Short-handed Toronto FC suffers 3-1 loss to Chivas USA on Saturday
September 6, 2008TORONTO - Short-handed Toronto FC could not overcome the absence of nine regulars as it suffered a 3-1 loss against Chivas USA in a strange Major League Soccer game Saturday.
With eight players away on international duty, a game Toronto squad (7-11-5) blew a 1-0 lead in front of a crowd of 19,863 at BMO Field and remained in a last-place tie with the Kansas City Wizards in the Eastern Conference.
Tyler Rosenlund of Port Coquitlam, B.C., scored for Toronto before Daniel Paladini and Jonathan Bornstein replied for Chivas USA (8-9-6) to give the California-based squad, which was also missing numerous players, a sweep in a home-and-home series.
Toronto has won just one of its past 10 games and is winless in its past four, making FC a serious long shot to make the playoffs.
With its lineup in tatters, Toronto had to start three defenders on emergency call-up contracts - Diaz Kambere (Vancouver Whitecaps, United Soccer Leagues), journeyman Rick Titus (Italian Shooters, Canadian Soccer League) and Tim Regan, who actually is Toronto FC's chief scout.
Not to be outdone, Chivas was without nine players of its own - two to international duty, five to injuries and two to yellow cards.
Titus was victimized on the winning goal, letting Bornstein get behind him in the penalty area. After taking a pass from Ante Razov, Bornstein beat sliding Toronto goalie Brian Edwards to make it 2-1 in the 58th minute.
Regan had a chance to become a hero in injury time in the second half, but his header on a corner kick went just wide.
Razov made it 3-1 in injury time when his shot deflected off Toronto midfielder Kevin Harmse and beat Edwards.
Toronto had to play without its only experienced defender, Marco Velez, in the second half after the acting team captain and Chivas forward Alecko Eskandarian both were ejected in injury time in the first half after exchanging shots to the face.
Toronto's Jim Brennan (Canada), Marvell Wynne (USA), Carlos Ruiz (Guatemala), Amado Guevara (Honduras), Tyrone Marshall (Jamaica), Julius James (Trinidad and Tobago), Jarrod Smith (New Zealand) and Carl Robinson (Wales) were all with their national teams, while starting goalie Greg Sutton was allowed to leave the Canadian camp to be with his wife, who is expecting a child.
To make matters worse, Toronto forward Abdus Ibrahim suffered a quad injury in training this week and was unavailable, leaving the team with just four subs.
The laughable situation prompted the MLS to say this week that it will re-examine its scheduling for the 2009 season to try to avoid conflicts with international dates.
Rosenlund opened the scoring after receiving a beautiful pass across the goal box from Rohan Ricketts in the 30th minute. Rosenlund, who has played in just three of Toronto's past seven games, beat a sliding defender to the ball and put a shot past helpless goalie Zach Thornton to give the home side the lead.
Toronto missed several outstanding opportunities in the next few minutes to extend the lead, including a 35th minute beauty for Chad Barrett, who was robbed by a leaping Thornton.
But Paladini tied it 11 minutes later when he took a pass from Razov in the middle of the field just outside the box and eluded the tackle of Velez before depositing a high shot into the net, past Edwards.
Velez and Eskandarian got tied up while battling for a high ball in the final minute of the first half, leading to the double ejection. Eskandarian got an elbow in Velez's face before the Toronto defender swung his right arm wildly into the face of the Chivas forward. At first, it appeared Velez was going to be the only player ejected, but it became clear later that both men were sent off, leading to 10-on-10 soccer the rest of the way.
Chivas had to play the final 19 minutes without Thornton after he was hurt in a collision with Toronto forward Danny Dichio. After a delay of several minutes, the referee called for the stretcher, forcing Chivas to insert backup Dan Kennedy. The medical staff actually dropped the stretcher while carrying Thornton off the field, prompting plenty of cheers from the crowd, and the injured goalie had to walk into the dressing room.
Dichio, who had played just 12 minutes in the past eight games after suffering a concussion, and Barrett, who had battled cramping problems late in many games, managed to play the entire game for Toronto.
NOTES: Rosenlund became only the third Canadian to score for Toronto in its two-year history, joining captain Jim Brennan (two goals) and Miguel Canizalez (one goal). Rosenlund won an NCAA Division I championship with the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2006 before signing with Atvidaberg of the Swedish second division last year ... Toronto plays host to the Columbus Crew next Saturday.
