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Result of the Saturday April 21st, 2012 MLS game between Toronto FC and Chicago Fire played at BMO Field in Toronto at 3:30pm.
Toronto FC (all red, white names and numbers, black shoulders and sleeves)
........................30 Milos Kocic
.........27 Richard Eckersley...22 Torsten Frings (cpt)...12 Adrian Cann
15 Matt Stinson...23 Terry Dunfield...8 Eric Avila...5 Ashtone Morgan
.........19 Reggie Lambe...9 Ryan Johnson...7 Joao Plata
Subs:...40 Quillan Roberts (gk)...3 Miguel Aceval (def)...4 Doneil Henry (def)...6 Julian de Guzman (mid)...11 Luis Silva (mid)
20 Ty Harden (def)...33 Junior Burgos (mid)
team officials:...head coach Aron Winter
Chicago Fire (all navy, white names and numbers)
.......................25 Sean Johnson
3 Dan Gargan...23 Arne Friedrich...6 Jalil Anibaba...13 Gonzalo Segares
10 Sebastian Grazzini...12 Logan Pause (cpt)...17 Pavel Pardo...16 Marco Pappa
.........14 Patrick Nyardo...8 Dominic Oduro
Subs:...70 Paolo Tornaghi (gk)...9 Federico Puppo (fwd)...11 Daniel Paladini (mid)...15 Orr Barouch (fwd)...22 Austin Berry (def)
...88 Rafael Robayo (mid)...99 Hunter Jumper (def)
team officials:...head coach Frank Klopas
Game officials:...referee Kevin Stott...referee's assistants Craig Lowry and Brian Poeschel...fourth official David Gantar... (gray shirts, black shorts and socks)
1st Half:...game starts 4:53pm...TFC defend south end on this overcast late afternoon with the weather damp and cold.
25 sec...Fire Dominic Oduro GOAL...TFC goalie rolls ball forward up middle for TFC Torsten Frings at 22 yards. Fire Patrick Nyarko comes in from left
side and pokes ball away from him and over to charging Oduro open on the right at 18 yards and he cuts towards net and rolls 10 yard shot under arm
of sliding goalie Milos Kocic at 6 yards and ball rolls into center of net.
1 min...TFC Stinson cross from 25 yards on right is cleared on left side of box by header by Fire Gargan. TFC Plata crosses from 25 yards on left that
drifts behind net.
2 min...Fire Pardo 40 yard freekick has Fire Oduro pop up header at 18 yards on edge of box and Fire Gargan rescues near right end line and boots 8 yarder
around TFC Morgan but behind end line.
4 min...TFC Lambe receives short throw-in from TFC Stinson on right and curls 25 yarder from right that goalie catches on bounce.
6 min...TFC Plata runs down left wing and crosses to middle where TFC Lambe takes 30 yard blast down middle that's is well wide left of net.
8 min...TFC Plata rolls 35 yard blast from left that's just wide left of post.
8 min...Fire goalie dives on ball to smother at 10 yards on right that TFC Johnson and given short pass to TFC Avila who flicked ball behind defender
at 18 yards.
9 min...Fire Grazzini cross from 25 yards on left is high and over box. Fire Pause blocks clearance by TFC Cann and gives short pass to Fire Oduro
who rolls 18 yarder wide left of net.
10 min...TFC Dunfield at 45 yards puts foot out to stop pass and pops up ball back down middle that finds Fire Oduro open on a breakaway at 30 yards and
his low 20 yard shot up middle has goalie sprawl and block ball at 15 yards.
11 min...TFC Lambe 30 yard freekick from right has goalie punch ball upwards and collide with his own player at 6 yards. TFC Cann rolls pass to TFC Lambe
running up right side inside box and Fire Pappa slides to block his shot from 10 yards and concedes throw-in on right.
13 min...Fire Segares rolls 25 yarder on run near left sideline that Fire Pappa rolls further along from left along edge of box and Fire Grazzini
chips 18 yarder that goalie catches at 3 yards.
13 min...TFC Plata on run from left rolls pass from 35 yards as he cuts towards goal that finds TFC Lambe open on right and his 20 yard blast from
right has goalie slide and palm ball wide right of net and defender clears from near left sideline.
14 min...TFC Lambe rolls 22 yard cross from right that Fire Anibaba in front of TFC Johnson clears at 10 yards.
15 min...TFC Avila 25 yard cross from right is caught by goalie.
