Red Bulls can ice bid vs. Toronto FC
Win at northern neighbors puts New York in postseason
TORONTO FC v NEW YORK RED BULLS
BMO FIELD, Toronto, Ont., Canada
7 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Oct. 4, 2007 (WEEK 27) / MLS Game #175
REFEREE: Mauricio Navarro. SAR (bench): Hector Vergara; JAR (opposite): Daniel Belleau; 4th: Silviu Petrescu
MLS Career: 8 games; FC/gm: 36.3; Y/gm: 4.8; R: 1; pens: 0
Games involving Toronto FC: P2 W0 L1 T1; FC/gm: 39.0; Y/gm: 5.0; R: 0; pens: 0
Games involving Red Bulls: P1 W0 L0 T1; FC/gm: 37.0; Y/gm: 7.0; R: 0; pens: 0
INJURY REPORT: TORONTO FC - OUT: GK Greg Sutton (concussion); MF Ronnie O'Brien (knee); FW Danny Dichio (ankle); GK David Monsalve (shoulder); DF Nana Attakora-Gyan (groin) ... NEW YORK RED BULLS - OUT: DF Kevin Goldthwaite (L knee injury); QUESTIONABLE: MF Claudio Reyna (L toe sprain); FW Mike Magee (R knee injury)
SUSPENDED: TOR: Tyrone Marshall (through Oct. 5)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: TOR: Andrew Boyens
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: TOR: Adam Braz, Jim Brennan, Jeff Cunningham, Danny Dichio, Srdjan Djekanovic, Chris Pozniak, Carl Robinson ... NY: Jozy Altidore, Kevin Goldthwaite, Dema Kovalenko, Seth Stammler, Joe Vide
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (2 meetings): Toronto FC 0 wins, 1 goal ... Red Bulls 2 wins, 5 goals ... Draws 0
AT BMO FIELD: (1 meeting): Toronto FC 0 wins, 1 goal ... Red Bulls 1 win, 2 goals ... Draws 0
• This is the third and final game this season between the clubs, the second at Exhibition Place. The Red Bulls have won both previous meetings.
• Coaches record: Mo Johnston v NY: P2 W0 L2 D0 ... Bruce Arena vs. TOR: P2 W2 L0 D0
2007 (MLS):
6/6: TOR 1, NY 2 (Cunningham 22 - Angel 69, 71)
8/12: NY 3, TOR 0 (Angel 24; Altidore 50, 63)
• In the first meeting this season, the Red Bulls came back to claim a 2-1 victory against Toronto FC. The Canadian outfit grabbed the lead midway through the first half. Andy Welsh intercepted the ball on the left and skipped down the wing, before cutting back a low pass from the byeline inside the penalty area. Jeff Cunningham slipped in to bang it home for his first goal since arriving in Toronto from Real Salt Lake.
• But Juan Pablo Angel scored twice within three minutes to send the Red Bulls to victory. The first goal was pure class. Winning a disputed free kick some 25 yards out from the left post, Angel bent his freekick to the left side of wall and inside the near stick, leaving TFC 'keeper Srdjan Djekanovic rooted to his line (69).
• Then Dave van den Bergh did good work on the right flank to turn the corner and drive in a bouncing cross that took a deflection off a defender, and Angel ghosted in at the back post to side-foot it home for his second goal in three minutes.
• On Aug. 12 at Giants Stadium, the Red Bulls owned the game from the outset against an injury-hit TFC side, ending the game with a 21-3 advantage in shots, and not allowing the first shot from the visitors until just 15 minutes remained.
• New York deservedly took the lead in the 24th minute. Clint Mathis -- who had come on for an injured Claudio Reyna just seconds earlier -- hammered in a low cross from the right that took a slight deflection. Juan Pablo Angel was able to corral the ball and quickly fired home from just beyond the far post, his 10th goal of the league campaign and first in seven games.
• The Red Bulls put the game after the break. On a counter, Jozy Altidore slipped the ball to Angel on the right as the two raced toward goal. Angel tried to drive a low pass into the goalmouth; it took a deflection off a prone TFC defender and looped toward goal, Altidore putting on the final touch as it was crossing the line (50).
• Thirteen minutes later the duo again combined forces. Angel flicked on a long ball as Altidore raced into the area. He tapped the ball over a defender's head and around TFC goalkeeper Kenny Stamatopoulos, driving it into the unguarded goal for his fourth goal on the season.
