Toronto FC down Bulls in Carolina
Toronto has admittedly taken a slightly different approach to preseason training. While other MLS clubs had faced league competition in preseason scrimmages varying in formality for nearly the last two months, Toronto did not face MLS competition until it opened the Carolina Challenge Cup last Saturday, struggling in a 2-0 loss to last year's MLS Cup champion Houston Dynamo.
Against the Red Bulls - missing only Marcus Schopp and Jozy Altidore - a considerably less-than-full-strength Toronto side missing several starters fended off the Red Bulls for a much-deserved first win.
Toronto jumped out in the ninth minute when Alecko Eskandarian side-footed in a seeing eye ball from Ronnie O'Brien who, wearing the captain's armband for the night, found Eskandarian alone in the six-yard box.
New York responded in the 21st minute when Dave van der Bergh found John Wolyniec with a perfectly placed cross from the left flank. Wolyniec calmly headed the Red Bulls level past a stranded Greg Sutton.
But it wasn't until the 36th minute that Toronto experienced its first lead in a club history. After steadily pushing the New York goal for some time Toronto was awarded a free kick on the right flank.
O'Brien curled an in-swinging free kick into Ronald Waterreus' goal area. Edson Buddle's far-post run put him in the perfect spot. He rose over Carlos Mendes and nodded home the game-winner.
But probably the biggest hero of the night was Sutton, who made several key saves to preserve the win, including a well-taken van den Bergh penalty kick.
The call leading up to the spot kick was, at best, questionable. A hard-driven shot from outside the penalty area hit Jim Brennan somewhere above the waist. The referee whistled the foul and pointed to the spot, despite the welt Brennan showed him on his chest.
With Claudio Reyna having been substituted, van den Bergh stepped up and hit a powerful spot kick just inside Sutton's left post. Sutton did well to get to the ball and pounce on the rebound.
It was the second consecutive saved penalty kick for the Red Bulls. Against Charleston Battery on Saturday, Reyna had a penalty saved in the team's second-half injury time win over the USL First Division side.
Both teams are back in action Saturday as the Carolina Challenge Cup concludes with Toronto facing Charleston and New York taking on Houston.
TORONTO FC 2, NEW YORK RED BULLS 1
New York: Ronald Waterreus, Marvell Wynne (Hunter Freeman 46), Jeff Parke (Joe Vide 91+), Carlos Mendes, Todd Dunivant, Caludio Reyna (Sinisa Ubiparipovic 61), Seth Stammler, Dane Richards, Dema Kovalenko, Dave van den Bergh, John Wolyniec.
Toronto: Greg Sutton, Andrew Boyned, Adam Braz, Jim Brennan, Ronnie O'Brien, Richard Asante, Jose Cancela (David Guzman 58/Miguel Canizalez 79), Richard Mulrooney, Loes Andrade (Chris Pozniak 22), Alecko Eskandarian, Edson Buddle.
Scoring Summary:
TOR -- Eskandarian (O'Brien) 9
NY -- Wolyniec (van den Bergh) 21
TOR -- Buddle (O'Brien) 36
Misconduct Summary:
TOR -- Boyens (caution) 14
TOR -- Braz (caution) 66
TOR -- Guzman (caution) 71
TOR -- Brennan (caution) 76
NY -- Wolyniec (caution) 79
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial.