19 min...Fire Pardo 30 yard freekick down middle is low and caught by goalie on bounce.
20 min...Fire Pause cross from right is over box and Fire Nyarko is checked off ball on left side of box.
21 min...TFC Eckersley long ball up right and TFC Johnson chests it down and crosses from extreme right 20 yards through box unplayed.
23 min...TFC YELLOW card...Cann earns it for forearm to high chest on Fire Oduro injurying him at Fire 45 yard line.
25 min...TFC Lambe cross from 25 yards on right has TFC Morgan leap and head 12 yarder from left that goalie catches.
26 min...TFC Eckersley 50 yard cross from right is caught by goalie.
27 min...Fire Gargan 20 yard low cross from right is past TFC Morgan but TFC Frings stops ball at 6 yards then runs it out of box.
27 min...TFC Lambe rush on right and eludes Fire Anibaba to get away low 20 yard shot that's into outside right webbing of net.
29 min...TFC Plata low 22 yard shot from left deflects off defender and has goalie dive and push ball wide right of net. TFC win cornerkick on play
along right end line.
29 min...TFC Lambe short cornerkick from right to TFC Plata as ball tapped back to him and cross reaches TFC Stinson on right and he shoots 25 yarder
that shanks wide right for throw-in on right.
31 min...TFC Johnson cross from 25 yards near left side of box finds TFC Lambe on right and his 15 yard low shot deflects off defender and bloops
to goalie to pick up.
32 min...Fire Gargan long throw-in from right is over head attempt of TFC Cann but Fire Nyarko bicycle kick from 15 yards on left is caught
by goalie.
33 min...Fire Oduro on break down left has charging TFC Cann poke ball away at 15 yards for cornerkick.
34 min...Fire Pardo cornerkick from left has Fire Gargan head 10 yarder on right that's into outside webbing of net.
35 min...TFC Reggie Lambe GOAL...TFC Joao Plata cornerkick from left has goalie at 6 yards punch ball out of box. Lambe on left eludes Fire
Logan Pause and blasts 28 yarder through crowd of players and into top left corner of net beyond reach of Fire goalie Sean Johnson.
37 min...Fire Grazzini 45 yard freekick from right has TFC Cann in crowd of players in box head ball away for throw-in.
38 min...Fire Gargan long throw-in from right has Fire Anibaba on right side of box head 8 yarder into outside webbing of net.
39 min...TFC Reggie Lambe GOAL...TFC Joao Plata at 40 yards on left rolls centering pass to that TFC Eric Avila misses and charging TFC Ryan
Johnson down middle who runs to left and rolls cross along 6 yard line and TFC Matt Stinson trips over sliding Fire defender Gonzalo Segares. Ball rolls
to right side where Lambe gets away 10 yard shot into open right side of net before Fire Pavel Pardo can catch him.
40 min...Fire Gonzalo Segares GOAL...Fire Sebastian Grazzini long 45 yard freekick from right has charging Segares lift foot to boot 8 yarder from left
into net over shoulder of goalie at 6 yards.
42 min...TFC Lambe charges for loose ball on right and shanks 12 yard shot that's well high and wide right of net.
43 min...TFC Eckersley gets back to clear away chance by Fire Nyardo on left side of box.
43 min...TFC goalie charges wide right to kick away through ball before charging Fire Oduro can get to it.
44 min...TFC Avila cross from 20 yards on right is caught by goalie.
45 min...TFC Johnson cross from 25 yards on left has defender head away from crowd in box.
46 min...Fire Pardo cornerkick from left has TFC Eckersley heads ball out of box from 6 yards on left. Fire Pardo gets ball passed back to him near
left sideline and cross has TFC Dunfield pop up header on left and Fire Alibaba at 8 yards on right is checked off ball.
47 min...half ends 4:40pm.
Halftime entertainment:...there was no halftime entertainment on the field. There were no sprinklers for this game as all night it had rained and soaked everthing. In the middle of our row was still a large puddle. I also didn't notice any falcon for this game but there were no seagulls either.
2nd Half:...starts 4:56pm.
47 min...TFC Johnson is poked off getting shot on edge of Fire box.
49 min...TFC Stinson is injured by elbow in face just outside right side of box.
50 min...TFC Plata cornerkick from right has Fire Friedrich head ball away from 10 yards in box. TFC Johnson shot from 15 yards is deflected wide
off Fire Friedrich for TFC throw-in on left.