• Here's Arena's team (4-4-2): Jon Conway - Hunter Freeman, Jeff Parke, Seth Stammler, Chris Leitch - Dane Richards (Mike Magee 70), Claudio Reyna (Clint Mathis 22), Joe Vide,Dave van den Bergh (Sinisa Ubiparipovic 83) - Jozy Altidore, Juan Pablo Angel. Substitutes Not Used: Danny Cepero, Kevin Goldthwaite, Carlos Mendes, John Wolyniec
• Here's Johnston's team (4-1-4-1): Kenny Stamatopoulos - Adam Braz, Marco Reda, Tyrone Marshall, Jim Brennan - Carl Robinson - Collin Samuel (Joey Melo 49), Chris Pozniak, Todd Dunivant, Andy Welsh (Andrew Boyens 59) - Andrea Lombardo. Substitutes Not Used: Nana Attakora-Gyan, Gabe Gala, David Monsalve
TORONTO FC
Toronto FC scored a goal and took an early lead for the second match in a row, but fell to a D.C. United onslaught in the second half, losing 4-1 to the overall leaders on Saturday evening at RFK Stadium. TFC is now on the verge of being eliminated from playoff consideration with 21 points on the season, 12 points behind eighth-place Chicago Fire with four games left to play.
LAST MATCH
• D.C. United were riding a 10-game unbeaten streak in league play while also coming off a huge victory against Chivas de Guadalajara in Copa Sudamericana. Toronto FC had finally put an end to their MLS-record scoreless streak, but still had gone 11 games without a win.
• Yet after going nine games without a goal, it didn't take the Reds long to score another, as they stunned the overall leaders in the 14th minute. From a freekick just outside the restraining arc, Carl Robinson hooked his effort around the wall and into the upper left corner.
• But United turned things around after the break, and stormed to victory with a four-goal outburst in less than 20 minutes. The first two came from long-range stunners. In the 52nd minute, Fred sent a little backheel from the left corner of the area to Marc Burch, and the young left back ripped a blistering shot that was still rising when it hit the back of the net for his first professional goal.
• Then five minutes later Fred did his part. Collecting a pass on the left, he cut cross-field outside the top of the area and curled a dipping drive inside the far post for his seventh goal on the campaign.
• The league's all-time scoring leader doubled the lead in the 66th minute. A slide-rule through ball from Clyde Simms split open the TFC defense, and Jaime Moreno raced in all alone into the right side of the area before slotting home a cool finish under Toronto 'keeper Kenny Stamatopoulos.
• A thunderbolt finished off the scoring. Christian Gomez sent a wicked freekick over the wall from 25 yards, only to see it come back off the bar and back down the middle of the area. But Luciano Emilio caught the ball with a stunning side-volley, swiveling his left leg to rip home the rebound for his league-leading 20th goal on the season.
• TFC boss Mo Johnston made two changes to the team that lost 2-1 to the Columbus Crew at home the previous weekend. Adam Braz returned after missing that game to Yom Kippur and Marvell Wynne returned from injury, as they came in for Miguel Canizalez and Jeff Cunningham.
• Here's Johnston's team (4-4-2): Kenny Stamatopoulos - Andrew Boyens, Tyrone Marshall, Jim Brennan, Adam Braz (Jeff Cunningham 62) - Todd Dunivant, Maurice Edu, Marvell Wynne, Carl Robinson, Chris Pozniak (Miguel Canizalez 81) - Collin Samuel (Andrea Lombardo 75). Substitutes Not Used: Srdjan Djekanovic, Gabe Gala, Tyler Hemming, Joey Melo
• "It was hard to swallow," said Johnston. "It's tough to say it after giving up four goals, but I thought our defense was sound. They changed up and brought Moreno and Olsen in and they changed the way they played. They scored three unbelievable goals. I thought one was offside but the other three were tremendous strikes."
TEAM NEWS
• While it looked like another ugly loss in the end, and extended the club's winless streak to12 games, TFC took some positives from the effort.
• "That was one of the better halves we've played all year but at the same time we have to make it 90 minutes, not 45. We have to stay in the game mentally," said defender Tyrone Marshall. "That was our biggest problem tonight, we didn't have that 90-minute focus. We did it for 45 and they got a goal and we just let down."
• Twice during the winless run, TFC has played United. On Aug. 25 at BMO Field, the Reds had the majority of play - yet saw D.C. get a goal after eight minutes from Fred and hang on the rest of the way. This time they held a deserved lead at halftime, before United exploded.
• "I think we dominated the first half, especially on the road, against D.C., a powerful club and then came the second half and we let it slip through our fingers," said goalkeeper Kenny Stamatopoulos. "The defense in front of me was pretty good for most of the game, but we made a few mistakes in the second half that hurt us."
• After the break Jaime Moreno and Ben Olsen came on for United and turned the game around. More troubling was that after a chance from Maurice Edu just moments into the second half, TFC really created nothing from there on out.
• "We didn't make the adjustment. They got that early goal and it gave them confidence and they came back and got another one and we just dropped our heads a little bit and by the time we looked it goes three and four," said Marshall.
• While Toronto FC is still mathematically alive, it would take a minor miracle to qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs. They are 12 points behind the Chicago Fire with a maximum of 12 points still available; one point won by the Fire or lost by TFC ends the playoff chances. Realistically, though, the club is already looking to Year Two.
