to the League1 Ontario first place battle, the rest of the games were over so all results are known for the weekend. The win improves TFC II's record to 6 wins, 8 losses, 3 ties, 0 shoot-out-win bonuses for 21 points. That keeps them in twelfth place of the 15 teams in the Eastern Conference. Red Bulls II's record falls to 7 wins, 8 losses, 4 ties, 3 SOW points for 28 points. They held the final playoff spot of eighth when the day began but they slip to ninth as Inter Miami CF II won and now have 29 points. TFC II hold two games in hand on both those teams. Rocket Robin.
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