51 min...TFC Frings 40 yard freekick from right has TFC Cann head ball down at 10 yards and TFC Stinson scissor kick at 8 yards is stopped by
Fire Gargan.
52 min...Fire Nyarko cross from right from 22 yards has goalie palm wide left of net for cornerkick on left.
53 min...Fire Pardo cornerkick from left is headed away by TFC Eckersley at 8 yards on left.
53 min...TFC Johnson bends in 30 yard cross from right has goalie catch at 10 yards.
56 min...TFC Johnson cross from left is over goalie from 15 yards but through box and defender clears. TFC Eckersley charges forward on right and
blasts 35 yard shot well high and wide right of net.
57 min...Fire Patrick Nyarko GOAL...Fire Logan Pause passes forward down middle from 80 yards to Fire Dominci Oduro who runs up middle and pushes
pass forward from 55 yards past TFC Torsten Frings at 35 yards and charging Nyarko gets to ball ahead of retreating TFC Richard Eckersley. Charging
TFC goalie Milos Kocic comes well out of net to 25 yards but Nyarko pushes ball past him to right. Nyarko chases ball and kicks low 15 yard shot
from right into center of empty net ahead of sliding Eckersley.
57 min...TFC sub...de Guzman replaces Dunfield. TFC Frings now plays forward midfielder.
59 min...Fire Grazzini 35 yard chip down middle is over goalie and hits bar and bounces out of box.
60 min...Fire goalie survives ball in box and collision with own player.
60 min...Fire backheels pass back to Fire Pappa on give and go on left edge of box. Pappa crosses through box and Fire Grazzini scissor kick attempt
from 15 yards bloops forward for goalie to catch.
61 min...TFC Morgan cross from 25 yards on left is headed away by Fire Segares at 12 yards. TFC Plata rolls 22 yarder up middle that
goalie smothers.
62 min...TFC Plata 20 yard cross from left has Fire Segares clear at 5 yards preventing TFC Johnson from making play near right post. TFC Avila holds
off Fire Pause and taps pass back for TFC Frings to shoot low 18 yarder up middle wide right of net.
63 min...TFC Stinson runs towards middle and rolls pass to right for TFC Lambe who crosses from 22 yards on right that drifts behind net.
64 min...Fire sub...Puppo replaces Pappa.
65 min...Fire Grazzini 40 yard freekick from right is rolled forward and Fire Oduro gets ball at 15 yards on right but shot/cross is blocked
by TFC Eckersley at 6 yards and TFC de Guzman clears ball from box.
66 min...TFC Frings at 35 yards rolls pass to TFC Lambe who tips forward and wide right from 20 yards.
66 min...Fire Grazzini is injured in center circle on tackle by TFC de Guzman.
67 min...TFC sub...Silva replaces Stinson.
69 min...TFC YELLOW card...de Guzman earns it for tackle on Fire Friedrich in center circle.
69 min...Fire goalie outjumps TFC Plata for through ball on edge of box for skyball blast sent in from TFC Eckersley from 70 yards on right.
70 min...TFC Lambe taps pass over to TFC Johnson near right edge of box and he cuts towards middle and sends 20 yard shot is well high and
wide right of net.
71 min...TFC Frings cross from right has diving Fire Friedrich clear with header at 10 yards.
73 min...TFC Plata on run has Fire Gargan slide and poke ball away at 12 yards on give and go with TFC Frings.
74 min...TFC Frings dekes sliding Fire players at 35 yards and rolls ball forward and to right for charging TFC Avila for low 15 yard cross through box
that charging TFC Johnson on near post flicks at 3 yards but wide left of net. The confetti machines in the south end are set off although the shot
was wide of the net.
75 min...TFC Avila gets pass from TFC Lambe near right edge of box and rolls cross into box from 15 yards that deflects off defender. Another defender
rolls ball out of box. TFC de Guzman low 25 yard shot up middle blocked by defender at 15 yards. TFC Frings blasts 25 yard shot that is also blocked
up middle. TFC can't win appeal for hand ball.
76 min...TFC de Guzman crosses 35 yarder from right that has leaping TFC Johnson push off Fire Gargan and send in 5 yard header that bounces and
hits post. TFC Plata blasts loose ball high and over box. Fire Gargan is injured on the play sliding to block Plata's shot.
78 min...Fire sub...Barouch replaces Grazzini.
