Short-handed Toronto FC suffers 3-1 loss to Chivas USA
Published Saturday September 6th, 2008
TORONTO - It was billed as a Major League Soccer game.
But it sure felt like a minor-league affair for Toronto FC and the team's fans.
Missing nine regulars to international duty and forced to sign three defenders, including one amateur, to emergency call-up contracts a day before the game, sinking Toronto FC (7-11-5) lost 3-1 to Chivas USA (8-9-6) before a crowd of 19,863 on Saturday at BMO Field.
After the league turned down Toronto's request to postpone the game because of the unusual circumstances, the home side coughed up a 1-0 lead and remained in a last-place tie with the Kansas City Wizards in the Eastern Conference.
"On this occasion, I thought common sense would prevail," head coach John Carver said after his team was swept in a home-and-home series against California-based Chivas.
"Unfortunately, it didn't. We had to play the game and you saw the product we had to put on the pitch. The result was inevitable, although you always believe you can win the game, especially when you go (ahead) 1-0." If it wasn't the darkest day for the two-year-old franchise, it was close.
MLS is one of the only soccer leagues that does not shut down for international fixtures, though this situation has prompted league officials to examine the schedule format for next season.
With its lineup in tatters, Toronto had to start three defenders on emergency call-up contracts - Diaz Kambere (Vancouver Whitecaps, United Soccer Leagues), amateur journeyman Rick Titus (Italia Shooters, Canadian Soccer League) and Tim Regan, who actually is FC's chief scout. All three practised with the team just once - on Friday.
Titus, a delivery driver, played for free to maintain his amateur status - he also plays for a side called Real Toronto in a men's league.
"I was minding my own business and I got a call from (the coach of the Shooters)," said Titus, who played in the MLS with the Colorado Rapids in 2002. "He called and said, 'Hey, are you interested in playing a game? We've got no defenders. Half the team is gone. The starting lineup is gone."'
While it's a nice story, it was anything but an ideal situation for Toronto. Carver said Kambere was at fault for two of Chivas' goals, though he praised the young Canadian for his effort.
"This is my toughest moment in football," said Carver, whose team has won just one of its past four games. "I've had some good times, I've had some bad times, I've had some proud moments, but this was the toughest week I've ever, ever put in in 25 years of professional football."
Tyler Rosenlund of Port Coquitlam, B.C., scored for Toronto after a nice pass from Rohan Ricketts in the 30th minute before Daniel Paladini (41st minute) Jonathan Bornstein (58th minute) and Ante Razov (96th minute) beat Toronto goalie Brian Edwards.
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.
Chivas had its own lineup issues as it also was missing nine players, though just two to international duty.
To make matters worse for Toronto, its only experienced defender - Marco Velez - was ejected along with Chivas forward Alecko Eskandarian after retaliating following a tie-up at the end of the first half. Eskandarian got an elbow in Velez's face while jumping for a ball before the acting Toronto captain swung his arm wildly at the Chivas forward.
"I give Marco Velez the captaincy to be a leader and he's let me down, let the team down, let everybody down, let himself down," Carver said.
Carver also took a shot at the Canadian Soccer Association for using his captain, Brennan, as a reserve in a World Cup qualifying game against Honduras in Montreal on Saturday night.
"There might have been some common sense there, when (Canada coach Dale Mitchell could say) 'All right, I'm not going to play you, Jim. Get on a plane, go back down to Toronto and play the game."'
With just seven games left, Toronto faces long odds of making the playoffs.
"We've got a mountain to climb now," Carver said.
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) ... Chivas had to play the final 19 minutes without starting goalie Zach 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 forward Chad Barrett, who had battled cramping problems late in many games, managed to play the entire game for Toronto ... Toronto plays host to the Columbus Crew next Saturday.
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