September 14, 2022 MLSNEXT Pro...Toronto FC II vs Inter Miami IC II game report (by Rocket Robin)

........................

Result and details of the Wednesday September 14, 2022 MLSNEXTPro league game between Toronto FC II
and Inter Miami CF II played at York Lions Stadium at 7:00pm.

Toronto FC II (gray socks, red shorts and shirts, white names and numbers)

......................90 Luka Gavran
12 Kadin Chung...51 Adam Pearlman...65 Antony Curic...62 Rohan Goulbourne
86 Alec Dias...72 Steffen Yeates...52 Alonso Coello (cpt)...81 Themi Antonoglou
.............83 Hugo Mbongue...77 Jordan Perruzza

Subs:...50 Andrew Romano (gk)...33 Reshaun Walkes (fwd)...34 Klaidi Cela (def)...58 Kobe Franklin (def)
...71 Markus Cimermancic (mid)...80 Paul Rothrock (mid)...82 Julian Altobelli (mid)...84 Joshua Gordon (def)
...85 Antonio Carlini (mid)
team officials:...head coach Giani Cianni

Inter Miami CF II (all pink uniforms, black names and numbers)

......................99 Andre Zuluga-Silva
42 Logan Batiste...55 Tyler Hall...36 Abel Caputo (cpt...32 Nah Allen
39 Shaan Hundal...43 Lawson Sunderland...58 Benjamin Cremaschi...48 Tyler Bagley
................49 Shanyder Borgelin...30 George Acosta

Subs:...-- Brett Kaminski (gk)...38 Drew Hardin (mid)...47 Dalron Reyes (fwd)...56 Kobi Thomas (fwd)
...68 Pedro Faife Perez (mid)...62 Israel Boatwright (fwd)
team officials:...head coach Darren Powell

Game officials:...referee Roberto D'Alesio...referee's assistants Peter Pendli and Jason Olinski
...fourth official David Barrie...(all black uniforms)

First Half:...game starts 7:04pm...TFC defends south end on this cool, sunny evening but the field is already in the shadows.
There's a strong wind from the north.
4 min...TFC players clear dangerous IM pass into box.
6 min...IM Borgelin pass to IM Acosta whose shot from 20 yards hits TFC Pearlman then an IM player and rolls over endline.
7 min...IM Hundal rolls shot through TFC Curic legs at 20 yards and goalie sprawls to make save.
7 min...TFC Antonoglou high cross from left is well over box. TFC Perruzza recovers and runs it over end line.
8 min...TFC Yeates 15 yard shot is saved by goalie swatting ball but play is called offside.
10 min...IM Acosta rolls 40 yard freekick up right and cross by IM player into box is off shoulder of defender but cleared.
11 min...TFC Dias rush on left and cross into box has defender clear it.
15 min...IM Borgelin stops pass from IM Acosta and low 15 yard shot around defender has goalie dive to smother.
16 min...IM Bagley cornerkick from left is short to IM Acosta who sends it back and Bagley's cross from 25 yards is caught
by goalie jumping on short side.
18 min...TFC Curic makes good retreat to prevent IM breakthrough at 30 yards on left.
19 min...IM goalie makes dangerous clearance of ball off TFC Mbonge and ball deflects welllo ver net from 12 yards.
20 min...IM Hundal long run down right but pushes ball over end line before he sends in cross.
23 min...TFC Perruzza on give and go with TFC Mbongue gets ball back at 15 yards and shot from left has goalie make great
midair foot save.
24 min...IM Bagley cornerkick from right has IM Borgelin on left head ball to center of box and IM Hundal heads ball forward
from 8 yards that defender stops. There's no handball call although IM players yell for it.
26 min...TFC Antonoglou run from left forward and to center but slips on edge of box and ball is cleared by defender.
28 min...TFC Coello chips 30 yarder up middle that has goalie out to 12 yards but TFC Chung at 15 yards chips over him but
sends ball over bar.
30 min...TFC Dias on 2 on 1 rush down right has 18 yard low shot stopped by sliding goalie.
32 min...TFC YELLOW card...Chung earns it for sliding tackle from behind on IM Allen at the TFC 40 yard line. The trainer
is required.
34 min...IM Bagley rolls centering ball from left. IM Allen charges forward to left end line and 12 yard roller is picked up by goalie.
36 min...TFC Mbongue cross from left has defender clear from box.
38 min...TFC Antonoglou finishes play with 15 yard roller across 6 yard box wide right of net.
38 min...TFC Antonoglou cornerkick from right has TFC Perruzza on right side of box head ball over player in box.
40 min...TFC II Jordan Perruzza GOAL...TFC Hugo Mbongue receives pass at IM 50 yard line on slight left and turns
and sends low cross forward and right for charging Perruzza at 25 yards who'd gotten between and behind two defenders.
He dribbles to 7 yards on right and shoots low and around goalie Andre Zuluga-Silva at 4 yards into left corner of net.

