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Toronto FC 0 – 0 Houston Dynamo
The Prelude to Battle
An away win was never likely, and two in a row may be unbelievable, but that’s what Toronto FC will be trying for against the Houston Dynamo, arguably the most comfortable home team in the league.
Coming off a fortunate win against D.C. United, Toronto FC now face the Houston Dynamo, a side reinvigorated by the return of Brad Davis, from international duty against Honduras and Panama. The Dynamo lost back-to-back home games, but are looking to rebound against Toronto. The last time these two sides met, the Dynamo pulled back a 1-1 draw in the 94th minute at BMO Field.
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Toronto FC start this game with the expected line up, with goalscorer Robert Earnshaw up top, Luis Silva right behind him, and Jonathan Osorio gets another start after impressing this season. Danny Koevermans is on the bench and may see some action near the end of the game. For Houston, Will Bruin leads up top, Brad Davis sits in midfield, and Warren Creavalle, who scored at BMO Field, starts the match.
It’s Toronto FC vs. the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium in Texas.
The First Forty-Five
The first bit of action came Toronto’s way, when Osorio won a corner that landed at the feet of Earnshaw – the Welsh forward had a strike on goal but goalkeeper Tally Hall easily picked it up. Osorio won another corner for Toronto FC 10 minutes later, Convey stepping up to deliver it – the header by Doneil Henry looked to almost sneak into the back of the net through the group of bodies in front, but was snapped up graciously by Hall.
Convey came close to scoring in the 21st minute, after Luis Silva held up the ball, slipped it into Jeremy Hall, who laid it out wide – Convey’s shot went wide of the net. Bruin nearly scored for Houston moments later, but Caldwell saved it in front of an open net. The resulting corner for Houston was quickly ruled offside after a misplaced pass, and Toronto recovered.
After a Ronaldinho-esque flip-flap by Brad Davis, Houston found their best chance so far, Corey Ashe’s ball crossed in to an open Bruin, who headed towards the goal but hit just high. Richter won a corner, Toronto’s third of the game, and Convey once again stepped up to take it – Hall grabbed it out of the air easily.
Ashe was the next Dynamo player to find a half-chance in front of net, when Caldwell’s defensive header found him wide open on the side of the box, but his shot was misdirected. Toronto needed to defend a pair of corner kicks – one on each side – and on both occasions, Toronto defended well. Bruin made his presence felt once more, slipping a through-ball in to Giles Barnes, who was offside.
Once again, Toronto had to defend against a pair of corners, and with three minutes to go in the first half, Toronto managed to do so with ease, Bendik picking up the second effort and finding Earnshaw up top. The result was a push, and a quick free kick that hoped to confuse the Dynamo, but the effort fizzled away. No added time in the first half, the two teams head to the locker rooms at 0-0.
The Second Half
Toronto FC started the second half off with a ton of momentum, moving forward and creating chances at will and as one unit. Earnshaw won a corner and Caldwell nearly got on the end of it, Toronto’s first real chance at scoring after a tough first half controlled mostly by Houston.
Toronto kept up this positive pressure but the Dynamo began to respond, winning their eighth corner of the game in the 54th minute. Doneil Henry went down with an injury at this time, and the play was stopped so he could receive some treatment. In the 58th minute, Toronto FC made their first substitution, Jeremy Brockie coming in for Luis Silva, giving the Reds more height up top. Houston also made a change, putting Cam Weaver in for Giles Barnes.
With one hour played, Toronto FC and the Houston Dynamo were unable to break each other down. Earnshaw had another chance at net in the 64th minute, but Hall saved his shot easily. Brockie earned a free kick outside the box after picking up a foul; the free kick turned into a corner, which turned into a Richter long throw-in. Finally, the throw-in landed into the hands of Hall, and the long-winded opportunity came to a close.
The game began to wind down, and with only 20 minutes to go, Toronto FC began pressing forward with more and more urgency. The Dynamo made their second change, Omar Cummings coming in for Creavalle in the 74th minute. In the 77th minute, Toronto FC made their second change, Danny Koevermans coming in for Earnshaw.
Koevermans made his presence felt immediately, winning a free kick for Toronto FC, but the Reds couldn’t connect on the effort. Darel Russell came in for Bobby Convey, with only 10 minutes left in the game. Houston began an all-out assault on Toronto’s backline, hoping to break them down and score a late goal, but Caldwell and the rest of Toronto’s backline looked strong.
Toronto found another chance at scoring when Brockie took a shot from distance, which was spilled by Hall and pounced on by Koevermans. The shot just couldn’t find the back of the net. Toronto FC kept the ball up high, maintaining possession and looking for a chance and scoring late, too. O’Dea stepped up to take a free kick in the 89th minute, but the cross went out immediately.
Three minutes of added time would be it for the match, as Toronto FC looked to hold out for the away point. Ricardo Clark made way for Adam Moffat in extra time, the final substitution for Houston. That would be it for the match, a 0-0 draw giving Toronto FC a much-needed point!
The Final Word: It Could Have Been Worse!
What can we say about a 0-0 game?
Well, for one thing, this is the second game in a row that Toronto FC hasn’t conceded a late goal. It’s also the club’s first shutout on the road since last year, and their first consecutive points away from home in quite some time, too. Against a struggling Houston Dynamo, Toronto FC showed flashes of brilliance but couldn’t put up enough to beat their Texan opposition.
Earnshaw had his chances, and there were plenty of corners, throw-ins and free kicks to capitalize on. However, Toronto’s best play came in spurts, instead of in one consistent chunk of time, leading to a stop-start affair that benefited neither side. In the first half, Toronto FC had 31% of possession but created an equal amount of chances, which bodes well for the club.
It was clear, however, that by the 70th minute mark, both Matias Laba and Jeremy Hall went from being active contributors to reactive markers, something that hurt Toronto FC’s offense; the creative aspect dwindled down and the lack of a real number 10-type player hurt Toronto’s production. Luis Silva’s absence gave way for Brockie, but he was largely ineffective at creating chances, instead, taking some himself and simply not scoring.
Toronto FC just needs to be a little smarter in front of goal. Brockie could have slipped a through pass to Earnshaw, but chose to go it himself; Koevermans’ pouncing effort was taken too quickly; the chances Toronto FC did create need to be sharper, but in defending, Toronto FC were strong all over the pitch today, a silver lining if ever there was one.
And bless Steven Caldwell, and give him a contract extension, because this guy knows how to defend.
It’s a draw, a 0-0 game that gives Toronto FC a valuable point but does little to change either their league fortunes or their team confidence. It could have been worse – it could have ended in a loss, which would be brutal coming off a win against D.C. United. This game, like many 0-0 games, had its moments of excitement, and its missed chances, but ultimately, the game is a forgettable one.
A point’s a point, and if you’re Toronto FC, it’s good enough, for now.
Toronto FC Starting XI:
12 Joe Bendik
33 Ryan Richter
13 Steven Caldwell
4 Doneil Henry
48 Darren O’Dea
21 Jonathan Osorio
20 Matias Laba
25 Jeremy Hall
15 Bobby Convey
11 Luis Silva
10 Robert Earnshaw
Substitutions: Jeremy Brockie in for Luis Silva (58); Danny Koevermans in for Robert Earnshaw (77); Darel Russell in for Bobby Convey (80’).
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