August 7, 2013--Toronto FC (MLS) vs AS Roma (Italy) (by Rocket Robin)

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Result of the Wednesday August 7th, 2013 International Friendly between Toronto FC of MLS and AS Roma of Serie A in Italy played at BMO Field in Toronto at 8:00pm.

Toronto FC (all red, white names and numbers)

............................24 Stefan Frei
27 Richard Eckersley...13 Steven Caldwell (cpt)...6 Gale Agbossoumonde...3 Jonas Elmer
15 Bobby Convey...20 Matias Laba...21 Jonathan Osorio...23 Alvaro Rey
..............10 Robert Earnshaw...17 Justin Braun

Subs:...40 Quillan Roberts (gk)...4 Doneil Henry (def)...5 Ashtone Morgan (def)...8 Kyle Bekker (mid)...9 Emery Welshman (fwd) ...16 Darel Russell (def)...18 Michael Thomas (mid)...19 Reggie Lambe (mid)...22 Jeremy Brockie (fwd)...25 Jeremy Hall (mid) ...28 Mark Bloom (def)...32 Andrew Wiedeman (fwd)...33 Ryan Richter (def)
team official: assistant coach Fran O'Leary

AS Roma (all white, maroon numbers)

.........................26 Margan De Sanctis
27 Dodo...33 Tin Jedvaj...29 Nicolas Burdisso (cpt)...13 Maicon
..............4 Michael Bradley...11 Rodrigo Taddei
........7 Marquinho...8 Erik Lamela...24 Alessandro Florenzi
.....................31 Marco Borrietto

Subs:...1 Bogdan Lobont (gk)...6 Kevin Strootman (mid)...10 Francesco Totti (mid)...15 Miralem Pjanic (mid)...20 Junior Tallo (fwd)
...35 Vasilis Torosidis (def)...46 Alessio Romagnoli (def)...88 Valerio Verre (mid)...(these were the players that actually appeared, I'm not sure who else might have been on the bench).
team official...head coach Rudi Garcia

