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::SPORTS NEWS::
LE
Newsletter - August 26, 2010
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TFC Loses To Panamanian Side In Champions League
Source: www.thestar.com -
Daniel Girard
(August 24, 2010)
Toronto FC
now knows how difficult it will be to
advance in the CONCACAF Champions League.
There’s the travel and facing unfamiliar teams. And, as the Reds
learned in Panama Tuesday night, there’s also the issue of
suspect officiating and shameless time-wasting tactics by
opponents.
The Reds fell 1-0 to Arabe Unido in La Chorrera on the strength
of a first-half goal.
But two highly questionable red cards to TFC’s Nick LaBrocca and
Fuad Ibrahim in the second half took what steam there was in a
rather anaemic attack from the visitors. In the end, El Salvador
referee Marlon Mejia whistled twice as many fouls to the Reds, a
number of them suspect, as Arabe Unido.
The home side, widely condemned by Real Salt Lake players and
coaches for feigning injuries to waste time in a 2-1 loss in
Utah last week, didn’t add to the viewing enjoyment of the match
as they flopped around the pitch. Several players were
stretchered off only to return moments later as good as new.
But the bottom line was that TFC (1-1-0) lost an opportunity to
pick up much-needed away points in the group stage of the
competition as Arabe Unido (1-1-0) is clearly the weakest of
their three opponents.
The other two teams in the group, Real Salt Lake of MLS (1-0-0)
and Mexico’s Cruz Azul (0-1-0), will meet in Mexico Wednesday
night. TFC’s next match in the competition is in Salt Lake City
on Sept. 15.
TFC upset Cruz Azul 2-1 at BMO Field in the group stage opener
last week.
Last night, head coach Preki Radosavljevic rested some key
players, including goalkeeper Stefan Frei, and trotted out a
starting lineup without Dwayne De Rosario, Mista, Dan Gargan and
other regulars.
While the Reds didn’t look solid in front of goalkeeper Milos
Kocic, making just his second start in a TFC uniform, they
withstood several good chances by the home side and were
scoreless for most of the first half. But a sloppy back pass by
TFC defender Maksim Usanov led to the lone goal in the 40th
minute.
The errant play set up a corner kick. Oscar Londono sent the
cross into the box where Rolan de la Cruz flicked it on to Fidel
Caesar, who beat Kocic with a right-footed half volley. TFC’s
Gabe Gala appeared to have cleared the shot off the line but the
referee’s assistant ruled the ball had crossed the goal-line.
That decision was not disputed by the Reds.
But others certainly were.
With De Rosario’s arrival onto the pitch to start the second
half, TFC pushed forward. In the 50th minute, LaBrocca
challenged goalkeeper Jose Calderon for a rebound and was
promptly sent off as the opponent writhed on the artificial
pitch following a tackle that appeared to be, perhaps, a foul
but not a red card.
In the 87th minute, when Ibrahim had TFC’s best chance with a
drive from the box that was blocked, he scrambled for the
rebound. Again, a tackle on Calderon led to a foul and suspect
yellow card. He was ejected moments later for arguing, though it
appeared Julian de Guzman was talking to the referee.
TFC never threatened again and Kocic made a great save in injury
time to keep the margin at one.
The top two clubs in the group stage, which wraps up in late
October after they’ve played each other home and away, will
advance to quarter-finals beginning in February 2011. The
champion, to be decided next April, advances to the annual FIFA
Club World Cup versus title-holders from other continents.
Its past winners include Manchester United, FC Barcelona and
Corinthians of Brazil. |
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::LANGFIELD
ENTERTAINMENT:: ENTERTAINMENT NEWS WITH A CANADIAN TWIST::
