Impoverished Toronto FC concedes early, falls for third consecutive shutout loss to Cincinnati FC | CBC Sports

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Goals from Calvin Harris and Luciano Acosta helped host FC Cincinnati dispatch the 10-man Toronto FC 2-1 on Wednesday for its second win over TFC in four days.

The margin of defeat could have been greater if Cincinnati’s finish had been better. Toronto was waiting for the final whistle.

Toronto (3-5-2) suffered a third straight loss after a disastrous start to “Stars Wars Night” at TQL Stadium. TFC conceded a goal in the second minute and then saw midfielder Ralph Priso’s yellow card in the third minute turn red after video review.

The win moved Cincinnati (4-5-1) past Toronto in the Eastern Conference standings. After an 0-2-0 start to the season, Cincinnati has now won four of its last eight (4-3-1) after posting just three wins in its previous 31 games.

The four wins match Cincinnati’s total last season when it went 4-22-8 to finish last in the then 27-team league. TFC was 26th on 6-18-10.

TFC are now winless in their last 13 away league games (0-9-4), and have not won away in the league since a 2-1 win at Chicago on July 24.

Toronto coach Bob Bradley was dealing with a depleted roster.

And after paying for sloppy defense in a 2-1 loss to Cincinnati over the weekend at BMO Field, Toronto fell short of the baseline for the rematch.

Mexican central defender Carlos Salcedo, along with striker Ifunanyachi Achara, were not available due to health and safety protocols. His fellow defender Chris Mavinga, a French-born Congolese international, was sidelined with a leg injury that forced him out of Saturday’s match in the 29th minute.

Toronto was also without injured Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, Noble Okello and Jacob Shaffelburg. Midfielder Jonathan Osorio also did not make the trip, without giving an immediate reason.

Kadin Chung, Lukas McNaughton and Priso were placed in the starting 11 by Salcedo, Mavinga and Osorio.

Toronto had six Canadian starters plus six more homegrown players on the bench.

Toronto’s makeshift defense opened up in the second minute on a quick move that began with Cincinnati goalie Roman Celentano. Three passes later, Brandon Vazquez was running past McNaughton before finding Harris, who had passed Luca Petrasso with center back Shane O’Neill caught out of position, to get in front of goal and beat Alex Bono, stranded in deep in his goal, for the first time. MLS career goal.

It marked the fourth goal Toronto has conceded in the first 15 minutes of the game this season. TFC have not kept a clean sheet in their last 18 league outings, dating back to a 0-0 draw at Colorado on Sept. 26.

prisoner sees red

Things went from bad to worse 90 seconds later, when 19-year-old Priso caught Obinna Nwobodo, Cincinnati’s new designated player making his MLS debut, with a hard tackle that sent his studs catching the Nigerian midfielder. near the knee. Referee Lukasz Szpala initially drew a yellow but upgraded it to red after video review, reducing Toronto to 10 men.

A distraught Priso, whose start to the season was cut short by injury, clutched his head as he walked off the pitch. His first start of the campaign lasted six minutes.

Priso joined Salcedo in seeing red this season. Salcedo and Jayden Nelson also received one-game suspensions from the MLS disciplinary committee for misconduct deemed worthy of a red card.

Acosta made it 2-0 from the penalty spot in the 57th minute after Chung was deemed to have brought down Álvaro Barreal in another attack down the wing that saw Toronto’s defense in disarray again as Acosta found his fellow Argentine. at the edge of the area with a wonderful curling cross.

With his team playing three games in eight days, Bradley went to his bench after the goal, releasing Jesús Jiménez and Alejandro Pozuelo. Toronto’s next game is Sunday in Vancouver.

A Barreal goal in the 69th minute was disallowed for offside. Bono almost gave Cincinnati a goal in the 85th minute when he dropped a cross, but Brazilian striker Brenner fired just wide.

It marked the 18th league victory of all time for Cincinnati, now in its fourth season. Four of those wins have come against Toronto and two more against Montreal.

Cincinnati should have won 2-0 in the eighth minute in what was a virtual replay of the build-up to the first goal. But Acosta couldn’t recreate Harris’ shot, instead sending the ball high.

But Toronto steadied the ship and Kosi Thompson had a chance in the 14th, driving toward the goal and sending the ball off the post. Thompson shot wide again at 25.

Toronto opened up again in the 28th on Acosta’s shot that hit the side of the net after a fast attack.

Jiménez almost made a goal out of nowhere in the 35th minute, beating two defenders only to send his shot straight into the keeper. At the other end, Bono made a great save in the 40th, coming down to deny Harris from close range.

TFC unsuccessfully appealed a penalty after Jiménez fell in the box in the 45th minute under a challenge from Junior Moreno.

With reinforcements in need of a roster, Toronto signed Themi Antonoglou, Kobe Franklin, Paul Rothrock and Steffen Yeates to short-term loan deals from TFC II earlier in the day. All four were on the bench on Wednesday.

Yates, 22, and Franklin, 18, made their first-team debuts off the bench in the second half.




Reference-www.cbc.ca

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