Dynamo block Toronto playoff hopes
Reds need a win as defending champs invade BMO Field
Related
BMO FIELD, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Sept. 25, 2008 | 3:45 p.m. ET (CBC; Ch. 55/43)
WEEK # 27 | GAME # 177
Toronto FC return home for their penultimate game at BMO Field for the season, knowing they must take maximum points to keep their playoff hopes alive. But the task facing them will not be easy: Western Conference leaders Houston Dynamo, the two-time defending MLS champions. TFC has a six-game winless streak and has won just once since June 14. The Dynamo will be playing the second game in a four-country tour over two weeks; they've lost just once in their last 11 league contests.
REFEREE: Tim Weyland. SAR (bench): Greg Barkey; JAR (opposite): Amato DeLuca; 4th: Silviu Petrescu
MLS Career: 85 games; FC/gm: 30.5; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 23; pens: 20
INJURY REPORT: TORONTO FC - OUT: DF Todd Dunivant (ankle); QUESTIONABLE: DF Nana Attakora-Gyan (knee); FW Carlos Ruiz (knee); DF Julius James (hamstring) ... HOUSTON DYNAMO - PROBABLE: FW Geoff Cameron (R hamstring strain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: TOR: John Carver (head coach; through Sept. 28) ... HOU: Eddie Robinson (through Sept. 28)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: TOR: Carl Robinson ... HOU: Bobby Boswell
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: TOR: Danny Dichio, Amado Guevara, Abdus Ibrahim, Laurent Robert ... HOU: Wade Barrett, Stuart Holden, Richard Mulrooney, Eddie Robinson
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (3 meetings): Toronto FC 1 win, 2 goals ...Dynamo 1 wins, 3 goals ... Ties 1
AT TORONTO: (2 meetings): Toronto FC 1 wins, 1 goal ... Dynamo 0 wins, 0 goals ... Ties 1
• This is the second of two meetings between the clubs this season, as the Dynamo make their only league trip to BMO Field to take on TFC.
• A year ago, Toronto FC won the season series, playing to a scoreless draw in Houston before winning their lone match in Canada. It was one of two season series won by TFC in their inaugural season; they also went 1-0-1 against Real Salt Lake.
• Coaches record: John Carver v HOU: P1 W0 L1 D0 ... Dominic Kinnear vs. TOR: P2 W1 L1 D1
LAST MEETING (MLS):
6/7: HOU 3, TOR 1 (De Rosario 46+; Ching 52, 69 - Cunningham 71)
• Houston defeated Toronto FC for the first time ever, a 3-1 victory on June 7 at Robertson Stadium.
• From the start, the Dynamo were in a rampant mood, but they didn't break through until stoppage time at the end of the opening 45 minutes. Brian Ching rose up to head a high ball behind the TFC defense, and Dwayne De Rosario out-paced a Toronto defender into the area before sublimely chipping the ball over Greg Sutton as he raced off his line.
• Seven minutes after the break Houston doubled their lead. This time De Rosario played provider, taking a square pass from defender Patrick Ianni after he had countered up the left flank. The Canadian international spun and laid off a pass for Ching as the back post, and he drilled a shot high into the goal.
• Ching doubled his haul in the 69th minute. Stuart Holden worked free in the right corner before serving in a cross from the byeline to the top of the six, where Ching was completely alone and headed home for his fifth goal on the campaign, all in the last six weeks.
• TFC pulled a goal just two minutes later after Jeff Cunningham scampered in behind the Dynamo backline and hammered a rising blast from right on the edge of the penalty area that sailed past Pat Onstad and into the upper left corner.
