• MLS – Toronto FC 2 (Morgan 11’, Vazquez 90’ + 1’), New York City FC 2 (Villa 45’ + 2’, Moralez 56’)
GAME RECAP IN A SENTENCE
An under-manned TFC side returned to the site of their greatest triumph, and overcame the injury loss of Sebastian Giovinco and the expulsion of coach Greg Vanney to earn a valuable point at Yankee Stadium thanks to Victor Vazquez’s injury-time equalizer.
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THE MAIN STORY
As Steve Miller so famously sang, “Take the money and run.”
Minus eight players – including four starters – due to international absences and injuries, TFC managed to get out of the Bronx with a credible draw and maintain a five-point lead over NYCFC atop the Eastern Conference standings. Toronto’s roster issues were compounded further when Sebastian Giovinco was subbed out late in the first half after suffering a lower-back contusion. With all three designated players and both starting wingbacks now gone, and playing on the road, the Reds had no business getting anything out of this game.
Once again, though, the team’s depth was on full display, as it was rookie Ben Spencer, who set up Ashtone Morgan’s opener (it took TFC’s longest-serving player seven seasons to score his MLS first goal), and Canadians Raheem Edwards and Jordan Hamilton combined to win the penalty decision that led to Vazquez’s late goal. Another Canadian, Jay Chapman, also made the most of a rare playing opportunity, as he ably deputized for Giovinco in a more defensive role that gave the Reds more solidity up front.
Wednesday’s match bore no resemblance to the 5-0 playoff shellacking the Reds handed the home side the last time they visited Yankee Stadium. It did, however, feature plenty of talking points, none more so than Chapman’s goal early in the second half that was ruled out for offside after a lengthy discussion by the refs. Coach Greg Vanney was livid and was expelled, and minutes later David Villa set up Maximiliano Morález to put NYCFC ahead.
Toronto stayed the course and didn’t allow the game to get away from them, before Hamilton drew a call inside the 18-yard box in injury time off a wonderful feed from Edwards. Vazquez slotted in the ensuing penalty off the post, and the Reds collected a point that a little over half an hour earlier looked unattainable.
KEY MOMENT
90’ + 1’ GOAL! Toronto 2-2 New York: Early on in injury time, Edwards did well to play a ball to the back post where Hamilton did an even better job of controlling it and drawing the foul from NYCFC defender RJ Allen. Vazquez stepped up to the spot, and duly dispatched the penalty kick, putting it off the left post and in to tie the game.
TALKING POINT
Was Jay Chapman offside?
Yes, he was. Vanney wasn’t too impressed, as he was tossed from the game for the first time in his tenure as TFC coach for arguing the call. There’s no question that the official and his assistants deliberated for far too long after Chapman’s goal before deciding to rule it out. But TV replays clearly showed that Chapman was in an offside position when Spencer played the ball forward before the Canadian headed it home. Toronto FC might have felt aggrieved, but it was the correct decision.
QUICK TAKE
Vanney’s decision to insert Chapman into the game late in the first half when Giovinco came out due to injury seemed like a weird tactical decision, especially with Hamilton anxiously sitting on the bench. If TFC’s coach wanted a more like-for-like swap, Hamilton would have been the way to go.
But Spencer was getting closed down far too easily and quickly by NYCFC’s pressing game at times, losing the ball in key moments and allowing the home side to quickly break in transition, thus putting more pressure on the Reds’ back line. Chapman stopped some of the bleeding, serving as Toronto’s first line of defence and giving Vanney more of an assured presence up front that would allow his defence the time to properly reset.
STANDOUT STAT
MAN OF THE MATCH
David Villa, New York: The Spaniard scored his seventh career goal against TFC, set up another, and shredded the Reds’ defence at times with his direct runs and sublime touches on the ball. Villa is having another MVP-type campaign, and absolutely thrives on the big stages in MLS. He brought his “A game” against one of the top teams in the league on Wednesday night, and showed why he is an absolute game-breaker for NYCFC.
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