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Posted by
Steve Bottjer,
June 21, 2012
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@bottjerRNO
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Toronto FC 3 – 3 Houston Dynamo
The Prelude to Battle
Fresh off a loss on Saturday in Kansas City and under the gun on and off the pitch, Toronto FC arrived in Houston to play their first ever match at BBVA Compass Stadium against the Dynamo.
With the game set to be played under the stifling Texas heat and with only fifteen players available to TFC Head Coach Paul Mariner, Canadian Internationals Julian de Guzman and Ashtone Morgan returned to the starting eleven and fullback Richard Eckersley was selected to lead the back line in central defence in place of the injured Adrian Cann.
TFC defender Jeremy Hall switched from left back to right back for this fixture, earning himself the difficult task of containing Dynamo main man Brad Davis.
The Opening Forty-Five
This one looked early on like it was going to be one of those rough nights on the road for TFC, as the Dynamo had a couple of excellent chances to score on crosses into the Toronto box in the first five minutes of play.
Toronto were able to withstand an early onslaught by Houston and then got a rare piece of luck on a play that actually allowed them to open the scoring. The Dynamo cleared a TFC corner kick in the 13th minute but Eric Avila sent it back into the Houston penalty area where it deflected to Jeremy Hall, who shot the ball in off the post, earning his first MLS goal and giving the Reds a rare lead away from home.
To their credit, Houston pretty much bounced right back and were able to equalize in the 20th minute on a corner kick that central defender Bobby Boswell was able to head past Milos Kocic to tie the score up.
Undeterred, TFC regained the lead two minutes later on the break, with a fantastic run by Ryan Johnson setting up Avila to deliver a perfectly placed cross that Danny Koevermans side footed into an open net.
The Reds almost scored again in the 28th minute when Avila delivered another well placed cross that midfielder Terry Dunfield headed just a few inches wide of the far post.
Toronto scored their third goal just before the half-time break when Julian de Guzman delivered a cross into the Houston box that Koevermans headed and perfectly placed into the back of the net.
With three goals scored in only forty-five minutes of play, Toronto FC were the hottest team in Texas with fifty percent of the match completed.
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I would never have removed JDG from this game & the whole defense was shambolic last 20minutes #TFC
- @LMaiolino |
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The Second Half
Toronto were able to hold Houston in check in the early going during the second half, as the Dynamo pushed forward with intent, but with the Reds keeping their shape and preventing any significant scoring chances.
That said, Houston have been one of the most successful teams in the MLS in recent years and there was never any real doubt that they were going to make a run in this one. The Dynamo would pull one goal back in the 73rd minute when Brad Davis found Will Bruin in the box and the Dynamo’s leading scorer made no mistake in finding the back of the net.
Toronto continued to absorb what was essentially constant and unrelenting pressure for the remainder of the game, as the visitors were just trying to hang onto their lead and hold off a Houston side that was now clicking on all cylinders.
In a heartbreaking development for Toronto FC and their supporters, Houston scored a tying goal in the 90th minute when Geoff Cameron’s cross found Bruin, who was clinical in heading the ball into the back of the TFC net.
Toronto would hold off Houston for five minutes of extra time, as the Reds earned their first MLS road point of 2012.
The Final Word: Positives to build on in a heartbreaking draw
In a game that was a fine advertisement for the MLS and in a match that provided genuine thrills and entertainment, Houston provided TFC with a prime example of how far they have to go as team. Toronto delivered a very impressive first half of play, but could not contain the onslaught of a Dynamo team that had a whole other gear to switch to when the chips were on the line. The manner in which Houston took over the game in the second half was awesome to behold, as they clearly took advantage of the home field advantage and heat and pushed with authority against a Reds side that had to be exhausted in the latter stages of this game.
While it will be tough for Toronto FC swallow the fact that they did not earn their first away victory and first three points for new Head Coach Paul Mariner, it is still a decent achievement to come away with a point from a match played in the Texas heat against quality side lead by Houston Head Coach Dominic Kinnear.
Three goals scored on the road was another positive development, as was a brace by Danny Koevermans, who looks to be rounding into the type of form that spurred TFC to success in the latter stages of the 2011 campaign. There is clearly a different feel and a different energy to Toronto FC under Paul Mariner. If Toronto can consistently deliver ninety minutes of what they showed in the opening forty-five minutes of this game, they will earn their fair share of positive results in the remainder of the 2011 campaign.
Obviously, the negatives from TFC in this game center on the fact that the team could not hold a two goal lead and with the ongoing inability to defend competently on set pieces and on balls delivered into the TFC box.
Toronto FC still have a ways to go, but their performance in this match does suggest that good things and more wins are a distinct possibility in the coming weeks and months.
TFC Line-up
30 Kocic
25 Hall
27 Eckersley
4 Henry
5 Morgan
22 Frings
6 De Guzman
8 Avila
23 Dunfield
9 Johnson
14 Koevermans
Substitutions:
(81) Lambe in for De Guzman; (90) Williams in for Koevermans.
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