June 18, 2023 MLS NEXT Pro Toronto FC II vs Atlanta United 2 game report (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Sunday June 18, 2023 MLS NEXT Pro game between Toronto FC II and Atlanta United 2
played at York Lions Stadium in North York at 7:00pm.

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

.........................90 Luka Gavran
..........51 Adam Pearlman...76 Lazar Stefanovic...71 Markus Cimermancic
81 Themi Antonoglou...82 Julian Altobelli...65 Antony Curic...95 Ike Adenuga
..........33 Reshaun Walkes...70 Matthew Catavolo...73 Jesus Batiz

Subs:...40 Adisa De Rosario (gk)...62 Rohan Goulbourne (def)...89 Matthew Medeiros (def)...38 Jalen Watson (def)
...68 Lucas Olguin (mid)...72 Jordan Faria (mid)...85 Marko Stojandinovic (mid)
team officials:...head coach Gianni Cimini...assistant coaches Marco Casalinuovo and Yianni Michelis
...goalkeeper coach David Monsalve

Atlanta United 2 (all white uniforms, black names and numbers)

...........................22 Sebastian Guerra
42 Remi Okunlola...14 Kofi Twumasi (cpt)....4 Efrain Morales...6 Nelson Orji
21 Erik Centeno...5 Toni Tiente...18 Alan Carleton...11 David Mejia
...................36 Jackson Conway...9 Karim Tmimi

Subs:...20 Justin Garces (gk)...10 Jonantan Villal (fwd)...12 Raimar (def)...38 Shawn Lanza (def)
...39 Adyn Torres (mid)...40 Matthew Dejianne (fwd)...45 Joel Gonzalez (def)
team officials:...head coach Steve Cooke...assistant coach Jose Silva...goalkeeping coach Lewis Sharpe

Game officials:...referee Jeremie Blanchette...referee's assistants Stepanie Fortin and Twayne Anderson
...fourth official David Barrie...(all black uniforms)

First Half:...game starts 7:03pm...TFC defend south end on this still hot evening with a bright sun in the north west.
3 min...AU Centeno runs down right and cross is over box. AU Mejia is checked off ball at 6 yards on left without getting away shot.
3 min...TFC Catavolo pushes ball over end line on left after receiving back pass.
5 min...TFC goalie on left end line rolls pass into box which defender clears.
11 min...TFC Batiz run up left and bends cross from 20 yard line through box ahead of charging players and out right side.
12 min...AU Orji cross from 30 yard line on left has AU Tmimi in middle head 15 yarder over net.
13 min...TFC Batiz run down left and cross tips off defender at 20 yards and bounces to goalie.
16 min...TFC Antonoglou gets back to stop AU Mejia getting to breakaway at 40 yard line.
17 min...TFC Altobelli chips one touch into box but goalie catches on bounce ahead of TFC Walkes.
18 min...AU Okunlola pushes ball forward too far and defender clears off him for goalkick.
19 min...TFC Batiz bends cross on run to 22 yards and just over head of TFC Walkes who runs into goalpost at with his hands out
to protect himself.
21 min...TFC Antonoglou cornerkick from right is high and has AU Orji leap to pop away with header on left.
22 min...AU Twumasi in middle of box heads away cross from right.
24 min...TFC Walkes rush down right past three guys but is checked in box.
25 min...TFC Walkes and TFC Antonoglou give and go on right has Antonoglou shoots 18 yarder over net.
29 min...TFC Catavolo rolls pass forward for TFC Altobelli whose low 12 yard shot has goalie make foot save to deflect it wide left
for cornerkick.
31 min...AU Tmimi is injured at center line but both teams play on.
33 min...TFC Cimermancic intercepts AU Conway at 25 yards in middle and TFC Altobelli shoots 15 yarder deflecting off defender
wide left.
34 min...TFC Catavolo cornerkick from left is partially cleared. Catavolo gets ball back and cross is over goalie at 5 yards
and TFC Antonoglou heads ball into outside right webbing of net.
35 min...***TFC YELLOW card...Cimermancic earns it for sliding tackle on AU Tiente at AU 30 yard line.
(strange I saw the card come out, and heard the announcement over the PA system but then it doesn't show up on the league website)
37 min...TFC Altobelli is centered pass from left and shoots low 22 yarder wide left of net.
39 min...TFC Catavolo 35 yard freekick from left sideline has TFC Curic in crowd of players pop 15 yarder well over net.
40 min...TFC players have good spell of possession but over-pass ball and don't get away a shot.
41 min...TFC Catavolo low 20 yarder from left is between players and is smothered by goalie.
43 min...AU Carleton cornerkick from right is short and wasted as it's never worked into box.
45 min...half ends 7:48pm with no added time.

