May 5, 2024 MLS NEXT Pro...Toronto FC II vs Columbus Crew 2 game report (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Sunday May 5, 2024 MLS NEXT Pro game between Toronto FC II and Columbus Crew 2
played at York Lions Stadium in North York at 3:00pm.

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

................40 Adisa De Rosario
92 Theo Rigopoulos...85 Marko Stojadinovic...81 Hassan Ayari...76 Lazar Stefanovic
......68 Lucas Olguin...71 Markus Cimermancic...95 Nate Edwards
......79 Andrei Dimitru...82 Julian Altobelli (cpt)...81 Hassan Ayari

Subs:...80 Shafique Wilson (gk)...70 Matthew Catavolo (mid)...58 Ythallo (def)...84 Philip Igbinobaro (mid)
...65 Antony Curic (def)...72 Mark Fisher (mid)...89 Charilie Staniland (mid)...97 Tristan Pusztahegyi (def)
...96 Richard Chukwu (def)
team officials:...head coach Gianni Cimini...assistant coach Marco Casalinuovo...goalkeeping coach David Monsalve

Columbus Crew 2 (all yellow uniforms, black names and numbers)

...................22 Cole Johnson
19 Jordan Knight...3 Diego Almeida Crespo...44 Ty Nero...5 Christopher Rogers
.....45 Owen Lange Presthus...8 Giorgio DeLlibera (cpt)...16 Taha Harbroune
.....18 Gibran Rayo...29 Cole Mrowka...17 Brent Adu-Gyamfi

Subs:...70 Christopher Bonos (gk)...2 Jacob Greene (def)...9 Jayden Dda (fwd)......11 Terron Williams (mid)
...43 Anthony Rick Alaouieh (mid)...47 Mohamed Saad (fwd)...49 Tristan Alexander Brown (mid)...52 Chase Mesner Adams (fwd)
team officials:...head coach Kelvin Jones...assistant coach Kobie Johnson...goalkeeper coach Alex Blackburn

Game officials:...referee Thomas Noel...referee's assistants Brad Doubrough and Vasyl Dzikh
...fourth official Scott Bowman...(all black uniforms)

First Half:...game starts 3:02pm...TFC defends south end on this mild and overcast afternoon with it looking like it would rain
again like it did in the early morning.
4 min...Crew Presthus short rush up right to near end line and his cross into box is caught by goalie.
5 min...Crew Mrowka pass from right into box is blocked by defender and cleared at top corner of 18 yard box.
7 min...TFC Altobelli ornerkick from right hass Crew Presthus pop up header. Altobelli eventually gets ball back
and he blasts 20 yard roller from right well wide left of net.
8 min...TFC Dimitru rolls centering pass and TFC Altobelli shoots 15 yarder off right post (but he does win a cornerkick)
10 min...TFC Ayari on left at 10 yards cutss low cross to center. TFC Dimitru low 15 yard shot is caught by goalie.
14 min...TFC Edwards rush down left and ceters pass that TFC Altobelli trips but can't draw Penalty kick.
15 min...TFC Hassan Ayari GOAL...Crew goalie Cole Johnson in middle at 20 yards and rolls pass forward to elude
charging TFC Julian Altobelli. Crew Giorgia De Libera at 28 yards rolls pass back towards box and to left
for Crew Diego Almeida Crespo but charging Ayari coming in from left intercepts it at 25 yards steps to middle
and shoots 20 yarder around goalie at 15 yards and into right side of empty net.
17 min...TFC Ayari recovers ball after defender had caught a TFC player's run up middle to catch him at 10 yards. Ayari's 20 yard
shot is blocked.
18 min...Crew Rayo has 15 yard shot from left stopped point blank at 12 yards by sliding goalie. Crew Harbroune
blasts 15 yard rebound from left wide left of net.
21 min...TFC Cimermancic and TFC Altobelli give and go play is broken up in the Crew box.
22 min...Crew Adu-Gyamfi gets piece of TFC goalie's clearance when three Crew players charge in. The ball deflects
wide left for a goalkick.
23 min...Crew Rayo gets piece of TFC goalie's clearance again!
24 min...Crew Presthu cornerkick from right is cleared by TFC in three header play.
26 min...TFC Rigopoulos high cornerkick from right into box has TFC Stefanovic 15 yard header that's caught by goalie
overhead on right side of ball.
27 min...Crew DeLibera run up middle but is checked off ball on edge of box.
29 min...Crew Adu-Gyamfi low 18 yard shot from left is blocked by defender.
30 min...Crew Rogers rolls in ball from left. TFC Stojadinovic cornerkick on left.
31 min...Crew cornerkick from left is eventualy cleared in box after a block shot.
32 min...TFC Ayari can't control chipped through ball at 25 yards and retreating defends clear.
36 min...TFC Stojadinovic gets back to break up Crew Adu-Gyamfi through ball run up middle at 22 yards.
37 min...Crew Harbroune is checked on edge of TFC box in center without getting a shot.
43 min...TFC Altobelli 25 yard freekick from far left has TFC Pearlman heads 7 yarder on charge on left and goalie flies
to palm ball over bar.
44 min...Crew goalie is out to 8 yards on right to palm high cross wide right.
45 min...TFC Stojadinovic low 22 yarder through crowd smothered by goalie on right post.
46 min...half ends 3:48pm.