78 min...TFC Lambe bounces cross from 28 yards from right that goalie catches on bounce.
79 min...TFC YELLOW card...Eckersley earns it for sliding tackle on Fire Oduro injurying him at 22 yards on right.
80 min...Fire Pardo freekick from 28 yards on right has ball sent through box and crowd of players wide left.
82 min...TFC Johnson taps ball over to TFC Avila who rolls 25 yard shot wide left of net.
82 min...Fire sub...Paladini replaces Oduro.
83 min...Fire Paladini low 18 yard shot from right is picked up by goalie on bounce.
84 min...TFC sub...Burgos replaces Avila.
84 min...TFC Burgos 35 yard freekick on right has Fire defender head ball away at 6 yards on right end line keeping TFC Johnson from connecting.
85 min...TFC Eckersley chips 40 yarder from left that defender heads away from 15 yards.
86 min...TFC Frings gets header in Fire box but play is called for elbowing a defender.
87 min...TFC Johnson cross from 30 yards on left has TFC Frings covered by Fire Segares leap and head 7 yarder up middle that goalie catches.
87 min...TFC Burgos chips in 40 yarder from right that Fire Anibaba gives up cornerkick on his 22 yard defensive header to prevent TFC Plata getting
in behind him near edge of box.
88 min...TFC Burgos cornerkick from right has Fire Friedrich in middle of box head ball away from 12 yards.
89 min...Fire Anibaba checks ball off TFC Johnson at 8 yards to prevent him getting away shot.
90 min...TFC Johnson wins freekick when pushed over by Fire Gargan.
90 min...TFC Frings 25 yard freekick from left is into player wall and ball is cleared.
91 min...TFC Burgos 18 yard low shot from left is smothered by goalie.
93 min...TFC Plata rushes up left and sends 22 yard cross bounces to charging goalie who picks up at 7 yards on left.
93 min...TFC Johnson with back to net flicks header forward from 30 yards that goalie picks up on bounce.
94 min...TFC goalie takes 65 yard freekick has leaping Fire Anibaba head ball out of box from 15 yards.
94 min...TFC Eckersley chips 45 yarder from right that goalie in crowd of players punches forward from 7 yards up middle. TFC Burgos at 18 yards
heads ball back up middle and goalie catches at 1 yard.
94 min...TFC Johnson cross from 30 yards near left sideline is popped up by leg of defender at 22 yards on left and ball lands near charging TFC Silva
at 10 yards on left who overruns it. Fire defender concedes cornerkick.
95 min...TFC Burgos cornerkick from left. TFC goalie Kocic is even in the Fire box for this play. Fire defender pops ball up at 6 yards and
TFC Frings pops 10 yard header wide left of net. TFC Johnson is injured on play.
95 min...game ends 5:46pm.
Final Score:.....Toronto FC......2..........Chicago Fire...........3........
Attendance was announced as 19255. I say there were a lot of empty seats so they must have been using tickets sold. It was the fourth game (that means all of them) that I was glad I wore a parka. It had rained much of last night. It was overcast and damp but it didn't rain this afternoon. Another problem getting here...this time it was once again shuttle buses running from Union station as the transit service made streetcar track repairs. Next week the subway tracks are being repaired downtown over the weekend but TFC are out of town.
Man of the Match (which is always a TFC player) was announced as forward Reggie Lambe who scored both the TFC goals. I can't object to that choice this game. The award was presented by a rep from 'The Liverpool Fans of Durham'. It was leaked earlier in the week that Liverpool would be playing a friendly against Toronto FC in July but details about tickets have been silenced as it wouldn't look good that ownership was looking at a cash grab for this game while the team flounders in MLS league play. I wonder who that rep will be cheering for when that game is played?
Today brought the return of TFC designated player Torsten Frings. He started as a central defender then moved up to midfield when Julian de Guzman came on in the second half and finally as the team got more desparate for the tieing goal, he moved up to forward. His game started as a nightmare as at just 25 seconds he was stripped off the ball for the first Fire goal. I saw other problems with him. I saw him bully freekick specialist Junior Burgos off the ball in injury time so he could take a 25 yard freekick then blast it into the player wall so as not to even be a threat. Finally in injury time as TFC players headed the ball back and forth across the 6 yard box, Frings jumped near the left post and headed it well wide left on the last play of the game. He couldn't get the referee to award him a Penalty kick on an obvious dive. Ex-TFC defender Dan Gargan successfully shadowed Frings when he moved up to the midfield.
