TORONTO — Two goals from new captain Dwayne De Rosario saved Toronto FC from blushes in its home opener against the expansion Philadelphia Union on Thursday night.
The first home game of the season was played on the new grass surface at BMO Field, installed over the winter months at a cost of $5.5 million.
The feisty affair produced three cautions and an ejection before either team was able to find the net. In the 34th minute Philadelphia defender Danny Califf elbowed Julian de Guzman on the edge of the 18-yard box to earn a straight red card. Toronto used the subsequent free kick to its advantage when Union goalkeeper Chris Seitz spilled a De Rosario shot in to the net for a 1-0 lead.
“It was a little bit fortunate on my part, but I will take it,” De Rosario said after the game. “Right now we will take anything we can get.”
The goal was the second of the year for the newly named captain.
Despite being a man down, the Union produced an equalizer in first-half stoppage time when defender Jordan Harvey slipped behind the Reds’ back four to slot home a Roger Torres cross.
“It was a disappointing first half for us. We came out and we seemed nervous and almost like we were scared to play,” Toronto FC coach Preki said of his team’s effort to start the game. “In all honesty, I could not wait for the halftime. We made some changes at halftime and I thought the group responded quite well.”
Preki made a pair of substitutions at the half which seemed to spark his club, bringing on strikers Chad Barrett and O’Brian White for defender Maksim Usanov and midfielder Martin Sarich, respectively.
“I thought both him (White) and Chad (Barrett) and Jacob (Peterson) came in and gave us something,” Preki said. “All three are mobile and fast. O’Brian (White) was lively and much better than his performance in New England.”
Barrett, who was making his season debut for Toronto, missed a glorious chance to put the home side ahead in the 53rd minute when a de Guzman cross found him unmarked in the six-yard box, but his header zipped high and to the right of Seitz.
A controversial non-call for a penalty on substitute White in the 61st minute brought Preki to the touchline, but referee Baldomero Toledo saw no foul and ordered the teams to play on. White appeared to have his jersey tugged by Union defender Shavor Thomas after getting a step clear in the box.
Toronto pressed for the go-ahead goal on the under-manned Union and nearly got one of the highest quality when an overhead kick from De Rosario screamed just wide of the net in the 70th minute.
The home club would get its penalty call in the 81st minute after Union ‘keeper Seitz was ruled to have taken down White in the box. De Rosario stepped to the spot and fired home his second goal of the game and third in three games to restore the lead.
“It was a great ball from Chad (Barrett) and I used my speed to get to it before the goalkeeper took me down,” White said of the play. “I got the ball before him and he pulled me down, I knew it was a penalty.”
With the Union pressing for an equalizer, Toronto counter-attacked with Barrett and De Rosario in alone on the goalkeeper Seitz, but an easy tap-in for the hat trick turned sour when De Rosario was ruled off-side before hammering the Barrett pass off the crossbar.
After one game at home, it is back on the road for Toronto (1-2-0) as the club faces Colorado on Sunday, April 18.
TFC Lineup: Frei; Usanov (Barrett, 45), Hscanovics, Cann, Nana; Gargan, de Guzman, Sanyang (Peterson, 60), Sarich (White, 45); De Rosario, LaBrocca
NOTES: Prior to kick-off Toronto FC honoured former captain Jim Brennan by etching his name on the new Wall of Honour, located atop the west grandstand … “This is an amazing honour for me,” Brennan said. “To see my name up there means a lot and I am grateful to the club for giving me the recognition.” … The announced attendance was 21, 700 … The east side stands unfurled a section-wide banner which depicted Star Wars character Yoda and the words, Win, You Must.