A goal by Jeff Cunningham in each half led Toronto FC to a 3-2 win against Chivas USA in the final match of the inaugural Texas Pro Soccer Festival.
Both teams entered Sunday having lost their first two matches, so even though the tournament trophy had already been presented to Houston Dynamo, there was still something to play for on both sides. As a result, Preki and John Carver put their first-choice teams on the field, which saw Cunningham and Danny Dichio start up front for Toronto, and Ante Razov and Maykel Galindo start up front for Chivas USA. Those decisions would pay dividends on both ends, especially for Carver and Toronto.
In the 12th minute, Cunningham scored his first of the game to give TFC an early lead. A long ball came into the Chivas half and Dichio headed it down for Cunningham, who timed the pass perfectly, and broke away from the Chivas defense with only goalkeeper Lance Parker to beat. Cunningham sent a low shot past Parker and inside the near post to open the scoring.
However, that lead was short-lived, as Toronto's Kiki Musampa sent the ball into his own net to make it 1-1 in the 23rd minute. Only four minutes later, Razov put Chivas ahead with a brilliantly-placed, curling free kick.
But the flurry of goals wasn't done just yet, as Danny Dichio put Toronto's second on the board on the half-hour mark, off an assist from Jim Brennan.
After four goals in less than 20 minutes, there wasn't another goal for another half hour. In the 63rd minute, Toronto was awarded a penalty after a handball in the area, and Cunningham stepped up and converted to make it 3-2. That proved to be the game-winner, as Toronto held on for the final half-hour to end their time in the San Antonio area on a high note.
Carver was pleased about the way his side responded after taking tough defeats on Wednesday and Friday.
"It was a good team performance today, and we looked like the side that I want to put together, and the way we want to play," Carver said. "Everybody on the pitch did what I asked them to do. If we had started the tournament off like that, we would be standing here as winners."
Toronto FC 3, Chivas USA 2
Scoring Summary:
TOR -- Jeff Cunningham (Kiki Musampa) 9
CHV -- Kiki Musampa (own goal) 23
CHV -- Ante Razov 27
TOR -- Danny Dichio (Jim Brennan) 30
TOR -- Jeff Cunningham (penalty kick) 63
Toronto FC: Greg Sutton, Marco Velez (Mike Zaher 74), Tyrone Marshall, Andrew Boyens, Jim Brennan, Martin Brittain (Joey Melo 80), Carl Robinson, Kevin Harmse (Pat Phelan 59), Kiki Musampa (Collin Samuel 42), Danny Dichio, Jeff Cunningham.
Chivas USA: Lance Parker; Jonathan Bornstein (Eric Ebert 67), Shavar Thomas (Jim Curtin 74), Claudio Suárez (Bobby Burling 74), Lawson Vaughn; Keith Savage (Chukwudi Chijindu 53), Jesse Marsch, Paulo Nagamura, Raphael Wicky; Ante Razov (Justin Braun 67), Maykel Galindo (Atiba Harris 46, Anthony Hamilton 75).