TFC midfielder Reggie Lambe got to move up to forward today to replace the injured Danny Koevermans/Nick Soolsma and scored two goals. These were the first TFC goals at home this season in four home games. After the two goals, Lambe tried for a hattrick on his own rather than give some passes to more open teammates. Designated player Danny Koevermans was injured and did not play today. Their third designated player, Julian de Guzman, started on the bench and didn't enter the game until 57 minutes--just after the Fire's winning goal.
The PA announcer messed up crediting Toronto FCs first goal scored at home. He said it was #18 Reggie Lambe who scored. By the second goal, he corrected it to #19 Reggie Lambe. Also at 74 minutes, the special effects team blasted the confetti in the south end on a shot that ended up going wide! Some fan behind me said "Don't do that, it reminds me of my prom night!"
TFC ran into an old problem from their past--they can't hold onto leads. It was only a minute after their second goal and first lead of the season that they gave up the tieing goal on a long freekick into the box while the defence stood around letting Patrick Nyarko volley in an 8 yard shot.
Fire goalie Sean Johnson was on the US Olympic qualifying team that last month failed to advance to this summer's Olympic games in a set of shock results. This game he played competently although maybe punching away a few too many crosses rather than trying to catch them. Fire have recently signed forward Chris Rolfe who played for them years ago but then went away to Europe. He had picked up an injury in training earlier in the week and did not play.
This now is the worst TFC start of their six years. Zero wins and six losses in six games. Four of these games have been at home. Their playoff chances on www.sportsnetstats.com fell again to a 2.3% chance of making the post season.
Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
stats from MLSsoccer.com Major EventsGoals and Assists CHI 1' Dominic Oduro (Patrick Nyarko) TOR 36' Reggie Lambe TOR 40' Reggie Lambe (Matt Stinson, Ryan Johnson) CHI 41' Gonzalo Segares (Sebastián Grazzini) CHI 58' Patrick Nyarko (Dominic Oduro, Logan Pause)
Disciplinary TOR 24' Adrian Cann Foul Yellow TOR 70' Julian de Guzman Foul Yellow TOR 80' Richard Eckersley Foul Yellow
Lineups
Chicago Fire: Sean Johnson; Dan Gargan, Arne Friedrich, Jalil Anibaba, Gonzalo Segares; Logan Pause (cpt), Pavel Pardo, Marco Pappa (Federico Puppo, 65’); Sebastian Grazzini (Orr Barouch, 79’); Patrick Nyarko, Dominic Oduro (Daniel Paladini, 84’)
Substitutes not used: Paolo Tornaghi, Austin Berry, Hunter Jumper, Rafael Robayo
Toronto FC: Milos Kocic; Richard Eckersley, Adrian Cann, Torsten Frings (cpt), Ashtone Morgan; Matt Stinson (Luis Silva, 68’), Terry Dunfield (Julian de Guzman, 58’), Eric Avila (Junior Burgos, 85’), Reggie Lambe; Ryan Johnson, Joao Plata
Substitutes not used: Quillan Roberts, Miguel Aceval, Ty Harden, Doneil Harvey
Referee: Kevin Stott Assistants: Craig Lowry, Brian Poeschel Fourth Official: David Gantar Attendance: 19,255
Match Stats Match Stats Toronto FC Chicago Fire 28 Attempts on Goal 17 8 Shots on Target 11 14 Shots off Target 3 6 Blocked Shots 3 5 Corner Kicks 3 14 Fouls 8 30 Open Play Crosses 7 1 Offsides 2 3 Yellow Cards 0 0 Red Cards 0 48 Duels Won 64 42% Duels Won % 57% 431 Total Pass 353 74% Passing Accuracy % 69% 55% Possession 45%
TFC starters
Fire starters
Fire Dominic Oduro (8) and Sebastian Grazzini (10) line up for kickoff.
TFC backline of Richard Eckersley (27), Torsten Frings (22), and Adrian Cann (12) take on Fire forwards Dominic Oduro (8) and Patrick Nyarko (14).
TFC Reggie Lambe with ball.
TFC Torsten Frings with ball.
Fire Pavel Pardo takes freekick.
Fire Marco Pappa (16) and Gonzalo Segares (13) try rush.
TFC Joao Plata cornerkick is popped up in the box.
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