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April 14, 2023...MLS NEXT Pro...Toronto FC II vs New York City FC II (by Rocket Robin)

Result and details of the MLS NEXT Pro game of Friday April 14, 2023 between Toronto FC II and New York City FC II
held at York Lions Stadium in North York at 7:00pm.

Toronto FC II (all white uniforms, black names and numbers)

....................90 Luka Gavran (cpt)
62 Rohan Goulbourne...51 Adam Pearlman...65 Antony Curic...81 Themi Antonoglou
73 Jesus Batiz...68 Lucas Olguin...85 Marko Stojadinovic...72 Jordan Faria
...............83 Hugo Mbonge...82 Julian Altobelli

Subs:...40 Adisa De Rosario (gk)...33 Reshaun Walkes (fwd)...38 Jalen Watson (def)...78 Adamo Pantaleo (def)
...86 Alec Dias (fwd)...89 Matthew Medeiros (def)
team official: head coach Gianni Cimini

New York City FC II (all orange uniforms, white names and numbers, navy lightning bolt down left side of shirts)

.......................54 Alex Rando
77 Rio Hope-Gund...47 Klevis Haxhari...30 Samuel Owusu...37 Steven Bednarsky
44 Ronald Arevalo...42 Piero Ellias...64 Francensco Di Ponzio...38 John Denis
............31 Jack Beer...39 Matthew Dyan "MD" Myers

Subs:...60 Alexander Yagudayev (gk)...18 Christian McFarlane (def)...45 Brian Flores (def)...56 Tyler Morck (mid)
...78 Oliver Stafford (def)...79 Massimo Murania (fwd)...91 Mateo Ponce-Ocampo (mid)
team official:...head coach Matthew Pilkington

Game officials:...referee Sebastian Noshinravani...referee's assistants Brad Doubrough and Theo Diederichsen
...fourth official Yusri Rudolf...(all black uniforms)

First Half:...game starts 7:02pm...TFC defends south end. The field is mostly in shadow as the sun is dropping in the north west.
1 min...NYC Di Ponzio on run on left dribbles ball over end line.
3 min...NYC defender gets back to check TFC Goulbourne off ball just inside NTC box.
3 min...TFC Antonoglou cornerkick from right is headed away by defender on right side of box.
5 min...NYC Denis dribbles to left end line but defender blocks his cross.
9 min...NYC Di Ponzio low cross from 30 yards on left has TFC Pearlman duck and head ball away on left side of box.
12 min...TFC goalie drifts to edge of box to catch chipped ball from 45 yards beating NYC Denis to ball.
13 min...NYC Bednarsky 22 yard blst up middle is high and wide right.
14 min...NYC Rio cross from 12 yards near end line has sliding TFC Curic stop but play is whistled down.
15 min...NYC Beer intercepts ball on edge of box but can't get away shot on right side.
16 min...NYC Arevalo cross from right along 8 yard line has defender pop header out left side of box.
18 min...NYC Denis 28 yard freekick from left is bounced to goalie on near post.
20 min...TFC Goulbourne cross from right bounces through box unplayed for goalkick as TFC players are afraid to charge offside.
22 min...NYC Denis 25 yard freekick from left has goalie fly to left post to bat down. NYC Ellias gets to rebound but shot
from 8 yards is blocked by Stojadinovic.
23 min...NYC YELLOW card...Beer earns it for tackle on TFC Altobelli at TFC 35 yard line.
26 min...TFC Stojadinovic bends 30 yarder from left is through player on edge of box and bounces to goalie.
27 min...TFC Altobelli 25 yard shot from left spins wide right off defender.
28 min...TFC player's cornerkick from right has goalie make save and TFC Pearlman clears.
28 min...NYCFC Matthew Dyan “MD” Myers GOAL...NYCFC Ronald Arevalo rushes into right side of box and low
centering pass from 12 yard line actually rolls outside box. NYCFC Steven Bednarsky carries ball back into box
and tries to deke two defenders but is stopped. NYCFC John Denis pokes ball forward from 15 yards and Myers
receives it at 10 yards in middle and beats defender to get away roller into right corner of net beyond reach of diving
goalie Luka Gavran.

30 min...TFC YELLOW card...Pearlman earns it...NYC Arevalo on 1 v 3 play including cutting around goalie with TFC Pearlman
bringing him down at TFC 20 yard line.
31 min...NYC Denis 20 yard freekick from left is wide right of net.
36 min...NYC Denis run on left cutting towards middle but rolls 25 yarder to goalie on short side.
38 min...NYC Denis breaks free at TFC 50 yard line but retreating defenders prevent him from taking shot.
41 min...TFC Batiz rolls pass after steal to TFC Mbongue who has defenders partially clear. TFC Batiz shot is batted away
by goalie and defenders clear at 15 yards.
42 min...TFC Pearlman cornerkick from right has defender clear on right side of box.
45 min...NYC YELLOW card...Rio earns it for pulling down TFC Faria on rush down left.
46 min...TFC Altobelli 40 yard freekick has defender on edge of box head away.
47 min...half ends 7:50pm.

