April 23, 2011 MLS--Toronto FC vs Columbus Crew (by Rocket Robin)

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Result of the Saturday April 23rd, 2011 MLS game between Toronto FC and Columbus Crew played at BMO Field in Toronto at 4:00pm.

Toronto FC (all red, black shoulders and sleeves, white names and numbers)

........................24 Stefan Frei
8 Dan Gargan...31 Dicoy Williams...12 Adrian Cann...25 Danleigh Borman
.........23 Jacob Peterson...6 Julian de Guzman...22 Tony Tchani
.......21 Alan Gordon...29 Maicon Santos (cpt)...33 Javier Martina

Subs:...30 Milos Kocic (gk)...7 Joao Plata (fwd)...11 Nathan Sturgis (mid)...16 Oscar Cordon (mid)...18 Nick Soolsma (fwd) ...19 Mikael Yourassowsky (def)...27 Richard Eckersley (def)
head coach Aron Winter

Columbus Crew (all yellow, black names and numbers)

.........................1 Will Hesmer
21 Sebastian Miranda...14 Chad Marshall (cpt)...26 Julius James...2 Rich Balchan
15 Kevin Burns...11 Dilly Duka...17 Emmanuel Ekpo...18 Robbie Rogers
.............12 Eddie Gaven...20 Emilio Renteria

Subs:...30 Andy Gruenebaum (gk)...4 Adny Iro (def)...10 Andres Mendoza (fwd)...22 Dejan Rusmir (mid)...23 Korey Veeder (def) ...32 Tommy Heinemann (fwd)...33 Jeff Cunningham (fwd)
head coach Robert Warzycha

Game officials:...referee David Gantar...referee's assistants Joe Fletcher and Philippe Briere...fourth official Paul Ward...(all black uniforms, neon yellow trim)

1st Half:...game starts 4:17pm...TFC defend south end on this warm late afternoon. There's a bright sun in the west and a wind from the south.
1 min...TFC Peterson 30 yard freekick from left is off head in player wall for cornerkick on left.
2 min...TFC Peterson cornerkick from left has TFC Santos pop up header at 5 yards near left post and defenders clear ball out of box.
3 min...TFC Cann holds off Crew Duka inside box on right to clear.
4 min...Crew Rogers on rush crosses from 25 yards on left that has TFC Williams head ball down and TFC Gargan clear ball from box.
5 min...TFC Martina rolls pass forward from 25 yards and TFC Gordon checked off ball in box and can't draw Penalty kick on dive.
5 min...Crew Gaven rush on left has TFC de Guzman block his cross attempt at 10 yards on end line and result in cornerkick.
5 min...Crew Gaven cornerkick from left has goalie drop ball but TFC Santos clears it in crowd of players.
8 min...Crew Miranda at 12 yards blocks 25 yard cross from TFC Borman near left sideline and he clears ball.
9 min...TFC de Guzman chips cross from 22 yards on left over head of leaping TFC Peterson forward at 8 yards and ball flies for goalkick.
11 min...TFC Gargan long throw-in from right has TFC Santos pop up header on left and ball cleared.
12 min...TFC player's 40 yard chip from left bounces wide left.
13 min...TFC de Guzman 35 yard chip forward on left wing is too far forward for TFC Martina and ball bounces for goalkick.
13 min...Crew Rogers receives pass on left from Crew Ekpo and chips 22 yard shot over net.
16 min...TFC Martina is checked off ball on edge of box on run on left.
18 min...TFC Gordon sends in ball from center line to charging TFC Martina on left edge of box. Martina stops ball from going over end line and passes back upfield for charging TFC Borman to cross high from 15 yards has defender just leap higher than TFC Peterson to pop up header and TFC Gordon shoots 10 yarder from right that's caught by goalie on right post.
20 min...Crew Rogers 30 yard kick up middle is over net.
22 min...TFC Gargan long throw-in from right has defender head ball out of box. TFC Santos 25 yard shot down middle is high and wide left of net.
22 min...Crew Rogers pushes ball out for goalkick on left when TFC Gargan and then TFC Peterson come over to check him off ball on endline.
24 min...Crew Rogers cross from 25 yards near left sideline bounced towards charging Crew Renteria but TFC Williams gets foot in to pop ball up and TFC Cann heads it away.
24 min...TFC Martina long run on left when TFC Gordon passes from center line and 15 yard low shot is pushed wide left of net by goalie. TFC Williams is injured at TFC 30 yards.
26 min...TFC Peterson cornerkick from left has nearest Crew Gaven as nearest defender head ball away.
27 min...Crew Rogers on left sideline sends low pass to middle and Crew Duka 30 yard blast down middle is well over net.
30 min...TFC Martina 30 yard cross from left has Crew James head ball out of box for throw-in on left.
31 min...TFC Borman throw in from left has TFC Gordon head ball down at 15 yards but play whistled down when he pushes against defender.
32 min...Crew goalie beats TFC Gordon to bouncing through ball on edge of box.
34 min...TFC Williams loses ball to Crew Renteria on right end line who short passes to Crew Rogers who kicks shot wide left from 12 yards.
35 min...Crew YELLOW card...Burns earns it for kicking at leg of TFC Borman in front of Crew bench injurying him.
.........TFC YELLOW card...Tchani earns it for his part in a pushing accident that breaks out after this incident.
37 min...TFC Gargan 50 yard chip from right is over players and caught by goalie.
38 min...Crew Rogers cross from 20 yards has TFC Gargan block ball with face at 10 yards.
39 min...Crew YELLOW card...Ekpo earns it for kicking ball away after whistle when TFC awarded a freekick at center line.
40 min...TFC Tony Tchani GOAL...TFC Julian de Guzman at 50 yards pushes pass forward has TFC Alan Gordon at 40 yards chip ball back to him and de Guzman chips pass from 40 yards down middle to Tchani rushing towards goal and he takes it on bounce and his low 16 yard shot is into right corner of net past diving goalie William Hesmer.
41 min...TFC RED card...Tony Tchani earns his second Yellow card for his goal celebration which had him jump over the sign boards and into the arms of members of the North End Elite supporters group.
43 min...Crew Miranda 40 yard freekick from right has partial clearance on header by TFC Gordon and Crew Rogers chips 22 yarder that bounces to goalie.
47 min...half ends 5:04pm.

