After making something of a statement regarding questions around the depth on the squad last weekend against Columbus, Toronto FC were back in action on Saturday and faced their biggest challenge yet with respect to injured personnel.
With Michael Bradley, Jermain Defoe, Doneil Henry, Jonathan Osorio and Alvaro Rey unavailable due to fitness concerns, TFC Head Coach Ryan Nelsen was going to need another week of quality performances from the likes of Kyle Bekker, Issey Nakajima-Farran and Bradley Orr if the Reds were earn their fourth win of the young season.
Toronto FC welcomed a Colorado Rapids side that has never known success on the shores of Lake Ontario, with the visitors being a club that had lost in all six previous visits to Toronto.
The Opening 45
The presence and pressing of Michael Bradley was noticeably missed in the midfield for TFC in a quiet first half in which neither side really threatened.
The first scoring chance of the game came in the 17th minute when TFC captain Steven Caldwell was called for a hand ball just outside the Toronto box. However, the wall did its job on the ensuing free kick from Rapids forward Gabriel Torres.
Colorado striker Edson Buddle had a chance in close in the 40th minute but TFC keeper Julio Cesar cut down the angle and snuffed out the danger.
TFC’s only real scoring chance of the half came in the 43rd minute when right back Mark Bloom delivered a quality ball into the Rapids box that DP striker Gilberto got a solid header onto but directed wide of the right post.
The Second Half
Toronto came out of the half-time break and took their offensive game up a notch. Mark Bloom made a nice run down the right flank in the 58th minute and delivered a dangerous cross that Rapids keeper Clint Irwin got a hand on to tip to safety.
One minute later, Reds midfielder Kyle Bekker delivered a well placed ball into the box that Steven Caldwell got a glancing header on. However, Irwin once again came up big, getting a fingertip on the ball to redirect it to safety.
TFC came close again in the 76th minute when Bekker delivered a blistering free kick that had bottom right corner written all over it. However, Irwin made another excellent save to prevent the Reds from taking the lead.
It would be the Rapids who would open the scoring in the 77th minute when an inability to clear the box by Toronto allowed Dillon Powers to set up Edson Buddle for an easy tap in.
While Toronto would press for an equalizer as the game clock ran down, this one ultimately ended up being a match in which the Reds simply could not overcome the absence of such a significant portion of their first choice starting eleven.
Man of the Match
Mark Bloom
On a day in which Toronto were missing so many of their top players, Mark Bloom stood out as the Man of the Match. The unheralded right back has been solid in all of his performances this season and he delivered a high quality two-way game against the Rapids. Bloom did not put a foot wrong defensively in this one and was involved in a large percentage of the plays in which Toronto looked dangerous offensively.
Honourable mention
In terms of an honorable mention, Kyle Bekker delivered another very credible performance in a central midfield role. The Canadian International looked good both during the run of play and as TFC’s main deliverer of free kicks and corner kicks. With two solid performances in a row now, the second year midfielder looks like he is on his way to establishing himself as the third central midfielder in Ryan Nelsen’s pecking order behind Michael Bradley and Jonathan Osorio.
Toronto FC Line-up
30 Julio Cesar
28 Mark Bloom
13 Steven Caldwell
16 Bradley Orr
2 Justin Morrow
25 Jeremy Hall
8 Kyle Bekker
11 Jackson
20 Issey Nakajima-Farran
9 Gilberto
14 Dwayne De Rosario
Substitutions: (67) Wiedeman for De Rosario; (90) Hamilton in for Bloom.
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