July 12, 2023 MLS NEXT Pro...Toronto FC II vs Philadelphia Union II game report (by Rocket Robin)

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

Result and details of the Wednesday July 12, 2023 MLS NEXT Pro game between Toronto FC II and Philadelphia Union II
played at York Lions Stadium in North York at 7:00pm.

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

................90 Luka Gavran
92 Theo Rigopoulos...51 Adam Pearlman...65 Anony Curic...76 Lazar Stefanovic
.........68 Lucas Olguin...71 Markus Cimermancic...81 Themi Antonoglou
.........33 Reshaun Walkes...77 Jordan Perruzza...73 Jesus Batiz

Subs:..40 Adisa De Rosario (gk)...62 Rohan Goulbourne (def)...70 Matthew Catavolo (mid)...82 Julian Altobelli (mid)
...85 Marko Stojandinovic (mid)...86 Alec Diaz (fwd)...89 Matthew Medeiros (def)...91 Dekwon Barrow (fwd)
...94 Myles Morgan (fwd)
Team officials:...head coach Gianni Cimini...assistant coach Marco Casalinuovo & Yianni Michelis
...goalkeeping coach David Monsalve

Philadelphia Union II (baby blue socks and shorts, tan shirts, navy names and numbers)

...................22 Brooks Thompson
24 Anton Sorenson...61 Daniel Krueger...40 Hugo Le Guennec...80 Juan Castillo
41 David Vasquez...43 Alex Perez...42 Carlos Rojas...56 CJ Olney
.............14 Jeremy Rafanello...23 Nelson Pierre

Subs:...81 Gavin Atkinson (gk)...49 Luciano Sanchez (mid)...52 Boubacar Diallo (mid)...75 Nathan Nkanji (def)
...77 Edward Davis (--)...88 Kyle Tucker (mid)...98 Stefan Stojanovic (fwd)
Team officials:...head coach Marlon LeBlanc...goalkeeper coach Karl Spratt...athletic trainer Brian Betz
...equipment manager Andrew Vaccaro

Game officials:...referee Ryan Schwenger...referee's assistants Twayne Anderson and Reda Fazazi
...fourth official Yusri Rudolf...(all black uniforms)

First Half:...game starts 7:02pm...TFC defend south end on this mild and humid night with the sun in the north west casting
shadows on the west half of the field.
5 min...TFC Antonoglou runs to pass on left and from lelft end lkine has retreating defender kick ball from inside 6 yard box
behind end line for cornerkick.
6 min...TFC Antonoglou cornerkick from left is cleared from box.
8 min...TFC Batiz is on a give and go run from 45 yards and then crosses to TFC Perruzza on edge of 6 yard box but is checked
off ball.
10 min...TFC Perruzza beats back pass header to goalie and pushes 7 yarder into him. He gets ball back and dribbles away and out
of box. When he crosses back into the box the ball is cleared.
11 min...TFC Antonoglou low cross has TFC Batiz not able to tap-in 2 yarder in middle.
15 min...PU Castillo cross is high from left into box and eventually PU Vasquez chips along right end line has goalie make
overhead catch on left side of net.
16 min...PU Rafanello is injured at TFC 45 yard line jumping for header.
17 min...PU Olney 50 yard freekick from right has PU Rafanello head 20 yarder from left that goalie catches.
18 min...TFC Antonoglou rush on left to end line and low cross has TFC Perruzza have 4 yard flick from left post blocked
and cleared by defender.
23 min...PU YELLOW card...Vasquez earns it for complaining about TFC being awarded a freekick at the center line.
25 min...PU Krueger breaks up a centered pass at 10 yards while retreating into box.
26 min...TFC Batiz pops 8 yard header down middle well over net when ball is crossed from right.
28 min...TFC Perruzza is bumped off run on left by PU Krueger but wins throw-in.
29 min...PU Vasquez on 3 on 3 rush down middle takes 28 yard shot wide left of net as he's bumped off ball by TFC Cimermancic.
30 min...TFC Perruzza has 10 yard shot from left on run blocked by defender.
30 min...PU Krueger makes another key clearance on cross from right into box.
31 min...TFC Batiz makes header from 12 yards that's just over bar but called offside.
32 min...PU Vasquez cornerkick from right has ball partially cleared and TFC players eventually win throw-in.
36 min...PU Rafanello low 22 yard shot from right ia around defender and goalie smothers.
37 min...TFC Perruzza 15 yard shot down middle has goalie palm to left and defender beats TFC Perruzza to clear. TFC Antonoglou
cross from left is over two players and out right side.
38 min...PU Perez skies partial clearance from 25 yards well over net after spell where two PU players couldln't get away shot in box.
40 min...PU Vasquez is called offside while missing header on jump at 6 yards.
42 min...TFC Perruzza is given breakaway from 40 yards up middle and rolls 10 yarder while aligned with right post wide right.
44 min...TFC Antonoglou rush up left and low cross from 20 yard line has goalie picks up before TFC gets into box.
46 min...half ends 7:48pm.