43 min...TFC Antonoglou runs past defender and cross from 15 yards on left is deflected behind net.
44 min...TFC Coello receives cornerkick from left at 20 yards on right and shot spins off defender for goalie to step right and smother.
46 min...IM Allen lofts 25 yard freekick down middle well over net.
47 min...half ends 7:51pm.

Halftime: Both teams subs stay out on the field to warm up. It's dark already and it's getting colder.

Second Half:...starts 8:06pm.
47 min...Inter Miami Shaan Hundal GOAL...IM George Acosta chips cross from 20 yard line on left in alignment with edge
of 18 yard box that's over defender and IM Shanyder Borgelin one-touches when ball hits ground at 8 yards in alignment
with right post. That shot has diving goalie Luka Gavran save on right post. Hundal steps up for 2 yard rebound that
he pounds up middle into open net.

50 min...TFC II Kadin Chung GOAL...TFC Themi Antonoglou cross from near left end line after run drops into box
and retreating IM Noah Allen backheels away from 6 yards. Chung runs forward to loose ball and blasts 18 yarder from
right into top left corner of net.

53 min...TFC Perruzza is injured at IM 35 yard line but gets up on his own.
54 min...Inter Miami Shaan Hundal GOAL...IM Lawson Sunderland at 25 yards rolls ball up middle. IM Tyler Bagley
tips pass at 15 yards that Hundal steps in front of him and shoots 12 yarder down middle into top left side of net
over goalie at 3 yards.

56 min...IM Bagley 28 yard freekick from slight left is chipped to right where goalie steps forward to catch.
56 min...IM YELLOW card...Allen earns it for knocking over TFC Antonoglou.
............TFC YELLOW card...Antonoglou earns it for dissent arguing at TFC 40 yard line.
58 min...TFC Dias receives pass on right and rolls cross from 12 yards that sliding defender concedes cornerkick.
59 min...TFC Chung receives cornerkick up field and chips over to left side of 6 yard box that sliding TFC Curic
misses connecting.
61 min...IM Hundal run up right and rolls centering cross but goalie dives forward to prevent IM Bagley from getting
to it at 10 yards.
62 min...IM Hundal high cross from far right has IM Borgelin well tied up in box by defender not able to connect.
63 min...Inter Miami Benjamin Cremaschi GOAL...IM Lawson Sunderland receives backpass at 28 yards on left
and crosses forward and right to IM Shanyder Borgelin at 8 yard line on right side of box. He pops header over
to center and Cremaschi at 6 yards heads ball downward and ball bounces under flying goalie into right side of net.