Halftime Entertainment:...The entertainment today Pizza Pizza's 'Meal or No Meal' contest. Angelo was the contestant and for the first time a contestant walked off with the smallest prize--one slice. There goes my theory about prize fixing after seeing the last four contestant win the 12 pizzas grand prize.

2nd Half:...starts 5:20pm.
halftime subs:...Crew Heinemann replaces Ekpo.
.................TFC Yourassowsky replaces Gordon.
45 min...Crew Heinemann can't draw freekick on edge of TFC box when TFC Williams knocks him down running for ball.
46 min...Crew Gaven cornerkick from left has TFC Santos head ball out of box.
48 min...Crew Emilio Renteria GOAL...Crew Sebastian Miranda 35 yard cross from near right sideline has Renteria get in front of TFC Adrian Cann and flick header from 12 yards on right to left side of net past diving goalie Stefan Frei.
49 min...TFC Santos cross from 12 yards near left end line that's caught by goalie.
54 min...TFC Peterson cornerkick from right has goalie catch ball in crowd of players and he hangs on when he falls over fallen players..
55 min...Crew Rogers run up middle has sliding TFC Gargan knock fall wide left on Rogers 5 yard cross after he'd stolen ball of Gargan at 30 yard line.
56 min...Crew Gaven cornerkick from left has leaping Crew Heinemann head ball fromj 8 yards off defender at 6 yards and ball deflects out of box for Crew Duka to blast 18 yard shot high and wide right of net.
59 min...TFC Borman 30 yard cross from left has Crew Marshall volley ball away at 10 yards on left.
60 min...TFC defender hold off Crew pressure on edge of box blocking four shots and crosses.
62 min...Crew sub...Rusmir replaces Burns.
.........TFC sub...Eckersley replaces Martina and although listed as a defender, plays as a forward.
63 min...TFC Gargan long throw-in from right has ball deflected by defender for cornerkick.
63 min...TFC Peterson cornerkick from right has TFC Williams head ball wide left from 6 yards in middle of crowd of players in box.
65 min...Crew Miranda cross into box has TFC Gargan pop up header that TFC goalie can't grab in crash with Crew Heinemann but ball is cleared.
68 min...Crew Balchan on run down left wing and crosses from 20 yards near left end line has TFC Williams pop up header at 5 yards in box and gets to punt back away when headed back into box. Crew Duka blasts 25 yard shot down middle just over bar.
73 min...Crew Rogers stops pass and kicks 20 yard shot from left over net on deflection.
73 min...Crew sub...Mendoza replaces Renteria.
74 min...Crew Rogers cornerkick from left has TFC Santos charge and head ball out of box.
74 min...Crew Gaven low 25 yard shot down middle is smothered by goalie on left post.
75 min...Crew Rogers cross from left is across box and Crew Heinemann stops ball and shoots 15 yarder from left wide right of goal.
76 min...TFC sub...Plata replaces Santos. de Guzman becomes captain.
77 min...TFC Plata makes long run from center line up left wing and rolls a centering pass on edge of box that TFC Yourassowsky backheels over for TFC Peterson but defender breaks it up but Plata gets ball back and he shoots 15 yarder over net.
79 min...Crew YELLOW card...James earns it for pushing over Plata on rush down left near sideline.
80 min...TFC Peterson low 30 yard freekick from left has Crew Gaven standing behind two man player wall clear ball from box.
81 min...TFC Peterson 40 yard freekick from right has Crew Marshall head ball away in crowd of players in box.
81 min...Crew Rogers chips 25 yard ball into box but TFC Williams heads away at 7 yards.
83 min...TFC Gargan chips 50 yard freekick from right that defender heads ball away on edge of box.
83 min...Crew Miranda crosses from 25 yards on right that TFC Borman volleys away from box at 8 yards.
85 min...Crew Heinemann pops up header backwards over TFC end line for goalkick.
86 min...Crew Miranda pushes pass from 30 yards on right too far forward for Crew Duka to save it from goalkick.
87 min...Crew Gaven 50 yard freekick has Crew Heinemann head 10 yarder that TFC Gargan pops up on boot at 5 yards. Crew players work back this partial clearance into box but Crew Mendoza can't get to ball when he falls backwards holding off defender.
89 min...Crew Gaven 45 yard freekick from left sideline has Crew Marshall flick header from 10 yards on right that goalie catches on right post.
89 min...Crew YELLOW card...Rusmir earns card for not giving goalie 10 yards on his quick punt attempt downfield.
90 min...TFC Yourassowsky deflection from 7 yards over end line ends good TFC pressure.
90 min...Crew Duka shot from 30 yards deflected by defender on edge of box.
93 min...Crew Rusmir blasts 25 yard partial clearance well over net.
93 min...game ends 6:08pm.