Game officials:...referee Dave Gantar (Canada)...referee's assistants unknown...fourth official Geoff Gamble (Canada)
...(all yellow shirts, black shorts and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 8:10pm...TFC defends north end on this warm night with the setting sun in the north west.
50 sec...TFC Rey cross from 30 yards on right has ASR defender kick forward out of box at 12 yards on left.
3 min...TFC Rey rolls cross from near left cornerflag and tips off foot of ASR Jedvaj for cornerkick on left.
3 min...TFC Convey cornerkick from right has ASR Maicon head ball away at 8 yards in front of TFC Caldwell.
4 min...ASR Dodo blasts low 25 yard shot from left that sprawling goalie blocks. ASR Marquinho blasts rebound from 15 yards on left that deflects off TFC Eckersley and bends it outward across box where it's cleared from edge of box.
5 min...ASR Borriello lobs 30 yarder down middle landing on top of net.
5 min...TFC Earnshaw wins cornerkick as ASR Jedvaj slides to block on right edge of box.
6 min...TFC Convey cornerkick from right has goalie punch ball away near right post but play is whistled down.
6 min...TFC Earnshaw cross from 25 yards on left is behind net.
9 min...TFC Earnshaw run down middle and rolls ball from 30 yards that defender knocks back to goalie for him to clear.
10 min...ASR Taddei low 20 yard shot down middle has TFC Elmer block on pop up and clear.
11 min...ASR Marquinho on run down middle blasts 28 yard roller that's wide right of goal.
12 min...TFC Eckersley long run on right until he's checked off ball at 20 yards by ASR Dodo.
13 min...TFC Earnshaw wins cornerkick off goalie when ASR Florenzi skyballs clearance from 30 yards on right and it flies back towards 6 yard box and goalie punches it high as he was challenged by Earnshaw.
13 min...TFC Osorio cornerkick from left has ASR goalie punch forward and out of box from left post.
14 min...TFC goalie beats ASR Florenzi to through ball pass at 15 yards sent in by 45 yards.
14 min...TFC Alvaro Rey GOAL...TFC Matias Laba sends cross forward from center line. Rey pushes off ASR Dodo and on right end line from 10 yards and banks low shot off defender and ducking ASR Nicolas Burdisso at 6 yards even with right post heads ball into left side of own net.
18 min...TFC Eckersley cross from 30 yards on right has TFC Earnshaw flub midair kick from 18 yards on left that diving goalie smothers at 6 yards.
20 min...TFC Osorio cornerkick with TFC Convey is short and Osorio cross has TFC Earnshaw on right post flick ball with raised foot and TFC Braun lunges and heads ball backwards from 5 yards out of box.
21 min...TFC YELLOW card...Eckersley earns it for knock down of ASR of Dodo at TFC 35 yards on left side.
22 min...ASR Florenzi 30 yard freekick from left has goalie wide right of post in crowd of players punch ball forward and defender clears from box.
23 min...ASR sub...Pjanic replaces Marquinho.
24 min...ASR Alessandro Florenzi GOAL...ASR Maicon long run on right and rolls cross through 6 yard box and charging Florenzi down middle deflects in with foot from 4 yards to left side of net while goalie Stefan Frei was forced to guard right post.
27 min...TFC Convey rolls through ball pass from 30 yards that finds TFC Braun who takes low 15 yard shot into left webbing of net.
29 min...TFC Convey 35 yard freekick from right has ASR Burdisso head ball away on left side of box in crowd of players.
30 min...ASR Pjanic cornerkick from right is short to ASR Florenzi and is crossed over box and ASR player pops up header but defender clears.
30 min...TFC Rey is injured on sliding tackle by ASR Jedvaj at center line.
32 min...TFC Elmer concedes cornerkick clearing ball on edge of box preventing through ball pass down middle.
32 min...ASR Marco Borriello GOAL...ASR Alessandro Florenzi taps cornerkick from left to ASR Miralem Pjanic who passes ball back to him and he crosses from 28 yards that Borriello even with right post leaps in front of TFC Gale Agbossoumonde and heads 7 yarder into right side of net.
34 min...TFC Earnshaw blast down middle from 35 yards is over net and just wide right of net.
38 min...ASR Bradley low 35 yard shot deflects off TFC Agbossoumonde and pops high and wide right for cornerkick.
38 min...TFC sub...Russell replaces Rey.
38 min...ASR Pjanic cornerkick from right is rolled out and ASR Florenzi blasts 25 yard shot that goalie bats wide right of net.
39 min...ASR Pjanic cornerkick from right has ASR player flick header from right and ball deflects off hip of ASR Bradley at 6 yards on left for goalkick.
40 min...ASR Lamela rolls pass forward from 22 yards that TFC Eckersley clears before ASR player can get to it.
43 min...ASR Dodo run to get pass on left and cross from 20 yards along end line has TFC Caldwell at 8 yards along line head out for cornerkick.
43 min...ASR Pjanic cornerkick from left has ball partially cleared and ASR Dodo 25 yard roller is wide left.
45 min...ASR Pjanic blasts low 33 yard shot up middle that diving goalie punches forward and ASR Borriello seeking rebound at 12 yards is flagged offside.
46 min...half ends 8:56pm.

Halftime Entertainment:...There was the 'Pizza Pizza Box Challenge' where two contestants had to race each other to pick up 15 empty pizza boxes scattered in the center circle then kick a ball in a mini net which was tough to do with their arms full.

