Cannon stops PK to help San Jose tie Toronto
Source: SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
Toronto, ON (Sports Network) – Joe Cannon saved a penalty kick to help the San Jose Earthquakes tie Toronto FC, 0-0, on Saturday at BMO Field as both teams failed to snap winless skids.
Cannon denied Toronto midfielder Amado Guevara in the 69th minute to preserve a point on the road and his sixth shutout of the season.
The Earthquakes (3-9-5) are still winless in seven matches and have scored just two goals in their last six.
San Jose, which unveiled recent additions Darren Huckerby, Francisco Lima and Scott Sealy, was shutout for the 10th time and has just 11 goals all season.
Toronto FC (6-6-4) extended its home unbeaten streak to 11 games dating back to last season, but is also winless in its last four with two losses and two ties.
“We played a game where we threw the kitchen sink at them. We threw everything at them,” Toronto FC coach John Carver said. “I thought that we left everything out there.”
San Jose signed Huckerby, an English striker, and Lima, a Brazilian midfielder, this week and also added Sealy, a forward, in a trade with the Kansas City Wizards.
But the trio couldn’t produce in their debuts for the expansion club, which has the worst record in Major League Soccer.
Toronto got a taste of life without midfielder Maurice Edu, who was suspended and will play for the U.S. in the Olympics, and was also without leading scorer Danny Dichio.
Forward Abdus Ibrahim, who was making his first start for Toronto, Guevara and Rohan Ricketts had the best scoring chances for the Reds.
Guevara missed high from about 12 yards in the 34th minute, Ricketts was denied on a one-on-one chance with Cannon in the 52nd minute and Guevara was stunned in the 69th when Cannon stopped his penalty kick.
“When [Carver] told me [I was starting], I told myself just to pace myself, try and get the ball behind the defenders when I can,” Ibrahim said. “I didn’t have a lot of success, but I’ve got to continue that mentality.”
San Jose will try to snap its skid on July 27 when it hosts Red Bull New York and Toronto will try to snap out of its funk on July 28 at Real Salt Lake.