TORONTO FC vs. REAL SALT LAKE
BMO FIELD, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
April 19, 2008 | 12:30 p.m. ET (CBC; KSL-NBC)
WEEK # 4 | GAME # 23
Toronto FC finally make their return to their adoring throng at BMO Field, playing host to Real Salt Lake in their home opener. The Reds won on the road for just the second time in club history last weekend, getting a late goal against the LA Galaxy for their win on the season. Real Salt Lake also won for the first time in 2008 last weekend, a resounding defeat of D.C. United at their Rice-Eccles Stadium home.
REFEREE: Silviu Petrescu. SAR (bench): Amato DeLuca; JAR (opposite): Kermit Quisenberry; 4th: Paul Ward
MLS Career: 5 games; FC/gm: 38.4; Y/gm: 4.8; R: 3; pens: 0
INJURY REPORT: TORONTO FC - NONE REPORTED ... REAL SALT LAKE - OUT: MF Brennan Tennelle (L ankle sprain); QUESTIONABLE: FW Fabian Espíndola (L hamstring strain); PROBABLE: DF Ian Joy (R ankle bone spur)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: RSL: DF Alex Nimo (U.S. U-20 national team)
SUSPENDED: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (2 meetings): Toronto FC 1 win, 2 goals ... Real Salt Lake 0 wins, 1 goal ... Ties 1
AT BMO FIELD (1 meeting): Toronto FC 0 wins, 0 goals ... Real Salt Lake 0 wins, 0 goals ... Ties 1
• This is the first of two meetings on the year between the teams, the only one to be played at BMO Field. TFC will make their lone visit to the Wasatch Front on July 28.
LAST YEAR (MLS):
7/4: RSL 1, TOR 2 (Eskandarian 45 - Cunningham 19; Samuel 79)
9/15: TOR 0, RSL 0
• Toronto FC won the season series a year ago. Their 2-1 win at Rice-Eccles Stadium was the only victory on the road in club history until last weekend's win at the LA Galaxy.
• The teams played to a scoreless draw in their lone meeting in Ontario.
• Coaches record: John Carver v RSL: first game ... Jason Kreis vs. TOR: P2 W0 L1 D1
TORONTO FC
Toronto FC won for the first time in 2008 - and just the second time on the road in club history - getting a late game-winner to knock off the Los Angeles Galaxy 3-2 at The Home Depot Center on Sunday afternoon. TFC now has three points from three matches on the season.
LAST MATCH
• The LA Galaxy were home for the second of four matches in a row after winning for the first time the week before against San Jose. Toronto FC were concluding a three-game road swing to open the campaign, after losses in Columbus and at D.C. United.
• Danny Dichio put TFC into the lead in the 42nd minute. Amado Guevara looped the ball into the Galaxy penalty area, and after a missed clearance, Dichio turned and drove the ball inside the far post.
• But it took barely a minute for the Galaxy to respond. Chris Klein picked out Landon Donovan with a long pass, he juked around a TFC defender and hit a low drive past TFC 'keeper Greg Sutton for the equalizer.
• Yet the Reds moved back in front again in the 53rd minute. Laurent Robert hit a piledriver of a freekick directly on goal that Galaxy 'keeper Steve Cronin could only parry, and Jarrod Smith was quickest to the rebound and headed home.
• It took just five minutes for the Galaxy to respond again. This time a cross was played in from the right and Marco Velez slipped and fell while trying to clear, and referee Alex Prus ruled the TFC defender handled the ball as he fell on the ball. Donovan drove the ball past Sutton to level terms again.
• But two minutes from the end Toronto FC took a lead they did not give up. A long ball from Robert was claimed by Jeff Cunningham in a one-on-one battle with Galaxy defender Greg Vanney, and the veteran striker ripped a low drive from outside the area that found the back of the net and gave TFC the win.
