Toronto FC 1 - 1 FC Dallas - Match Thread, Preview, and How to Watch - Waking The Red

Live Match Thread

FT - It’s a Draw

90’ + 4’ of EXTRA TIME

90’ - HUGE CHANCE for FC DALLAS.

88’ - FC DALLAS SUBSTITUTION

84’ - Pretty open. Still sore about the VAR.

82’ - As always, Leach is correct:

80’ - FC DALLAS SUBSTITUTION

79’ - CHANCE! Okello almost brute forces one in.

73’ - FC DALLAS SUBSTITUTION

73’ - CHANCE! JMR to Jesus and the header is just a bit too early.

70’ - VAR thoughts

VAR already too intrusive in this Dallas/Toronto game.

— Andi Petrillo (@AndiPetrillo) February 27, 2022

67’ - Toronto is awarded a penalty - Jose Martinez takes down Poz in the box but ... wait ... it’s going to VAR. This has been a howler of a game for VAR.

66’ - TORONTO SUBSTITUTION: Okello > Nelson

65’ - For reals:

Much better organization from TFC this half. They’re moving the ball well, you can feel a bit better what they want to accomplish.

— S.W. Junkball (@Junk_Baller) February 27, 2022

56’ - Mitch weighs on the new CB:

Shane O’Neill looks to be exactly the kind of no-nonsense tidy defender that #TFClive hasn’t had nearly enough on since 2017.

— Mitchell Tierney (@mitchelltierney) February 26, 2022

55’ - CHANCE! FC DALLAS almost retake the lead. Twice!

53’ - Well, look who’s here:

51’ - STATS STATS STATS

50’ - Truth.

I love Mavinga, but that was a good sub. And Kerr will get lots of chances - not writing anyone off after one match. #TFCLive

— Kristin Knowles (@kzknowles) February 26, 2022

46’ - DOUBLE SUBSTITUTION TFC. O’Neil < Mavinga & Achara < Kerr

Hope Mavinga isn’t hurt.

HT 01 - Stats Stats Stats

HT - All level at the break

48’ - YELLOW CARD ISSUED TO FC DALLAS Jáder Obrian

45’ + 5’ of Extra Time.

45’ - GOAL! TFC 1 - 1 FC DALLAS Jonathan Osorio! What a finish off a NICE Shaffelcross.

42’ - Ummm, that’s a pen on Bones, but whatever. LOL.

36’ - We are getting absolutely murdered out there. Shaffelburg made a nice tackle though.

31’ - GOAL! TFC 0 - 2 FC DALLAS, and checking it from VAR, and ... it’s RULED OUT!

Assistant referee trying to adjust to a new position as well today?

— Michael Singh (@MichaelSingh94) February 26, 2022

30’ - No Mitch I just can’t. I Cannot.

Two first time fullbacks are always gonna take some time. I know it’s hard to after way last season yet but both deserve an extended look. #TFCLive

— Mitchell Tierney (@mitchelltierney) February 26, 2022

25’ - HUGE STOP by BONES to keep us in this.

20’ - YELLOW CARD ISSUED TO TFC JACOB SHAFFELBERG, who is STRUGGLING at LWB.

10’ - GOAL! TFC 0 -1 FC Dallas Jáder Obrian scores and it’s almost ruled offside, but then VAR and ... I get my own Prediction League bonus point.

not a great start to #MLSisBack for #TFCLive

Could use some explanation on exactly what was reviewed & why the call on the field was overturned ‍♂️

— James Grossi (@grawsee) February 26, 2022

4’ - Nice overlaps on the left from the boys in light onyx.

3’ - Kits look good, we look sloppy, venue looks empty.

1’ - We’re off!

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5:38 pm ET - “Can he do it?”

5:31 pm ET - Nuggets of wisdom from WTR Slack.

5:25 pm ET - LOL Whitecaps.

5:15 pm ET - Getting close. Butterflies. Sugar, baby.

4:57 pm ET - Mr. CanSoc is feeling himself:

4:47 pm ET - Yes, yes they are.

4:34 pm ET - Note the Officially Official kick-off time:

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Starting XI

TEE EFF CEE:

FC Dallas:

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Preview (via Aasim Hashim)

TORONTO, Ont. - A busy and chaotic off-season for Toronto FC will come to an end on Saturday when the Reds officially open their 2022 MLS campaign against FC Dallas. Kick-off is scheduled for 5:30 PM EST and can be watched on TSN.

The Reds effectively hit the reset button following their dismal 2021 campaign. The off-season saw lots of changes on and off the field, with the Club parting ways with more than a dozen players from the 2021 squad and a new coaching staff.

