Toronto FC Settle for Draw with San Jose Earthquakes

“Two games, right behind each other, that you make exactly the (same) mistakes. Everybody can make mistakes but then you have to learn about it for the next time and don’t do it anymore. That’s why I don’t like them and why I’m upset.”

The TFC players were just as upset with the situation and at themselves.

“It’s not how it’s supposed to turn out,” said goalkeeper Milos Kocic, who once again started in place of Stefan Frei. “It keeps happening to us. I don’t know what to tell you. Like I said last time and every time I think we should be more focused, hold your man, don’t let him jump. It just keeps happening.”

Midfielder Julian de Guzman has been with the club since 2009 and has seen history repeating itself for far too long.

“It’s a lot of points that we’ve given away too easily and I think you normally you should learn from these mistakes but they happen over and over again and it becomes very frustrating and it’s hard to swallow,” said de Guzman.

“I think it’s important for each individual to take a look at themselves and ask ‘how professional am I, and am I ready for this.’ There are too many cases you find moments on set plays, these are crucial moments in any soccer game that can change, that can turn things around and let that always happen to us. I think those are moments where each individual should know what his role and his task is on set plays and that one second or moment you get caught sleeping you find that ball in the back of your net. It’s just happened too many times.

Blown Call

For all the talk about missed assignments on the final goal there was a lot more to the game than just that one moment. The first half started slowly but San Jose controlled the play early on by making methodical passes and penetrating forward. The Earthquakes had the first good chance in the match early of a set piece in the 5^th minute. A corner kick sailed through the box untouched before coming to Joey Gjertsen as he turned Danleigh Borman inside out before firing on goal. The shot was deflected by defender Andy Iro and then off Wondolowski but Kocic was able to get a foot on it to deflect it wide of the goal.

However, around the midway mark of the half that all changed as Toronto suddenly sprung to life and did not display any fatigue of a team that had played two days earlier. In the 32^nd minute forward Peri Marosevic was tackled at the edge of the Dallas 18-yard box and the ball squirted loose to a charging Eric Avila. He then took one touch before slotting the ball past Quakes keeper Jon Busch and inside the far post.

The Reds carried the momentum into the second half and nearly increased its lead in the 52^nd minute when Ryan Johnson chipped the ball over the defence to Torsten Frings. The German charged in and hit it with his left foot but Busch was very sharp and was able to knock the ball down for the save.

TFC thought it had increased its lead in the 75^th minute but the goal was wrongly called back on the offside. Johnson from the middle picked out a charging Plata with a great lead pass. Plata then beat a sliding Busch to the ball before making a slick touch to round the keeper and scoring into the empty net. The players and fans began to celebrate before realizing that the goal did not count. Replays clearly showed that the play was clearly onside and the score should have been 2-0.

The Quakes came close in the 85^th minute when Wondolowski pounced on a loose ball inside the box and drilled a short range drive but Kocic was able to knock the ball down with his hands. The ball then bounced to substitute Matt Luzunaris and his header went just wide of the goal.

San Jose finally broke through in the 87^th minute when a long throw in was flicked backwards at the edge of the six yard box by Bobby Burling. The ball landed to Wondolowski by the far post and he quickly knocked it in for his ninth goal of the season to tie the game in dramatic fashion. The boisterous crowd at BMO Field fell silent as the Reds collectively hung their heads. It seemed as though substitute defender Eddy Viator left the Quakes striker unmarked leading to the tying goal.

For Johnson, he was disappointed with the offside call on the goal by Plata and that he could not stick one against his old team.

“I think we should have played this game out,” said the TFC forward. “Definitely should have won 1-0 and I think Plata’s goal was onside, but it’s a tough one… I wish the Plata goal was kept on the board that would have been a good one against my old team. It didn’t happen that way and we just got to move on.”

TFC acquired Johnson San Jose on July 14^th along with an international roster spot and allocation money with Nana Attakora, Alan Gordon and Jacob Peterson going the other way. Meanwhile, Gordon was out with and injury, Attakora was dressed but did not see any action and Peterson came on as a substitute in the 66^th minute.

Added Johnson, “It’s business – it’s good to see those guys, the coaching staff. I still have a good relationship with them. I want to see them succeed and at the same time I want to see my team succeed. Getting a draw is I guess the best of both worlds in a way, but I definitely thought that we should have won.”

TFC will now have a much deserved break in its schedule – a two week break to be exact. The team needs the rest after playing so many games in the past two months and will finally have time to heal their bodies while others will be represent their countries in international friendlies or World Cup qualifying matches. The next match for the Reds will be on September 10 in Columbus against the Crew to decide the Trillium Cup with kickoff at 7:30pm ET at Columbus Crew Stadium.