|
|
Toronto FC 2 – 1 Columbus Crew
The Prelude to Battle
It has been one year since Toronto FC last won at BMO Field. With the Trillium Cup on the line, Toronto FC takes on the Columbus Crew with one thing on their mind – a win! This is the second of three meetings this season, and Toronto FC will be looking to snap a six game winless streak against a team that they have only ever beaten once in club history. The last time these two played this season, Columbus walked away with a win.
|
|
Player news has been the hot topic for Toronto, with Darren O’Dea sold to Ukrainian outfit Metalurh Donetsk and Xerez winger Alvaro Rey signing with the club. The Spanish winger won’t be starting, but he will be on the bench, with Osorio keeping his role at right midfield. Both Danny Koevermans and Robert Earnshaw are out with injuries, leaving Toronto with Jeremy Brockie and Justin Braun up top. Meanwhile, Columbus are boosted by the return of Jairo Arrieta, and with Federico Higuain and Dominic Oduro up top, the Crew are a threat, as ever.
So, with three points the objective and a year’s worth of poor results in what once was a fortress, Toronto FC take on their bitter rivals, the Columbus Crew. With limited options for Ryan Nelsen across the pitch, can Toronto FC finally win at BMO Field? We’ll have to wait and see.
The Opening 45
Toronto FC started the first half with flair, Bobby Convey winning a corner in the first five minutes, which didn’t threaten the goal. Convey on the right began showing signs of danger, earning another corner soon after; the effort nearly led to a Matias Laba goal, but the shot was deflected. Ashtone Morgan got in on the action with a shot of his own, which was saved.
Dominic Oduro picked up the ball out wide in the 17th minute, and took a shot from a long way out, which flew right past Joe Bendik to everyone’s shock – Columbus take a 1-0 lead courtesy of Oduro’s ninth goal of the season. Doneil Henry nearly gave away a goal in the 21st minute, when he miskicked the clearance and gave Arrieta a free chance at goal. Columbus began an onslaught of shots on goal, with Henry and Morgan defending poorly and giving away possession, but Bendik made numerous saves to keep Toronto in the game.
At the half hour mark, Toronto FC began settling more and more into the game, with Jeremy Brockie getting close to scoring but having the ball cleared away quickly. The rain began to fall at BMO Field and with only five minutes left in the first half, Toronto FC were desperate for an equalizing goal, but didn’t look like they would find one. With seconds to go in the first half, Jeremy Brockie was clear in front of goal and was brought down in the box, but the penalty was not given, and the first half ended soon after.
Columbus 1-0 Toronto FC at half time.
|
|
Few beers In England then find out @torontofc have won. Get in.
– @denoual85 |
|
|
The Second Half
Toronto FC started the second half with a pair of substitutions, Andrew Wiedeman coming in for Justin Braun and Reggie Lambe coming into the game for Jeremy Hall. With Lambe out wide, Osorio moved into the middle, giving Toronto FC another dimension in attack. Toronto began to pressure up top, with Wiedeman taking a shot on goal, but Toronto FC didn’t really threaten to score early on.
The first 15 minutes of the second half featured plenty of free kicks and corners for Toronto FC, but the club just couldn’t find that crucial final touch to score. The first yellow card of the game went to Bernardo Anor in the 64th minute, for a foul in midfield. Henry picked up a yellow card in the 68th minute for pulling Arrieta down right outside the box, and Eckersley picked up a card of his own a few minutes later.
In the 76th minute, Alvaro Rey made his Toronto FC debut, coming in for Morgan. The Spanish winger gave Toronto another option in attack and with the club pressuring consistently for the entirety of the second half this would be the last option Nelsen could use to find a goal. Columbus made their first change soon after, replacing Agustin Viana with Chad Barson.
With 10 minutes left to go, Toronto FC continued to attack consistently, winning corner kicks in succession. Columbus made their second change, Ethan Finlay coming in for Oduro in the 86th minute. In the 87th minute, Toronto FC finally, finally managed to connect on the end of a chance, Jonathan Osorio getting the ball from Bobby Convey in front of goal and finessing the shot to the left of a diving Andy Gruenebaum! Toronto FC 1-1 Columbus Crew, Osorio took his jersey off and picked up a yellow card.
The rain really began pour down with two minutes to go, making it impossible to even see anymore. The referee added four minutes of added time. Columbus made their final change, Anor coming off for Justin Meram. Toronto FC won a corner in the 89th minute, which Caldwell got on the end of, and smacked it against the post!