Halftime: There's a keep up challenge for consecutive kicks in one minute without ball hitting the ground or you start again.
Nicolas the guy does 102 and wins a pair of TFC tickets.
Olivia follows and down 98 to win a 2023 TFC scarf.
Both teams subs warm up during the half.

Second Half:...starts 8:04pm...the temperature is dropping.
halftime sub:...PU Sanchez replaces Pierre.
47 min...PU Castillo cross from 25 yard line left sideline is into outside webbing of net.
47 min...TFC Batiz wins a freekick near the edge of the box when sandwiched by two PU players.
48 min...TFC Antonoglou from 22 yards is into a head in the PU wall. TFC players form a second 'wall' behind defenders
amd would have all been offside but then they rush back behind PU wall before the kick. TFC Batiz chips partially clearance
over wall from 25 yards that's caught by goalie.
49 min...TFC goalie picks up ball at 4 yards that squeezes away from players in 6 yard box.
50 min...TFC Walkes low cross into 6 yard box from 18 yards along right end line has defender clear out right side of box.
53 min...PU Castillo chips 33 yard cross from left that goalie catches at 8 yards then crashes into PU player but holds on.
54 min...Union Jeremy Rafanello GOAL...PU David Vasquez cornerkick from right has TFC Lazar Stefanovic leap
and pop up header at 6 yards on right side. The ball comes down at 25 yards where Rafanello one-touches his shot before
it even hits the ground and it dips down and hits the underside of the bar at the top right corner with goalie Luka Gavran
who was standing on the right side of the net not even moving. *Goal of the Year!
56 min...TFC Rigopoulos run up right has defender break up pass meant for TFC Batiz at 6 yards.
58 min...TFC goalie fumble boot back by TFC Pearlman giving up a cornerkick.
59 min...TFC sub...Altobelli replaces Perruzza.
..........TFC sub...Catavolo replaces Walkes.
59 min...PU Olney cornerkick from left is cleared but wins another cornerkick.
59 min...PU Olney cornerkick from left has defender heads away on near side.
61 min...PU sub...Tucker replaces Perez.
.........PU sub...Stojanovic replaces Vasquez.
61 min...TFC Antonoglou is injured at TFC 35 yard line and wins freekick.
62 min...PU Tucker is touched pass and 33 yard from right is shot caught by goalie flying to left.
64 min...PU Tucker pushes ball too far forward on run into box and goalie picks up.
65 min...TFC Altobelli 22 yard shot from left is batted down on left post and picked up by goalie.
65 min...PU Stojanovic flicks header from 12 yards down middle wide left as cross came in from right.
67 min...TFC Altobelli pass to TFC Catavolo in box but defender breaks up and clear.
69 min...PU Le Guennec chips 70 yarder from left has PU Tucker one-touches 20 yard shot from right wide left of net.
71 min...TFC YELLOW csrd...Curic earns it for hand ball preventing PU breakaway at center line.
72 min...PU Castillo is injured again at PU 25 yard line away from play.
73 min...PU sub...Diallo replaces injured Castillo.
75 min...TFC Antonoglou 28 yard freekick from right end line is partially cleared and TFC Olguin turns with ball and then rolls
ball wide right.
76 min...TFC sub...Barrow replaces Antonoglou.
77 min...PU YELLOW card...Rojas earns it for knock into TFC Altobelli injurying him (head injury) so trainer is brought in.
78 min...TFC Catavolo 40 yard freekick has TFC Cimermancic step in front of defender and head 20 yarder up middle wide right.
79 min...TFC Batiz can't win Penalty kick on fall to top left of box on run.
81 min...TFC Rigopoulos long cross from right wins cornerkick on left.
81 min...TFC Catavolo cornerkick from left is cleared.
82 min...TFC sub...Dias replaces Rigopoulos.
..........TFC sub...Morgan replaces Olguin.
..........PU sub...Nkanji replaces Rafanello.
82 min...TFC Antony Curic GOAL...TFC Jesus Batiz has a long run up left wing dribbling the ball upfield and sends
low cross along the 15 yard line and Curic rolls a 12 yarder from the middle into the right corner of the net beyond
the diving goalie Brooks Thompson.
84 min...TFC goalie makes catch of sky ball on left side of box.
84 min...TFC Dias rolls pass from right. A TFC player in middle had overran the ball but TFC Altobelli further left rolls
shot wide left from 10 yards.
85 min...TFC Catavolo cornerkick from left has TFC Curic head over net from 8 yards.
87 min...TFC YELLOW card...Diaz earns it for something at TFC 40 yard line.
88 min...TFC Catavolo can't win Penalty kick but wins cornerkick.
88 min...TFC Catavolo cornerkick from left is cleared out right side of box.
89 min...TFC Altobelli bends 25 yarder well wide left from alignment with right post.
91 min...TFC Altobelli can't get away shot on right side of box.
92 min...TFC Diaz cross from right has TFC Batiz jumping on left and header at 10 yards is saved by goalie on left. TFC Altobelli
has 6 yard shot saved by goalie.
93 min...TFC Diaz has 8 yard shot blocked on right side of box.
93 min...TFC Altobelli cornerkick from right is whistled down in box.
95 min...game ends 8:54pm.