Halftime Entertainment: Another game of footie golf with putting/kicking a soccer ball into a raised hole.

Both teaams subs warm up.

Second Half:...starts 8:03pm...the sun is now effecting only the east side (ie the part not shadowed by the stands on the west side).
46 min...AU Orji is injured near AU right end line when checked from behind.
47 min...TFFC Catavolo is injjred in collision for header at TFC 35 yard line.
48 min...AU Mejia passes forward to AU Conway on right and his 20 yard shot is palmed over net by goalie.
48 min...AU Carleton cornerkick from right lands in box and is cleared. The AU players yell for a hand ball.
49 min...TFC Batiz rush is stopped when defender falls on ball.
50 min...TFC Altobelli is injured in collision of heads at AU 40 yard line and needs trainer.
52 min...game restarts.
53 min...TFC TFC Catavolo chips 28 yarder from left into box and is wide right for goalkick as defender ducks and lets ball go out.
54 min...AU Centeno cross from 25 yards along right end line that's caught by goalie.
56 min...TFC Batiz run to left end line and rolls 15 yarder into outside webbing of net.
57 min...TFC Walkes pass forward on right has TFC Altobelli sends low cross along 2 yard line that's unplayed.
58 min...TFC Batiz cross in box and TFC Adenuga hops and deflects 8 yarder wide left of post.
58 min...AU sub...Villal replaces Mejia.
62 min...TFC Adenuga finishes play with 12 yard lob from right has goalie catch.
62 min...TFC Catavolo pass forward has TFC Batiz blast 20 yarder on left wide right of net.
63 min...AU Centeno wins cornerkick on deflection.
64 min...AU Conway cornerkick from right has header in crowd of players in box at 8 yards forward that goalie fumbles
and dives on it to smother.
66 min...TFC Pearlman shanks midair clearance at 10 yards deflecting it wide right of own net.
67 min...AU Carleton cornerkick from right has defender block blast that deflects for breakout.
68 min...TFC sub...Faria replaces Walkes.
............TFC sub...Olguin replaces Adenuga.
70 min...TFC YELLOW card...Pearlman earns it for hitting AU Carleton on check at TFC 35 yard line on left.
71 min...AU Carleton bends 40 yard freekick from left that's easily caught by goalie.
73 min...TFC Faria low cross from 25 yards on right along 6 yard line is unplayed and out left side of box.
76 min...TFC Catavolo is checked off ball in AU box without getting away shot.
77 min...The referee and the fourth official switch places and it takes about 3 minutes to switch their headphones.
It appears the referee was injured.
81 min...TFC player's cornerkick from left is put into box but shot attempts are blocked.
84 min...TFC Faria cross from 20 yards on right has goalie dive out to smother.
85 min...AU Conway gets one-touch of cross is low and 15 yard shot is just wide left.
85 min...TFC sub...Goulbourne replaces Catavolo.
86 min...AU Centeno cross from right has AU Conway heads 10 yarder that goalie flies to right post to catch.
87 min...TFC Faria runs to right end line to send cross into 6 yard box that's cleared.
88 min...TFC YELLOW card...Curic earns it for push over of AU player.
90 min...TFC Goulbourne chips ball into box from 22 yards. TFC Altobelli pops 10 yard header wide right.
94 min...TFC Olguin pass from 40 yards has goalie beat TFC Batiz to ball on edge of box.
95 min...TFC Goulbourne cross from right has TFC Cimermancic pop 10 yarder up middle well over net.
96 min...AU Carleton 35 yard freekick up middle is chip and is called offside on AU players jumping for header at 8 yards.
96 min...regulation time ends 8:54pm.

Shootout competition is a Penalty shot competition.

1...Atlanta Jackson Conway GOAL...Conway rolls shot into right side as goalie Luka Gavran dives left.
1...TFC Antony Curic GOAL...Curic shoots to left corner halfway up freezing goalie Justin Garces.
2...Atlanta Alan Carleton GOAL...Carleton shoots low to left under diving goalie who guessed correctly.
2...TFC Julian Altobelli GOAL...Altobelli shoots high to top right as goalie slumps left.
3...AU Karim Tmimi shot saved...Tmimi chips Penenka that goalie doesn't even need to move to catch.
3...TFC Jesus Batiz shot saved...Batiz shoots low to right and goalie dives and pushes ball wide of post.
4...AU Jonantan Villal shot saved...Villal stutter steps and chips low to right that goalie dives to catch.
4...TFC Themi Antonoglou GOAL...Antonoglou chips low to left as goalie dives right.
5...AU Toni Tiente GOAL...Tiente shoots low down middle as goalie dives right.
AU YELLOW card...Tiente earns it for kicking ball away from TFC Altobelli who was dribbling from the center line
to bring up to the penalty spot.
5...TFC Julian Altobelli GOAL...Altobelli shoots to mid left side as goalie dives right.

