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Toronto FC 4 – 1 D.C. United
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The Prelude to Battle
Both eliminated from playoff contention, neither side enjoying a particularly impressive outing this season, and yet, formality or not, Toronto FC take on D.C. United at BMO Field in the second-last home game of the season. Pride and points are both on the line today, with both Ryan Nelsen and Ben Olsen looking for a win as they keep one eye firmly on the calendar for next season.
What to make, then, of Toronto FC’s final few games? Against D.C. United, Toronto FC has its best chance of picking up a fifth win of the season. Five wins was all Toronto FC could muster last year under Paul Mariner and Aron Winter, so matching that number will be a small milestone for Nelsen, should he pull it off.
Nelsen starts a B-line against D.C., opting for a young backline of Mark Bloom, Gale Agbossoumonde, Doneil Henry and Ashtone Morgan. Nelsen, however, is absent on the pitch, watching the game from the box, instead. The rest of the line up remains unchanged, Kyle Bekker once again missing out from the starting team sheet in place of Darel Russell, who scored last week against Sporting Kansas City.
Meanwhile, D.C. United go into this encounter with almost none of its usual starters. Dwayne De Rosario misses this trip, Perry Kitchen, Dejan Jakovic, Bill Hamid and Chris Pontius are nowhere to be found, and Luis Silva starts off the bench. Instead, Jared Jeffrey, Collin Martin and Kyle Porter start in midfield, alongside Sainey Nyassi and Marcelo Saragosa. Lionard Pajoy and Michael Seaton start up top.
If ever there was a time for Toronto FC to pick up a win, it’s this game. It’s Toronto FC taking on D.C. United at BMO Field!
The First Forty-Five
Toronto FC started the first half with lots of pace and energy, Bobby Convey winning a corner in the second minute of the game. The first corner was converted into a second on the opposite side, which was then struck into the hands of goalkeeper Joe Willis. D.C., looking shaking at the back, quickly buckled to Toronto’s forward pressure, Toronto controlling much of the possession in the early moments.
Darel Russell had the first chance on goal, striking from well outside the box but missing his mark. Joe Bendik made a routine save minutes later from D.C.’s first shot of the game. Bendik wouldn’t be so lucky the next time, though, when Jeffery took a shot from outside the box and beat the TFC keeper for the opening goal – D.C. United 1-0 Toronto FC in the 15th minute.
Toronto won a free kick near the corner mark in the 25th minute, which Rey swung in, finding Convey at the other side of the box. Convey crossed the ball in, landing in front of Russell, who chested the ball before taking an acrobatic strike on goal, equalizing for Toronto FC! Toronto 1-1 D.C. United in the 26th minute.
A fancy bit of footwork by Alvaro Rey opened up space for a cross, which Rey struck well, finding Convey with the shot, but Willis made the save. In the 37th minute, Martin picked up the first yellow card of the game and conceded a free kick, which Convey stood over. The free kick came to nothing, though, and Toronto regrouped and tried once more.
With five minutes to go in the first half, Toronto began playing a bit more adventurous. Bright Dike picked up Toronto’s first yellow card of the game with seconds to go in the first half. With a goal apiece, the two teams headed off to the locker rooms level at 1-1.
The Second Half
Before starting the second half, D.C. United made a change at half time, Conor Doyle coming in for Daniel Woolard. The first bit of action for Toronto FC’s second half came from a corner kick, won by Morgan, which was easily defended by D.C. Morgan once again made a run up the left flank and this time won a free kick near the corner flag, which petered out for a throw in.
Toronto created more and more chances as the team looked to add a second goal. A tug in the box prompted calls for a penalty but referee Ted Unkel wouldn’t have any of it. A flurry of injuries for D.C. brought the game to a halt on numerous occasions, the last of which saw Russell yellow carded.
Russell once again had a chance at goal, creating space for himself in midfield before hitting the ball into the hands of Willis. Bright Dike wouldn’t miss the next chance, though, Mark Bloom swinging the ball in from the left and finding the foot of the big TFC forward – Toronto FC 2-1 D.C. United in the 68th minute. Marcelo Saragosa picked up a yellow card during the play, too, and Dennis Iapichino also came in for Jeffery a minute later.
One minute later, Alvaro Rey and Andrew Wiedeman connected perfectly up top, Rey hitting the final shot off the foot of a D.C. defender, beating Willis and giving Toronto FC it’s third goal of the game – Toronto FC 3-1 D.C. United in the 70th minute. The goal was called as an own goal for Conor Shanosky but Rey would celebrate it nonetheless.
With 15 minutes to go, Toronto FC looked to hold onto the two-goal lead, but D.C. United didn’t give up just yet. D.C. continued to push forward and looked to create chances of their own, but Toronto’s young backline handled them well. D.C. made its final change of the game in the 79th minute, Casey Townsend coming in for Kyle Porter.
Toronto made its first change of the game in the 81st minute, Justin Braun coming in for Dike. Wiedeman had a chance at goal a few seconds later, skimming the side netting. He went on to win a free kick right after. Toronto made its second change in the 84th minute, Reggie Lambe coming in for Bobby Convey.