• Toronto FC boss John Carver made two changes to the team that lost 4-1 to D.C. United the previous weekend. Amado Guevara made his TFC debut the day after joining the team, in place of the suspended Kevin Harmse, and Jarrod Smith made his first MLS start, in place of Jeff Cunningham.
• Here's Carver's team (4-3-1-2): Greg Sutton - Marvell Wynne, Tyrone Marshall, Marco Velez, Jim Brennan - Carl Robinson, Maurice Edu, Laurent Robert (Tyler Rosenlund 91+) - Amado Guevara - Jarrod Smith (Todd Dunivant 73), Danny Dichio (Jeff Cunningham 65). Substitutes Not Used: Brian Edwards, Tyler Hemming, Julius James
• "I thought the conditions on both sides - attitude and application - was fantastic. I think it was quick and energetic game. There were quite a few chances," Carver said. "I think it was a game of two halves. LA created some great chances in the first half. The second half we controlled the game better. We passed the ball better. I'm absolutely delighted to get the winner."
TEAM NEWS
• After the two season-opening losses in Columbus and D.C., Carver said he spent extra time working of the club's defensive shape. While they were beaten twice by Landon Donovan - who also missed a few quality chances - TFC held out for the victory.
• "Other the game last week against D.C., we've defended very well. Against Columbus, their second goal came when we were pushing. After the D.C. performance, we were very disappointed and spent the whole week working with the back four," he said. "We're now trying to do something and I think you can see that. Things don't happen overnight. We looked better organized. We've added quality to the team. We let in two goals, but one was a penalty, so in open play we only conceded one, and I'm happy with that."
• A week after adding former French international Laurent Robert to the side, Toronto signed Honduras international and former MLS MVP Amado Guevara in the week leading up to the Galaxy match. He joined the club on Friday and played the entire match in a central midfield role, setting up the opening goal.
• "You see what you get. It's all about talent and quality. We said it last week and the week before. We needed to add quality it the right area. And, we got that. The quality of Guevara you see if for yourself," Carver said.
• Carver is still trying to work out the best attacking tandem. In the opening match, he partnered Collin Samuel with Jeff Cunningham, then paired Cunningham with Danny Dichio in the second match. He started Dichio with Jarrod Smith against LA, with Cunningham on the bench, as Samuel was also released. Cunningham came on 25 minutes from the end and contributed the winner.
• "I thought it was about time we made a change," said Carver. "Danny Dichio worked his socks off out there on his own and I thought it was time to put some fresh legs in."
• New Zealand international defender Andrew Boyens was also released by the club to start the week. "We're looking to improve the squad and bring players in to take us to the next level. If we're adding players who will raise the standard, changes have to be made because you can only keep so many players," Carver said. "Andrew has been fantastic, great guy, great attitude but we have to keep improving."
• It was just the second road triumph in TFC club history. The only previous victory away from BMO Field came July 4 of last year - against Saturday's opponent, Real Salt Lake.
• "We celebrated the win, but it's back to business now," Carver said. "They have to learn that once you win you have to continue to win. You have to get straight back to business because it's easy for young players to get carried away with themselves and to start thinking that all they have to do is turn up on the field and they'll win the game, or because they're at home it's an automatic win. We've got to make sure we don't have that mentality. We don't take things for granted, and the only way we will win the game is to keep working hard and prepare well like we did last week."
REAL SALT LAKE
Real Salt Lake jumped out to an early lead and cruised from there, defeating D.C. United 4-0 at home on Saturday evening for their first victory on the season. RSL have four points from three matches on the season, tied for third place in the Western Conference, one point adrift of FC Dallas and two points behind the Colorado Rapids.
LAST MATCH
• Real Salt Lake were returning home after opening the season with a draw and a loss, while D.C. United were looking to behind them the disappointment of elimination from the CONCACAF Champions' Cup despite a home victory at midweek against Mexico's Pachuca CF.
