By Luis Martinez (Twitter @canadaluis)
Photos by David Chant and Michael Fayehun
Toronto, ON – Under 2′ degrees conditions, Toronto FC win 2-1 over the Mexican Champions, Tigres at BMO Field.
In the first half, TFC was looking to take the opportunities in terms of speed and movement from Sebastian Giovinco and at the same time, Jozy Altidore, but were escorted out by the defensive line of the team of SAN Nicolas de Los Garza.
The terrain wasn’t in it’s best condition to play a good match, but the 22 players were focused on their job with no clear opportunity for both teams going into the brake with no penetration on the doors of Alex Bono and Nahuel Guzman.
For the 2nd episode of this encounter, the figure of the giant, Andre Pierre Gignac, took the attention of the 25 887 spectadors who RSVPd at the Reds House.
The left line of Tigres was conquered by Javier Aquino, this athlete gave a few problems for all the defenders from the MLS Champion.
On the 52′ minute, that is when The 2 time Copa America Champion, Eduardo Vargas, scored for The Universitary Club and gave some pressure to the Vanney boys.
After the goal, Tigres were trying to sign the second, but the strategy of the Greg Vanney stars gave results, at 60′ appears “The Man of New Jersey”, Jozy Altidore, to equalize the action with an assist by Marky Delgado and this brought back the motivation to the rest of their team mates.
In the last minutes, TFC gave it their everything in the Nahuel Guzmán area. The International, Victor Vazquez, comes on the field at minute 79′ giving the last push for his team and getting the 2-1 by Jonathan Osorio.
In the after-match press conference, the Tigres head coach, Ricardo Ferreti, mentions that the cold weather, the rough condition of the field, nor the fact that the team had a recent match this last Sunday are not the principal reasons for this evening’s loss.
The second leg of this quarter-final will take place next Tuesday, March 13, in Mexico.
Special note: among the TFC fans, fellow soccer player who was taken away all too soon and in his prime, Davide Astori, was remembered.
Match statistics
Lineups:
TFC – Bono, Zavaleta (Hagglund), Moor, Bradley, Van der Wiel (Auro), Delgado (Vazquez), Osorio, Morrow, Giovinco, Altidore
Tigres – Guzman, Torres, Juninho, Ayala, Jimenez, Aquino, Zelarayan (Sosa), Valencia (Gignac), Dueñas, Vasquez (Acostas), Vargas
Shots: TFC 13 – Tigres 5
Shots on target: TFC 5 – Tigres 2
Possession: TFC 47% – Tigres 53%
Fouls: TFC 12 – Tigres 11
Yellow cards: TFC 0 – Tigres 3
Offsides: TFC 1 – Tigres 7
Corners: TFC 1 – Tigres 5