64 min...TFC sub...Rothrock replaces Perruzza.
.............TFC sub...Walkes replaces Dias.
.............TFC sub...Franklin replaces Chung.
67 min...TFC Franklin cornerkick from left has defenderr head ball away. TFC Walkes rush to right end line and rolls cross
into 6 yard box and defender clears.
68 min...TFC Antonoglou has blast blocked by defender. TFC Mbongue has blast blocked by defender.
71 min...TFC Franklin taps pass from right and TFC Walkes rolls 20 yarder just wide left of post.
72 min...TFC Antonoglou 30 yard freekick from slight right has goalie bobble but catch on left side of net.
73 min...IM Borgelin scuffs 12 yard shot down middle over net.
73 min...IM sub...Reyes replaces Bagley.
74 min...IM goalie steps forward to stop TFC Yeates low shot.
75 min...TFC Franklin 15 yard shot has goalie fly to stop. TFC Walkes shoots 10 yard rebound wide left from left side of box.
76 min...TFC Paul Rothrock GOAL...TFC Themi Antonoglou low cornerkick from right is into 6 yard box.
TFC Hugo Mbongue charging into right side of box foot-flicks ball across box. Rothrock on left side gets ball at 5 yards
with his back to goal but he turns and shoots 4 yarder beating sliding defender to get away shot forward into left side of net.

77 min...TFC Franklin pass from 22 yards is just wide right of box has TFC Antonoglou 8 yard shot has goalie get hand to deflect
it into outside webbing on left side of net.
78 min...TFC Antonoglou blasts rebound shot from 15 yards on left well over net.
78 min...IM sub...Boatwright replaces Cremaschi.
80 min...TFC Rothrock has cross from right cleared.
81 min...TFC YELLOW card...Curic earns it for tackle on IM Borgelin.
84 min...Inter Miami Shanyder Borgelin GOAL...IM George Acosta makes long run down right and at 25 yards outside
top of box steps around defender to run up right edge of box then centering pass that Borgelin one-touches 12 yard shot
that deflects off defender at 8 yards and bounces into open left side of net beyond diving goalie who was protecting
right side of net.

85 min...TFC sub...Altobelli replaces Mbongue.
86 min...TFC Franklin 22 yard roller shot/cross is rolled just wide left of post.
87 min...TFC Rothrock cross into box from right has defender head away.
88 min...IM YELLOW card...goalie Zuluga-Silva earns it for time wasting taking goalkick.
90 min...IM sub...Faife Perez replaces Hall.
91 min...TFC Walkes pops header in 6 yard box that has goalie catch.
91 min...Inter Miami RED card...Israel Boatwright earns a direct ejection for a sliding tackle at IM 30 yard line injurying
a TFC player cutting away from goal.

92 min...TFC Franklin 15 yard shot from left has goalie save.
93 min...TFC Curic flicks header wide right on cornerkick from left after TFC Franklin sends in pass after cornerkick.
95 min...IM Acosta rush up right and passes to IM Borgelin who shoots from left side of box just missing top right corner of net.
95 min...game ends 8:56pm.

Final Score:....Toronto FC II.......3.........Inter Miami CF II.........4........

Attendance started off slow but climbed to about 400 as the game wore on.  One thing CPL York United FC 
has learned is to start a weeknight game at 7:30pm to allow more of its fans to miss some of the rush 
hour traffic.  

This game was actually a make up game from Friday June 24.  The excuse for delaying that game emerged 
about a week later which was team owners MLSE needed all their security guards to be in downtown Toronto's 
'Little Italy' neighbourhood for the introduction of TFC's new designated player Lorenzo Insigne.  
I remember receiving a tweet a few days ahead of time and went to a League1 Ontario game instead. 

This game was exciting and wide open.  Both teams 'needed' a win although Inter Miami was more desperate 
as they were in fifth place with 33 points but two games to go.  They actually dropped to sixth then 
up again before this game started as the league was running a live ticker of the standings and NYCFC 
started early and seesawed back and forth.  TFC II needed a tie (didn't matter if then they got a shootout 
win after regulation for a bonus point) to clinch a playoff spot.  

Referee Roberto D'Alesio from Lac St Louis (Montreal area) gave out six cards tonight including 
the RED card in injury time and another at 88 minutes to the Miami goalie at 88 minutes for time-wasting 
taking a goal kick.  Themi Antonoglou earned one for dissent right after the Miami player who knocked 
him over was carded so not much more he could have expected. 

This game had too much action, especially at the end for me to write it all down.  The league limits 
the highlight packages to four minutes so there were only three plays that weren't goals.  Also no way 
of seeing archived games to fill in the blanks of who took a second and third rebound shot.  Most exciting 
game of the season even with the result. 