• But within 20 minutes RSL had jumped out to a two-goal lead. In the 12th minute, Kyle Beckerman ripped a low shot from just outside the area after racing up the middle unmarked to collect a return pass, beating United goalkeeper Jose Carvallo.
• Then in the 19th minute, a long ball was looped into the penalty area from midfield, and Fabian Espindola corraled it on the bounce before banging a volley from an angle off Carvallo and into the goal.
• Real put the game away with two late goals. Beckerman scored his second 12 minutes from the end when Findley laid back a ball at the top of the box and the RSL midfielder lashed it home inside the right-hand post. Then in the 87th minute, Findley took advantage of a weak header aimed back for Carvallo, popping it over the 'keeper and into the empty net.
• RSL head coach Jason Kreis made two changes to the team that lost 3-1 on the road to Chivas USA the weekend before. Nathan Sturgis came into the midfield, in place of Carey Talley, and Fabian Espindola made the start up top, in place of Robbie Findley.
• Here's Kreis's team (4-3-1-2): Nick Rimando - Chris Wingert, Nat Borchers, Matias Mantilla, Ian Joy (Tony Beltran 83) - Dema Kovalenko, Nathan Sturgis, Kyle Beckerman - Javier Morales (Andy Williams 63) - Kenny Deuchar, Fabian Espindola (Robbie Findley 70). Substitutes Not Used: Yura Movsisyan, Jamison Olave, Chris Seitz, Carey Talley
• "I would never have predicted a 4-0 scoreline against D.C. United. I think we were fortunate with some of the goals and, as I have said, I think you know when we score the goals it makes us look better because obviously you win games," Kreis said. "For me the soccer wasn't quite as good as I thought it has been the last two games on our side. So scoring the goals obviously makes things look brighter, but I think there are some things to take away from tonight's game as well."
TEAM NEWS
• One of the biggest changes involved reworking the RSL midfield. Nate Sturgis made his season debut in a holding midfield role and Kyle Beckerman moved to the left side of midfield. After scoring seven goals to lead the Colorado Rapids in 2006, he scored three combined with Colorado and RSL last season, but hit for the brace against United.
• "For me, he's your typical box-to-box midfielder. He's a guy that has the fitness, and the ability, the mentality to play over the entire field and get back into our box and defend and get into their box to attack, and today he did it in a way that was different than last week. Last week he was getting into the box and into the front line almost ahead our forwards; he was in there way too early," said Kreis. "So today it was nice to see him come into plays late; that second goal was picture-perfect, what we want from him. We want him to be arriving into the box for balls way back and for him to be able to strike it, and so I think he took the message right on cue this week."
• Said Chris Wingert, to the Deseret Morning News: "If you have guys that can hold, which we do, I like to put them in a more attacking position. He might not be the crafty, traditional No. 10, but he's a goal scorer and he's proved that. The guy scores goals when he has chances, and he makes those chances by all the running he does."
• In addition, Dema Kovalenko was given the start for the second consecutive week - though there was some question of his fitness. He contributed two assists.
• "We were quite unsure whether he was going to be able to play tonight" because of back spasms, Kreis said. "He put in a tremendous effort and those two passes were certainly special."
• RSL was feeling a bit snake-bit after their opening two matches of the season, and despite the two-goal lead before the match was 20 minutes old, they nearly allowed United to come back into the game.
• "Especially in the first half, I think we were a little unsure how to play with a lead, and I think we just dropped off slowly and we allowed them to just come at us, come at us, and come at us. Probably we were fortunate we didn't give them one before halftime because I think that could've been crucial against us, and so going forward we'll have some more tactical talks about how we need to handle that situation," Kreis said. "In the second half I thought that was much, much better."
• Said goalkeeper Nick Rimando: "It's always good getting that first victory. You get a tie and a loss and now you're fighting to get three points. We knew we had to play well in front of our fans and play well for us because we believed in ourselves and we knew that we were the better team in those two games and tonight we proved it to ourselves."
