TORONTO FC v D.C. UNITED
BMO FIELD, Toronto, Ont., Canada
7:30 p.m. ET (FSC/FSE; CBC)
Aug. 25, 2007 (WEEK 21) / MLS Game #134
A pair of teams who know the opposite ends of record shutout streaks meet at BMO Field when D.C. United travels north of the border to take on Toronto FC. TFC is currently riding a 552-minute goalless streak; if they do not score a goal in the opening six minutes, they will set the record for scoring futility, snapping the 2005 mark set by Real Salt Lake in their expansion year. D.C. United saw their club record shutout streak ended at 362 minutes at midweek, but still defeated the New York Red Bulls 3-1 at Jaime Moreno capped off the night with his 109th career league goal, passing current RSL head coach Jason Kreis for the all-time lead.
REFEREE: Silviu Petrescu. SAR (bench): Daniel Belleau; JAR (opposite): Joe Fletcher; 4th: Paul Ward
MLS Career: 4 games; FC/gm: 37.8; Y/gm: 4.3; R: 3; pens: 0
Games involving Toronto FC: P2 W2 L0 T0; FC/gm: 41.0; Y/gm: 4.5; R: 2; pens: 0
Games involving D.C. United: first game
INJURY REPORT: TORONTO FC - OUT: GK Greg Sutton (concussion); MF Ronnie O'Brien (knee); FW Jeff Cunningham (hernia) ... D.C. UNITED - OUT: FW Jamil Walker (Achilles rupture); MF Josh Gros (concussion); QUESTIONABLE: FW Luciano Emilio (hamstring strain)
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: DC: Brian Carroll, Bryan Namoff
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: TOR: Andrew Boyens, Jim Brennan, Jeff Cunningham, Danny Dichio, Srdjan Djekanovic, Chris Pozniak ... DC: Bobby Boswell, Fred, Christian Gomez, Josh Gros, Ben Olsen, Greg Vanney
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (1 meeting): Toronto FC 0 wins, 1 goal ... D.C. United 1 win, 2 goals ... Draws 0
AT TORONTO: (1 meeting): Toronto FC 0 wins, 1 goal ... D.C. United 1 win, 2 goals ... Draws 0
• This is the second meeting ever between the clubs, the second of three on the season, both so far at BMO Field. They will conclude the season series in the lone encounter at RFK Stadium, set for Sept. 29.
• Coaches record: Mo Johnston v DC: P4 W1 L2 D1 ... Tom Soehn vs. TOR: P1 W1 L0 D0
LAST MEETING
5/19: TOR 1, DC 2 (Eskandarian 44 - Goldthwaite 52 og; Moreno 79 pen)
• Jaime Moreno moved to the precipice of history while leading D.C. United to a come-from-behind 2-1 victory against Toronto FC in the first meeting, May 19 at BMO Field.
• Once again in front of a rabid, sellout crowd at Exhibition Place, TFC took the lead just before halftime when Alecko Eskandarian scored his first goal with his new club. And, of course, it came against his former club that he led to an MLS Cup. Maurice Edu kept a bouncing ball alive with an athletic backheel, and Eskandarian stroked home a shot from inside the area (44).
• But it was a little good fortune that pulled United level. Christian Gomez whipped in a freekick from nearly straight out from goal, and as Facundo Erpen flashed across the area, his marker, Kevin Goldthwaite, tried to head clear and instead sent it past his own 'keeper for the 52nd-minute own goal.
• After the goal, United head coach Tom Soehn readjusted his team's tactics and his team set up camp in the TFC end. It paid off in the 79th minute when substitute Luciano Emilio, brought on as Soehn went to a 3-5-2, was hauled down by Marvell Wynne in the area, and Moreno stepped up to take the penalty. He easily converted, sending Greg Sutton the wrong way and pulling level with Jason Kreis atop the all-time goalscorers list with his 108th career league goal.
• Here's Johnston's team (4-4-2): Greg Sutton - Marvell Wynne, Jim Brennan, Andrew Boyens, Kevin Goldthwaite - Ronnie O'Brien, Maurice Edu, Carl Robinson, Andy Welsh - Danny Dichio (Andrea Lombardo 72), Alecko Eskandarian (Edson Buddle 60). Substitutes Not Used: Adam Braz, Srdjan Djekanovic, Gabe Gala, David Guzman, Cristian Nunez
• Here's Soehn's team (4-3-1-2): Troy Perkins - Bryan Namoff, Facundo Erpen (Guy-Roland Kpene 56), Bobby Boswell, Joshua Gros - Fred, Brian Carroll, Ben Olsen - Christian Gomez (Clyde Simms 80) - Luciano Emilio, Jaime Moreno (Stephen deRoux 87). Substitutes Not Used: Marc Burch, Kasali Yinka Casal, Justin Moose, Jay Nolly
TORONTO FC
Toronto FC saw their winless streak reach six games and their shutout streak almost top the MLS record book, falling 2-0 to Chivas USA last Saturday afternoon at BMO Field. TFC is now in seventh place in the Eastern Conference with 20 points from 21 matches, three behind the Chicago Fire but still six behind the Columbus Crew, who hold eighth place overall and the final place in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
LAST MATCH
• Chivas USA were coming off a three-week break, still playing their five away game in their last six. Toronto FC were riding a six-game winless streak and hadn't scored a goal in more than 6-1/2 hours, reaching near-record proportions.