Alvaro Rey finally showed off his fancy feet, dancing around the entire D.C. defensive core before slipping the ball passed Willis on the left – Toronto FC 4-1 D.C. United, Rey opening his account, with only three minutes to go in the game.
A comprehensive scoreline now assured and the three points waiting just seconds away, Toronto continued to defend well, keeping D.C. from scoring a second. Kyle Bekker rounded off the substitutes for Toronto FC, coming on in the two minutes of added time for Andrew Wiedeman. That would be it for this match, Toronto FC beating D.C. United by a resounding 4-1 score line!
Post-Game Reaction
Alvaro Rey earned much of the praise for his two-goal (one scored, one leading to an own goal) performance. Rey spoke to RedNation Online in Spanish, translated to English, saying:
“I feel really good, we had a very good game. We only had two options: to win, or to win!” said Rey. “We had a good, serious game because there have been many games we haven’t won, so those goals were important to help the team.”
After the match, Joe Bendik spoke about the result, and was quite pleased with how the game finished.
“It was a good win, but they threw an extremely weak team out there,” said Bendik. “Anytime you throw a weak team out against a first-team MLS team, you better have a lot of luck on your hands. Aside from that one goal, I think we destroyed them.”
“When we heard when they weren’t travelling a first-team player that was like dog out of the cage for us,” said Bendik. “I said to Wiedeman getting onto the elevator today, ‘I feel like 4-1, 3-1 today.”
Bendik also spoke about the young backline in front of him today, and had nothing but praise.
“More so with Doneil and Ashtone, I think Ashtone has played incredibly well for the last 10, 15 games and same with Doneil. I think they’re setting themselves up on the right track,” said Bendik.
Finally, when asked if he expected to start for Toronto FC next season, Bendik showed his trademark confidence in spades.
“You tell me!” said Bendik, with a smile. “31 [games] for 31.”
Bright Dike was one of the three goalscorers for Toronto FC in the game, and he spoke about the moments leading up to his first Toronto FC goal.
“I mean, it was just a great ball by Bloomy,” said Dike, on Mark Bloom’s cross and his eventual goal. “Great contact, perfect position for me to get on the end of it. That’s all you can ask for from your teammates. He created and made that goal for me.”
“It’s just a fight to push harder, to push everyday and keep yourself focused and mentally ready to get back to where you were before you got hurt,” said Dike, on his journey to recover from injury this season. “You just have to keep working hard.”
“Anytime you get three points, no matter how you grab it, you’re going to be happy,” concluded Dike.
The Final Word: The Killer Instinct in Toronto FC.
Bright Dike, Darel Russell, Alvaro Rey, each an opportunist in front of goal, showing off for Toronto FC.
So much has been said of Bright Dike; the big, burling striker made his presence felt today and his first Toronto FC goal couldn’t have been hit any sweeter. Russell scored once more down the final stretch of the season, his third of the year, each goal as beautiful as the last.
Alvaro Rey made D.C.’s second-string line up look foolish from the first minute of action, and created two goals for the team; the first real winger for Toronto FC, at long, long last.
These goalscorers will be the topic of conversation for the week leading up to Toronto’s next game, but there are a few more players worth noting.
Mark Bloom, Gale Agbossoumonde, Doneil Henry and Ashtone Morgan.
I like to think I haven’t pulled any punches this season when it comes to some of the younger defenders on this team. Today, four young defenders stood on the grass and played like experienced veterans. Every single jump by Henry was the perfect balance of technical and physical; every run forward by Bloom created a chance for another midfielder or winger to move forward; every foot in by Agbossoumonde was an obstacle for a D.C. forward to deal with; finally, every intercepted pass, every smart bit of movement made to shepherd a forward was done with a flow of confidence by Morgan.
The opposition was weak. This is not Sporting Kansas City or Real Salt Lake.
However, what struck me with this back line is just how rare it is for a team to have four strong, young defenders who can, at times, look the part of experienced regulars. That Richard Eckersley has been displaced twice, once by Ryan Richter, again by Bloom, spells out just how far Toronto FC’s defenders have come.
It has its critics, of course. The experienced touch of Steven Caldwell is absolutely needed throughout the season. However, something special is happening in Toronto’s backline. There’s a killer instinct formulating at the club. As it grows, so too will the players, but one thing is clear: Toronto FC has been blessed with a young and capable back line that looks ready to blossom into an affordable, effective foursome.
The killer instinct starts at the back.
TFC Starting XI:
12 Joe Bendik
28 Mark Bloom
6 Gale Agbossoumonde
4 Doneil Henry
5 Ashtone Morgan
15 Bobby Convey
16 Darel Russell
25 Jeremy Hall
23 Alvaro Rey
7 Bright Dike
32 Andrew Wiedeman
Substitutions: Justin Braun in for Bright Dike (81’); Reggie Lambe in for Bobby Convey (84’); Kyle Bekker in for Andrew Wiedeman (90’+).
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