Toronto FC III battled back from an early deficit to earn a 1-1 draw against defending champions Juventus FC Match Day 2 at the Viareggio Cup. Coach Danny Dichio’s TFC III squad was difficult to break down and pressed the Italian side effectively, giving Juventus very little time on the ball throughout the match.
Kunle Dada-Luke, a 55th minute substitute for the Reds, scored in the 73rd minute when midfielder Luca Uccello sent a perfectly placed ball into the Juventus area that Dada-Luke struck from close range past the Juve keeper. The final 10 minutes of the match saw both teams create scoring chances but neither team was able to find a winner.
TFC III will take on FK Dukla Prague (Czech Republic) in the final group stage match of this prestigious youth tournament on Saturday, March 18 with kick-off set for 3:00 p.m. CET (10:00 a.m. ET). FK Dukla Prague are six-time winners of the Viareggio Cup, making them the most successful non-Italian team in the tournament’s history.
Toronto FC III (1) vs. Juventus FC (1)
Scoring Summary:
JFC – First Half 7’
TFC III – Kunle Dada-Luke 72’
Misconduct Summary:
JFC – First Half 40’
TFC III – Brandon Onkony 64’
TFC III – Luca Uccello 73’
TFC III – Nicholas Osorio 90’ + 3’
Lineup Toronto FC III – Gianluca Catalano; Steven Furlano, Brandon Onkony, Robert Boskovic, Andrew Dias; Aidan Daniels (Matthew Srbely 69’), Luca Uccello, Liam Fraser ©, Marco Mandekic (Nicholas Osorio 69’); Malik Johnson (Kota Sakurai 90’), Shaan Hundal (Kunle Dada-Luke 55’)
Substitutes: Phil Di Bennardo, Nikola Stakic, Dante Campbell, Rocco Romeo, Julian Dunn, Luca Petrasso, Daniel DaSilva
VIAREGGGIO NOTEBOOK:
On Tuesday, Toronto FC III began preparations for arguably their toughest challenge of the tournament … facing the defending and nine-time champions Juventus FC. The coaching staff split the team into two groups; players that started Monday’s match went on a light jog around Viareggio and followed up with some stretching on the beach. The remaining players that came off the bench in the second half and the unused substitutes went to Campo Sportivo Marco Pedonese for a light training session and to play some small-sided matches.
To stay up-to-date visit http://www.torontofc.ca/academy and by following the club’s twitter @TorontoFCIII and Instagram torontofcacademy accounts.