2nd Half:...half starts 9:13pm.
halftime sub:...ASR Lobont replaces De Sanctis in net.
..........TFC Morgan replaces Eckersley.
..........TFC Henry replaces Caldwell.
..........TFC Thomas replaces Agbossoumonde.
..........TFC Bloom replaces Elmer.
..........TFC Hall replaces Laba.
..........TFC Bekker replaces Osorio.
..........TFC Lambe replaces Convey.
..........TFC Wiedeman replaces Earnshaw.
..........TFC Brokie replaces Braun.
45 min...TFC Morgan get his short throw-in from left tapped back to him and his cross from near cornerflag drifts behind net.
46 min...ASR Maicon trips over diving TFC goalie and crashes into sign boards. Goalie had ran to right to push away deflection back of TFC Henry's clearance attempt off Maicon at 20 yards. Henry clears out right side of box.
50 min...ASR Pjanic 35 yard freekick from left is just wide right of post.
51 min...TFC Bekker blasts 35 yarder down middle that deflects off defender's head and goalie palms ball off bar. TFC Brockie intercepts defender's header at 22 yards and rolls pass forward and right that deflects off ASR Burdisso and through for TFC Wiedemen who shoots 10 yarder into outside right webbing of net.
53 min...ASR Pjanic receives tapped back pass and chips 30 yarder from right that ASR Florenzi can't keep ball in play on left end line.
55 min...ASR Dodo cross back from 10 yards along left end line has TFC Morgan dive forward to head ball away.
57 min...A big cheer goes up from crowd as ASR Totti starts warming up.
57 min...TFC player's long throw-in from right has ASR player head away from edge of box.
58 min...ASR Pjanic through ball pass is intercepted on edge of box.
60 min...ASR Dodo cross from 28 yards on left has TFC Henry head ball away from 10 yards.
60 min...ASR Lamela rolls pass up middle from 20 yards and TFC Henry intercepts and clears from 8 yards.
61 min...ASR Bradley pass from middle to ASR Florenzi on left and he crosses from 28 yards over net.
61 min...ASR sub...Romagnoli replaces Maicon.
62 min...TFC Brockie 30 yard cross is bounced in from right that goalie catches.
64 min...TFC sub...Thomas replaces Agbossoumonde.
66 min...AS Roma Miralem Pjanic GOAL...Pjanic takes 25 yard freekick down middle that's bend into top left corner of net beyond flying goalie. ASR Dodo was lined up as a decoy on right and Pjanic was on left of ball.
70 min...ASR Florenzi low cross from 18 yards from left has ASR Dodo one-touch 10 yard shot that goalie blocks near left post. Florenzi chips ball across box from 8 yards and bounces wide right for goalkick.
71 min...ASR sub...Totti replaces Florenzi. ASR Jedvaj is being treated for an injury.
72 min...ASR Taddei clears ball away from TFC Brockie at 8 yards on left.
74 min...ASR Lemala short cornerkick from right is quick and worked out but ball is never sent into box.
74 min...ASR goalie charges out to 22 yards on right to kick ball away before charging TFC Lambe can get to it.
75 min...TFC sub...Quillan replaces Frei in goal.
.........TFC sub...Richter replaces Lambe.
.........ASR sub...Strootman replaces Taddei.
.........ASR sub...Tallo replaces Lamela.
76 min...it starts to rain.
76 min...ASR Jedvaj receives his short throw-in on right back to him and he crosses from 28 yards over TFC box.
77 min...TFC Bloom kicks ball from 10 yards over left end line for cornerkick on low cross from ASR Dodo.
77 min...ASR Totti short cornerkick from left is tapped back to him and he chips from 15 yards across box and ASR Bradley knocks back and out of box.
78 min...ASR Totti chips pass forward from 40 yards on left and ASR Borrielo knocks it down then blasts 20 yarder well over net.
78 min...ASR sub...Torosidis replaces Jedvaj.
81 min...TFC sub...Welshman replaces Brockie.
85 min...TFC Hall cross from 25 yards on right has retreating ASR Torosidis head ball from 6 yards in middle high and out over left end line for cornerkick.
85 min...TFC Bekker cornerkick from left has ball knocked back from left side of box back to him and he crosses 25 yarder that goalie near left post punches forward and out of box. TFC Welchman receives through ball pass and his 7 yard shot is blocked by defender. Ball deflects back to TFC Russell who turns and chips 15 yarder from right over bar.
86 min...ASR Miralem Pjanic GOAL...Pjanic intercepts TFC Hall's backpass from 40 yards at 30 yards on left and steps around TFC Mark Bloom at 25 yards and dekes sliding goalie Quillan Roberts at 15 yards and runs in and backheels 5 yarder into open net.
87 min...ASR sub...Verre replaces Bradley.
89 min...ASR Totti blasts 22 yard shot from right that hits TFC Henry's head at 10 yards and deflects out of box.
89 min...ASR Totti blasts 25 yarder down middle well over net.
90 min...ASR Totti is tapped back pass and he chips 18 yard shot from right that goalie easily catches.
91 min...game ends 9:59pm.

Final Score:.....Toronto FC......1..........AS Roma (Italy)...........4........