Second Half:...starts 8:05pm.
45 min...NYC gaolie picks up bounced cross sent in from 30 yards on left.
46 min...NYCFC Matthew Dyan “MD” Myers GOAL...NYCFC Francesco Di Ponzio intercepts ball at NYCFC 35 yard line
and chips pass on left from NYCFC 45 yard line to center at TFC 50 yard line where Myers pressured by defender lets
ball past him on bounce and NYCFC Ronald Arevalo gets to it at TFC 40 yard line setting up 2 on 1 break. Arevalo runs
to edge of 18 yard box and taps to right for Myers who has overlapped him to stop second defender getting into play.
Myers shoots 12 yarder from right at 4 yard line between arms of sliding goalie at 2 yards on right post and into
left side of net.

48 min...NYC Di Ponzio rolls ball on left forward to NYC Denis ahead but rolls is over end line.
49 min...NYC Haxhari sliding tackle on left prevernts TFC Faria getting away shot from 15 yards.
50 min...TFC Goulbourne nice run down right rolls ball forward to TFC Faria but misses and over end line.
51 min...NYC Arevalo low 22 yard blast is stopped by sliding defender.
52 min...TFC Faria on run down right cuts around defender and shoots 15 yarder wide left off post.
53 min...NYC sub...McFarlane replaces Di Ponzio.
53 min...NYC Denis passes forward from 25 yard to NYC Beer but is over end line.
54 min...NYC Ellias rush in center and passes to left and NYC Denis low 12 yard shot has sprawling goalie on post knock ball
wide left for cornerkick.
55 min...NYC Denis cornerkick from left is partially cleared. NYC Haxhari gets 18 yard shot in crowd of players shot wide right.
57 min...TFC sub...Walkes replaces Stojadinovic.
58 min...TFC Faria bends 33 yarder from right is directly for goalie to catch.
59 min...NYC player on right sends low cross through 10 yard box that two defenders then an NYC forward miss connecting to.
60 min...NYC Myers is centered pass and 22 yarer up middle deflects off defender for cornerkick.
61 min...NYC Denis cornerkick from left has NYC Myers pop header from left over players in box.
64 min...NYC Myers runs into TFC box but his backheeled pass is broken up.
65 min...NYC Arevalo low 20 yard blast from right has sprawling goalie deflects wide right.
66 min...NYC player's cornnerkick from right has NYC Ellias pop header from left and goalie charges forward to catch.
67 min...NYC Myers rush down left and centering pass too far forward for teammate.
68 min...NYC Denis 25 yard freekick from right is across box along 10 yard line. NYC Haxhari heads 12 yarder up middle
that goalie tips over bar.
70 min...TFC sub...Diaz replaces Faria.
...........TFC sub...Watson replaces Altobelli.
72 min...NYC Beer is centered pass and 18 yard shot up middle is well over net.
72 min...TFC RED card...Rohan Goulbourne is sent off by referee Sebastian Noshiniavani for sliding studs up open field
tackle on NYCFC John Denis at TFC 35 yard line.

74 min...TFC Watson makes big check to brteak up 2 on 1 pass play on left side of box.
77 min...NYC Ellias sends pass to charging NYC Arevalo on right but goalie slides out to save and both miss ball and it rolls
for goalkick.
79 min...NYC Myers low 18 yard shot up middle is smothered by goalie.
81 min...NYC Myers on 2 on 1 up right has 20 yard shot stopped by sprawling goalie on short side.
82 min...NYC goalie out to left side of box to beat TFC Mbongue to through ball pass.
84 min...NYC goalie is out to 20 yards to beat TFC Antonoglou to through ball pass.
84 min...NYC sub...Morck replaces Beer.
88 min...TFC Diaz cross from 15 yards along right end line has defender head away.
89 min...TFC Mbongue gets break down middle rolls pass forward and right to TFC Diaz who's called offside at 25 yard line.
91 min...NYC Ellias and NYC Denis multipass and Ellias has 15 yard shot deflect off defender wide left for cornerkick.
92 min...NYC sub...Murania replaces Ellias although it appears the change is not made before the game ends.
92 min...game ends 8:52pm.

Final Score:...Toronto FC II.......0.......New York City FC II.........2........