End of regulation: Toronto FC II......1.......Philadelphia Union II.........1......
(both teams earn one point).

Penalty kicks: (winner gets one bonus point) 1. TFC Antony Curic blasts shot to left and goalie dives to save it.
1. PU CJ Olney blasts shot to top right corner flies over to save.
2. TFC Alec Diaz GOAL...Diaz shoots low to left/middle under the sprawling goalie.
2. PU Hugo Le Guennec GOAL...Le Guennec shoots low to left and goalie slides right.
3. TFC Matthew Catavolo GOAL...Catavolo blasts to left and goalie gets a piece of it as he flies over but only tips it up under the bar.
3. PU Stefan Stojanovic GOAL...Stojanovic shoots low to right as goalie dives left.
4. TFC Jesus Batiz GOAL...Batiz stutter steps and rolls ball into right corner as goalie dives left.
4. PU Kyle Tucker shoots low to left as goalie dives to left and saves.
5. TFC Julian Altobelli GOAL...Altobelli shoots low to left as goalie slides right.

TFC win PK contest 4-2

Final Score:......Toronto FC II......1.......Philadelphia Union II.......1.......
(TFC win 4-2 in the fifth round of Penalty kicks)

Attendance built until there were about 280 here by halftime. Not too much of a dropoff from a weekend game. People have to fight their way here as the rush hour is just ending. Also there was no traveling support for the visitors as there are no Canadians on this team. (Sunday's game had about 60 for Mississauga/Shelburne's Jordan Knight alone when Columbus was here).

Philadelphia used four players on MLS contracts tonight, all four were starters. The goalie Brooks Thompson, goal scorer/midfielder Jeremy Rafanello, defender Anton Sorenson, and forward Nelson Pierre who only played the first half end and hardly touched the ball.

TFC has used many MLS contracted players but tonight held back with only midfielder Themi Antonoglou playing the entire game and forward Jordan Perruzza who hasn't seen NEXT Pro action in months, played the first 59. Looking at it, if he had only been dropped in the team earlier today, there'd be some explanation of how his timing was off but a fan assured me he saw action on the weekend in the MLS game on Saturday when TFC hosted St Louis. He had a gift chance when a defender played a header back to the keeper and Perruzza beat the backpass but pushed the ball into the goalie at 7 yards. He won the ball back and dribbled it out of the box and eventually his cross was cleared. 37 minutes had him with a 15 yard shot down the middle that the goalie palmed to the left. 42 minutes had him given a breakaway from 40 yards up the middle and he rolled a 10 yarder while in alignment with the right post wide right.