Attendance was announced as 18274. There were empty seats in the upper corners. I expect people who wanted to come this game bought the best seats available which filled in for the season ticket holders who didn't bother to buy tickets for this game. Fans of AS Roma outnumbered TFC fans easily in my section and I'd expect most others just based on the number of replica Roma jerseys I saw. Oh well, I won't be seeing those fans again!

I was more pleased to see the American international Michael Bradley then Francisco Totti. Bradley pleaed mostly in the back as a defensive midfielder and would pass off rather than shoot. This weekend I get a chance to see another American international--Clint Dempsey who just signed for the Seattle Sounders and this might be his first game. Totti came in at 71 minutes. Fans were shouting for the ball to be kicked out of bouncs so he could come on two minutes earlier. Totti would just as likely pass off than shoot himself but drew "oohs" and "ahhs" whatever he chose.

TFC split their team into two halves although some did play more or less than 45 minutes. They were somewhat evenly balanced. There were no players brought up from the TFC Academy, unlike last year's game against Liverpool. Playing only one half made sure no players were tired out. Only regular squad players that were missing was their regular goalie Joe Bendic and the still injured designated player/forward Danny Koevermans.

A Man of the Match was announced for each team and presented by radio owner Lenny Lombardi. TFC had midfielder Matias Laba chosen who played well. Roma had midfielder Miralem Pjanic chosen who was an obvious choice with two goals although his were the 3rd and 4th for Roma on the night. He came in as the night's first sub at 23 minutes.

Roma subbed their goalis at halftime while TFC waited until 75 minutes before bringing in teenager Quillan Roberts.

At least Roma won by a higher score that when they beat the MLS All Stars 3-1 last Wednesday. The players who dominated that game, Fancesco Totti didn't come on until 71 minutes and goalscorers Kevin Strootman and Junior Tallo were held back until finally entering the match at 75 minutes. I don't know if these three were brought into the game earlier whether Roma would have pulled away earlier.

This game brought the return of TFC forward Robert Earnshaw after a long injury. He is one of the few scoring threats the team has.

There is a slight rain at 76 minutes for a few minutes that chased away some fans and caused some players to start slipping on the field.

This game was not part of the season's ticket package. It can act as a revenue generator for TFC's early exit in the Canadian Championship at the semi-final stage and therefor no games in the CONCACAF Club Championship group matches which coincidently started tonight with Montreal playing San Jose.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

stats from AS Roma site

08/07/2013
Toronto, BMO Field
August 7, 2013
Friendly Match

Scorers: 16' (og.) Burdisso, 25' Florenzi, 33' Borriello,  67' Pjanic, 87'  Pjanic

AS ROMA (4-3-3): De Sanctis (46' Lobont); 
Maicon (62' Romagnoli), Burdisso, Jedvaj (79' Torosidis), Dodò; 
Bradley (88' Verre), Taddei (76' Strootman), Florenzi (71' Totti); 
Lamela (76' Tallo), Borriello, Marquinho (24' Pjanic)
 Coach: R. Garcia

TORONTO FC: Frei (76' Roberts); 
Eckersley (46' Morgan), Caldwell (46' Henry), Agbossoumonde (65' Thomas), Elmer (46' Bloom); 
Rey (39' Russel), Laba (Hall), Osorio (46' Bekker), Convey (46' Lambe, 76' Rictcher); 
Earnshaw (46' Wiedeman), Braun (46' Brockie, 82' Welshmann)
 Coach: R. Nelsen
  

FIRST HALF
 16 min: Toronto FC come forward, Rey crosses and Burdisso heads the ball into his own net. The hosts lead 1-0
 25 min: Maicon plays in a wonderful ball and Florenzi has the simple task of tucking it home. 1-1
 33 min: The Giallorossi move in front as Borriello heads home from Florenzi's cross from the left

SECOND HALF
52 min: Toronto nearly draw level as Bekker's shot from range crashes against the crossbar
67 min: Pjanic curls in a wonderful 25-yard free-kick. What a goal!
87: Pjanic nips in to intercept an under-hit backpass and goes round the keeper before finishing with a cheeky backheel 
to a huge cheer. Miralem's second and Roma's fourth. 4-1!

TFC starters