LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Toronto FC is looking dangerous at the MLS is Back Tournament, even with its US$6-million striker watching from the stands.
Filling in for star forward Jozy Altidore, Ayo Akinola upped his tournament total to five with a hat trick Thursday in Toronto’s 4-3 win over the Montreal Impact.
Spanish playmaker Alejandro Pozuelo has had a hand in each one of Akinola’s goals at the tournament, with five assists in two games.
Thursday’s win moved Toronto atop the Group C standings, at least for the night, with four points from two games, while the future looks bleak for pointless Montreal. Both teams wrap up group play Tuesday with Toronto facing New England and Montreal meeting D.C. United.
Captain Michael Bradley likes what he sees, but says there is more to come.
“It’s not been perfect. There’s still a lot that needs to improve, that needs to get better,” he said. “But four points from the first two games is still a good start.”
The top two teams in each of the six groups plus the four best third-place finishers advance to the round of 16.
It was another wild night involving Canadian teams at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports complex, although this time the fireworks were largely limited to the first half. San Jose rallied late Wednesday to edge the Vancouver Whitecaps 4-3.
Algerian international Saphir Taider made things interesting Thursday, converting his second penalty on the night in the 95th minute to cut Toronto’s lead to 4-3 after video review confirmed a Laurent Ciman handball.
Given Toronto had conceded two late goals in a 2-2 tie with New England — after a commanding opening 80 minutes — to open the tournament, it was another nervy finale. But this time Toronto stood tall.
“It was the first 90 (minutes) for a lot of the guys so we were a little bit tired, the legs were a little bit heavy,” said Toronto coach Greg Vanney. “But it was gutsy and (we showed) a lot of heart to get the result tonight.”
Richie Laryea also scored for Toronto. Honduran international Romell Quioto had the other Montreal goal.
Just 20, Akinola has turned heads at the tournament. The U.S. youth international had one goal in 12 games spread over the two previous seasons.
Vanney has long considered Akinola worth the wait.
“He has soft feet, he can hold things up but he’s so powerful and fast … He’s gotten himself fit, he worked incredibly hard in the pre-season. He just looks like he loves playing soccer. And all of that is coming out in his performances.”
Akinola joins Tosaint Ricketts as the only TFC players to score two or more goals in consecutive MLS matches. Ricketts, now with the Whitecaps, did it in September 2017.
Bradley said after the New England game that centre backs are going to find out quickly that facing Akinola is a tough night at the office. The Impact defenders now know it.
Akinola’s first goal made it 2-1 in the 25th minute, capping off a slick nine-pass sequence that started back in the Toronto end when Omar Gonzalez headed away a Montreal cross to Laryea, who had to fight his way out of the corner.
Bradley eventually found Auro on the right flank and the Brazilian combined with Pablo Piatti and Pozuelo, who slid in a perfectly weighted low cross for Akinola to knock in.
His second came in the 37th minute with Akinola taking another perfect Pozuelo pass and outmuscling a defender before beating Clement Diop.
His third came in the 83rd minute, bundling aside a defender after taking a Nick DeLeon flick-on from a Quentin Westberg goal kick before chipping Diop.
“I feel pretty good to get a hat trick. But I know it’s not over,” said Akinola. “We still have one more (group) game left. So this game is in the past. I’m already thinking about the next one.”
Born in Detroit to Nigerian parents and raised in Canada, Akinola has plenty of international options. Nigerian and Canadian soccer officials have also reached out to him.
He was one when he came to Canada. And 14 when he started with the U.S. youth program, soon after joining the TFC academy. He got the call-up after a scout saw him in a 5-0 win over a New York Red Bulls youth side.
His younger brother Tom, born in Toronto, attended a Canadian youth identification camp in 2015.
Vanney seems in no hurry to get Altidore back in the lineup. The burly U.S. international is behind on training after spending much of the pandemic lockdown at his Florida home, necessitating time in quarantine upon his return to Canada.
“The conditions here are not easy with the heat and the humidity,” said Vanney, his voice hoarse from shouting during the match. “So we know it’s going to take Jozy a little time. While that’s happening, then Ayo can continue to do his thing.
“And even when Jozy comes back I think there’s the possibility we have two guys who can really cause some trouble to defences. So we’re going to keep riding Ayo’s confidence right now and let him keep going, let him keep learning. It’s his to keep doing right now.”
Altidore, happy to help young talent, is likely cheering him on just as loud.
Montreal coach Thierry Henry had lamented his team’s lack of desire on the night in the Impact’s 1-0 loss to New England last week.
He saw more fight this time with Montreal rallying from 1-0, 2-1 and 4-2 deficits.
“This is a tournament in which the team that makes the fewest mistakes will win,” Henry said. “There were a lot of mistakes on both sides, unfortunately more on our side especially on the defensive side.
“We will have to work on this and take care of it. What was positive, really was the way we created a lot of opportunities in the second half.”
Toronto is now unbeaten in its last 13 regular-season outings (5-0-8). Its last regular-season loss was Aug. 3, 2019 — a 2-0 defeat at the New York Red Bulls.
In other tournament news, MLS reported Thursday there had been no positive COVID-19 tests from the 1,124 people tested Tuesday and Wednesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 16, 2020.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
