By JOEY SAMUEL
Toronto FC managed to keep their chances of reaching the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals alive on Tuesday night, but only just barely.
Missing several key players, including captain Torsten Frings, TFC managed to draw Mexican power Pumas UNAM 1-1 at BMO Field. The draw kept them alive in Group C, but now TFC is going to need help to have a hope of playing a win-or-bust match-up against FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park on Oct. 18th.
Peri Marosevic provided the goal for Toronto, finishing off a perfect pass from Danny Koevermans in the 35th minute, but Pumas find an equalizer in the second half on a Mauro Palacios header off a corner kick.
The draw pulls Toronto FC even with FC Dallas in Group C with eight points. Pumas leads the group with eight points, and can secure a place in the quarterfinals with a win at home against Tauro. That likely leaves one quarterfinal place for the two MLS teams and regardless of the FC Dallas result on Wednesday against Tauro FC, Toronto FC will need a win vs. FC Dallas next month to advance to the quarterfinals.
It was Pumas who seemed to be the more dangerous side early. A careless giveaway by Toronto midfielder Nick Soolsma led to a chance for Pumas' Michelle Castro, but the Reds' backup goalkeeper Milos Kocic managed to keep the game scoreless. Later in the first half, Diego De Buena's effort hit the left post and Toronto were reeling.
Peri Merosevic then surprisingly put the Reds up a goal in the 35th minute after being set up by striker Danny Koevermans. Toronto was not able to hold on to their lead, though, as Pumas defender Mauro Palacios equalized early in the second half when he headed the ball past Kocic.
Toronto's depleted lineup, also without the likes of Joao Plata, Eric Avila, and Terry Dunfield, would have to withstand several waves of pressure from Pumas during the course of the second half as the Mexicans looked to find a winner that would seal their passage into the knockout stages. With just ten minutes left, UNAM almost scored the goal they needed when a shot was almost deflected into the net by Toronto defender Andy Iro.
The Reds would hold on for a valuable point, though, with Kocic making a quality save in stoppage time on a Javier Cortes free kick.
Koevermanns is proving to be a solid addition
TFC’s 2 best players Frings and Plata were out.
TFC go through with a win against Dallas regardless of what Dallas does tonight. If Dallas wins tonight, Toronto has to score 2 goals in beating them. If they don’t, Toronto just has to win.
once dallas beats tauro, TFC no longer controls their own destiny.
TFC had ashtone morgan, doneil henry and matt stinson playing who are all academy-level reserves. and they had andy iro who is not very good as well as soolsma who might be worse.
JDG was the only reason they got the tie. the guy worked his butt off last night.
Good result for TFC. They control their own destingy going into the last game (although a win at Dallas is a tall order).
The only starters were Veron, Palacios, Cortes and Cabrera.
Diego de Buen, Izazola and Orrantia are not starters. Orrantia does enter games as a sub in the league quite often.
And Bravo entered the game late in the second half.
I agree with KC here, the writers for this blog are the first to point out that MLS teams played with a few reserve players but never pay the same courtesy to the opposing teams.
JDG works well in Winter’s system. His approach is very refreshing. They just need a couple of quality central defenders. Eckersley is a terrific player at Right Back. Every team needs a scrappy player like this. He reminds me of De La Garza of LA.
It wasn’t as lopsided as you’re making it out to be. Toronto had quite a few reserves in there as well, and who would you rather take, Pumas’ reserves or Toronto’s? Pumas has the best academy system in Mexico, maybe in the Western Hemisphere.
And counting Bravo, Cortes, De Buen, Varon, Palacios, and Cabrera, that’s six starters for Pumas that played in this game. Along with Orrantia and Izazola, who are spot starters.
yo mama gives a good one
It is amazing that UNAM only scored one with possibly the worst centerback tandem in MLS history. On the offensive end, TFC has been really missing the wonder kid Plata the past few weeks.
No one gives a f*ck.
No mention of Pumas having only 3 starters and a mostly U19 team? Great journalistic job!!!!
I’ll be the first to say, I didn’t think it was going to be possible to get even a draw in this game. The stage was set for a huge blow out by Pumas. There were some pretty raw guys out there for TFC. We’re just at that stage where we are going to have wretched results like at Chivas, then grind out a result like tonight. I liked what I saw from JDG, I think the recent changes has revitalized him as a player.