While there is plenty of confidence and optimism heading into Saturday, Bradley did urge patience as he continues to impose his vision and playing style onto his players. An uninterrupted pre-season will have helped with that, but the Reds will continue to need more game time to get more and more comfortable with a new system.

There were many factors that can be attributed to the overall poor campaign last season. Being displaced south of the border for the first half of the season and the impact that had on the squad is certainly a consideration. However, the number of injuries to key players all throughout the season also started to take its toll and never allowed the squad to find any kind of cohesion.

Alejando Pozuelo, the 2020 MLS MVP, was one of many players who found himself on the sideline for lengthy periods of time. Pozuelo was limited to just 14 games last season and found the back of the net just once. The Spanish international will be looking to get back to the form that saw him dazzle fans across the league in 2020 and will be looking to become a key contributor on the other side of the ball this year as part of Bradley’s new system.

Along with Pozuelo, Bob Bradley will have a healthy roster to pick from in his debut game. Heading into the season opener, only Ayo Akinola (ACL) will be unavailable through injury and while Reds faithful are waiting on the Club’s marquee signing, Lorenzo Insigne, to debut, that won’t happen until later in the year. TFC’s other Designated Player acquisition from the winter, Carlos Salcedo, is expected to make his debut.

Toronto’s opponent on Saturday, FC Dallas have a lot of similarities between them going back to last season. Just like the Reds, FC Dallas also struggled to find wins including a disappointing end to the season where Dallas managed to win just three of its final 18 games. The 2021 season also prompted Dallas to make drastic changes across the board.

Nico Estévez joined FC Dallas over the off-season as the eighth head coach in franchise history and brings with him MLS experience having previously been with the Columbs Crew in 2017as an assistant and most recently an assistant with the US Men’s National Team program.

Along with a new head coach, FC Dallas also parted ways with a number of players - including last year’s top scorer Ricardo Pepi who joined FC Augsburg in January - and brought in nine new players to bolster their squad which included American international Paul Arriola and completed a club-record deal to bring in Argentinian winger Alan Velasco.

Similar to his Toronto counterpart, Estévez will have to focus on how his squad can keep the ball out of their own net. FC Dallas conceded 56 goals in 2021, which put them in the bottom three of the league behind Toronto FC (66) and FC Cincinnati (74).

Historically, FC Dallas has fared extremely well against the Reds, having won 11 of 18 all time meetings, including winning the last three matchups dating back to 2017. The clubs have not met each other since 2019, when FCD collected all three points in a 3-0 victory.

It’s been a long and busy off-season for TFC to once again strengthen this squad. While the path back to the top won’t be a quick or easy one, Saturday will be a fresh start and a first step for the Reds to return back to the summit of the MLS.

What will you be looking for in TFC’s season opener?

Games Notes

• FC Dallas haven’t lost a home opener since 2010 (7 W, 5 D)
• Club captain Michael Bradley can equal Justin Morrow’s record for second most appearances in club history (254). The all-time record belongs to Jonathan Osorio (292).

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How to Watch

• Opponent: FC Dallas
• Kick-off time: 5:30 PM ET
• Watch: TSN
• Stadium: Toyota Stadium, Frisco, TX

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Toronto FC 1 - 1 FC Dallas - Match Thread, Preview, and How to Watch - Waking The Red
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Women's Tennis Postpones Match With TAMUK to March 3 - UTRGV Athletics

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Federal government says it will match donations to Red Cross Ukraine campaign - CBC News

The federal government says it will match Canadians' donations to the Red Cross in aid of Ukraine, up to a maximum of $10 million.

The policy was announced by the federal government on Friday. It applies to all donations under $100,000 to the Canadian Red Cross Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Appeal made between Feb. 24 and March 18.

"The humanitarian crisis unfolding in Ukraine requires all of us to come together," said International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan in a media statement. "We know we have more to do to support people affected by the conflict in Ukraine."

The federal government said the matching donations are in addition to the $50 million in funding given to Ukraine for development and humanitarian aid, and the recently announced $620 million in sovereign loans that Canada has extended to Ukraine.

The Canadian Red Cross says the donated money will be used to support immediate relief efforts in Ukraine, long-term recovery efforts and emergency preparedness.

"Money raised will enable the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to respond to humanitarian needs generated by almost eight years of conflict, as well as preparedness and response efforts due to heightened tensions in Ukraine," says a statement on the Canadian Red Cross website.

Canadians who want to donate to the Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Appeal can do so online or by calling 1-800-418-1111.

Russia vetoes UN vote

The announcement came as Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling on Moscow to stop its attack on Ukraine and withdraw all its troops immediately.

