For most of the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League preliminary stage match Toronto FC and Real Esteli was awful, but the end added some entertainment and class to save the night. The match turned when Toronto brought on the teenager Joao Plata in the second half as he opened up the match and scored a brace to push the home side past their Nicaraguan challengers, 2-1. It's not a bad result at all for Esteli though, who only lost by a goal and have the all-important away goal heading into next week's second leg.
Toronto FC Vs. Real Esteli, CONCACAF Champions League: Reds Grab First Leg, 2-1
TFC were undoubtedly the better side in the first half, but that doesn’t mean they were good. Esteli were horrendous, showing a complete inability to complete even the simplest of passes and Toronto took advantage by dominating possession. Unfortunately for the fans in attendance at BMO Field and even more empty seats who had to watch, the Reds couldn’t do anything with their possession. They gave the ball away, lacked any sort of imagination in the final third and looked like anything but a professional side.
It took just 10 minutes of second half play for something that finally resembled quality though. After gathering a loose ball on the left and just 12 yards from goal, Plata started towards the middle before cutting back towards the sideline and leaving his defender int he dust. The onrushing keeper did his best to close off the sharp angle, but Plata managed to get the ball past him and into the goal for the opening tally of the match.
When TFC next unlocked the Esteli defense it resulted in another goal. A good bit of hold up play by Danny Koevermans saw him receive the ball, hold off is defender and play the ball into a streaking Matt Stinson. His defender was beat and had no choice but to take him down, drawing a foul from 25 yards. Plata stepped to the free kick from straight away and perfectly struck the ball over the wall, bending it into the side netting for his second goal of the match.
The most important moment in the entire tie might end up being Esteli's goal in the 81st minute though and it was all on Milos Kocic. The backup goalkeeper, getting the start for the resting Stefan Frei, came off his line to gather a ball off the top. He slid onto the ball and had his hands on it, but just rolled over the ball. It popped loose and Calero Rudel, who was hustling to put pressure on Kocic, was able to knock the ball into an empty net for the crucial away goal.
Toronto’s decision not to play Frei and instead entrust Kocic may come back to haunt them now that Esteli have an away goal going back to Nicaragua for the second leg. That match will take place next Tuesday with the winner of the two-legged tie moving onto the group stage of the competition.
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