Shaan Hundal scored the first two goals for Miami.  He played for TFC III (ie U-19 team) in League1 Ontario 
and TFC II between 2016 to 2019. 2020 he played in the short 'Island Games' CPL tourney for Valour FC before 
moving on to Miami in 2021.  He's still only 23 and is from the soccer hotbed of Brampton.  Probably no Miami 
fans here today except extra players and Hundal's extended family. 

Inter did not bring famous sons Romeo Beckham nor Harvey Neville to today's game.  I wonder if they are 
back in England for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth? 

Miami started 19 year old Andre Zuluga-Silva in goal.  At 19 minutes he cleared a ball off TFC Hugo Mbongue 
at only 12 yards and it deflected well over the net but yikes, I thought he would be in trouble today.  
Further pressure he handled well and when TFC pressed the defence, when they tick-tacked the ball away they 
would catch four of five TFC players on the wrong side of the halfway line. 

Kadin Chung's highlight reel goal made up for a chance he had at 28 minutes when he rushed for a chip 
from TFC Alonso Coello at 30 yards and with the goalie charging out to 12 yards, chipped him from 15 yards 
but the ball went over the bar of the open net. 

I didn't see this coming.  I'd been spoiled by TFC's long win streak even though I was here for Sunday's 
loss.  When Paul Rothrock scored (even though it was a tying goal) it seemed the perfect story as he had 
scored the lone goal in last season's home finale against New England Revs II in a game that put TFC II 
into the playoffs for a few days until the rest of the league played later that weekend and they were 
knocked back down.  That was when both teams played in the USL League One (USL's second tier below their 
Championship division).  Oh well one more game this season to clinch!  

Toronto's record falls to 11 wins, 9 losses, 3 ties, 2 shootout wins for 38 points with one game to go.  
This was their make up game to re-pass RNY (ie Rochester) who had beaten them here on Sunday afternoon 
to jump into second place knocking TFC to third.  Toronto has their final regular season game on Sunday 
afternoon at 3:00pm away against Orlando City B who were out of playoff contention more than a month ago.  
Rochester hosts NYCFC II at the same time and a win would keep them in second and ensure they hosted 
a playoff game whereas a third place TFC would play road games in their quest for the league's inaugral 
championship. 

Miami improves to 10 wins, 8 losses, 5 ties, and 1 shootout win for 36 points.  They stay in fifth ahead 
of NYCFC II who did win their game earlier today although NYCFC II is still eligible to qualify with all 
teams having one game left to play.  Miami plays on the road at Chicago also at 3:00pm.  MLS NEXT Pro 
has created a 'decision day' scenario just like their MLS clubs. 

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
twitter @RocketRobin01


Toronto FC II starters


Inter Miami CF II starters


TFC Hugo Mbongue (83) takes opening kickoff.


OhOh. TFC Rohan Goulbourne (62) loses the ball.


Miami George Acosta (30) takes freekick.


Miami Tyler Bagley (48) sends in cornerkick.


TFC Jordan Perruzza (77) is hugged after scoring opening goal.


Miami Noah Allen (32) lofts freekick well over net.


Miami Shanyder Borgelin (49) takes second half kickoff.


Miami Tyler Bagley (48) takes freekick which TFC goalie Luka Gavran will catch over players crashing on right side of box.


Miami players celebrate keeping their playoff chances alive.

Game statistics from MLS NEXT Pro website:  

                                   TFC II        Inter Miami CF II
Statistics                                                       
Possession %                        58.6%           41.4%                             
Shots                               20              13  
Shots on goal                       11               8     
Blocked shots                        5               2          
Total passes                       595             419       
passing accuracy %                  88.4%           84.0%              
Corners                              8               3  
Crosses                             15              15           
Offsides                             2               2               
Duels won                           37              41               
Tackles won                         10              11               
Saves                                3               8                 
Clearances                          10              17             
Fouls                               10               9                 
Yellow cards                         4               2                 
Red cards                            0               1             

back to 2022 TFC II menu

.

.