• TFC came close on a couple of occasions to ending their goal drought, but it was Chivas who took the lead in the 56th minute. An inch-perfect ball from behind the center line by Jesse Marsch found Maykel Galindo in stride behind the Toronto defense, and from the left side of the area he ripped home a rising blast inside the near post for his eighth goal.
• Two minutes from the end, another tremendous long pass sealed TFC's fate. This time it was the newly acquired Ramon Nunez who unlocked the Reds with his long ball, finding Paulo Nagamura on the left flank. Nagamura controlled and rolled a perfect pass to Sacha Kljestan, who strolled in to side-foot home from close range.
• Toronto has now gone 552 minutes without a goal, and are on the verge of breaking the MLS record for scoring futility set by Real Salt Lake (557 minutes) in 2005. For Chivas USA, it was their second road win in their last three games away from home, after just one in their first eight this year, and their third overall this season after recording just four in their first two years.
• TFC head coach Mo Johnston made two changes to the team that lost 3-0 to the New York Red Bulls the previous Sunday. Andrew Boyens came back into the back four, for Marco Reda, while Maurice Edu returned from suspension, replacing Chris Pozniak, who was on suspension himself.
• Here's Johnston's team (4-4-2): Kenny Stamatopoulos - Adam Braz, Andrew Boyens, Tyrone Marshall, Jim Brennan - Andy Welsh (Marvell Wynne 63), Maurice Edu, Carl Robinson, Todd Dunivant (Jeff Cunningham 70) - Collin Samuel, Andrea Lombardo (Danny Dichio 46). Substitutes Not Used: Nana Attakora-Gyan, Joey Melo, David Monsalve, Marco Reda
• "There's no point in saying we didn't create any chances today," Johnston said. "We created a bunch of chances ... [but] they fell to the wrong guys. Records don't matter too much to me. As long as we can get our guys back and we can get back healthy and get back playing again ... then it'll be better for TFC."
TEAM NEWS
• Unless Toronto scores in the first five minutes against D.C. United, the club will break Real Salt Lake's dubious record of 557 minutes without a goal set in 2005.
• "We're not coming in every day saying 'OK guys, it's been however many minutes without a goal,'" said right back Marvell Wynne. "We play each game just like another game. We're not thinking there's pressure on us. We always play to win the game."
• The Chivas USA match saw Jeff Cunningham, Marvell Wynne and Danny Dichio return to the field for Toronto in the second half. Dichio was a halftime substitute, while Wynne came on in the 63rd minute. Cunningham played the final 20 minutes as Johnston finally had his first-choice strike pair together, though Cunningham said he was at only "60 percent."
• "Now it's a matter of accessing the 60 percent ... and seeing in a game situation whether or not it's beneficial for the team," Cunningham said. "Right now I'm just trying to push through and see if I can be helpful in the next few games. I'm a little hard on myself at a moment, but ... I don't think it's going to be good enough to play at this level."
• Still, Johnston feels that even a limited Cunningham can still provide a boost to his struggling attack. "Especially when the game opens up, that's when you're looking for Cunningham," Johnston said. "You need to strain the defense."
• But during the week, there was bad news when it was confirmed that both Cunningham and O'Brien will undergo season-ending surgeries. Cunningham is expected to go to Germany for sports hernia surgery after he was able to fully participate in training over the week. O'Brien has a torn meniscus and bone bruise in his right knee, an injury suffered in preseason.
• In addition to the injuries, Johnston is also seeing the effects of a team that includes a number of players who signed from European clubs, and have now been playing for more than a year without break.
• "You can see sometimes, in certain parts of their play - they're playing a little bit sluggish, when we're away from home, certainly when the heat is there. Carl Robinson has played 70 - I think it's 70 games this year - which is way too much. We'll be trying to reduce his training, playing back-to-back is not ideal. Dichio is the same and [Andy] Welsh is the same. They obviously need a rest but it's very difficult to rest people when we've got so many injuries."