The veto was expected but the United States and its supporters argued that the effort would highlight Moscow's international isolation.

The 11-1 vote — with China, India and the United Arab Emirates abstaining — showed significant but not total opposition to Russia's invasion of its smaller, militarily weaker neighbour. 

The resolution's failure paves the way for backers to call for a swift vote on a similar measure in the 193-member UN General Assembly, where there are no vetoes. There's no word yet on when an assembly vote might happen.

Unlike Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions aren't legally binding, but they can function as statements of world opinion.

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Match Analysis: Cruz Azul 3-1 Forge FC (4-1 agg.) -- Concacaf Champions League - Canadian Premier League

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Final Score: Cruz Azul 3-1 Forge FC (4-1 agg.)
Goalscorers: Romero 5′, Baca 22′, Escobar 43′; Choinière 26′
2022 Concacaf Champions League
Round of 16 — Leg 2

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Match in a minute or less

Forge FC’s first Concacaf Champions League journey came to an end on Thursday night at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca, as they fell 3-1 to Cruz Azul in a hard-fought second leg of the round of 16. The Liga MX side opened the floodgates very early, as Ángel Romero got on the end of a free kick over the entire Forge defence. not long after, they made it 2-0 (3-0 on aggregate) thanks to Rafael Baca’s long-range screamer from outside the box.

Forge did get on the board with a historic first CPL goal in the Champions League, as David Choinière scored with a well-placed low strike from distance. The visitors’ celebrations did not last long, though; just before halftime, Cruz Azul’s Juan Escobar managed to sneak behind the backline and head in a third goal for his side. In the second half, as the game opened up even more, the home side had a few golden opportunities to widen their lead on the counter-attack, but they were thwarted by some excellent desperation defending and goalkeeping from Forge to keep it to a respectable two-goal deficit.

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RELATED: RECAP: Forge FC eliminated from Concacaf Champions League with 3-1 loss to Cruz Azul

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Three Observations

Forge struggle to deal with balls over defensive line

In the first leg, Forge demonstrated an excellent ability to defend against Cruz Azul’s attempts to play forward passes and break them down with build-up play. They held their shape well and they were comfortable tracking the ball with it remaining mostly in front of their back four. This time, though, Cruz Azul manager Juan Reynoso seemed to have a different plan for attacking his Canadian opponents.

Cruz Azul were very deliberate on Thursday, especially in the first half, with their attempts to find target men with long balls and, in particular, chipped passes to bypass the Forge backline. The aggressive off-ball running from Cruz Azul’s attackers caused no end of trouble for defenders, who found themselves a little flat-footed at times and couldn’t always recover to get between the ball and goal again.

Lobbed passes like that led to both the first and third Cruz Azul goals (although the first was a set-piece), and they had a few other opportunities like it especially in the first 45, though Forge eventually were able to track those runners a little better. In the second half, Forge opened up quite a bit more in search of another goal, which allowed Cruz Azul to play more direct through balls and keep it on the ground more, especially considering more of their attacks at that stage were counter-attacking rushes where they had a numerical advantage going forward.

Of course, Forge were shaken by the early goal, and as such had to try and recover before opening the taps and try to score. They proved their mettle in the second half by keeping Cruz Azul off the scoresheet despite how dangerous the hosts looked at times.

“We stood on the ball and we did some good things out there, and that was important for us, but it’s always gonna be difficult when you get scored on in the fifth and the 43rd minute,” said Forge boss Bobby Smyrniotis.

Cruz Azul show quality with quick movement, on-ball skill

There’s a reason Cruz Azul are one of the best teams in Mexico at the moment. The way they were able to pull Forge around the pitch with their passing and movement was evidence of the gap in level between the two sides. The visitors’ defensive workrate was incredibly high, but Cruz Azul seemed able to play around the shifting defenders quite comfortably.

When Forge players left their position to press a man on the ball, they were rarely successful in turning over possession; many of the Cruz Azul players have such quality with the ball at their feet that they’re unfazed by pressure and can turn to protect before finding a comfortable passing option. That kind of individual ability allowed them to be patient when necessary, and it also allowed them to try ambitious balls knowing the players ahead of them have the quality to receive a pass with excellent first touch.

Defensively, Cruz Azul’s midfielders seemed particularly adept at spotting errant passes and winning the ball back to either settle or spring a quick transition. A number of long balls from Forge ended up in Cruz Azul counters because of how well they could put the ball in dangerous spaces with first touches for interceptions.

All that added up to a game where Forge really struggled to gain and establish possession. They had just 35% of the ball and completed only 213 passes, struggling to really play the game on their own terms as they normally do.