Perruzza wasn't the only TFC player to miss as they dominated the first half with 65-35% possession and 350-189 lead in passes (Confirmed by the scoreboard at halftime, I can't count that fast). Union often got a defender retreating just in time to block or deflect a shot. Lots of TFC unforced errors with players rolling the ball out of bounds. In the stands was Perruzza's father whose looks remind me of a cross behind 'The Most Interesting Man in the World' (Dos Equis beer) and 'Captain HighLiner'.

The Union goal was like a wake up call to the TFC players and the fans in attendance. The second half started with TFC trying a unique freekick with a good spot at 22 yards away. About four TFC players formed a second wall behind the Union wall which meant they'd all be offside but before Themi Antonoglou took it the TFC players all ran out of the box so the shot would be OK but Antonoglou hit a head in the wall and Jesus Batiz then chipped the partial clearance over the wall from 25 yards that was easily caught by the goalie.

From the time TFC scored until the end of regulation they were the only team who looked like they could win without a shootout as they had all the chances. Best of them were at 85 minutes when TFC Alec Dias on a run rolled a pass from the right that a TFC player had actually over ran so slid out of the way and Julian Altobelli following up rolling a shot wide from 10 yards but was awarded a cornerkick. Matthew Catavolo's cornerkick from the left had Antony Curic head over the net from 8 yards.

Referee Ryan Schwenger gave out four Yellow cards (two to each team) and the game was incident free. Sunday June 4th had him as the referee when TFC hosted Orlando City B and the lights cut out at 10:30pm at 70 minutes just after Jesus Batiz scored to make it 3-0 for TFC. The game had been started one hour later than it was supposed to because the Florida team's flight had been delayed. A 9:00pm start didn't leave them enough time to complete the game. The fans were kept in the dark (yeah literally) for more than an hour before they were told to go home. TFC have since ducked a repeat by moving their one 8:00pm start up to 7:00pm so even 12 rounds of PKs wouldn't threaten a repeat of last month. Last Sunday night I was here for the CPL York United FC vs Forge FC game and even after the press conference ended and I was across Steeles and driving out of the parking lot at 10:45pm the stadium lights were still on. Was the 'curfew' excuse (published as the reason for the incident) just for the school year and now it's the summer term, it's not?

By the time I got home all the Eastern Conference games of tonight were over.

TFC's record improves to 3 wins, 10 losses, 5 ties, 3 shoot-out-win points for 17 points. All three shoot-out-wins (out of five chances) have come at this stadium.

Philadelphia's record improves to 6 wins, 8 losses, 4 ties, 2 shoot-out-win points for 24 points. I was sure Philly was the seventh place playoff team when I checked last night but that spot is now held by Atlanta United 2 also at 24 points but ranked higher because they have played one less game.

TFC II now goes out of town for a game on Sunday in Alabama against Huntsville City FC (the reserve team of Nashville FC) before returning home next Friday against Inter Miami FC (the one team lower than them in the standings). Miami was here June 11 and it was one of TFC's shoot-out-wins.

I'm here at York Lions Stadium a lot recently. Last Friday TFC II vs Columbus, Sunday York United vs Forge, tonight TFC II vs PhilU II, and this Friday York United vs Pacific. Actually last Sunday's game had a promo of League1 Ontario so Sigma FC played Alliance United before the CPL game. That's five games here in eight days! Good thing this place is no longer a grass field.

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

Toronto FC II starters

Philadelphia Union II starters

Union CJ Olney (56) takes opening kickoff.

TFC Themi Antonoglou (81) passes back to TFC Lazar Stefanovic (76).

Union David Vasquez (41) heads ball forward.

TFC defenders clear cornerkick from right.

TFC Theo Rigopoulos (92) takes throw-in.

TFC dominated the first half possession.

TFC Jordan Perruzza (77) takes second half kickoff.

TFC Themi Antonoglou (81) will put freekick off head in Union wall white the second TFC wall behind PU will all run back
to not be called offside.

Players wait for Shoot Out round to start

Stats  (from MLS NEXT Pro website) 

                             TFC II         Philadelphia Union II
Possession %                   68.6             31.4
Shots                          15                9
Shots on Goal                   5                4
Blocked Shots                   4                0
Total Passes                  717              323
Passing Accuracy %             85.2             74.3
Corners                         5                4
Crosses                        13               12
Offsides                        4                3
Duels Won                      57               45
Tackles Won                     9               19
Saves                           3                4
Clearances                      7               23
Fouls                           7                9
Yellow Cards                    2                2
Red Cards                       0                0

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