D.C. UNITED
D.C. United ran their winning streak to four games as Jaime Moreno created Major League Soccer history, winning the Atlantic Cup for another year with a 3-1 victory against the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday evening at RFK Stadium. United now have 36 points from 20 matches, three ahead of the Red Bulls for second place in the Eastern Conference, now three behind the New England Revolution.
LAST MATCH
• United were undefeated in league play in the month of August, while the Red Bulls came in with four wins in their last six games after the thrilling 5-4 win against the Los Angeles Galaxy the previous weekend.
• The last time the teams had met in the nation's capital, a 10-man United exploded for a 4-2 win as Ben Olsen scored a hat trick - and with two goals in the opening eight minutes, it looked they had picked up where they left off. After just six minutes, Fred fired a shot that N.Y. goalkeeper Ronald Waterreus could not hold, and Olsen came in to knock home the rebound.
• Less than two minutes later United doubled the lead. Set free down the right flank, Olsen hooked in a cross that took a deflection to the back post where Christian Gomez was all alone, and he had just to stoop to nod the ball into the open goal.
• The Red Bulls pulled level in the 21st minute. United defender Marc Burch was caught in possession and fell, and as he and Juan Pablo Angel went to the ground, the ball squirted into the area. Dane Richards tried to get to it and as Troy Perkins came sliding out, he clipped Richards and referee Ricardo Salazar pointed to the spot. Angel sent Perkins the wrong way in converting for his 13th goal on the season.
• But three minutes after the break, Hunter Freeman tripped up Luciano Emilio from behind as he ran onto a neat Moreno pass in the box, and Salazar again ruled for the maximum penalty. With the RFK faithful in rapt anticipation, Moreno put it inside the left side netting for career league goal No. 109, making him the sole leader all-time, breaking the tie he held with RSL head coach Jason Kreis.
• United head coach Tom Soehn made one change to the team that defeated the Columbus Crew 1-0 the previous Saturday. With Josh Gros out with a concussion, Ben Olsen came back in on the right of midfield with Fred moving to the left.
• Here's Soehn's team (4-3-1-2): Troy Perkins - Bryan Namoff, Devon McTavish, Greg Vanney, Marc Burch - Ben Olsen, Clyde Simms, Fred (Domenic Mediate 83) - Christian Gomez (Rod Dyachenko 73) - Luciano Emilio (Brian Carroll 69), Jaime Moreno. Substitutes Not Used: Bobby Boswell, Guy-Roland Kpene, Justin Moose, Jay Nolly
• "We talked that New York went through a bit of a rollercoaster ride against L.A., and it was a game with a lot of emotions and a lot of energy. We thought, if we could come out and dictate the terms in the first 15 minutes, then we could establish the game and, for the most part, we did. So I give the guys credit that they executed it," Soehn said.
TEAM NEWS
• Moreno's last goal came against Toronto FC on May 19, and while he said the record didn't mean that much to him, there was still relief to finally get the record-breaking goal. All four of Moreno's goals this season have come from the penalty spot.
• "I think everyone knows it's a big achievement, proving I work hard for this. Anything you do is because you work hard at it, and nobody can take it from you. I'm proud, and now I'm just going to keep working, keep scoring, and we'll see what happens," Moreno said.
• "I am just glad it's over with. No matter who it is, and you see it in every sport, when you have something like that, lingering over you, just the relief of getting it over with," Soehn said. "I'm glad it's done and he deserves it. He's done a lot for this league. It's in the past now, and I hope he lights it up and does a lot with it."
• While Juan Pablo Angel's 21st-minute penalty put an end to D.C. United's club record shutout streak at 362 minutes, it was still another quality performance from the back four. Since allowing three goals in a half hour in the 3-3 draw with FC Dallas, United have allowed just two goals in five matches.
• "I think we're all just trying to get on the same page together and get organized. Devon (McTavish) and I have had the opportunity to play in the last two games together," said Greg Vanney. "We're eliminating attacks before they get dangerous and that's a good thing. We're covering each other well. Everybody's playing pretty solid. Everybody's playing well, and we're getting 'Ws.' We're getting three points. We're making a run at the top of the East and, really, the top of the league."
• Soehn made no unforced changes to the team that played in Columbus four nights earlier, with only Josh Gros out of the team after suffering a concussion. That meant that Vanney and McTavish were again in central defense with Bobby Boswell on the substitutes' bench.
• "Those guys did a great job in Columbus. We were under a lot of pressure during the first half, and they did a great job in terms of the weather. They earned another shot and they did a great job tonight," Soehn said.
• It also meant Clyde Simms reprised his role as the holding midfielder, instead of Brian Carroll. "Clyde has been on the field several times and one thing we do when Clyde is on the field is we win. He works hard. As a coach, it is great to have a lot of options and we are going to keep changing it up and keeping our legs as fresh as we can," Soehn said.
