Cornell Glen's stoppage-time equalizer might have dealt a fatal blow to Toronto FC's playoff hopes in a 1-1 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday afternoon at BMO Field.
Nana Attakora's goal just after halftime gave the Reds the lead in a game they largely dominated, but the Quakes added more and more pressure as the game crept into the final minutes. Finally, it was Glen (a late-game substitute) who potted the goal that stole a point for San Jose.
The result means that Toronto cannot climb into the top eight in the league table, and could fall as many as five points out of that eighth position by the end of the weekend. With only two games left in the regular season schedule, the Reds now require back-to-back victories and some other results to fall their way if they are to reach the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time.
With Toronto missing some key figures for the game, two Reds made their first starts of the year. Goalkeeper Brian Edwards saw his first league action of any kind, getting the start with regular 'keeper Stefan Frei sidelined with a dislocated finger. Haitian international Lesly Fellinga (with just 41 minutes of MLS experience to his credit) started in the midfield due to Carl Robinson's season-ending facial injury and Amado Guevara's call into the Honduras national team for the final set of World Cup qualifiers.
For San Jose, Jason Hernandez started on the back line in place of Michael Zaher. That was the only change from the lineup that lost 2-1 to FC Dallas last Wednesday, a result that officially eliminated the Quakes from playoff contention.
The TFC players spoke during the week about getting off to a quick start against San Jose, and indeed the Reds put the pressure on the Earthquakes in the opening portion of the match. Chad Barrett put a high shot over the net in the first minute, O'Brian White got his head on a throw-in that forced S.J. 'keeper Joe Cannon to make a save and Fellinga almost capitalized on a long-range shot when Cannon was caught out of his net.
White had a brilliant one-man effort in the 17th minute that began when the rookie striker took a pass from Dwayne De Rosario about 30 yards away from the San Jose net. White proceeded to carry the ball all the way to the back line, fighting off three Earthquakes to do so, and managed to center the ball before it was finally handled by Cannon.
At the other end of the field, Edwards might have thought he was still on the bench given how little action he saw. TFC held San Jose to just two shots in the first half, neither on goal. Probably the best was Ryan Johnson's weak-footed kick in the 24th minute that rolled dangerously close to open right side of the net before ultimately going wide.
In spite of dominating the match, however, the Reds couldn't convert the go-ahead goal. Their best chance came on a throw-in that Attakora nearly headed into the net were it not for a quality save from Cannon to stall the ball's momentum before another Earthquakes defender cleared it off the line.
TFC's frustration in the first 45 minutes was instantly erased at the start of the second half. Coming down the right side, De Rosario sent a grounder of a cross through the San Jose box that was untouched by any defender. The ball made its way to Attakora streaking toward the left post, who got enough on his kick to angle the ball into the net to put the Reds on the scoreboard.
It was the second goal in as many home games for Attakora, as the young defender also scored the game-winner in Toronto's 3-2 win over Colorado on Sept. 12.
Barrett and Fellinga nearly combined on another goal a few minutes later, as the Reds kept up the pressure in search of the possible game-clinching strike.
A curious play developed in the 56th minute when Barrett curled a long cross to De Rosario. Hernandez tried to block the ball but injured himself in the attempt, leading to De Rosario and defender Chris Leitch both on their backs near the left post, trying to force the ball in and keep it out, respectively, but the play was called offside. Hernandez had to be carried off the field in the wake of his injury and was replaced by Quincy Amarikwa.
The next 10 minutes or so saw the Reds ease up a bit on attack, perhaps as a nod to the importance of keeping the lead in such a critical game. San Jose couldn't capitalize on the extra space, however, coming up short on a pair of corners. Their best opportunity came in the 75th minute, when Antonio Ribeiro took the rebound off of a deflected free kick and fired a hard shot that went high over the Toronto net.
San Jose began to put on some pressure, as the Reds' late-game defending problems hung like a specter over the proceedings. Following a free kick in the 83rd minute, the ball bounced dangerously from Earthquakes player to Earthquakes player in the midst of a number of TFC jerseys before the ball was finally cleared out of harm's way.
Four minutes of stoppage time was granted by referee Mark Geiger, adding even more tension as the Reds tried to close things out. This added time proved to be deadly for Toronto, as the Earthquakes finally broke through with Glen's goal.
Following a Jim Brennan block of a shot on the right side of the goal, the ball was crossed by Chris Leitch to the left side to Glen, who had an open shot since Edwards was blocked by a number of bodies. The 'keeper made a valiant attempt to dive across the goalmouth, but it was not to be.
TFC continue their playoff push with another must-win match next Saturday against fellow postseason hopefuls Real Salt Lake. The Reds lost the reverse fixture with RSL by a 3-0 score at Rio Tinto Stadium on June 27. The Quakes continue their season-ending three-game road trip with a date at Chivas USA next Saturday.
Mark Polishuk is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
