LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Toronto FC has made it to the round of 16 at the MLS is Back tournament, wrapping up a challenging first round with a 0-0 tie with the New England Revolution.
The result left Toronto atop Group C, pending the result of the final group game between Montreal and D.C. United later in the day. While a D.C. win would leave it tied with Toronto and New England on five points, Toronto can finish no lower than second based on tiebreakers.
The group winner takes on one of the four-best third-place finishers on Sunday in the first knockout round. The runner-up faces the Philadelphia Union, second in Group A, on Saturday.
“I’m pleased,” said Toronto coach Greg Vanney. “I’d be hard-pressed to say that there’s another team at a tournament that’s had as difficult a schedule as we have in playing two games at 9 a.m. and one off of two days’ rest.
“So again it shows the strength and resiliency of our group. Even the depth, with some of our young guys coming in and helping us out.”
Toronto extended its club-record unbeaten regular-season run to 15 (6-0-9) since a 2-0 loss Aug. 3 at the New York Red Bulls. And with group games counting in the regular-season standings, it now stands second in the Eastern Conference at 2-0-3 behind Columbus (3-0-1).
New England, now with a 1-1-3 record in the season standings, also assured itself of moving on.
The knockout round could see Toronto field a potent strike force of Jozy Altidore and Ayo Akinola.
“They’re two strong guys who are going to be a handful for defenders to deal with in the moments we use them together,” said Vanney.
“We’ll see how we play it out as we move through the tournament and into the rest of the year,” he added.
Altidore, who has been working his way back to full fitness, made his tournament debut in the 86th minute and had an impact within 30 seconds, finding Akinola racing towards the penalty box. The 20-year-old forward was taken down by DeJuan Jones but, after video review, it was ruled a free kick just outside the box and not a penalty.
“Jozy’s more than just a target striker. He’s a fantastic soccer player,” said Vanney. “Obviously we know he can score goals. He provides us with a lot of different things.”
Akinola said he initially thought it was a penalty, but changed his mind after reviewing the skid marks made by the collision.
New England wanted a penalty in the 80th minute when substitute Gustavo Bou went down in the penalty box making contact with Michael Bradley, but no call was made.
Akinola, who came in the game with five goals at the tournament, had several chances to add to his total. The best came in the 79th minute when, after taking an Alejandro Pozuelo through ball, he outmuscled a defender only to see goalkeeper Matt Turner get a limb to the ball.
It was 29 C for kickoff, with the sapping Florida heat feeling like 36 C.
“As the game goes (on), it’s a grind … No clouds, no cover from the sun,” Vanney said. “For the guys, it’s gritting it out. Your mind naturally is telling you that you need to try to take a rest. But you know you also can’t take a rest. And then you’ve got 11 guys trying to co-ordinate when they should be resting at the same time.”
It was a game of two halves Tuesday with Toronto running the first and New England coming out more aggressive in the second half.
“We got better in the second half, getting a little tighter on them and winning some second balls,” said New England coach Bruce Arena. “And being better with our passing. We had the opportunity to get at them a little bit.”
Toronto outshot New England 14-10 (5-2 in shots on target) and had 60.4 per cent possession.
Vanney made two changes to his starting 11, bringing in goakeeper Alex Bono for Quentin Westberg and midfielder Nick DeLeon for Tsubasa Endoh. It was Bono’s first league start since May 8, 2019, when Toronto lost 2-0 to Atlanta. Westberg had started the last 33 regular-season and playoff games.
Bono made a key save in the 74th minute, using his body to stop Polish striker Adam Buksa from point-blank range after a long pass found Brandon Bye behind the Toronto defence.
Vanney had hoped Jonathan Osorio, who has been dealing with a quad issue, might be ready for Tuesday’s game, but the Canadian midfielder did not make the matchday 23.
Arena, whose team played last Friday, made six changes to his starting 11.
Spanish playmaker Carles Gil, who has been dealing with a lingering foot issue, did not dress for New England. Gil sat on the bench with a walking boot on his leg foot.
Hamilton-born U.S. international forward Teal Bunbury, the son of former Canadian international Alex Bunbury, captained the Revs. Canadian Tajon Buchanan started on the right wing for New England.
New England did not manage a shot on target in the first half with Toronto, which put three shots on goal, having 68.1 per cent of the possession.
Canadian midfielder Noble Okello, who turned 20 Monday, made his MLS debut off the bench in the 68th minute.
Toronto opened the tournament with a 2-2 tie with D.C. United before beating the Montreal Impact 4-3. New England defeated Montreal 1-0 and tied D.C. United 1-1.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 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.