• "We know what we need. We need a playmaker. We need an [Ronnie] O'Brien and a [Danny] Dichio. We are going to make a few big recruiting trips this offseason to Brazil and maybe to some camps in Argentina. Obviously, we are going to add depth with first-round draft pick," Johnston said.
NEW YORK RED BULLS
For the second consecutive game, the New York Red Bulls twice saw their opponents take one-goal leads, and twice came back in getting a late equalizer from Juan Pablo Angel, this time settling for a 2-2 draw at home against Real Salt Lake on Saturday evening. The Red Bulls have 39 points with three matches still left to play, and could secure their place in the MLS Cup Playoffs this weekend if all the results go their way.
LAST MATCH
• Real Salt Lake were coming off a victory that put an end to a four-game winless run that followed their only back-to-back wins on the year, while the Red Bulls had won just once over their last six games.
• And for the second game in a row, the Red Bulls fell behind early at home. Andy Williams bent in a long cross from the right touchline and Chris Brown got free at the back post to send a glancing, diving header into the turf and past New York 'keeper Ronald Waterreus for the 22nd-minute opener.
• Four minutes after the break, the Red Bulls pulled level. A long pass was flicked on to Francis Doe, leaving him one-on-one with RSL defender Matias Mantilla outside the area. The Liberian striker cut and slashed his way to goal, finally turning Mantilla before lashing a low shot inside the far post for his second goal in as many games.
• But Real pulled ahead again 15 minutes from the end. Alecko Eskandarian freed Fabian Espindola on the left flank, and after turning the corner he cut back a rolling pass for Kyle Beckerman to side-foot home for his second goal with the Utah club and third on the year.
• Yet the Red Bulls followed the script, and for the second week running, got a late equalizer from Juan Pablo Angel. This time, Carey Talley tripped up Seth Stammler as the center back tried to reach the rebound of a ball bouncing in the area, and Angel converted from the penalty spot for his 17th goal of the year, setting a New York club record.
• After going the first 24 games of the season with 24 different lineups, Red Bulls manager Bruce Arena was able to run out the same starting XI for the third match in a row.
• Here's Arena's team (4-4-2): Ronald Waterreus - Chris Leitch, Jeff Parke, Seth Stammler, Dave van den Bergh - Dane Richards, Claudio Reyna (Carlos Mendes 58), Joe Vide (Clint Mathis 46), Dema Kovalenko - Francis Doe (Jozy Altidore 64), Juan Pablo Angel. Substitutes Not Used: Jon Conway, Hunter Freeman, Markus Schopp, John Wolyniec
• "To me, it was simply a few miscues and poor finishing. We had a chance to score more goals than we produced tonight," Arena said. "We had a lot of missed chances that started from the opening kickoff to the end."
TEAM NEWS
• For a second consecutive game, the Red Bulls needed a late equalizer from Angel to come away with a home draw. The Colombian's penalty kick was his 17th goal of the season, setting the club's record for goals in a single season. He passed fellow Colombian Adolfo Valencia, who set the mark in 2000.
• "I'm happy but today was about a playoff spot. It was about winning the game. It wasn't about breaking the record," Angel said. "I'm more concerned about doing well as a team. It's about the team. It's about winning together and that's what we're here for."
• For the third match in a row, the Red Bulls scored two goals. However, they've now conceded nine goals in their last four games - going 0-1-3 in that time.
• "We're going forward and playing well over the last four or five games. We're getting more solid going forward and we're creating chances," Angel said. "But, we have to try to get more clean sheets. If you want to go somewhere, we have to start it from the back."
• Said Dave van den Bergh: "We gave up two easy goals and it's tough to win a game if you always fall behind in the scoreboard. We're always chasing a game. It's been like that for the last two weeks. On the other hand, we created a lot of chances. It's tough to win a game if you concede two goals every week. We're in a fortunate position that we've got a couple of really good forwards and a good attacking mid. We create a lot of chances. We need to convert just a little more of them and stop giving up foolish goals."
• With a victory against Toronto, the Red Bulls can secure their spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs. They can also back if both Columbus and Los Angeles fail to win on Saturday night. But a win against RSL would have sealed the berth.
• "It's good to just keep going, to keep believing in ourselves and at the end get a draw, but it was a matter of getting three points today," Angel said. "We were playing for a playoff spot today."
• On July 26, the Red Bulls were tied for first in the Eastern Conference. Now, they are guaranteed of not having home-field advantage for the Eastern Conference Semifinal Series, when they will almost certainly take on D.C. United or the New England Revolution.
• "I think in the last three games we showed that we can play really well, but like I said, we can't keep giving up two goals in the playoffs," van den Bergh said. "Teams will pound on us for that. For making those mistakes they'll punish you.