Final Score:.....Toronto FC......1..........Columbus Crew...........1........

Attendance was announced as 20145. That may be tickets sold but I'm sure that many people showed up. At halftime we had folks from Section 219 and 220 permitted to come down and sit in section 108 (on the other side of the field but looked good on television) because their section was invaded by little flies. The guy who sat in the row in front of mine still had dozens on his coat even after he'd brushed them off before he got here.

The TFC backline looked different again. Ty Harden was serving a suspension and Nana Attakora was injured so Dicoy Williams got his first start and Dan Gargan got a start too joining regulars Adrian Cann and Danleigh Borman.

TFC had to play the entire second half down a man because Tony Tchani drew his second Yellow card--this one for excessive celebrating his goal. He jumped over the sign boards and into the arms of members of the North End Elite. I had seen a game on television a few weeks earlier with Vancouver Whitecaps losing their goalscorer Eric Hessli on a second Yellow card for tearing his shirt off and throwing it into the crowd even though he was wearing a second shirt so I needed the television replay to sort out what happened. Maybe the rules are inconsistant but team coaches should insist that no player leave the field of play after a goal to take the decision out of the whim of officials.

TFC end their three game home stand by only picking up two points out of nine. This may come back to haunt them later in the year with them having to play a lot of road games where they've done well in their history.

stats from MLS.com

Scoring Summary:
TOR -- Tony Tchani 1 (Julian de Guzman 1, Alan Gordon 1) 41
CLB -- Emilio Renteria 1 (Sebastian Miranda 1) 49

Misconduct Summary:
CLB -- Kevin Burns (caution; Reckless Tackle) 36
TOR -- Tony Tchani (caution; Unsporting Behavior) 37
CLB -- Emmanuel Ekpo (caution; Dissent) 39
TOR -- Tony Tchani (caution; Unsporting Behavior) 42
TOR -- Tony Tchani (ejection; Second Caution) 42
CLB -- Julius James (caution; Reckless Foul) 80
CLB -- Dejan Rusmir (caution; Fails to Respect Distance) 90

Comparison         TORONTO FC      COLUMBUS
Shots                     7            16
Shots on Goal             3             3
Saves                     2             2
Fouls                    16            13
Offsides                  1             1
Cornerkicks               4             5

Lineups:
 
Columbus Crew -- William Hesmer, Rich Balchan, Julius James, Chad Marshall, Sebastian Miranda, Robbie Rogers, Emmanuel Ekpo (Tommy
Heinemann 46), Kevin Burns (Dejan Rusmir 63), Dilly Duka, Emilio Renteria (Andres Mendoza 74), Eddie Gaven
Substitutes Not Used: Jeff Cunningham, Andy Iro, Korey Veeder, Andy Gruenebaum. 

Toronto FC -- Stefan Frei, Dan Gargan, Dicoy Williams, Adrian Cann, Danleigh Borman, Tony Tchani, Maicon Santos (Joao Plata 77), 
Julian de Guzman, Javier Martina (Richard Eckersley 63), Alan Gordon (Mikael Yourassowsky 46), Jacob Peterson.
Substitutes Not Used: Oscar Cordon, Nick Soolsma, Nathan Sturgis, Milos Kocic. 

Referee: David Gantar
Referee's Assistants: -Joe Fletcher; Philippe Briere
4th Official: Paul Ward
Time of Game: 1:52
Weather: Clear and 70 degrees

TFC starters