“It’s a team that doesn’t lose the ball often, and when they lose it they collapse really quick,” David Choinière told reporters postgame. “They get the ball really fast. They close the space down, we tried to get out of pressure. It’s a good matchup against them; at home we surprised a lot of people, and we’ll go and learn, and get back to work.”

Forge FC coach Bobby Smyrniotis congratulates Cruz Azul manager Juan Reynoso. (Concacaf)

David Choinière makes history on memorable occasion for club, country

If Forge were going to score a goal, of course it was going to David Choinière. The 25-year-old has now scored five times in continental competitions for this club, as he continues to show up on the biggest stages. Somehow, it always seems to be him scoring the big goals (in fact, this round of 16 in the Champions League has been a big one for both Choinière brothers).

Despite the lopsided aggregate scoreline, Forge made history on Thursday night. They’re the first CPL side to score in the Concacaf Champions League, and just the third Canadian club to score at Estadio Azteca. They, a four-year-old club, managed to put up a fight against a massive opponent in one of the most storied footballing venues in all the world.

“I think for that brief moment you realize that as a group, as a club, we’ve done something special,” Smyrniotis said after the game. “After three years of competing and doing things right, I think we’ve been rewarded greatly by being in this competition.”

What also can’t be understated is the value this game could have in both the short and long term. For one thing, they’ll have these two games under their belts already when the CPL season begins in just over a month.

More important than that, though, is the taste Forge now have of playing at that level, on that stage.

Youngsters like Terran Campbell, Alessandro Hojabrpour, and Garven Metusala now have this experience of playing a Liga MX team at the Azteca. So, too, do the young substitutes who came on — Kwasi Poku, Woobens Pacius, and Noah Jensen (who, notably, just made his professional debut in this game). The memories of playing in the Champions League so early in their professional careers will influence their paths from here and will help shape them into better footballers down the road.

Just as they did in Leg 1, Forge did themselves and their country proud on Thursday against Cruz Azul; this was always going to be a tough ask for them, but to continue fighting to the end, as they did — despite their out-of-season fitness levels and the Mexico City altitude — is commendable.

“If you haven’t been down to Mexico City and played a game at the Azteca, oxygen is a rarity in the sky here,” Smyrniotis said. “It’s a very difficult task, and to see some of the guys who had 90 minutes tonight, in Alex Achinioti-Jonsson, Dom Samuel, Kyle Bekker, and all the other guys was absolutely fantastic.”

The Forge coach was sure to include in his postmatch remarks some congratulations for his players and staff, not only for getting to this stage but for holding their own against a high-quality opponent. Now, knowing that there’s no Concacaf League waiting for them in the summer, Forge will be diving head-on into their CPL ambitions, desperate to return to the continental stage.

CanPL.ca Player of the Match

Ángel Romero, Cruz Azul

The Paraguayan forward was constantly in motion in this game, and Forge had a lot of difficulty marking him. Romero slipped behind the defence on a set-piece to open the scoring five minutes in, and he managed to get alone in behind several more times to nearly widen the gap.

What’s next?

Forge’s attention now turns back to the Canadian Premier League, which they will kick off on Sunday, April 10 when they travel to Vancouver Island for a CPL Final rematch with Pacific FC (7 pm ET/4 pm PT).

Watch all matches live on OneSoccer. In addition to its website and app, OneSoccer is now available on TELUS channel 980 and on Fubo TV. Call your local cable provider to ask for OneSoccer today.

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Match Analysis: Cruz Azul 3-1 Forge FC (4-1 agg.) -- Concacaf Champions League - Canadian Premier League
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EMU Tennis Hits the Road for Three-Match Weekend - EMU Eagles

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) —  The Eastern Michigan University tennis team hits the road this weekend with three stops scheduled. The Eagles will kick off the weekend with a Friday doubleheader, starting with Butler at 11 a.m., followed by a trip to Bellarmine with the match starting at 5 p.m., Feb. 25. The following day, Saturday, Feb. 26, the Green and White wrap up at Mercer with the match scheduled for 2:30 p.m.

Eastern (6-5) split its most recent doubleheader, Feb. 18, defeating Northwood 7-0, before falling to Michigan State, 6-1. Redshirt senior Luisa Pelayo (Porto, Portugal-Colegio CEBES (Wright State)) had herself a day, going 2-0 in singles competition, and defeating the Spartans two-time All-Big Ten honoree, Mary Lewis, at No. 1, 7-5, 6-4. The performance earned Pelayo her first Mid-American Conference Singles Player of the Week honors. Freshman Sabina Brichackova (Cheb, Czech Republic-Gymnazium Jana Blahoslava) saw her undefeated streak end at 8-0, after falling to her MSU opponent at No. 4 in a three-set battle, 4-6, 6-3, 11-9. 