• Here's Kinnear's team (4-3-1-2): Pat Onstad - Richard Mulrooney, Bobby Boswell, Patrick Ianni, Craig Waibel - Brian Mullan (Geoff Cameron 89), Ricardo Clark, Corey Ashe (Brad Davis 83) - Stuart Holden - Dwayne De Rosario (Chris Wondolowski 92+), Brian Ching. Substitutes Not Used: Kyle Brown, Tony Caig, Franco Caraccio, Mike Chabala
• Here's Carver's team (4-4-2): Greg Sutton - Marvell Wynne, Julius James, Marco Velez (Tyrone Marshall 46), Jim Brennan - Rohan Ricketts (Danny Dichio 54), Kevin Harmse, Carl Robinson, Todd Dunivant (Laurent Robert 46) - Jeff Cunningham, Jarrod Smith. Substitutes Not Used: Nana Attakora-Gyan, Brian Edwards, Andrea Lombardo, Tyler Rosenlund
TORONTO FC
Toronto FC saw a serious dent put into their playoff aspirations, the Kansas City Wizards claiming a 2-0 victory Saturday evening at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. TFC has 27 points from 25 matches, sitting alone in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, now five points behind the Wizards and six points behind D.C. United in the final wild card playoff spot.
LAST MATCH
• The Wizards put an end to their four-game winless run with a shutout of the Los Angeles Galaxy the week before, while Toronto FC were winless in their last five and had just one win since June 14.
• Toronto FC were held without a single shot on goal on the entire night. But the Wizards couldn't break through until the 63rd minute. TFC defender Tyrone Marshall, goalkeeper Greg Sutton and Kansas City striker Josh Wolff all came together in the area, and when Wolff went down, referee Baldomero Toledo awarded a penalty kick. Sutton guessed correctly, but Jack Jewsbury still put it past him for the opener.
• Then with 11 minutes to go, Wolff put in a cross from the right flank and Kevin Souter snuck in front of a defender to get a touch on the ball and loop it high over Sutton. For Souter, signed after being discovered in an open tryout, it was his first professional goal.
• TFC head coach John Carver made no changes to the team that played to a 1-1 draw with the Columbus Crew at BMO Field the week before.
• Here's Carver's team (4-3-1-2): Greg Sutton - Marvell Wynne, Julius James, Tyrone Marshall, Jim Brennan - Hunter Freeman (Johann Smith 66), Carl Robinson, Rohan Ricketts - Amado Guevara - Carlos Ruiz (Danny Dichio 54), Chad Barrett (Abdus Ibrahim 54). Substitutes Not Used: Brian Edwards, Kevin Harmse, Jarrod Smith, Tyler Rosenlund
• "We got what we deserved -- which was nothing," Carver said. "We looked very lackluster, no urgency, and no creativity and very disappointing."
TEAM NEWS
• The Reds have won just one game since June 14 -- which was, coincidentally, the last time they scored more than one goal in a game. For the second time in the team's short history they were held without a shot on goal, previously on Aug. 12, 2007 in a 3-0 loss to New York.
• "It's difficult to get into gear," said Carl Robinson. "We threatened a couple of times, but our final pass was lacking, and in the end it cost us. We need to improve obviously -- we need to score goals.
• "It was a terrible, terrible result. We thought as a team we would come in and get a good result. We started of the first half pretty well, were nil-nil at halftime, then we came out the second half and they got a penalty kick, and then we couldn't seem to come back with anything," said Rohan Ricketts. "We didn't look sharp, and we didn't create much. It was a bad performance."
• During the week, Carlos Ruiz underwent an MRI procedure on his right knee. "Sometimes my knee is good but other days it isn't," said Ruiz. "In my first game with L.A. this season I got injured and was out for two months. My recovery was good, but since I have come here and also when I was playing with the national team, I have been feeling something wrong with my knee."
• Carver said he does not expect Ruiz to be available for the Houston match: "I don't think Carlos will be right. I've only just found out that he had a slight niggle before the game last weekend. He has been trying to play even though his knee is not right," he said.
• After the Dynamo match, TFC face three of their final four matches away from BMO Field - where they have now managed just two wins and six points in 12 away matches, equalizing the bottom record in MLS.
• "We have to look back at where we went wrong and try and move on. I can't tell you why it happens. If we knew, we could have fixed it by now," said Marvell Wynne. "Everyone was in positive mood before the game and we were all aware of how important it was for the playoffs. We realize that we still have a chance but of course we know that we have to pick up as many points as possible. It's a critical situation for us."