Attendance gradually reached 600 people as more and more people got here after work. This was the home opener for TFC and the first 'open to the public' game (last year was restricted access) since the team joined the new MLS NEXT Pro league now in its second season. Tickets were a reasonable $10 (no cash please). Actually I was pleased to pay as last year I never knew if I would get in because the guest list was limited to family and friends and I relied on the kindness of the gamesday official who looked like a young Tiger Woods to sneak me in. Every game was the worry, but what if he's not working today? There were many games last season that had about this number of fans. A weekend game might likely have more fans come out.

Ouch! TFC were outshot 22 to 3 and 11 to 1 which were shots-on-goal. This was a home game yet they had one less sub listed than the visitors. I received a tweet just hours before game time that Hugo Mbongue was loaned out from their MLS team. I don't know if he had time to practice with them (TFC is playing a home game against Atlanta tomorrow night) but he and Jordan Faria were always a few steps behind most passes sent their way. NYCFC forward and midfielders quite often checked defenders and midfielders off the ball turning a rush into a sudden counterattack. I thought 'Rio' was their best defender. This is Rio Hope-Gund who's twin brother Kofi Hope-Gund is a backup goalie but not on the roster today. Rio started some fast break outs. I think there were somewhere between 70 to 100 NYCFC fans today.

Luka Gavran kept TFC in the game or it could have been five quite easily. Alex Rando earned the shutout with only the one save but he came out to smother a few through ball passes and out of the box completely to make at least one clearance when needed. Both teams were guilty of rolling a few passes forward over the end line before their intended was able get to them.

Referee Sebastian Noshiniavani gave out three Yellow cards (besides the Red), two to NYCFC in a game that wasn't rough...more like “Can't catch me” as the visitors played keep-away after going up a man.

I thought John Denis was in the most NYCFC chances but it was MD Myers who put the ball away on his chances so is most likely to move up to the big team. For TFC, no one based on this game alone will get the call. Now last year's roster had a few players gain MLS contracts. They made the playoffs too.

All their home games this season are scheduled for this stadium (no double headers with the MLS squad at BMO Field...although that may change). This is the closest date to their groundsharing renters York United FC who will start their home season on Sunday afternoon. TFC didn't open the concessions but had a food truck pull up outside the grounds only letting an ambulance inside to park in the south endzone. Osaze De Rosario (the York United striker) was in the crowd...not much chance that his younger brother Adisa would get the start in net but he went up front to say hello to a NYCFC staff member before the game.

Today's result means the Young Reds start the season with three straight losses having opened with two losses on the road then having last week off (13 Eastern Conference teams mean somebody gets a bye week). No home momentum as they now return for two more weeks on the road before their next home game on Sunday May 7th at 7:00pm against FC Cincinnati 2, one of the teams that's beaten them already this season.

Rocket Robin
robin.glover.1958@gmail.com
twitter @RocketRobin01


Toronto FC II starters


New York City FC II starters


NYCFC Francesco Di Ponzio (64) takes opening kickoff.


The is chipped into the NYCFC end.


NYCFC John Denis (38) sends in freekick.


NYCFC Piero Ellias starts rush upfield.


TFC Julian Altobelli (82) battles falling NYCFC Jack Beer (31) for ball on edge of NYCFC box.


TFC Hugo Mbongue (83) takes second half kickoff.


NYCFC players rush upfield.


NYCFC freekick is sent in from right edge of box.


NYCFC II has travelling fans?!

Match Summary (from mlsnextpro.com) 

Match Summary
24' NYCFC II   J. Beer          Yellow       Foul    
29' NYCFC II   M. Meyrs         GOAL         Assist: J. Denis
31' TFC II     A. Pearlman      Yellow       Foul
45'+1' NYCFC II  R. Hope-Gund   Yellow       Foul
47' NYCFC II   M. Meyrs         GOAL         Assist: R. Arévalo
54' NYCFC II   C. McFarlane     replaces     F. Di Ponzio
58' TFC II     R. Walkes        replaces     M. Stojadinovic
71' TFC II     J. Watson        replaces     J. Altobelli
71' TFC II     A. Diaz          replaces     J. Faria
73' TFC II     R. Goulbourne    RED          Serious Foul
85' NYCFC II   T. Morck         replaces     J. Beer

Stats                 TFC II      NYCFC II
Possession %           45.6        54.4
Shots                   3          22
Shots on Goal           1          11
Blocked Shots           1           6
Total Passes          416         493
Passing Accuracy %     82.7        85
Corners                 3           5
Crosses                 7          10
Offsides                1           0
Duels Won              37          50
Tackles Won             8          20
Saves                   9           1
Clearances             10          10
Fouls                  15          14
Yellow Cards            1           2
Red Cards               1           0

Match Facts
Stadium:York Lions Stadium
Location:Toronto

Referee:Sebastian Noshinravani
Ast. Referee 1:Brad Doubrough
Ast. Referee 2:Theo Diederichsen
Fourth official:Yusri Rudolf
MLS NEXT Pro
 

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