TFC wins Shootout 4-3.

Final Score:...Toronto FC II.......0......Atlanta United 2..........0.........
(Toronto wins 4-3 in five rounds of Penalty kicks)

Attendance climbed to about 180 but a lot of distractions may have kept the crowd size down on this mild evening. The game ended even with the length of the shootout and it wasn't dark yet. It was Fathers Day and the only demographic that was different was there were more children here than we usually see. On television, the Canadian Men's team were playing at the exact same time in the CONCACAF Nations League final against the United States in Las Vegas. It wasn't a sure thing that Canada would play in the final. The broadcaster OneSoccer moved their CPL broadcast of Pacific FC and York United FC up from 7:00pm to 4:00pm. I suppose if Canada was in the third place game they wouldn't have changed it. York United and TFC II usually rotate weekends to play in this stadium but this week York plays on a Wednesday night. Also TFC II had just played here on Thursday night and maybe seeing this struggling team once a week was enough for all but hardcore fans.

TFC dominated possession and shots but had poor finishing that they could score. Themi Antonoglou was the only MLS contracted player loaned to TFC II on Thursday that was even in the lineup. (I expect the others are back for the MLS club's game on Wednesday away in Cincinnati).

Referee Jeremie Blanchette gave out one Yellow card in the 77 minutes he worked although we heard another Yellow announced earlier but it doesn't appear on the league website. Fourth official David Barrie finished the game. I watched him referee last night in a League1 Ontario game between Scrosoppi and FC London. Barrie gave out two more Yellows including one during the Penalty kick to Atlanta's Toni Tiente who'd just scored to keep Atlanta in the fifth round but then he kicked the ball away from the next TFC penalty taker in what must have been a psyche job that didn't succeed as Julian Altobelli finished the game on his kick.

TFC won 4-3 in the fifth round of penalty kicks. Jesus Batiz was the only TFC player to miss with a low weak kick to the right. He did in Thursday's game too with a blast wide left. Luka Gavran saved the day with saves on Karim Tmimi with balls of steel nerves by standing still on Tmimi's penenka chip made an easy catch. He then dove to the left to save Jonantan Villal's low right side PK. Julian Altobelli scored the winner.

TFC deserved to win by possession and shots but the point loss tonight (only earn two for a non regulation time win) should humble them that they couldn't do it in regulation. Time is running out to make a move to a playoff position. Just squeeking into the playoffs means its road game, road game, road game to the final on the road.

Looking through the MLS NEXT Pro site revealed that Atlanta's last result was on Thursday night when they also lost in a Penalty kick shootout to Columbus Crew. In that game Karim Tmimi did score on his PK but I wonder if it was a Penanka? Jonantan Villal stayed on the bench that entire game.

The result improves Toronto's record to 3 wins, 8 losses, 3 ties, 2 shootout wins for 14 points. That keep them in thirteenth (ie last place) in the Eastern Conference but moves them one point closer to a playoff spot.

The result for Atlanta improves their record to 5 wins, 5 losses, 5 ties, 1 shootout win for 21 points. They hold the final playoff spot in seventh place in the East.

TFC II's next game is Friday June 23rd away against New England Revs II and their next home game is the Friday after that against Crown Legacy FC (the development team of Charlotte FC). That team is currently in first place in the East.

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


Toronto FC II starters


Atlanta United 2 starters


Atlanta Jackson Conway (36) takes opening kickoff.


TFC Matthew Catavolo (70) looks to pass.


TFC Themi Antonoglou (81) takes cornerkick from right.


TFC Lazar Stefanovic (76) tries another TFC rush.


The halftime stats show TFC dominance.


TFC Julian Altobelli (82) takes second half kickoff.


An Atlanta cornerkick falls into TFC box for Atlanta Kofi Twumasi (14) to get away shot.


TFC Jordan Faria (72) and TFC Lucas Olguin (68) wait to be subbed in.


Atlanta Alan Carleton (18) freekick chance up the middle.


TFC Themi Antonoglou (81) will score on this Penalty kick to help earn the bonus point. 

Statistics from MLS Next Pro site: 

Stats                          TFC II         Atlanta
Possession %                    60.1            39.9
Shots                           16               6
Shots on Goal                    2               3
Blocked Shots                    5               1
Total Passes                   720             473
Passing Accuracy %              91.5            83.7
Corners                          4               4
Crosses                         13              11
Offsides                         2               1
Duels Won                       35              44
Tackles Won                     10               7
Saves                            3               2
Clearances                       5              13
Fouls                           21               6
Yellow Cards                     2               1
Red Cards                        0               0

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