Meanwhile, in Indianapolis, Butler (1-8, 0-1 Big East) is on a five-match losing streak, dating back to Feb. 6, and has lost six of its last seven contests. Two of those losses came at the hands of Mid-American Conference teams  Ball State (6-1), and Western Michigan (6-1), Jan. 30, and Feb. 19, respectively. 

Bellarmine (0-10) has had a slow start to its season, as it still searches for its first win. The Knights most recently dropped two matches to Tennessee, Feb. 20, 4-0, 7-0. Additionally, the Broncos of WMU have also topped the Louisville-based squad, 4-0, Feb. 12. 

Losing its last match to Georgia Tech, 7-0, Mercer (5-5) looks to get back on track. The Bears have lost three of their last four contests, with the sole win in that stretch coming against Georgia College, Feb. 16, 6-1. 

Results will be made available following the conclusion of the last match. For the most up-to-date information on all things EMU tennis, continue to visit EMUEagles.com, or follow us on Twitter, @EMUEaglesTennis.

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Match Point Canada: S4 E6 – Carol Zhao - tenniscanada.com

This week on Match Point Canada, hosts Ben Lewis and Mike McIntyre catch up with Canadian tennis player Carol Zhao, who recently won an ITF doubles title in Cancun, Mexico. They also breakdown Félix Auger-Aliassime’s final appearance in Marseille, France – his second ATP Tour-level title in as many weeks.

In addition, the hosts discuss the brand new Tennis Canada Bracket Challenge and share a few of their own predictions.

Listen to the latest episode of Match Point Canada on Megaphone, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify below:

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Shapovalov overcomes service struggles, 1st-set loss to win opening match in Dubai - CBC Sports

Canada's Denis Shapovalov advanced to the second round of the Dubai Tennis Championships with a 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 win over Hungary's Marton Fucsovics on Tuesday.

Shapovalov had eight aces in the match and broke Fucsovics four times on seven chances.

However, the No. 6 seed from Richmond Hill, Ont., struggled with his serve at times. He committed six double-faults and posted a 64 per cent accuracy on his first serves.

Shapovalov evened his career record against Fucsovics at 1-1. It was the first meeting between the two players since Fucsovics eliminated Shapovalov in the first round of the 2020 Australian Open.

WATCH | Shapovalov completes comeback on Fucsovics in Dubai:

Shapovalov storms back after dropping 1st set in Dubai

2 hours ago

Duration 3:35

Denis Shapovalov rebounded after a subpar opening set to take down Marton Fucsovics. 3:35

Shapovalov will next face Japan's Taro Daniel, who moved on with a 6-3, 7-6 (5) win over Belgium's David Goffin. Shapovalov won the only other meeting between the two in the 2019 Australian Open.

Rublev advances on heels of 9th tour title

Second-seeded Andrey Rublev beat Daniel Evans 6-4, 7-5 in the first round on Tuesday, just two days after winning his ninth tour title.

The Russian, who defeated Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime in the final at the Open 13 tournament in Marseille on Sunday, next faces Soonwoo Kwan after the South Korean beat Ilya Ivashka 6-3, 6-2.

The seventh-ranked Rublev also won the doubles title in Marseille with Ukrainian partner Denys Molchanov.

"I arrived at the hotel maybe at 2 a.m. today," Rublev said in his on-court interview Tuesday. "I slept maybe six or seven hours. I was thinking that probably no chance for me to win, and here I am, I won my first round so I'm really happy. I cannot imagine a better start."

WATCH | Shapovalov eliminated in Australian Open quarter-finals:

Nadal eliminates Shapovalov in Australian Open quarter-final 5-set thriller

29 days ago

Duration 4:05

Rafael Nadal eliminated Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3 to advance to Australian Open semifinals. 4:05

Karen Khachanov will face top-seeded Novak Djokovic in the second round after the Russian beat Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-7 (1), 7-5.

On Monday, Djokovic won his first match of the year when he beat Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-3. The top-ranked Serb couldn't defend his Australian Open title last month because he was deported from the country for being unvaccinated.

Other action on Tuesday

Fourth-seeded Jannik Sinner outlasted Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-3 and will next face Andy Murray.

American qualifier Mackenzie McDonald topped seventh-seeded Aslan Karatsev of Russia 7-5, 6-3 to set up a second-round match against Filip Krajinovic of Serbia.

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Shapovalov overcomes service struggles, 1st-set loss to win opening match in Dubai - CBC Sports
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