Toronto FC exorcised some late-game demons, holding on for a critical 1-0 win against Real Salt Lake on Saturday at BMO Field. Jim Brennan's 47th-minute strike stood as the winner as the Reds avoided the breakdowns that have so often plagued them in the closing minutes of games.
The win kept alive Toronto's playoff hopes heading into the season's final week. In order to reach the MLS Cup Playoffs, the Reds will have to win in New York next week and have a few other results also go their way in order to make their first postseason appearance. Real faced the prospect of sweating out the remainder of the results on Saturday to see if they would remain in contention.
Amado Guevara was back in the Toronto starting XI after helping Honduras reach the 2010 FIFA World Cup in its final CONCACAF qualifying match last Wednesday. Guevara took the place of Lesly Fellinga, who started on the left side last week. The only other change was rookie Emmanuel Gomez moving into the back line in place of Nick Garcia.
In what have been TFC's last appearance at BMO Field this season, the fans took the chance to salute recently retired striker Danny Dichio. Before the opening whistle, a massive banner covering the entire south end was held up thanking Dichio, the team's all-time leading scorer. Dichio, now a Toronto assistant coach, went onto the field to show his appreciation to the supporters.
Once the festivities were over, RSL striker Fabian Espindola almost spoiled the party by nearly putting his team on the board in the very first minute. He took a deceptively casual rush down the left side that resulted in a shot that Reds goalkeeper Brian Edwards had to jump at to knock over the bar. On the resulting corner kick, defender Jamison Olave suffered a lower-leg injury and was down on the turf for a minute before returning to action.
The match continued its early eventfulness when Toronto's O'Brian White almost took advantage of a slow back pass from RSL and came close to having a clear breakaway on goal. White's attempt at goal was blocked, and Sam Cronin's follow-up opportunity was also clogged up before he could properly shoot.
Both teams continued to keep up a quick pace up and down the field, though no real scoring chances developed until the 20th minute, when Real were awarded a direct free kick following a booking on TFC captain Jim Brennan. Javier Morales lined up just outside of the penalty area and his shot made it through the wall, but Edwards easily handled the low attempt.
Real got the best chance of the first half in the 25th minute when Espindola intercepted a pass in his own end and carried it down the left side before crossing to fellow striker Yura Movsisyan. The Azerbaijan-born forward made a slick move to evade a defender and then rifled a shot that Edwards managed to get his hand on to push aside for a quality save.
Edwards was called upon to make another big save a few minutes later when Movsisyan had a point-blank header in front of net following a corner kick. It was the second consecutive start for Edwards, who hadn't played a minute of league action all season until he started in place of injured regular 'keeper Stefan Frei last week. Edwards was kept busy in the first half, making six saves to keep RSL scoreless.
In response to the Real chances, Toronto was quick to get the ball back down the field but didn't develop a real counter-attack chance until the 35th minute. Following a number of blocked shots and bounces in front of the RSL net, Chad Barrett fired off a sudden shot. Kyle Beckerman was in place, however, in front of the goal to block it out of harm's way down the middle of the pitch.
The Reds came close again in the 40th minute. This time it was Toronto who was awarded a direct free kick just outside the penalty area, as Real's Tony Beltran was booked for tripping Barrett. Guevara, TFC's set-piece specialist, fired a hard shot aimed for the top left corner that glanced off the crossbar.
Toronto had just one shot on goal to RSL's six in the first half, but the Reds drew first blood in the 47th minute. Barrett took a pass and split two Real defenders in the middle of the field before shooting. Goalkeeper Nick Rimando came out of his net to block the shot, but Brennan was in position to take the rebound and roll it inside the right post past a sliding Olave.
The goal was Brennan's second of the season, and his first since scoring TFC's inaugural goal of the 2009 season in their March opener in Kansas City. It was Brennan's fourth career goal in MLS and his first to be scored in front of the home fans.
Needing to at least equalize in the crucial game, RSL made a pair of substitutions in the 59th minute. Toronto native Andy Williams and team scoring leader Robbie Findley came into the match in place of Movsisyan and Clint Mathis. The Utah side hoped to capitalize with a corner kick soon afterwards, but Morales' attempt went well off target from the entire scrum and was easily cleared by Dwayne De Rosario.
Findley nearly struck in the 71st minute, getting an angle on his defender in the middle of the field and firing a right-footed shot on goal. Edwards came through again for Toronto, however, catching just enough of the ball to send it wide left.
TFC made a substitution of their own in the 74th minute, sending midfielder Amadou Sanyang on for striker Barrett. The move was likely a nod to Toronto's league-worst 15 goals allowed in the last 15 minutes of games this year, including a heartbreaker conceded in stoppage time against San Jose last week. The Reds had to be extra aware of the late goal in the game, given that Real Salt Lake entered the match with a league-leading 17 goals in the final 15 minutes.
With the specter of the San Jose result still in the air, the Reds were going all-out to prevent another equalizer. Adrian Serioux went over the back of Pablo Campos to prevent a challenge on goal, and the TFC defender took a hard face-plant into the turf. Serioux, who recently missed three games with a neck injury, was down for a few minutes but stayed in the game.
TFC had a chance to relieve some of the pressure with a fantastic scoring chance in the 84th minute. De Rosario and Cronin had a two-on-one situation deep in the RSL end, but couldn't connect on a proper cross. A rebound attempt fell to Serioux, but the defender's shot sailed over the net.
The tension was palpable in the closing minutes, especially when Real took a corner and kept possession in a subsequent scrum. TFC moved nine men behind the ball, with only White downfield and Guevara about midway up the pitch. De Rosario was substituted for Lesly Fellinga, another defensive-minded switch from Toronto interim head coach Chris Cummins.
Four minutes of stoppage time was added by referee Terry Vaughn, inviting yet more deja vu for the Reds. An equal amount of time was added last Saturday, when San Jose substitute Cornell Glen struck in the 93rd minute.
Saturday, however, the Reds squeezed every possible moment out of each touch of the ball, and did a much more solid job of clearing. RSL was unable to get a shot after Beckerman's off-target volley in the 88th minute.
It was the last home game of the year for the Reds, unless they reach the postseason. They finished their home schedule with an 8-3-4 record and a club record 28 points at BMO Field. Next year, BMO Field will debut a new grass pitch when the Reds host Philadelphia Union on April 17, 2010.
Toronto FC head to Giants Stadium to face the last-place New York Red Bulls in their last match of the year. TFC defeated the Red Bulls in their previous two games this year, both at BMO Field in June. RSL returns to Rio Tinto Stadium for what could be a virtual playoff elimination game against Colorado next Saturday.
