Rookie goalkeeper Sam Reynolds, making his professional debut for Toronto FC, stymied the Kansas City Wizards attack to allow his team to escape Arrowhead Stadium with a 1-1 tie on Sunday evening.
Michael Harrington gave the Wizards a first-half lead, but in the first minute of the second half, a Danny Dichio header pulled TFC level. Reynolds then stood up to a second-half onslaught, mainly after Andrew Boyens was sent off for a second bookable offense in the 76th minute, when he made four of his six saves on the night. The Wizards had 25 shots for the match.
TFC had the first chance of the game after taking advantage of a Wizards turnover on their own end. Jeff Cunningham intercepted a poor pass from rookie Aaron Hohlbein and sent midfielder Ronnie O'Brien dribbling to the corner of the area before unloading at goal in the fifth minute. But Wizards goalkeeper Kevin Hartman dove to his right to make the save.
O'Brien had another chance in the 12th minute, finding himself free in the middle of the penalty box, but his shot sailed high over the crossbar.
The Wizards broke from end-to-end to take the lead in the 18th minute. Kansas City playmaker Carlos Marinelli ran onto a long clearance that was just headed down in the center circle and juked his way down the field. He slid an angled pass to the right for Harrington, and from inside the area he buried it in the far corner of the net for the opener. It was the first time the Wizards had scored first in eight matches.
But after the goal, TFC began to give the Kansas City defense some trouble. Cunningham worked and worked around Wizards defenders Nick Garcia and Jose Burciaga Jr. They forced him a little outside in the 25th minute, Cunningham falling back as he took his shot with Hartman also scrambling off his line, but the shot was high as it sailed over the net.
Toronto was not lacking in chances, and O'Brien was at the center of most of them. Cunningham tried a cross on the last play of the half, looking for Dichio, but Wizards defender Jack Jewsbury was there to deflect the ball away safely.
The feeling throughout the first half was that a goal for TFC was imminent. They had too many chances not to have an aura of inevitability. And it came before the second half was a minute old, O'Brien floating in a cross from the right and Dichio rising above Jewsbury in the heart of the six-yard box to head home his fifth goal of the season.
After the goal, both teams had their dangerous moments, but the Wizards had the sharper efforts. Yura Movsisyan, a halftime substitute, was continually working into dangerous positions though unable to find the target.
Then in the 63rd minute Scott Sealy ran onto a ball headed over the top and ripped a wicked dipping drive from just outside the area. But Reynolds acrobatically dove to his right to palm away the blast.
Toronto went a man down in the 76th minute when Boyens fouled Sasha Victorine from behind and referee Ricardo Salazar showed him a second yellow card, leaving TFC a man down.
Marinelli was magnificent in handling the ball with the extra space, dishing off no-look passes. He dazzled with a crisp pass to Movsisyan in the 80th minute, but Movsisyan was off the mark, sending the ball into the stands.
Marinelli then bent a free kick around a wall straight out from goal in the 89th minute of the goal, but Reynolds got over to the right side of the goal to make the save.
Reynolds came up with two more huge saves, one on Movsisyan turning the corner in and firing early in stoppage time, and then a final one when substitute Ryan Pore got free for a header with the whole goal to aim at, also in added time.
Thomas Foote is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