HOUSTON DYNAMO
The Houston Dynamo return to league action after last weekend's game against San Jose was postponed due to the effects of Hurricane Ike. The Dynamo have 39 points from 24 matches, now leading the Western Conference by six points ahead of Chivas USA,eight points behind the Columbus Crew in the race for the Supporters' Shield.LAST MATCH
• The Dynamo and Earthquakes were supposed to play the back end of a home-and-home series, after the teams had played to a 1-1 draw on Sept. 13 at Buck Shaw Stadium.
• The Earthquakes had won four of their last five and hadn't lost since July 5 in pulling themselves right back into the MLS Cup Playoffs race. But the Dynamo had six wins in their last seven league starts to take control of the Western Conference race.
• The Earthquakes opened the lead in the 50th minute with a well-taken goal. Arturo Alvarez ranged forward and sent a pass toward the right corner of the penalty area, where Ronnie O'Brien stormed in to stroke a first-time shot back inside the far post for his fourth goal on the campaign.
• But the Dynamo got the equalizer in the 71st minute. Brian Mullan was freed down the right flank and floated a cross into the six-yard box where Brian Ching found himself all alone, and he nodded home for his 10th goal on the season.
• Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear made two changes to the team that defeated the Kansas City Wizards 3-1 the Saturday before. Pat Onstad returned from international duty and came back between the posts in place of Tony Caig, and Ricardo Clark also came back from national team play, in place of Craig Waibel.
• Here's Kinnear's team (4-3-1-2): Pat Onstad - Richard Mulrooney, Bobby Boswell, Eddie Robinson, Wade Barrett - Brian Mullan (Dwayne De Rosario 80), Ricardo Clark, Brad Davis - Stuart Holden - Nate Jaqua (Brian Ching 64), Kei Kamara (Patrick Ianni 87). Substitutes Not Used: Corey Ashe, Chris Wondolowski, Craig Waibel, Corbin Waller
TEAM NEWS
• The Dynamo have now lost just once in their last 11 league games, since June 12, winning six in that stretch.
• "This is a tough place to play. Coming back from a goal down shows the determination this team has. All in all, it was a fair result. The play was electric," Kinnear said. "We know what's on the line for (San Jose), and we feel we're in the hunt for the Supporters Shield. And I think our guys were motivated from the last time we played out here (a 2-1 loss on May 22)."
• Even with Ching and De Rosario back from international duty, Kinnear elected to remain with Kamara and Holden in their stead in the first XI.
• "Both (Ching and De Rosario) had tough weeks, a lot of travel," Kinnear said. "Our schedule the next seven weeks is cruel. We have to get through this stretch as good as possible. We're fortunate we can afford to rest some players sometimes. Otherwise, it can cause fatigue, and can lead to injury."
• Unlike the first meeting between the Dynamo and Earthquakes, the second encounter had a playoff-like feel. It could certainly set up to be a huge night when the rescheduled match is played Oct. 15 - especially if playoff placing is on the line.
• "Friendship was definitely pushed aside," Kinnear said. "And it was very competitive from the first minute to the ninetieth. There were handshakes tonight, instead of hugs."
• On Tuesday, the Dynamo finally began their road in the CONCACAF Champions League with a scoreless draw against San Francisco FC of Panamá at Estadio Rod Carew in suburban Panamá City. Goalkeeper Pat Onstad was called upon to make seven saves, six in the first half, as Dominic Kinnear ran out a lineup featuring just five regulars.
• Here's Kinnear's team: Pat Onstad, Craig Waibel, Bobby Boswell, Patrick Ianni, Wade Barrett, Geoff Cameron (Brian Mullan 59), Ricardo Clark, Stuart Holden, Corey Ashe, Nate Jaqua (Brian Ching 71), Kei Kamara (Dwayne De Rosario 75)
• The Dynamo face four games in four countries in 12 days; after the trip to Canada, they head to Mexico City to play Pumas UNAM in the Champions League. Three of their final five league games are at home, all coming in one week, against D.C. United, San Jose and Los Angeles, bookended by trips to Colorado and Chivas USA.