Halftime: The subs on both teams warm up.
There is no halftime fan contests today.

The halftime stats on the scoreboard showed that TFC has outshot the Crew 8 to 4 and in 'shots on' TFC leads by 6 to 1.

Second Half:...starts 4:04pm.
halftime subs:...TFC Fisher replaces Ayari.
..................TFC Ythallo replaces Dimitru.
..................TFC Catavolo replaces Stefanovic.
47 min...Crew YELLOW card...Knight earns it for knocking over Catavolo on Crew 40 yard left sideline.
51 min...Crew Cole Mrowka GOAL....TFC Nate Edwards retreating at 25 yards on right rolls ball back to goalie
Adisa De Rosario at 5 yards on right side of box who taps ball around charging Mrowka to TFC Ythallo on edge of box
who was facing the net. Crew Owen Lange Presthus comes behind him and pokes ball forward. Retreating Mrowka
receives ball at 15 yards, turns, and shoots low 12 yarder from slight right into left side of net with goalie
protecting right side.
52 min...TFC Altobelli rolls through ball pass from 22 yards but no one runs up right to play it.
53 min...Crew Crespo is injured at center line.
54 min...Crew Mrowka chips pass from 35 yard line on left. Crew Adu-Gyamfi heads ball across box from right from 8 yards
that goalie catches.
58 min...TFC Edwards rolls ball from 25 yards on left sideline that TFC Catavolo can't get to before it rolls over end line.
60 min...Crew Harbroune one-touch shot from 12 yards that goalie catches in front of charging Crew players in center.
61 min...CC Jordan Knight draws Penalty kick when pushed by TFC Adam Pearlman on left side of box.
63 min...CC Brent Adu-Gyamfi shoots low Penalty kick off outside of left post beyond dive of the goalie.
65 min...Crfew Rayo rush on left rolls centering pass to Crew Mrowka who blasts shot off defender.
66 min...Crew Presthus cornerkick from left has goalie punch ball in crowd of players at 8 yards and TFC Catavolo
makes bicycle kick clearance at 15 yards.
67 min...TFC sub...Staniland replaces Olguin.
69 min...Crew Adu-Gyamfi centers pass along 8 yard line. Crew Rayo takes 8 yard shot that tips off defender.
69 min...Crew Presthus low cornerkick from right has ball deflects off Crew player for goalkick.
70 min...TFC Edwards wins freekick on top left corner of Crew 18 yard box.
71 min...TFC Altobelli 22 yard freekick on top left corner of box is over bar on top right.
72 min...Crew sub...Alaouieh replaces Mrowka.
73 min...TFC Rigopoulos 40 yard freekick from right is headed away. Rigopoulos gets ball back and rechips with goalie
catching it on left side of box where first cross was sent.
73 min...Crew Rayo 30 yard shot up middle deflects off defender and rolls to goalie.
74 min...Crew Adu-Gyamfi can't win Penalty kick on dive to get to ball.
75 min...Crew Alaouieh tips TFC goalie's clearance from 12 yards but ball deflects wide.
76 min...Crew Presthus cornerkick from left has ball knocked around in 6 yard box and prone goalie turns back to smother loose ball.
78 min...Crew Alaouieh low cross from left along 15 yard line has Crew Presthus fall but he'd over run the ball.
80 min...TFC Altobelli has Crew Crespo poke through ball pass away giving up cornerkick on left.
80 min...TFC Catavolo low cornerkick is cleared.
81 min...TFC Altobelli gets rolled 10 yard pass and low 12 yard shot is saved and goalie crawls to smother rebound.
82 min...TFC Pearlman gives up cornerkick at 2 yards.
82 min...Cres Presthus cornerkick from left has TFC Pearlman pop 3 yard header onto top of net.
82 min...Crew Presthus cornerkick from right is short and recross is cleared on right side of box. TFC Pearlman is injured in TFC box.
85 min...Crew sub...Adams replaces Rayo.
.........Crew sub...Williams replaces Adu-Gyamfi.
87 min...TFC sub...Curic replaces injured Pearlman before play resumes.
88 min...TFC YELLOW card...Edwards earns it for grabbing out at Crew Knight breaking out at Crew 40 yard line.
89 min...Crew Williams bends cross from left behind TFC net.
91 min...Crew Williams wins cornerkick on sliding tackle running on left end line.
92 min...Crew Presthus cornerkick from left has TFC defender duck and head ball away.
92 min...TFC goalie leaps to beat Crew Presthus on high cross from 35 yards on right.
94:02...regulation time ends 4:54pm.

