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Posted by
Steve Bottjer,
May 7, 2017 |
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Twitter
@BottjerRNO
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With Toronto missing several key players (Sebastian Giovinco, Victor Vazquez, Eriq Zavaleta, Drew Moor and Steven Beitashour) due to either injury or a calculated decision to rest players amidst a heavy playing and travel schedule, the Reds went into this road fixture one shorthanded. However, Toronto’s depth ultimate shone brightly as Toronto ground out a professional 1-0 victory over the defending MLS Cup Champions on Saturday afternoon.
TFC can win with shots on net.
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The Opening 45
Seattle appeared to take the lead early in this fixture when Jordan Morris appeared to head in free kick on a goal that was ultimately called back as offside.
Some strong work by Jozy Altidore lead to the TFC striker being fouled in the Seattle box by defender Roman Torres. The Reds DP stepped and easily slotted the resulting penalty kick past keeper Stefan Frei for the opening goal.
The Second Half
The second forty-five minutes continued to be a frustrating affair for the Sounders, as Toronto continued their strong defensive play in a formation that effectively neutered the advantage the home side had in terms of possession.
With Sounders pressing for an equalizer, Toronto closed out the game with gritty defending and solid goalkeeping from Clint Irwin, as Michael Bradley lead by example with physical but controlled game in the midfield.
Man of the Match
Jozy Altidore
With Giovinco and Victor Vasquez rested for this match, Toronto was shorthanded up front against a motivated Sounders squad. Altidore delivered a herculean performance, leading the line effectively, working the Seattle back line physically and via smart runs. The U.S. International won the penalty kick in the first half and professionally slotted home what ultimately turned out to be the winning goal.
Special credit also goes to Nick Hagglund. The central defender once again played a key role in a clean sheet and illustrated just how much he has grown as a player since the beginning of the season.
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