Final Score:.....Toronto FC II..........1.......Huntsville City FC........2......
Attendance eventually climbed to about 150 on this chilly evening with a misty rain starting to fall a minute before halftime. From a distance it didn't look like it was falling but blowing horizontally from north to south in the wind. Umbrellas are allowed at this stadium for this team only and some fans put them to good use. Most of us retreated to the concourse where we could shelter under the awnings of the closed convenience stands. The rain then varied between stopping and restarting until near the end of the game. The ground became even more slick and passes were even more likely to roll out of play. Recent signing Jahmarie Nolan had two identical chances for the tying goal at 82 and 89 minutes with receiving centering passes while charging down the middle and one-touching both of them wide left of the net from 10 and 12 yards. He is only age 15 so maybe at 17 or 19 these will be tap-ins or later this year when the field is drier? After that Huntsville put on a masterclass in time wasting from 91 to 94 minutes put on mostly by subs Alan Carleton and Malik Henry-Scott (not to be confused with TFC II's Malik Henry). I replayed the sequence on YouTube when I got home as short ck, short ck, throw-in, throw-in, throw-in which a TFC defender booted away for another throw-in. Throw-in, then foul throw-in. TFC freekick over to their goalie who cleared it to an HC player who passes it over to Carleton who won another ck. Short ck, throw-in, short ck won another ck but an HC Yellow card for kicking the ball away. Short ck, throw-in, then finally TFC gets to the ball sending it upfield where HC Blake Bowen takes a Yellow card for a sliding tackle to trip up Jahmarie Nolan. 95 minutes and Hassane Ayari chips a 45 yard freekick that the goalie catches at the 15 yard line and the game is over. Referee Melvin Christopher gave out five Yellow cards tonight with the visitors picking up four—two for timewasting. Much of this game was wide open. Did Huntsville seem to have twice as many chances? The MLS NEXT Pro site has Huntsville leading TFC in shots at 20 to 9 and shots on net as 6 to 3. Both teams were burned four times on offsides. 87 minutes had HC Malik Henry-Scott standing offside at 3 yards as the ball was cleared out of the 6 yard box but then the ball was shot into the net by another player but the goalie was screened so it didn't count. In the stands was broadcaster Steven Caldwell watching to see if his son, 17 year old defender Will Caldwell would be subbed in. Not tonight. Still waiting for his debut. I was looking for two Canadians on Huntsville. Former Forge FC player Woobens Pacius has been loaned out to USL Championship team Fort Lauderdale and Jordan Knight was here but was in the stands because he was injured. By the time I got home the one other Eastern Conference game was over. The result leaves Toronto tied for tenth place for now with a record of 3 wins, 5 losses, 2 ties, no shoot-out bonus points for 11 points. They rank tenth with Atlanta behind them because of more wins. Huntsville improves to 4 wins, 2 losses, 4 ties, 3 shoot-out bonus points for 19 points which pulls them all alone into second place in the fifteen team conference. There are still ten Eastern teams to play before the weekend is over so I expect placings to change. Huntsville City FC plays home matches in Alabama and is the reserve team of Nashville (Tennessee) SC who will be here tomorrow to play Toronto FC in an MLS game downtown at BMO Field. Rocket Robin.
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