End of Regulation time: Toronto FC II.......1......Columbus Crew 2........1........

Penalty kicks:

1 TFC Julian Altobelli GOAL...Altobelli shoots to top right out of reach of flying goalie.
1 Crew Chase Mesner Adams GOAL...Adams stutter steps on run up and rolls shot to left side of net as goalie
crumples to right.
2 TFC Matthew Catavola blasts shot to left and goalie flies to bat it down.
2 Crew Owen Lange Presthus GOAL...Presthus shoots low to left between hands of diving goalie.
3 TFC Markus Cimermancic shoots low to right side into chest of diving goalie.
3 Crew Taha Harbroune GOAL...Harbroune shoots low to left over goalie's dive.
4 TFC Charlie Staniland shoots low to right into chest of diving goalie.

Final Score:...Toronto FC II.......1.......Columbus Crew 2............1.........
Columbus earns the bonus point by winning the PK shootout 3-1.

Attendance started at less than 50 but built up to 200 by halftime. The threat of rain after it did rain quite hard during the early morning likely kept some people away but during game time there was not a drop until the shootout ended and then just a few drops. The fellow owned MLSE hockey team had lost their seven game playoff series last night in seventh game overtime and made the city's mood even gloomier than the weather.

Umbrellas are allowed into the stadium for TFC II games but the code of conduct posted under the York United FC set of rules outlaws them. Outside food is also allowed for TFC II games...the food trucks that used to park outside the gates during the first year haven't come back as there just wasn't enough business.

Toronto FC had played an MLS game the night before down at BMO Field 3-1 over FC Dallas to build their winning streak to four games. Forward Jesus Batiz was listed on that roster but never came off the bench. I was sure I saw him and Charlie Sharp go through the player entrance here about 90 minutes before kickoff and neither were in today's lineup.

TFC II started off hot with them having great chances both before and after their goal so early in the game. 8 minutes had Andrei Dimitru roll a centering pass that Julian Altobelli shot a 15 yarder off the right post but they did win a cornerkick on the play. 10 min had Hassan Ayari on the left at 10 yards cut a low cross to center and Dimitru took a low 15 yard shot that was caught by the goalie.

Mississauga born Jordan Knight was in the Crew 2 lineup just like last season and brought a large collection of family and friends I estimated totalled 25. He climbed into the stands after the game to hug them and pose for selfies. Today I asked him about him playing as a defender this season and only coming forward for cornerkicks to try to head one in. He answered 'wherever I can help....as so many guys have left'. Last year he was playing midfield. He did earn Crew a Penalty kick on one of his few forays up the field today.

Crew goalie Cole Johnson was outstanding to make three saves in the Penalty shootout and had to be considered the star of the game.

TFC goalie Adisa De Rosario was pressured to make clearances quite a few times. Scariest was at 22 minutes when he was squeezed by three Crew players charging in on him and his clearance deflected off Brent Adu-Guamfi and the ball deflected wide left for a goalkick. He had just made a point blank save four minutes earlier.

This is the second home game in a row that TFC II has lost a shootout game losing two Friday's ago against New England Revolution II. Last week they had a come from behind win against Orlando City B on a trip to Florida.

TFC II record falls to 2 wins, 2 losses, 2 ties, 0 shoot-out-wins for 8 points. That's good for twelfth place (all other Eastern conference games were over by the time I got home). They've played either one or two games less than all other teams except Carolina. 8 out of the 15 teams make the playoffs so I see no need to worry. 10 points is the current eighth place.

Crew 2 record improves to 3 wins, 2 losses, 2 ties, 1 shoot-out-win for 12 points which is good for sixth place.

Next home game for TFC II is a rare Thursday night game on May 23 against current last place team Carolina Core who've only played five games. They are one of the non-affiliated-with-MLS teams entering NEXT Pro this season. The league was burned by one year wonder Western New York/Rochester but are trying again.

So where am I going now? Well I can't believe I didn't throw my parka into the back seat before I drove here because it still gets quite cold at night but took a chance and drove straight up Keele Ave north to North Maple Regional Park to watch Vaughan Azzurri play Guelph United in League1 Ontario Men's Premier Division action. So I later looked up last season's Crew visit to Toronto and a goalscorer for TFC II was Reshaun Walkes who tonight played for the Azzurri. No rain fell up there neither.

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

Toronto FC II starters