With one minute to go in the game, Andrew Wiedeman got on the end of a perfect cross whipped in by Bobby Convey…and scored the go-ahead goal for Toronto FC! With only seconds to go, Wiedeman’s goal gave Toronto FC a 2-1 lead, and their third win of the season. The rain, ever a blessing at BMO Field, once again sees the club to a win, the final score, 2-1 Toronto FC!
Post-Game Reaction:
After the game, Ryan Nelsen was obviously pleased with his side’s comeback win over the Crew but said he believed the game to be an example his team could learn from.
“I think it’s a learning experience. I think as a team you evolve through these types of things,” said Nelsen. “You just see it kind of changing. It’s nice to be on the other end of that one.”
“The first half, it just wasn’t clicking, and that can happen,” said Nelsen. “The passing wasn’t fluid, it was very static, it just wasn’t right, it didn’t feel right, it didn’t look right, and sometimes that happens. But to the player’s credit, they really stood up. We were punishing ourselves with mistakes.”
“I’m so proud of the guys,” Nelsen added.
The second half is where Toronto FC thrived, and Jonathan Osorio knew it.
“There was only one team that was playing in the second half,” Osorio told the press, summing up the final 45 minutes succinctly.
Kevin Payne also spoke with TSN’s Luke Wileman at half time and said the club would be looking to sign a Designated Player and a young DP before the transfer window closes on August 8. Wileman goes on and adds that Payne said the club is looking to sign another Designated Player for the January transfer window. So, eyes and ears open, because these new players could sign any day now.
The Final Word: Toronto FC Singing in the Rain!
If you were to judge this game on the first half alone, Toronto FC did not deserve to win.
How wonderful, then, that the beautiful game is one of two halves, and that Toronto, who mounted an excellent comeback in the second, walk away with a win. The first half showed everything that was lacking with the current Toronto FC side – an inability to connect in a flat midfield coupled with few options up top meant Toronto FC were unable to really threaten the goal. Meanwhile, on the backline, Doneil Henry made a few rookie mistakes, Dominic Oduro beat Ashtone Morgan, and the first goal of the match was one that should have been saved by Joe Bendik.
But, outside the land of should have’s and could have’s, Ryan Nelsen’s approach to the second half was commendable. Two substitutions were made, with Reggie Lambe and Andrew Wiedeman coming in for Jeremy Hall and an ineffective Justin Braun and with a new dimension of attack in the middle with Jonathan Osorio, Toronto created chance after chance. Each corner, each free kick or throw in was an opportunity for Toronto FC to level a game that they should not have been losing to that point.
It was only in the 87th minute, though, that Toronto FC were able to shake their goalscoring woes and Osorio’s celebration following his goal was symbolic of not only the comeback on the night but of a million little stresses leaving the shoulders of the players. Andrew Wiedeman’s goal minutes later, then, was the icing on the proverbial cupcake, because, truth be told, the rain soaked Toronto FC faithful (who stuck around, good on you!) would have been overjoyed with the draw and must have been ecstatic with the win.
And so ends the year-long curse that has befallen BMO Field, and with three full points gained, Toronto FC close the gap a little more between Columbus in the standings, and sets up these potential signings with a win to make everyone feel good for the next week. Diego Forlan holding TFC red in the next few days would only be the first part of a two-part article that also mentions the club managed to pick up a win against the Columbus Crew, a feat repeated but once before in the club’s history.
Also worth noting is Alvaro Rey, who made his TFC debut, and showed some fancy footwork, took one shot on goal, and looked an all around decent passer on the field. It’s too soon to rate the man but he’ll be pleased with his debut, no doubt.
Is there a more satisfying feeling than a win over the Crew, in the rain, in the dying seconds of the match? For Toronto FC fans on this day, the answer, a resounding no! They’ll be singing in the rain, a happy tune at last.
Toronto FC Lineup
12 Joe Bendik
27 Richard Eckersley
13 Steven Caldwell
4 Doneil Henry
5 Ashtone Morgan
20 Matias Laba
25 Jeremy Hall
15 Bobby Convey
21 Jonathan Osorio
17 Justin Braun
22 Jeremy Brockie
Substitutions: Reggie Lambe in for Jeremy Hall (45’ HT); Andrew Wiedeman in for Justin Braun (45’ HT); Alvaro Rey in for Ashtone Morgan (76’).
|