TORONTO FC vs. NEW YORK CITY FC
BMO FIELD, Toronto, Ontario
May 18, 2016 (WEEK 12, MLS Game #111)
7 p.m. ET (TSN4/5 / RDS2; YES, MLS Live)
A mouthwatering prospect is in store as two of the brighter teams in Major League Soccer meet in a key Eastern Conference clash as Toronto FC play host to New York City FC at BMO Field on Wednesday evening. Toronto FC continue their homestand after falling for the first time at BMO Field this season over the weekend, a 4-3 loss to Vancouver, when Sebastian Giovinco set a record with two goals and an assist. NYCFC remain on the road after a second consecutive away victory, David Villa pulling into a tie with Giovinco atop the MLS Golden Boot race with a goal in their 2-1 win at the Portland Timbers on Sunday afternoon.
- Sebastian Giovinco continued his remarkable production, scoring two goals and adding an assist in Toronto FC’s first home loss of the season, a 4-3 setback against Vancouver Whitecaps FC Saturday evening at BMO Field. Giovinco has eight goals – tied for the lead in the MLS Golden Boot standings – and five assists (second-most in MLS); he has been part of each one of TFC’s 13 goals scored this season.
- David Villa scored for a third consecutive game and NYCFC won for a third consecutive match – matching the club’s longest winning streak in its history – with a 2-1 win at the Portland Timbers on Sunday. Villa has four goals in the last three games as NYCFC moved into a tie atop the Eastern Conference.
- The teams are meeting for the second time this season. TFC’s Sebastian Giovinco set up one goal and scored a second, overcoming a pair of goals four minutes apart in the first half by NYCFC’s David Villa, to leave the teams in a 2-2 draw March 13 at Yankee Stadium.
- The teams met three times in NYCFC’s inaugural MLS season, and TFC did not win a game. NYC won 2-0 on June 20 at BMO Field – the only meeting in Toronto – and also took a 2-0 win Sept. 16 at Yankee Stadium.
- After the first meeting this season, David Villa has scored six goals in three appearances vs. Toronto FC. Sebastian Giovinco has four goals and two assists, including a hat trick in a nine-minute span in a wild 4-4 draw between the teams last July 12 at Yankee Stadium.
REFEREE: Sorin Stoica. AR1 (bench): Peter Balciunas; AR2 (opposite): Matthew Nelson; 4th: Silviu Petrescu
MLS Career: 47 games; FC/gm: 29.1; Y/gm: 4.0; R: 20; pens: 21
SUSPENDED: none
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: NYC: Mikey Lopez
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: TOR: Justin Morrow, Jozy Altidore
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (4 meetings): Toronto FC 0 wins, 6 goals … NYCFC 2 wins, 10 goals … Ties 2
AT TORONTO (1 meeting): Toronto FC 0 wins, 2 goals … NYCFC 1 win, 2 goals … Ties 0
- The teams are meeting for the second time this season. TFC’s Sebastian Giovinco set up one goal and scored a second, overcoming a pair of goals four minutes apart in the first half by NYCFC’s David Villa, to leave the teams in a 2-2 draw March 13 at Yankee Stadium.
- The teams met three times in NYCFC’s inaugural MLS season, and TFC did not win a game. NYC won 2-0 on June 20 at BMO Field – the only meeting in Toronto – and also took a 2-0 win Sept. 16 at Yankee Stadium.
- After the first meeting this season, David Villa has scored six goals in three appearances vs. Toronto FC. Sebastian Giovinco has four goals and two assists, including a hat trick in a nine-minute span in a wild 4-4 draw between the teams last July 12 at Yankee Stadium.
- Coaches record: Patrick Vieira vs. TOR: P1 W0 L0 T1 … Greg Vanney vs. NYC: P4 W0 L2 T2
LAST MEETING
3/13: NYC 2, TOR 2 (Villa 24, 28 – Perquis 47+; Giovinco 76)
- NYCFC opened the scoring from the spot in the 24th minute when David Villa calmly stroked home a penalty kick after Tommy McNamara had been fouled in the box.
- Villa and NYCFC added a second just four minutes later, latching onto a loose ball inside the six-yard area and dispatching his effort from short range after an Andrea Pirlo free kick sparked havoc in the Toronto goalmouth.
- But TFC cut the deficit just before halftime, as Sebastian Giovinco laid a teasing set piece across the face of the goal that was deflected home by a sliding Damian Perquis. And TFC pulled level with a quarter-hour remaining after yet another fine solo run and finish by Giovinco from the left side of the area.
- NEW YORK CITY FC (3-2-4-1): Josh Saunders - Frederic Brilliant, Jason Hernandez, Ronald Matarrita - Federico Bravo, Andrea Pirlo - Khiry Shelton (Ethan White 78), Mix Diskerud, Thomas McNamara (Mikey Lopez 77), Tony Taylor (Steven Mendoza 67) - David Villa.
- TORONTO FC (4-2-3-1): Clint Irwin - Steven Beitashour, Damien Perquis, Drew Moor, Justin Morrow - Will Johnson (Josh Williams 90), Michael Bradley - Tsubasa Endoh (Benoit Cheyrou 59), Marky Delgado, Jonathan Osorio (Ashtone Morgan 88) - Sebastian Giovinco.
