After nearly two and a half weeks off the field, the New York Red Bulls made up for lost time Sunday, thoroughly dominating Toronto FC in a 3-0 win at Giants Stadium.
How lopsided was the game? The Red Bulls held a 14-0 advantage in shots in the first half -- 21-3 for the game -- and Toronto didn't register its first shot attempt until the 75th minute when Tyrone Marshall headed a corner kick wide.
Juan Pablo Angel gave the Red Bulls the lead in the 24th minute, then Jozy Altidore scored two goals 13 minutes apart in the second half. The final score could have been much worse had it not been for TFC goalkeeper Kenny Stamatopoulos and a lack of luck.
Less than four minutes into the match, Dave van den Bergh failed to convert on two solid chances, first putting a pass from Altidore off the inside of the far post and then saw his blast from the top of the 18-yard box pushed away by Stamatopoulos seconds later.
Two minutes after coming on for Claudio Reyna, who left the game with a right groin strain, Clint Mathis set up the Red Bulls first goal in the 24th minute. His cross took a deflection off Marshall and was blasted into the net by Angel, his 10th goal of the year and first since scoring a double against Kansas City on June 16.
Dane Richards sped down the right side and in on goal, but Stamatopoulos did well to come off his line to take away the goal scoring chance on the half hour. Five minutes into the second half, the Red Bulls doubled their lead and it was again Marshall who made the miscue.
Altidore took the ball off of the Toronto defender's foot and Angel's cross from the right side bounced off Toronto defender Adam Braz and was about to cross the line when Altidore swooped in and knocked the ball into the open net.
After Stammler put the ball wide on a nice buildup in the 59th minute, Altidore made it 3-0 just four minutes later. Angel headed a Jon Conway clearance and Altidore took a touch to the right of TFC defender Marco Reda and Stamatopoulos and blasted his second goal of the game into the net.
His reward? A beer shower from the visiting supporters in the corner.
As if Mo Johnston's first trip back to Giants Stadium since being dismissed as Red Bulls coach last year couldn't get any worse, Toronto FC was reduced to 10 men when referee Alex Prus sent off Chris Pozniak with a straight red card for a tackle from behind on Richards in the 65th minute.
Five minutes later, Mike Magee replaced Richards and saw his first action since Oct. 7, 2006 at Colorado.
The shutout extended Toronto's scoreless streak to 461 minutes, the club's last goal coming July 7 in a 1-1 draw against the Chicago Fire. The streak is the fifth-longest without a goal in MLS history.
In their first game since a 2-0 loss to Chivas USA July 26, the Red Bulls fielded a fairly healthy lineup, with the exception of midfielder Dema Kovalenko, who suffered facial injuries in a car accident that also involved teammate Sinisa Ubiparipovic last weekend.
Bruce Arena fielded his 19th different starting XI as Jeff Parke and Seth Stammler partnered in the center of the back four for the first time this season. Regular starter Carlos Mendes sat on the bench as a coach's decision. Chris Leitch earned his second consecutive start as the left back as Kevin Goldthwaite sat on the bench.
Reyna and Joe Vide started in the center of midfield, with Richards and van den Bergh out wide and Altidore and Angel partnered up front.
Johnston made one change to the team that played to a scoreless draw with the LA Galaxy last Sunday. Maurice Edu was suspended, so Andy Welsh came into a wide midfield position as former Red Bulls defender Todd Dunivant played an unfamiliar central midfield role.
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
