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Cahill brace leads Red Bulls to road win vs. TFC

TimCahillgoalCelebrationvsToronto (USATodaySportsImages)

By DAN KARELL

New York Red Bulls midfielder Tim Cahill picked a great day to score his first goals of the season.

With his team playing without Juninho and Dax McCarty in the center of the park due to suspension and injury, respectively, it was Cahill who stepped up to guide the Red Bulls to victory on the road.

The Red Bulls overcame a late goal from Toronto FC to win, 2-1, on Saturday afternoon at BMO Field in Toronto. Cahill scored a goal in each half, including the game-winner in the 89th minute to secure the three points for the Red Bulls and get their second successive win.

Also for the second successive week, TFC forward Robert Earnshaw was held off the board, as Red Bulls defenders Jamison Olave and Markus Holgersson combined to shut down the TFC front line all day. That’s just one of the disappointments of the day for manager Ryan Nelsen, as his side lost Justin Braun and Hogan Ephraim to injury in the first half.

The Red Bulls got on the board in the 39th minute thanks to the quick feet of left back Roy Miller, who cut past a Toronto defender, before centering a ball into the box. Thierry Henry, making a near post run, used a dummy to let the ball pass by him to a waiting Cahill, who buried a left-footed strike to give his side a 1-0 lead.

Taking that score into the halftime, the Red Bulls nearly added a second in the 50th minute, when Cahill and Henry combined beautifully around box before Henry put a left footed shot just over the goal.

Outside of a couple of chances from forward Fabian Espindola though, it was nearly all TFC, who were playing very direct to put the Red Bulls back line under duress. The constant pressure came to fruition for the hosts in the 83rd minute, when the hosts got an equalizer.

The play began when Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles came off his line to the edge of the area to try and punch away a free kick. Robles ended up missing the punch, and 20-year-old TFC substitute Jonathan Osorio calmly send a shot into the net from the top of the box to tie the game.

But the Red Bulls would take the lead for good in the 89th minute. Substitute forward Peguy Luyindula played Henry into the box and from there the Frenchman sent a cross to the far post, where Cahill expertly sent a header into the net to put the Red Bulls up 2-1 for good.

Here are the match highlights:

Comments

  1. Diving header by Cahill over a defenders head! OMG what a magnificent goal. I’ve never seen anything like that here in my life. That Cahill is on another level. He made that look way to easy.

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  2. This guy Robles is a goon. He’s pulling out his best Pepe Reina impression and jumping off his line for balls his defenders should be taking. Two things. If you come off your line for that ball you HAVE to catch that ball or clear it well. Two, don’t come off your line for that ball.

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  3. Thank you Thank you Thank you
    Taylor Twellman
    For lighting the Fire under
    Tim Cahill’s
    6

    That’s the Tim we all know and love and have been waiting to see. He’s deserved to score many times this year and it just hasn’t gone his way ( Bill Hamid ) but that header at the end was CLASSIC CAHILL
    Henry was awesome and Peguy made an impact and Alexander filled in well for Dax.
    Not the prettiest game but 3 points is always pretty. Ain’t it?

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  4. My point is that TFC and their fans thought they were gonna come in and show everyone how its done. Now they’re bottom of the heap

    Be honest – prior to Henry and Cahill coming to visit , their attendance was poor thus far this season.

    Best fanbase? No

    Among the most self-righteous? Yes!

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  5. Remember when TFC joined MLS? They were gonna show everyone what a proper team was like and what real fan support was! Seven years later, they stink, have never made the playoffs and draw mediocre crowds.

    Welcome to the real world, you haughty TFC supporters!

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    • no TFC hasn’t won anything, but they did have over 20,000 at the game today. Considering as you say 7 years without being in the playoffs and a bottom of the table team at that it is pretty phenomenal to have that level of support….

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      • There were not 20,000 at the game today and that was a big crowd for them this season. Not sure why people have praise for TFC fans for somewhat sticking through 7 years of this while NY fans are slammed for getting just as good attendance after 17 years of worse.

      • Well one team makes the playoffs every year, has made an MLS Cup Final, has Henry and Cahill, plays in a bigger city, the other has never made the playoffs and has always had higher attendance…

        Also Smith, not really sure your point-TFC had the best fans until Seattle and Portland joined the league. They were still averaging 20k as recently as 2 years ago. If anything, that shows they are legit fans who stuck through more than most. Also stop with the stupid cherryicking.

      • NY has been rebranded to be named after an energy drink, insulting/incompetent ownership (like TFC) didn’t get the benefit of an MLS 2.0 start, and didn’t even win a cup when there were a miniscule amount of teams in MLS. That’s just as bad as TFC’s streak, evidenced by the fact that they’re the only original team to (not) do so. And anyway, NY beat TFC’s attendance last year. But whatever. How many times does it have to be repeated that having two star players and a pretty stadium doesn’t replace running a team the right way? TFC should know.

      • Grammar edit: NY has been rebranded to be named after an energy drink, has insulting/incompetent ownership (like TFC), didn’t get the benefit of an MLS 2.0 start, and didn’t even win a cup when there were a miniscule amount of teams in MLS.

      • That’s fine-the product New York has put on the field during the time TFC have been in the league is much better, evidenced by deep/consistent playoff runs, and despite that and Toronto being a smaller city TFC’s attendance has been better every season but last.

  6. Exciting game. Robles is horrific. He’s the Tim Ream of keepers. He looks good for stretches and then makes completely idiotic plays out of nowhere. When is Meara coming back? Hartman? Steele and Miller looked very good together on the left. Do all of you maniacs who have been inexplicably clamoring for Lloyd Sam now understand why he doesn’t start? He made a nice through ball in the first but was also extremely slow to join the play on several occasions and also way too slow in his decision making with the ball on several others. Ideally, he’s the classic speed off the bench guy.

    Cahill! Finally! He just needs to pick a fight with another muppet-like commentator every week and he’s good. Henri played the unselfish orchestrator today. Alexander was okay pulling emergency duty in the middle and the d line was solid.

    Reply

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