Short-handed Reds battle to the end
Second straight masterful road performance
• At a certain point, none of it seemed fair.
Not that that has mattered to Toronto FC this season.
The Reds walked through the Yankees’ dugout here Wednesday night missing eight key players.
Americans Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore and Justin Morrow were featuring in a Gold Cup quarter-final down the road in Philadelphia. Gone, too, were Canada’s Jonathan Osorio, Tosaint Ricketts and Panama’s Armando Cooper.
Injuries to Nick Hagglund and Steven Beitashour left TFC without seven players who started last year’s MLS Cup.
And that was before coach Greg Vanney was ejected following a mind- blowing sequence that threatened to derail a second- straight masterful road performance that ended 2-2 here at Yankee Stadium.
As if t he deck wasn’t stacked high enough, Sebastian Giovinco went down i njured before the Reds conceded a crushing equalizer seconds before halftime when David Villa struck from the top of the penalty area to cancel Ashtone Morgan’s opener.
Insurmountable odds, one would think.
But back came Toronto FC — a side without nine key contributors, including its three Designated Players. The Reds picked off a pass deep in New York’s end less than five minutes after the break.
Benoit Cheyrou pushed the ball along the left side of the penalty area before crossing a ball that forward Ben Spencer headed across the goal box where Jay Chapman deflected it into the goal.
More than a minute later the Reds were lined up and waiting for play to be restarted with a kickoff when mass confusion set in. Referee Jorge Gonzalez waived off the goal his linesman determined was good moments earlier.
After a lengthy discussion with his assistant, Gonzalez said Chapman was in an onside position when the ball deflected off his shin and past New York City’s Sean Johnson to temporarily put the Reds in front.
Replays, though, were inconclusive. Neither Gonzalez or his assistant knew for sure if the call they were reversing — a game-changing decision — was the correct one.
The refereeing crew here Wednesday night was talked into a decision by a group of New York players who held up their hands as Chapman and his teammates celebrated what should have been a momentum-changer.
New York’s Maxi Moralez took advantage five minutes later when he took a cross down at the back post before watching his deflected shot loft over Alex Bono to make it 2-1.
Victor Vazquez’ penalty kick caromed off the inside of the left post and into the goal to give the Reds a crucial point.